> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.firmlever.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The Firmlever Weekly Roundup: Issue #37
- URL: https://www.firmlever.com/blog/the-firmlever-weekly-roundup-issue-36-2/
- Published: 2026-01-31T16:08:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-31T16:08:20.000Z
- Description: The "Firm Exit Minefield" Edition
- Author: Marc Howard

Selling a $1M accounting firm is a minefield.

So I mapped every trap.

The WIP battle that costs sellers $150K.

The "vague LOI" retrade that tanks your price at the 11th hour.

The earnout clause that lets buyers lose your clients--and you eat the loss.

The tax allocation mistake that turns 20% capital gains into 40% ordinary income.

I'm not an M&A advisor.

I don't broker deals.

But I've spent a decade in this industry watching firm owners get outmaneuvered by buyers who've done this 50 times.

So I built the flowchart I wish every seller had before their first NDA.

Whether you've attempted to sell your firm and got stuck, are considering [selling your firm someday](https://www.firmlever.com/blog/the-2026-guide-to-selling-your-accounting-practice/) or have no plans to sell your firm anytime soon but want a playbook *just in case*.

This playbook is for you:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/54/db/54db9529-7fe6-4497-b492-d106a4029bd7/content/images/2026/01/How-To-Sell-Your-Accounting-Firm.png)

It covers:

\- The 4 buyer types (and which pays the highest multiple)

\- The "Key Person Risk" test that kills deals

\- The diligence landmines and how to defuse them

\- The leverage points most sellers never use

Reply to this email with "**unlock**" if you want the full high-res PDF playbook + my personal notes.

Best,

Marc

**p.s.**– Thanks for all the responses to last week's newsletter about my [Accounting Firm M&A Deal Stack](https://www.firmlever.com/blog/the-firmlever-weekly-roundup-issue-36/). I decided to take an extra week to update for the new resources that I came across. For those who expressed interest I have you noted and apologies for the delay--looking forward to sharing soon!