Website requirements checklist for an accounting and tax firm in New York before asking for quotes (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

A New York CPA firm that sends agencies a vague brief gets quotes that cannot be compared, often spread from USD 8,000 to 60,000 for what is meant to be the same site. A one to two page requirements checklist (pages, content ownership, integrations listed line by line, WCAG 2.2 AA, form data rules, ownership of domain and hosting, migration plan) narrows that spread and shows what each provider really includes. Write it before January, compare three quotes on a weighted grid and plan go-live after the mid-April filing peak.

What goes into the checklist?

The document has one job: make three providers answer the same question. Fill in this list before any request for proposals, whether your firm sits in Midtown, the Financial District or Brooklyn.

• Goals and audiences: which clients you want (owner-managed businesses, freelance creatives, expatriates with filing obligations in two countries) and which action you expect (book a call, request an engagement quote, join a newsletter).
• Page list and templates: home, services (individual tax, business tax, bookkeeping, advisory), team, industries, resources, careers, contact. State the number of distinct templates, not just the page count.
• Content ownership: who writes, who approves, who signs off on compliance. The CPA title depends on licensure through the New York State Board for Public Accountancy, so only partners who actually hold it display it. IRS Circular 230 advertising rules apply to covered practitioners; a partner reviews every line about services and credentials.
• Languages: English only, or English plus a second language for an expatriate client base.
• Integrations, one line each: client portal link, secure document exchange, CRM, appointment booking, email tool, news feeds. Portal and document exchange are two separate lines, priced on quote.
• Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA target, tested before go-live. ADA Title III suits over websites are frequent in the US.
• Form data rules: name, email, phone, a few words on the need. Never a tax ID (SSN, ITIN, EIN) or bank details in an open form. The FTC Safeguards Rule and the New York SHIELD Act govern client data security; have your adviser validate the setup. Marketing email follows CAN-SPAM.
• Ownership: domain, hosting, Analytics and Search Console accounts in the firm's name.
• SEO migration if a site exists: inventory of every URL, 301 redirect map, monitoring in Search Console.
• Acceptance criteria: accessibility score, mobile load time, tested forms, verified redirects.
• Timeline and budget range: a go-live window outside filing season (mid-May to late September) and a budget ceiling.

This is not legal advice.

How does a vague brief change the quotes?

2026 ballpark, based on typical New York agency quotes:

How do you compare three quotes?

Score each quote 1 to 5 per criterion, then compute (weight × score) / 5. The total is out of 100. Illustrative example:

Quote C wins even though it is not the cheapest: it answers every line. Quote B, the clearest on price, leaves integrations vague, which usually means change orders later.

How does the Kolonell fixed grid map to the checklist?

The Kolonell international grid is fixed: Starter USD 2,900, Growth USD 4,900, Premium USD 8,900 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote). Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support.

• Pages, templates, copywriting, accessibility, minimal forms and the 301 map: covered in the tier that matches your page volume.
• Client portal, document exchange, CRM and custom applications: on quote, embedded or linked, never rebuilt.
• SEO work beyond the migration, and maintenance after the 3 included months: on quote.

As a professional services reference, Kolonell built the website of TR Signing Group (trsigninggroup.com), a signing services company based in New Jersey.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. "Hartley Voss CPA", a Midtown firm, first approaches three agencies with a four-line brief. Replies: USD 9,000, 27,000 and 58,000, a USD 49,000 spread and no basis for comparison.

A partner spends 6 hours writing the checklist above. At an assumed internal rate of USD 250 an hour, that is USD 1,500 of time. Second round: two agencies reply at USD 18,500 and 24,000, a spread cut to USD 5,500, and Kolonell proposes Growth at USD 4,900, with the document exchange embed and CRM connection priced separately. The firm finally compares identical scopes and sets go-live for June.

FAQ

How long does the checklist take to write?

Allow 4 to 8 hours for a firm of 5 to 20 people. The longest parts are the inventory of existing URLs and splitting the writing between the agency and the partners.

Should the client portal be priced in the same quote as the site?

No, ask for a separate line. A link to an existing portal costs little, while a custom portal can exceed USD 10,000 and deserves its own quote.

Which accessibility target should we state?

WCAG 2.2 AA, tested before go-live. Expect USD 1,500 to 5,000 of agency testing if the line is not included.

When should the site go live?

Between mid-May and late September, outside the January to mid-April filing peak. A Kolonell delivery takes 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, so send quote requests in March or April.

Can the contact form ask for a client's tax ID?

No: name, email, phone and a few words on the need are enough. Documents go through the secure exchange tool, priced separately on quote.

Let's scope your project. Send us your checklist, even incomplete: we review it, price every line and propose a tier between USD 2,900 and 8,900 with go-live outside filing season. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.