Find a CPA online
Find a CPA Online
License-verified CPAs, searchable in seconds.
Finding a CPA online doesn't have to mean a Google ad and a leap of faith. The CPAZenith directory confirms an active license with the issuing state board for every firm we list, then lets you filter by state, specialty, and engagement type so the shortlist is short.
Scope of work
What virtual CPAs do
The same work as a traditional firm — just delivered through cloud software, a client portal, and scheduled video calls.
Tax prep & filing
Federal and state returns for individuals, S-corps, C-corps, partnerships, and nonprofits — e-filed end to end.
Monthly bookkeeping
Cloud-ledger close, bank/credit-card reconciliation, AR/AP, and month-end financials in QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Payroll
Gusto, Rippling, or ADP setup, multi-state registration, contractor 1099s, and S-corp reasonable comp.
Advisory & CFO-lite
Cash-flow forecasting, KPI dashboards, board-deck financials, and tax-savings planning beyond compliance.
IRS & state notices
Power-of-attorney response, transcript pulls, penalty abatement, and audit representation handled remotely.
Entity & multi-state setup
LLC vs S-corp analysis, Delaware C-corp setup, foreign qualifications, and state nexus registrations.
Who it's for
Who should use a virtual CPA
Remote solopreneur
Good fit: Single-member LLC or S-corp earning $80K–$400K, time-zone-flexible, comfortable with cloud apps.
Not a fit: Cash-heavy local business with paper receipts and walk-in clients who expect a meeting in person.
SaaS / e-commerce founder
Good fit: Stripe/Shopify revenue, Delaware C-corp or LLC, multi-state sales tax exposure, investor reporting needs.
Not a fit: Pre-revenue founder with no separate business bank account or chart of accounts yet — start with bookkeeping setup first.
Multi-state W-2 + side income
Good fit: Tech employee with RSUs/ESPP, remote-work state issues, 1099 consulting, and rental property income.
Not a fit: Standard single-state W-2 with no investments — a chain preparer will be cheaper and just as accurate.
Small agency or firm (2–25 people)
Good fit: Distributed team, ACH-heavy AP, monthly retainers to reconcile, and quarterly tax planning needs.
Not a fit: Firms with full-time in-house controllers who only need a CPA for the annual return — book a tax-only engagement instead.
2026 pricing
Virtual CPA pricing
Three packaging patterns cover most virtual CPA engagements. Add-ons cover work that doesn't fit cleanly into a recurring scope.
Tax-only
$400 – $1,500
per year
- 1040 with Schedule C, D, or E
- 1–2 state returns
- Year-end tax planning call
- E-file + secure e-sign
Best for: W-2 with side income, single-member LLCs, simple S-corps.
Bookkeeping + Tax
$300 – $900
per month
- Monthly close in QBO or Xero
- Bank + credit-card reconciliation
- Quarterly review call
- Annual business return (1120-S or 1065)
Best for: Service businesses $250K–$2M in revenue.
Full-stack + Fractional CFO
$1,500 – $5,000
per month
- Everything in Bookkeeping + Tax
- Payroll management
- Cash-flow forecast + KPI dashboard
- Board-ready monthly financials
Best for: Funded startups, agencies, and e-commerce brands scaling past $1M.
| Add-on | Typical price |
|---|---|
| S-corp election (Form 2553) | $300 – $600 |
| Multi-state return (each) | $150 – $400 |
| Sales tax registration + filing (per state) | $75 – $250 / mo |
| Bookkeeping cleanup (per month back) | $300 – $800 |
| 1099 processing | $10 – $25 per filing |
| R&D tax credit study | $3,000 – $15,000 |
| IRS notice response | $250 – $1,500 |
| Audit representation | $200 – $400 / hour |
Tooling
Best virtual CPA software stack
A modern virtual CPA engagement runs on roughly eight categories of software. None of it requires you to install anything heavier than a browser.
General ledger
QuickBooks Online · Xero · Wave
QBO is the default in the U.S.; Xero is common for SaaS and globally distributed teams.
Receipts & documents
Hubdoc · Dext · AutoEntry
Photographs and OCRs receipts into the ledger automatically.
Payroll
Gusto · Rippling · ADP Run · OnPay
Gusto is the small-business default; Rippling fits if you also need device and identity management.
Tax software
Drake · Lacerte · Intuit ProConnect · UltraTax CS · CCH Axcess
Pro-grade tax software your CPA uses — not consumer TurboTax.
Client portal & file exchange
TaxDome · Liscio · SmartVault · Canopy
Encrypted document upload, e-sign, and task management — replaces email attachments.
Bill pay & AR
Bill.com · Melio · Ramp Bill Pay · Stripe Invoicing
Approval workflows and ACH/check rails for accounts payable.
Expense & cards
Ramp · Brex · Expensify · Divvy
Corporate cards with auto-coding into QBO/Xero.
E-sign & comms
DocuSign · Adobe Sign · Slack · Loom · Zoom
E-sign for 8879s and engagement letters; Loom for async video walkthroughs of your financials.
Tax
Tax filing support
Federal returns
Form 1040 (individuals), 1120-S (S-corps), 1120 (C-corps), 1065 (partnerships), and 990 (nonprofits) prepared, reviewed, and e-filed.
State & multi-state
Apportionment, nexus tracking, and combined-group filings across every state your business or employees touch.
Sales tax
Nexus study, registration in each state, monthly filings through Avalara, TaxJar, or Anrok integrations.
Estimated payments
Quarterly federal and state estimates calculated from rolling YTD bookkeeping — no surprises in April.
Extensions
Federal and state extensions filed proactively. Extensions are not red flags — late returns are.
IRS representation
Power-of-attorney handling for notices, audits, and collections. CPAs have unlimited representation rights.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping support
Monthly close
Bank and credit-card reconciliation, journal entries, accrual adjustments, and P&L / balance-sheet review by the 15th.
Accrual conversion
Cash-to-accrual restatement so revenue and expenses match the period they belong to — required for most investor reporting.
AR / AP
Customer invoicing, vendor bill entry, payment runs, and aging reports tied to your cash forecast.
Cleanup & catchup
12–36 months of back books rebuilt in QBO or Xero with documented reconciliation reports.
SaaS revenue (ASC 606)
Deferred revenue schedules, MRR/ARR reporting, and recognized vs collected revenue for SaaS founders.
Inventory & COGS
Periodic or perpetual inventory for e-commerce, with Shopify, Amazon, and 3PL integrations into the ledger.
Payroll
Payroll support
Platform setup
Gusto, Rippling, ADP Run, or OnPay configured with bank, tax IDs, and benefits in 2–5 business days.
Multi-state registration
Employer SUTA and withholding accounts opened in every state where you employ workers — required before the first payroll runs.
Contractor 1099s
W-9 collection through the year, 1099-NEC e-file at year end, and TIN matching to avoid B-notices.
Owner reasonable comp
S-corp owner salaries benchmarked to RC Reports or comparable surveys so the IRS doesn't reclassify distributions.
Benefits & retirement
401(k), Solo 401(k), SEP IRA, health, and HSA contributions wired into payroll for accurate W-2s.
Quarterly & year-end filings
941, 940, state SUTA returns, W-2s, and 1099s e-filed on the federal and state schedules.
Security
Security & document upload
IRS Publication 4557 sets the floor for any paid preparer. A reputable virtual CPA exceeds it.
Encrypted client portal
All documents move through TaxDome, Liscio, SmartVault, or Canopy — TLS in transit, AES-256 at rest, audit trail on every download.
SOC 2 vendor preference
Reputable virtual CPAs prefer SOC 2 Type II vendors for ledger, payroll, and document storage. Ask for the vendor list.
Multi-factor authentication
MFA is enforced on every portal account — yours and the CPA's. Required for IRS e-file under Publication 4557.
Role-based access
Bookkeeper, tax preparer, and partner see only what they need. Access is revoked the day staff change.
Written Information Security Plan (WISP)
IRS Publication 4557 requires every paid preparer to maintain a WISP. Ask to see a summary before sending any documents.
Retention policy
Tax records held 7 years, payroll 4, and originals returned or securely destroyed on request.
Never send these by email
- Social Security numbers (yours, your spouse's, or your kids')
- K-1s, 1099s, or W-2s as raw attachments
- Bank statements, voided checks, or routing/account numbers
- Photos of your driver's license or passport
- 8879 signature pages (use the portal's e-sign instead)
Find a virtual CPA
License-verified, remote-first CPAs.
Every firm in the CPAZenith directory has been confirmed active with the issuing state board. Filter by state, specialty, and engagement type to find a fit.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual CPA as good as a local one?+
For tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll, and advisory work, yes — most of that workflow has been cloud-native since 2018. The only places a local CPA wins are in-person attest engagements (audits, reviews) for a state-regulated entity and businesses that genuinely operate on paper.
How do I know a virtual CPA is actually licensed?+
Ask for their full name, license number, and issuing state, then look them up on NASBA's free CPAverify or the state board's licensee search. The state board is the authoritative source — anyone refusing to share their license number is not someone to hire.
Will I ever meet my virtual CPA?+
Yes — over Zoom, Google Meet, or a quick Loom video walkthrough of your financials. Most virtual firms hold a quarterly planning call and one annual tax-strategy meeting on top of ad-hoc questions over Slack or email.
How much does a virtual CPA cost?+
Tax-only engagements run $400–$1,500 a year. Bookkeeping plus tax for a small business is $300–$900 a month. Full-stack packages with fractional CFO work land between $1,500 and $5,000 a month. Add-ons like S-corp elections, multi-state returns, and cleanup are billed separately.
How do I send documents securely?+
Through your CPA's encrypted client portal — TaxDome, Liscio, SmartVault, and Canopy are the most common. Never email tax documents, even password-protected. Email is logged forever and routinely scanned by mail providers.
Can a virtual CPA file in every state?+
Yes. Under CPA mobility, a CPA licensed in one state in good standing can prepare and sign returns for clients in any other state. Firms doing attest work (audits, reviews) in your state may still need to register the firm with that state's board.
What software do I need on my end?+
QuickBooks Online or Xero for your ledger, a bank that supports direct feeds, and a way to upload PDFs to your CPA's portal. That's the floor. Payroll, bill pay, and expense tools come next as you grow.
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