Business Valuation Assessment

A Business Valuation Assessment is an automated valuation of a private company, computed by the FMV platform from the company's own accounting data. It reconciles the income, market, and asset approaches and updates whenever the books change.

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At a glance

Basis: Income, market, and asset approaches on the company's own books. Not a signed opinion of value.
Prepared by: The FMV platform, from the company's connected books
Deliverable: Online report that updates with the books
Used by: Banks and lenders, accounting firms, financial advisors, business owners
Delivered to: The client's FMV account and the ordering bank or firm

When it is used

A lender wants a current read on a borrower's value between signed valuations.
An accounting firm wants to see value across its client book and spot who needs a signed valuation.
An owner wants to understand what drives the value of the business before planning a sale or transfer.

What it includes

Income, market, and asset approaches, reconciled
The full build-up behind each approach
Cost of capital from current market data
Sensitivity of value to the main assumptions
History of the assessment as the books change

Last updated October 24, 2026

Assessment or certified valuation

Both measure what a private company is worth. Only the certified valuation is signed.

Feature	Business Valuation Assessment	Certified Business Valuation
What it is	Automated valuation computed by the FMV platform	Signed, independent opinion of value
Prepared by	The FMV platform, from connected books	A credentialed FMV analyst
Signed	No	Yes, with the analyst's qualifications
Standards	Income, market, and asset approaches	Revenue Ruling 59-60 and AICPA VS Section 100
Best for	Planning, screening, and tracking value over time	Sales, lending, tax, and any decision others will rely on
How often	Updates whenever the books change	As of a stated valuation date

Who uses it

Banks and lendersScreen a borrower or a prospective deal before ordering the signed valuation. When the deal goes to underwriting, the signed engagement starts from the same connected books.Accounting firmsEvery client on FMV Insights has a current assessment. Under Pro, Insights is included for every client.Financial advisorsOrdered for business-owner clients in exit, estate, and liquidity planning.Business ownersThe Business Valuation Assessment is included in FMV Insights.

Standards and sources

Income, market, and asset approaches: The three generally accepted approaches, reconciled
Private-company financial statements: Market multiples and peer inputs
Kroll and U.S. Treasury data: Cost of capital build-up

Documents we need

None. The assessment is computed from the company's connected accounting system.

How it works

Connect
The company connects QuickBooks Online or Xero, or enters financials by hand.
Standardize
Accounts map to a standard chart of accounts, with a source note on every line.
Compute
The platform runs the analysis against FMV's private-company data and current market inputs.
Refresh
Results update when the books change. Peer sets are rebuilt each quarter.

Business Valuation Assessment questions

What is a Business Valuation Assessment?

A Business Valuation Assessment is an automated valuation of a private company that the FairMarketValue (FMV) platform computes from the company's connected accounting system. It reconciles the income, market, and asset approaches, shows the full build-up, and recalculates whenever the books change.

Is a Business Valuation Assessment a signed valuation?

No. A Business Valuation Assessment is an automated estimate for planning and screening, and no analyst signs it. When a lender, an auditor, the IRS, or a court will rely on the number, FMV prepares a certified business valuation signed by a credentialed analyst.

How often does a Business Valuation Assessment update?

A Business Valuation Assessment recalculates whenever the company's connected books change. Market inputs, including the cost of capital built from Kroll and U.S. Treasury data, are refreshed as those sources update.

Which accounting systems can connect to a Business Valuation Assessment?

QuickBooks Online and Xero connect directly to the FMV platform today. Companies on other accounting systems can enter their financial statements by hand.

How do business owners get a Business Valuation Assessment?

Business owners get a Business Valuation Assessment as part of FMV Insights, the subscription for owners, which is $500 per year. Accounting firms and banks can provide it to clients through FMV.

How is a Business Valuation Assessment priced?

Pricing for a Business Valuation Assessment depends on the number of companies covered and how often results are needed. FMV quotes it for each bank portfolio or firm client book.