Business Valuation Blog | Understanding Buying / Selling a Company

When it comes to professional valuation practice, two sets of standards often come into play: USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) and the NACVA (National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts). While both aim to ensure credibility, consistency, and ethical behavior in valuation work, they are applied in slightly different contexts and with varying emphases. Understanding how they align and where they differ can help appraisers remain compliant and instill greater confidence in their work.

USPAP, established by The Appraisal Foundation, serves as the authoritative framework for appraisals across the United States. It is required by law for real property appraisers and widely adopted in equipment and business valuation contexts. USPAP emphasizes principles such as ethics, scope of work structure, reporting requirements, extraordinary assumptions, and hypothetical conditions, all topics critical to preparing and presenting an independent valuation. 

The NACVA’s Professional Standards were created specifically for financial professionals conducting business valuations, litigation support, and related consulting services. NACVA standards overlap with USPAP in terms of ethics and disclosure, but also emphasize unique aspects of business valuation, such as engagement types, accepted methodologies, independence, objectivity, and work file documentation.

Where USPAP provides universal principles, NACVA offers more tailored requirements for the business valuation profession.

Key Similarities between the two include objectivity and independence, reporting transparency, limiting conditions disclosure, and professional appraiser competence.

Key Differences include a broader discipline range, with USPAP covering virtually any type of accredited valuation, while the NACVA focuses solely on financial and business appraisal. In addition, USPAP compliance is mandated in many cases by law or regulation, while NACVA compliance is required for its members.

Failing to follow USPAP can expose an appraiser to regulatory risk, while ignoring NACVA standards can jeopardize one’s credibility as a certified analyst. If you’re a business appraiser, the most reliable practice is to understand the requirements of each and ensure your reports satisfy both sets of expectations.

USPAP and NACVA standards ultimately share the same goal: to produce reliable, credible, and ethical valuations. While USPAP provides an overarching regulatory framework, NACVA adds layers of specificity tailored to business valuation professionals.

When you're considering having your business appraised, your research will likely lead you to the NACVA (National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts), which provides a wide range of services, including certifications, for business appraisers. This designation can make a big difference when it's time to have a company appraisal performed. Here's a summary of what the NACVA is and how appraisers become certified.

Prior to the formation of NACVA, the methodologies used by these appraisers, accountants, and other business professionals followed a wide range of approaches and analyses. There was no consistency in these procedures which ultimately led to scrutiny and doubt as to the reasonableness, reliability, and independence of the conclusions. When audits were performed on a number of the businesses involved, it was determined that formal guidelines and procedures were needed to govern the valuation industry.

In 1990, the NACVA was founded to implement and support the business marketplace. It developed and tested methodologies for estimating business value under a wide range of circumstances. Over time, these methodologies were accepted in accounting, legal, insurance, financial, and tax circles, and were determined to provide the most accurate picture of business valuation. The NACVA has certified thousands of financial and accounting professionals, including CPAs and valuation specialists. The majority of that membership is certified in one of the Association's three main programs: Certified Valuation Analyst or CVA, Accredited in Business Appraisal Review or ABAR, or Master Analyst in Financial Forensics or MAFF.

The independence and consistency of the methodologies required to be considered and implemented in every appraisal under these guidelines have been critical to establishing a strong reputation of integrity. The business appraisal will also include insights into your company's performance and operations, strengths and weaknesses as well as the position within specific markets and industries you focus on.

Becoming a Certified Valuation Analyst within the NACVA involves a combination of education, experience, and formal testing, that takes years to earn. This designation gives the appraiser direct access to the resources of the association and requires them to follow the methodologies and approaches approved within. Continuing education is also a requirement to stay current with changes and updates to the program.

By being aware of what the NACVA is and how its certified appraisers can bring added value to your business, you can use that knowledge and the quality of their reports as leverage at the negotiating table. Working with a certified appraiser ensures that your business valuation has been determined using standardized methodologies that will stand up well to strong scrutiny in a wide range of areas, including legal, insurance, financial, and tax circles.

When you're considering having your business appraised, you'll probably hear a lot of new terms. NACVA, the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, provides a wide range of services, including certification, for business appraisers. This designation can make a huge difference in your business when it's time to have an appraisal performed. Here's a quick look at what the Association does and how it will benefit your company in the long run.

What is NACVA and why does it matter for your business valuation?

Originally the area of certified public accountants and business professionals, business valuations have been used to determine a company's worth for several decades. However, prior to the formation of NACVA and similar business valuation certification organizations, the methodologies that were used by these individuals followed a wide range of approaches and calculations. When this information was brought before legal, financial, insurance and tax organizations, it was put through strong scrutiny to ensure the calculations were correct. Unfortunately, in many cases, the value that was calculated was determined to be incorrect, leaving many companies scrambling to provide alternative documentation of their values.

In 1990, NACVA was founded to support CPAs and business professionals in their valuation process. It developed tested methodologies for calculating business values in a wide range of circumstances. Over time, as these methodologies were put through their paces in legal, insurance, financial and tax circles, they were proven to provide the most accurate picture of business values. In the intervening years, the Association has certified over 35,000 financial and accounting professionals, including CPAs and valuation specialists. The majority of that membership, approximately 80%, are certified in one of the Association's three main certification programs: Certified Valuation Analyst or CVA, Accredited in Business Appraisal Review or ABAR, or Master Analyst in Financial Forensics or MAFF.

Where this impacts your company's valuation is in the level of detail and accuracy of the appraisal report that is generated by a certified appraiser. Because of the methodologies that are used, these documents often include vital insights into your company's performance and operations, allowing you to grow strong areas of your business while improving those areas that aren't doing as well. The report will also often include information on your position within your industry, providing you with options for solidifying that position or gaining ground in new areas that have until now been unexplored.

It will also look at your industry as a whole. Is it growing and healthy, or are there areas of concern that may be holding it back? Is it being impacted by digitization or disruption in the market? What are the current projections for growth? Because these aspects will impact your company's performance, they will be taken into account in the valuation report. Intangible assets, such as goodwill and reputation, will also be calculated into the final figure.

By being aware of what NACVA is and how it's certified appraiser members are able to bring more value to your business valuation, you can use that knowledge as leverage at the negotiating table, as insights into your business and industry and many more areas. Working with a certified appraiser ensures that your business valuation has been calculated using standardized methodologies that will stand up well to strong scrutiny in a wide range of areas, including legal, insurance, financial and tax circles.