Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania CPA Firms
Verified PA CPA firms from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to the Lehigh Valley.
Pennsylvania CPA firms serve healthcare systems, manufacturers, higher-ed institutions, and the small businesses that drive the Commonwealth's economy. Every PA CPA on CPAZenith is verified with the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy.
License verification
How to verify a Pennsylvania CPA license
Pennsylvania CPAs are licensed and disciplined by the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy. Every license is searchable for free. Take two minutes to confirm an active license, then look for any disciplinary history before you sign an engagement letter.
1. Get the CPA's full name & license number
A licensed CPA will share both without hesitation — anyone who won't is a red flag.
2. Search the Pennsylvania board
Open the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy licensee search and look up by name or license number.
3. Confirm status & check discipline
An Active license with a current expiration date is the bar. Read any consent orders before hiring.
Best services
What Pennsylvania CPAs do best
The services CPAZenith's Pennsylvania firms are most often hired for.
Tax preparation
Individual and small business federal + state returns.
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Payroll
Full-service payroll, multi-state filings, W-2 / 1099 year-end.
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Bookkeeping
Monthly close, reconciliations, and QuickBooks / Xero cleanup.
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Audit & assurance
Audited, reviewed, and compiled financial statements.
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Small business CPA
S-corp elections, entity structuring, owner tax planning.
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Who does what
CPA vs EA vs tax preparer
"Accountant" is unregulated. Only a CPA can sign audited financials, and only a CPA or EA can represent you before the IRS without restriction.
| Attribute | CPA | Enrolled Agent | Tax preparer (PTIN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulated by | State board of accountancy | U.S. Treasury / IRS | IRS (PTIN only) |
| Exam | Uniform CPA Exam (4 sections) | Special Enrollment Exam (3 parts) | None required for PTIN |
| Education | 150 college credits, typically a master's | No degree required | No degree required |
| Can represent you in an IRS audit | Yes — unlimited representation | Yes — unlimited representation | Limited (only returns they prepared, if AFSP) |
| Can sign audited or reviewed financial statements | Yes | No | No |
| Typical work | Tax, audit, advisory, attest, complex planning | Tax prep, IRS representation, planning | Seasonal return prep |
| Hire when… | You need audited financials, complex tax, or strategic advisory. | You need affordable tax expertise and IRS representation. | Your return is simple and your budget is tight. |
Tax & compliance context
Pennsylvania tax environment & CPA licensing
What CPAs in Pennsylvania encounter most often — the state's tax structure, the industries that drive demand, and how to confirm a Pennsylvania CPA's license.
Pennsylvania tax environment
Pennsylvania levies a flat 3.07% personal income tax and is phasing its corporate net income tax down toward 4.99% by 2031. Local Earned Income Tax (EIT) at the municipality level adds 1–4% in most jurisdictions and requires separate filing.
Summary only — confirm rates and filing requirements with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and your CPA before relying on them.
Top industries
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Higher education
- Financial services
- Energy
Verify a Pennsylvania CPA license
Every U.S. CPA is licensed by a state board of accountancy. The Pennsylvania Board publishes a free licensee lookup you can run in under a minute. NASBA's CPAverify aggregates participating boards in one search, and the IRS Return Preparer Office covers Enrolled Agents.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates PA CPAs?+
The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy (under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs) issues, renews, and disciplines all PA CPA licenses. Verify any PA CPA at the board's online license search.
What PA-specific compliance do firms handle?+
Pennsylvania levies a flat 3.07% personal income tax, a corporate net income tax phasing toward 4.99% by 2031, and local Earned Income Tax (EIT) at the municipality level — 1–4% in most jurisdictions. PA CPA firms also handle PA-40 individual returns and the PA-65 / PA-1120-S pass-through filings.
When do PA CPA licenses renew?+
PA CPA licenses renew biennially by December 31 in odd-numbered years. CPAs must complete 80 CPE hours per renewal period, including 4 hours of ethics.
Skip the guesswork
Every Pennsylvania CPA in our directory is license-verified.
We confirm an active license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy for every firm we list.