Fractional CFO for SaaS Companies
CPA-led financial advisory for venture-backed SaaS across the U.S. and Canada.
Your dashboard shows $2.1M ARR. Your P&L shows $1.8M revenue. Your investor asks which number is real. You don't have a clean answer. That gap — between product metrics and auditable financials — compounds at every stage. Series A diligence stalls. Cross-border tax positions conflict. Cap table discrepancies surface at the worst moment. The longer you run without a financial system built for scrutiny, the more expensive the cleanup.
When You Need This
The need for fractional CFO support is almost always tied to a specific moment — a decision that exposes the limits of the current financial infrastructure.
Preparing for Series A or Series B
Investors require audited financials and a clean tax compliance history. You have 8–12 weeks to deliver both. Your current accountant cannot move that fast.
Scaling from $1M to $5M ARR
Operations that worked at the seed scale no longer. Monthly close breaks. Metrics diverge from the general ledger. Decisions rely on spreadsheets instead of clean data.
Expanding Across U.S. and Canadian Markets
Entity structure, intercompany transactions, withholding, and dual tax filing create complexity that requires active coordination, not two solo CPAs working independently.
Planning for Acquisition or Exit
Data room requirements, financial statement quality, and tax exposure assessment become material. Gaps discovered during diligence reduce valuation or kill deals.
Managing Founder Equity and Cap Table Risks
Stock option accounting (ASC 718), investor preferences, and equity grants need to be defensible and properly recorded before the next funding round exposes discrepancies.
Who This Service Is For
SaaS Founders Without a CFO
Managing burn, forecasting runway, and prepping for fundraising alone. Financial decisions are made from spreadsheets, not clean data. One misstatement during diligence and credibility is gone.
Series A / B Companies with Weak Financial Controls
Investors expect audited financials and clean systems. The current accountant cannot move fast enough. Every week of delay compresses the audit timeline.
Early-Stage Finance Leaders Lacking Strategic Depth
A Controller or part-time CFO handles monthly close and compliance. But cash runway, tax strategy, and investor communication require a different level of financial thinking.
U.S.–Canada Dual-Market SaaS Companies
Operating across two tax jurisdictions. Consolidated reporting, withholding, intercompany transactions, and cross-border filing require active coordination. Solo CPAs in each country create gaps.
Venture-Backed Companies with Messy Equity Structures
The cap table is incomplete. Stock option accounting is unclear. Founder equity is at risk. These issues surface at the worst time — during the next funding round.
Founders Preparing for Acquisition or Exit
Data room requirements and financial statement quality matter. Tax exposure and compliance gaps reduce valuation. The time to clean this up is before the buyer asks.
What This Service Addresses
The fractional CFO function for SaaS addresses the gap between accurate historical accounting and forward-looking financial management built for investor scrutiny.
Build Financial Systems That Drive Decisions
TYM establishes the foundation: a documented revenue recognition policy, a clean chart of accounts, and a repeatable monthly close process. The goal is monthly financial statements that tie metrics to P&L and support investor scrutiny.
Design and Report Metrics That Matter
Product metrics (ARR, MRR, churn, CAC, LTV) live in your product database. TYM connects them to your P&L via a documented monthly bridge — a reconciliation that explains every variance. The output is a metrics dashboard that leadership and investors trust.
Coordinate Tax Planning Across Borders
TYM works alongside your CPA in each jurisdiction to forecast tax liability, model the impact of timing decisions, and maintain consistent positions across the U.S. and Canada. Stock option accounting (ASC 718) is coordinated with your stock plan administrator and legal counsel. Intercompany pricing and withholding are actively managed.
Prepare for Investor Diligence
Auditors and VCs expect supporting schedules: revenue breakdowns by contract type, deferred revenue rollforwards, fixed asset schedules, debt and interest tracking, equity capitalization table, and intercompany reconciliations. TYM creates and maintains these before the audit request arrives. Audit timelines shrink from 8 weeks to 3.
Model Financial Scenarios and Cash Needs
TYM builds a rolling 12-month cash forecast with scenario modeling: base case (guidance plan), upside (faster growth), and downside (market slowdown). Cash needs are visible 90 days ahead. Capital raises are planned, not reactive.
Treaty & Coordination Considerations
SaaS companies operating across the U.S. and Canada are subject to the U.S.–Canada Tax Treaty. Treaty provisions affect withholding rates on intercompany payments (royalties, management fees, dividends), the risk of a permanent establishment for employees or servers in the other country, and transfer pricing for IP and shared services.
TYM coordinates treaty application across both jurisdictions, aligning entity structure, intercompany pricing, and filing positions so that treaty benefits are claimed correctly and consistently. Missteps create double taxation or audit exposure in both countries simultaneously.
Non-compliance in a cross-border SaaS structure triggers consequences from both the IRS and CRA. IRS exposure includes penalties for late or incorrect Form 5472 (up to $25,000 per form), transfer pricing adjustments, and withholding assessment. CRA exposure includes reassessment of intercompany transactions, Part XIII withholding tax, and penalties for late T2 or information returns. The risk compounds: an IRS adjustment to intercompany pricing can trigger a corresponding CRA reassessment.
Series A Prep in 10 Weeks
B2B SaaS · $1.8M ARR · Bootstrapped, 2 years old
A B2B SaaS founder received a Series A term sheet. Due diligence required audited financials. The problem: accounting was scattered. The chart of accounts was wrong. Deferred revenue was untracked. The cap table had missing paperwork. Timeline: 10 weeks to close.
Week 1: The diagnostic identified 12 critical gaps in accounting structure and equity accounting. Weeks 2–4: TYM rebuilt the chart of accounts, established revenue recognition policy, created deferred revenue schedule, and reconciled the cap table to the actual share ledger. Weeks 5–8: Monthly close implemented in accounting software. Auditor-ready supporting schedules prepared. Cash forecast built. Weeks 9–10: Auditor coordination completed. Policy documentation delivered. Equity accounting questions resolved.
Outcome: Clean financials. No audit delays. Series A closed on schedule. Monthly reporting in place going forward.
Scope Boundaries
Included
- Monthly financial statement preparation
- Revenue recognition policy design and documentation
- Metrics dashboard and monthly P&L bridge
- Cash flow forecasting and scenario modeling
- Tax projection and planning coordination (U.S. and Canada)
- Cap table review and reconciliation (within accounting scope; legal terms are counsel's domain)
- Support for investor presentations (financials and narrative)
- Board package preparation (monthly financials + metrics + cash forecast)
- Coordination with auditors (supporting schedules, policy documentation)
- Cross-border tax coordination (in cooperation with CPAs in each jurisdiction)
Not Included
- Day-to-day bookkeeping or transaction entry (handled by your bookkeeper or accountant)
- Tax return preparation and filing (your CPA files; TYM advises and coordinates)
- Legal advice on equity documents, stock plans, or incorporation (securities counsel's domain)
- Full-time CFO replacement (TYM advises; you or your CFO makes strategic decisions)
- Accounting software implementation or IT systems work (TYM advises; your team executes)
How It Works
Initial call with you, your bookkeeper, and your CFO/Controller (if applicable). TYM reviews accounting setup, revenue model, entity structure, and requirements. Trial balance, prior-year tax returns, cap table, and existing projections are requested.
TYM audits your accounting for gaps: revenue recognition, deferred revenue handling, intercompany transactions, and equity accounting. Output: a written memo with findings and recommendations.
Revenue recognition policy is implemented. Reconciliations are set up. The monthly metrics bridge is created. Your team is trained on the new monthly close process.
Each month, you provide a trial balance and supporting schedules. TYM prepares a balance sheet, an income statement, a cash flow, a metrics dashboard, and a variance narrative.
30–60-minute call to review results, update the cash forecast, discuss tax opportunities, and align on next quarter.
Engagement Model and Fees
SaaS CFO advisory is structured as a fractional engagement, flexible and scalable based on stage and complexity. Fees depend on entity count, revenue scale, and cross-border requirements.
Seed / Early Series A. Monthly financial statements, metrics dashboard, quarterly tax planning, and ad-hoc advisory.
Series A / B prep. Financial diagnostic, audit-ready schedules, cap table cleanup, and financial model build.
Monthly retainer combined with project work for specific milestones — audit prep, acquisition support, cross-border restructuring.
CFO Services for SaaS Companies in Miami
TYM maintains a Miami office and works with SaaS companies and tech startups headquartered in South Florida. The team is familiar with South Florida's venture and startup ecosystem, local tax considerations, and investor networks. Quarterly in-person financial reviews available. Direct access to Miami-based CPAs for Florida and U.S. tax coordination.
CFO Services for SaaS Companies in Toronto
TYM also maintains a Toronto office and serves Canadian SaaS companies and U.S.-based tech companies with Canadian operations. For companies scaling into Canada, expanding from Canada to the U.S., or managing a dual-market presence, TYM coordinates U.S. and Canadian tax filing, entity structuring, and statutory compliance. In-person quarterly reviews available. Direct access to Toronto-based CPAs for Canadian tax and compliance. Expertise in U.S.-Canada cross-border structures (subsidiary, IP holdco, consolidated reporting).
Financial Clarity Accelerates Fundraising
If you are scaling a SaaS company and need to move financial systems from startup mode to investor-ready, TYM can help. TYM reviews your current accounting, metrics reporting, and tax position. You receive a written roadmap: where you stand, what needs to change, and a 90-day plan to get there.
Talk to a CPARisks of Incomplete Financial Infrastructure
Without proper CFO support, SaaS companies face compounding financial risks that become increasingly expensive to resolve.
Investor diligence delays
Missing GAAP financials, deferred revenue schedules, and cap table documentation slow or kill fundraising rounds.
ARR / revenue mismatch
Product metrics and P&L speak different languages. Investors see inconsistency. Credibility erodes before diligence begins.
Dual-agency tax exposure
IRS penalties for late Form 5472 (up to $25,000 per form), CRA reassessments, and transfer pricing adjustments compound when cross-border positions conflict.
Cap table chaos
Equity documentation is incomplete. Stock option accounting is incorrect. Disputes surface at the worst time — during the next funding round.
Runway miscalculation
Cash crisis forces unplanned fundraising at the worst moment. Burn rate assumptions are wrong. The gap between perceived and actual runway is discovered too late.
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Learn moreFAQ: Fractional CFO for SaaS
How is fractional CFO advisory different from bookkeeping?
Bookkeeping records transactions. CFO advisory integrates financial data with business strategy: it connects your ARR dashboard to your income statement, forecasts cash needs 12 months ahead, coordinates tax planning, and prepares your company for investor scrutiny. TYM does not enter transactions; TYM oversees the system and drives financial decisions.
Does TYM replace a full-time CFO?
No. TYM provides fractional advisory — financial planning, reporting, and strategy. You (or your CFO/Controller) make operational and capital allocation decisions. TYM is the financial infrastructure and strategy layer. If a full-time CFO is needed, that can be discussed separately.
What if a company already works with a bookkeeper or accounting firm?
Ideal. TYM works with existing teams. Your bookkeeper enters transactions; your accountant may prepare tax returns. TYM reviews systems, sets strategy, and produces financial statements and forecasts. Clarity of roles makes this efficient.
How does TYM handle U.S.-Canada structures?
Entity-level trial balances roll up to consolidated financials. Intercompany transactions (pricing, payables, IP licensing) are tracked and documented. U.S. and Canadian tax positions are aligned and filed consistently. TYM works with CPAs in both jurisdictions.
What happens during a Series A audit?
Supporting schedules (revenue, deferred revenue, fixed assets, debt, equity) arrive ready. Policies are documented. Reconciliations are clear. The auditor's scope shrinks because the legwork is done. Audit timelines typically shorten from 8 weeks to 3–4.
Can TYM help with stock option accounting?
Yes, within scope. TYM coordinates with your stock plan administrator and legal counsel on ASC 718 expense recognition and equity accounting. TYM does not provide legal advice on equity documentation — that is your securities counsel's domain. But the accounting is correct, and the expense is recognized properly.
Does TYM file tax returns?
No. Your CPA or tax firm files. TYM prepares financial statements, projects tax liability, coordinates filing calendars, and advises on timing and strategy. TYM works hand-in-hand with your tax professionals.
What does a SaaS CFO engagement typically cost?
Retainer engagements range from $5,000 to $10,000/month, depending on complexity (entity count, revenue scale, cross-border activity). Project-based work (audit prep, systems build) ranges from $15,000 to $35,000+. TYM provides a proposal after the initial diagnostic.
When should a SaaS company hire a fractional CFO?
When financial complexity outpaces internal capacity. Common inflection points: approaching Series A, scaling past $1M ARR, expanding cross-border, or preparing for acquisition. If financial decisions depend on spreadsheets rather than clean data, the gap is already creating risk.
How long does setting up financial systems take?
Diagnostic and initial setup typically run 6–10 weeks. Ongoing monthly support continues as long as the engagement is active. Major changes (acquisition prep, consolidation) may require 2–4 week projects.
TYM provides accounting, financial advisory, and tax planning support. TYM does not provide legal advice. For matters of equity documentation, stock plan terms, or corporate structure, consult securities counsel. For tax return preparation and filing, TYM coordinates with your CPA or tax professional. Nothing on this page constitutes a tax opinion or guarantee of outcome. All recommendations are conditional on facts and subject to review by your professional tax advisor.
