The top financial issues in buying and selling a business By William H. Wiersema, CPA, Principal, Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd. Financial due diligence is a major step in mergers and acquisitions for both buyers and sellers. At this stage, the represented cash flows of a business, technically known as Earnings Before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA), are subject to scrutiny and verification.