CVA is a professional valuation credential. Before hiring any provider, verify the individual’s active credential, experience, scope, and whether the report meets the intended user’s requirements. Michelet Financial provides business valuation analysis for owners nationwide without representing an unverified certification.
Valuation Engagements
A professional holding an active CVA credential typically applies income, market, and asset approaches and documents the assumptions behind an opinion of value. The appropriate credential and report standard depend on the transaction, lender, court, tax, or planning purpose.
Know your number before you go to market. We benchmark your adjusted EBITDA against real comparable transactions so you negotiate from data, not hope.
An independent, defensible value that protects both sides when a partner joins or leaves — the single most common source of owner disputes.
Valuation analysis for acquisition financing and lender review. Confirm the lender’s independence, credential, and report requirements before engagement.
Valuation analysis for partner, shareholder, or divorce-related decisions, coordinated with counsel when legal standards or expert testimony apply.
Valuation analysis for estate, gifting, and succession planning, coordinated with qualified legal and tax advisers.
Valuations supporting employee ownership plans, stock grants, and 409A-style equity compensation decisions.
Standards
Anyone can quote a multiple. A professionally prepared valuation documents the methodology, assumptions, and comparables — which is exactly what makes it defensible to third parties.
We reconcile income (DCF), market (comparable transactions), and asset approaches rather than relying on a single shortcut — a disciplined valuation process.
We adjust your financials for owner compensation, one-time items, and discretionary expenses to reveal true earning power — the number buyers actually price.
Every multiple we apply is supported by real transaction data in your industry, not a rule of thumb, so the conclusion survives due diligence.
You receive a formal, narrative valuation report — a document that may be requested by lenders, courts, tax authorities, buyers, or other intended users, depending on the purpose and applicable standards.
FAQ
Private-Company Equity
For private companies issuing stock options, our nationwide 409A valuation page explains timing, documents, methods, and the review process.
Explore 409A Valuation ServicesCredential and Scope Guide
A credential can be relevant, but it is only one selection question. Confirm the provider’s current credentials, experience with your intended use, applicable standards, intended users, independence requirements, and the exact deliverables.
Ask what standard and premise of value apply, which methods will be considered, what information is required, who may rely on the report, and what limitations will be stated.
Owner sale and buyout work may start with business valuation; transaction and capital questions may need corporate valuation; equity compensation has a separate 409A process.
Michelet Financial can discuss fit and valuation analysis without representing an unverified CVA, ASA, or ABV credential. Legal, tax, audit, and expert-witness requirements are confirmed separately.
Discuss your valuation needs Call (225) 396-5511
Related: quality of earnings preparation · M&A advisory · exit planning
CVA Guide
Plain disclosure: Michelet Financial and Big Ass Tax Returns do not claim to hold the CVA credential. This guide explains the credential so you can hire the right provider for your valuation, whoever that turns out to be.
The Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) is a business valuation credential awarded by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA). A CVA has met NACVA’s eligibility rules, passed its exam and work-product review, and keeps the credential active through NACVA’s recertification requirements. CVAs value privately held businesses and business interests for sales, buyouts, lending, estate and gift planning, and disputes.
Exact rules change over time, so check NACVA’s CVA qualifications page for the current version.
| Credential | Issued by | Verify with |
|---|---|---|
| CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) | NACVA | NACVA directory or verification form |
| ABV (Accredited in Business Valuation) | AICPA | AICPA |
| ASA (Accredited Senior Appraiser) | American Society of Appraisers | American Society of Appraisers |
It depends on who will rely on the number. A court, the IRS or some lenders may expect a credentialed appraiser and a specific report standard. Ask them before you hire anyone. For an owner who wants a realistic price range before selling, planning a partner buyout, or deciding when to go to market, start with the basics: business valuation, a quick value estimate, EBITDA multiples and quality of earnings. For larger deals, see corporate valuation, 409A valuations for stock options, and selling a Houston business.
Source: NACVA’s published CVA qualifications and verification pages, checked October 2026.
Start with a free consultation. We’ll tell you which standard applies to your situation and what a realistic value range looks like.
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