ADHD in Accounting: A Hidden Advantage for CPA Firms

ADHD is far more common in the workplace than many leaders realize – and accounting firms are no exception.

In knowledge-driven professions like accounting, where work is deadline-heavy, interruption-rich, and cognitively demanding, ADHD often presents as a quiet struggle rather than a visible disruption. It rarely looks like chaos or a lack of discipline. Instead, it shows up as last-minute urgency, uneven energy, and sustained overwork, with burnout frequently mistaken for a strong work ethic.

Traditional firm metrics, such as utilization rates, billable hours, and rigid performance frameworks, rarely capture this reality. As a result, firms may overlook both the hidden strain neurodivergent professionals experience and the distinct strengths they bring to their teams.

Research highlights this dual reality. Around 3.5% of the global workforce meets the criteria for adult ADHD, and workers with ADHD are associated with an average of approximately 22 lost days of productivity per year compared with other workers.

At the same time, other research shows that adults with ADHD consistently report strengths such as hyperfocus, creativity, intuitiveness, and opportunity recognition—traits that support deep engagement and insight-driven work when matched with the right systems and environments.

sabrina parris - cpa and leader at honeycomb state tax strategies

To explore what this means for accounting firms in practice, we spoke with Sabrina Parris, a CPA with nearly two decades of experience in tax and accounting. She sold her CPA firm in 2023 and now leads Honeycomb State Tax Strategies, where she supports CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals with multistate tax needs.

She is also a co-founder of Ovata Collective, a community built to support neurodivergent accountants, and she regularly speaks across the profession on building healthier, more inclusive careers.

In this conversation, Sabrina breaks down what ADHD looks like beyond stereotypes, what firms get wrong when they measure performance, and the practical systems, communication habits, and tech choices that reduce friction for diverse thinkers.

ADHD is often misunderstood in professional environments. From what you’ve seen inside accounting and CPA firms, what does ADHD actually look like in day-to-day work beyond the stereotypes?

ADHD shows up differently in adults versus children, as well as girls/women versus boys/men. One common challenge is time management. People who have ADHD often think of time in two buckets: “right now,” and “not right now.”

As a result, tax and accounting professionals with ADHD may struggle with procrastination until a deadline is looming, and they may struggle to get started at all on projects without hard deadlines. Also, many people with ADHD overcompensate by working harder for longer hours. This is called masking.

My business partner Meghan Blair, co-founder of Ovata Collective, describes it as writing with your non-dominant hand. You probably CAN write with your non-dominant hand, but imagine doing it all day, every day. That’s what masking feels like for someone who is neurodivergent. Overcompensating, combined with the already challenging demands of a career, is a recipe for burnout.

In your experience, when firms get it right, what specific outcomes improve-such as speed, accuracy, innovation, client experience, or team engagement?

Two of the biggest challenges for employers include hiring and retaining top talent. Many firms use outdated practices to evaluate candidates for hire as well as candidates for promotion.

Utilization, realization, and billable hours rarely tell the whole story for neurodivergent or neurotypical professionals. Describe some of the best leaders you have met during your career. Were they good leaders because they had the highest utilization rate, or was it something else?

If your firm gets it right, you’re less likely to scare off a potential leader who has strengths that don’t fit neatly into the standard boxes of a firm employee evaluation.

How can firm leaders support different cognitive working styles while maintaining or even raising performance standards?

The good news is that supporting different working styles benefits the whole team, not just neurodivergent team members. We don’t need the bar lowered; we just need to rethink what exactly the bar is measuring.

What types of systems, routines, or operating models make the biggest difference in helping accountants with ADHD stay focused, consistent, and sustainable?

Systems that are flexible benefit the whole team, including accountants with ADHD. Developing a standard workstyle profile questionnaire is a great place to start. A workstyle profile is simply a document that allows each member of your team to concisely communicate their work preferences when flexibility is possible. Questions can include:

Are you a visual learner, auditory learner, or kinesthetic learner?
What is your preferred method of communication for urgent versus non-urgent messages?
What is your preferred method of receiving feedback, and how often?
What part of the day do you feel most focused?

Also, consider blocking off a few hours each week that are meeting-free so that members of your team can better plan for tasks that require concentration.

How can modern accounting technology automation, workflow tools, AI, or task management platforms reduce cognitive friction and improve performance for diverse thinkers?

Task management platforms are inherently ADHD-friendly. Make sure everyone on the team knows how to use it and how to customize the view for their needs, and make sure communication is clear regarding expectations around technology use. The information in any system is only useful if it is up-to-date, so the less manual updating needed, the better.

What advice would you give to accounting professionals with ADHD who want to build long, successful careers without burnout while still aiming for leadership roles?

Communication is so important. The choice to disclose and/or request accommodations is a personal one, but everyone can and should communicate to their team anything that helps reduce friction in the workplace.

Also, don’t be afraid to draw attention to your wins and strengths, not just at formal performance review time. Make sure your mentors and sponsors also know that it’s ok to brag about you! Also, remember that you are not alone, and the unique skills that come with being neurodivergent are assets to the profession.

Stop Managing Hours. Start Managing Focus.

Sabrina’s point is simple. Firms do not need to lower standards; they need to measure the right things. When leaders move beyond utilization as the main proof of value, they stop missing future leaders who contribute in different ways. Clear expectations, flexible systems, and better handoffs help neurodivergent professionals stay consistent without burning out and raise the bar for the entire team.

Modern accounting technology reduces cognitive overload by simplifying access, standardizing workflows, and eliminating unnecessary system friction. Cloud platforms, such as Ace Cloud Hosting, centralize applications, data, and security. This allows professionals to focus on analysis and advisory work rather than managing infrastructure.

When systems are reliable, accessible, and designed for flexibility, teams perform more consistently regardless of their individual working styles.

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ADHD in Accounting: A Hidden Competitive Advantage for CPA and CAS Firms