Filing season 2025 · updated quarterly

Your return is a conversation,
not an app submission.

AtoZ Tax is an editorial index of tax preparers across every state — CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and veteran bookkeepers, each listing annotated with hours, credentials, and what real clients said. We don't rank by who pays us. Nobody pays us.

Browse by city → Read the vetting checklist

2,023

Preparers indexed

142+

Metro markets

Specialty tracks

Clear Start Tax ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Google rating

7,105

Reviews

CPA/EA

Credential

01 · Specialty

A preparer for the return you actually have.

See all specialties →

01 / 06

Individual Tax Prep

W-2, 1099, Schedule A to C — straightforward personal returns filed by a real person, not a kiosk.

1,006

firms listed

02 / 06

Business Tax

LLCs, S-corps, partnerships. Quarterly estimates, K-1s, depreciation, entity-level strategy.

272

firms listed

03 / 06

IRS Resolution

Audits, back taxes, liens, Offers in Compromise. Enrolled Agents and CPAs who negotiate the letter in hand.

289

firms listed

04 / 06

Bookkeeping & Payroll

Year-round books, QuickBooks cleanup, monthly close, 1099 and payroll filings.

354

firms listed

05 / 06

Full-Service CPA Firm

Multi-partner firms handling tax, advisory, and attest work under one roof.

firms listed

06 / 06

Expat & International

FBAR, FATCA, Forms 2555 and 1116. For Americans abroad and foreign nationals filing stateside.

firms listed

02 · Index scope

Big enough to matter, narrow enough to trust.

2,023

Preparers indexed across the United States, every profile hand-checked against Google listings and public phone records.

94%

Listings with a verified credential line — CPA, EA, or multi-year tax preparation service classification.

142+

Metro markets surveyed in the current index, from Brooklyn and Queens to Cedar Rapids and Boise.

Pay-to-list slots. We take no fees from the firms we profile. Period.

03 · Featured firms

Six we'd send our own family to.

Browse by city →

Bookkeeping & Payroll 5 (2,956)

Houston · TX

04 · By city

Twelve markets, handpicked.

All cities →

Houston

21 preparers · TX

Queens

21 preparers · NY

Chicago

21 preparers · IL

Dallas

20 preparers · TX

Denver

20 preparers · CO

Brooklyn

19 preparers · NY

Santa Ana

19 preparers · CA

New York

19 preparers · NY

San Jose

19 preparers · CA

Miami

18 preparers · FL

Bakersfield

18 preparers · CA

Long Island

18 preparers · NY

05 · The vetting checklist

Five questions that separate a preparer from a form-filler.

The IRS issues a PTIN to anyone who pays a small fee. That's a license to prepare, not a credential. Use this list on every firm you call — the good ones answer in under a minute.

"Are you a CPA, EA, or attorney?"

Only the first three can represent you before the IRS at every level. If the answer is "PTIN only," that's fine for simple returns — but ask how many W-2s they file in a season.

"Will you sign and include your PTIN?"

A legitimate paid preparer must sign the return and enter their PTIN. Ghost preparers — who prepare but refuse to sign — are an IRS-flagged red flag.

"How are fees calculated?"

Flat fee per form, hourly, or percentage of refund? The last is a violation of IRS rules. If you hear "percentage of refund," hang up.

"Do you work year-round or only in season?"

An IRS letter in October is not going to wait until February. Confirm who handles post-filing correspondence before you hand over a W-2.

"Can I see a redacted sample return?"

A preparer confident in their work will show you a blurred-out prior filing. Pay attention to thoroughness on Schedule A, not just the bottom-line refund.

Editor's note

"A bad preparer costs you more than the fee — they cost you the notice three years later."

Your return is a conversation, not an app submission.

Clear Start Tax ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A preparer for the return you actually have.

Individual Tax Prep

Business Tax

IRS Resolution

Bookkeeping & Payroll

Full-Service CPA Firm

Expat & International

Big enough to matter, narrow enough to trust.

Six we'd send our own family to.

1 Stop Income Tax and Insurance

American Tax Defense

Tax Zone Inc.

TaxFam

The Professional Multiservices

Cityline Tax & Multiservices Inc

Twelve markets, handpicked.

Houston

Queens

Chicago

Dallas

Denver

Brooklyn

Santa Ana

New York

San Jose

Miami

Bakersfield

Long Island

Five questions that separate a preparer from a form-filler.

"Are you a CPA, EA, or attorney?"

"Will you sign and include your PTIN?"

"How are fees calculated?"

"Do you work year-round or only in season?"

"Can I see a redacted sample return?"

Your return is a conversation,
not an app submission.