Your Tax Preparer Does Not Have to Be Within Driving Distance
A virtual accountant handles tax preparation, planning, and related work entirely online — no office visit required, no mailing of original documents, no printing, no driving anything anywhere. The engagement runs from first conversation to filed return without either party being in the same room. That is not a workaround. It is the full service, handled through a secure client portal, with the return reviewed before it is signed and filed.
What Does a Virtual Accountant Do?
A virtual accountant does the same work a traditional preparer does — they handle tax returns, plan for the next year, sort out what the IRS is asking about, and help a business owner understand what their numbers mean. The difference is that none of it requires a shared physical space. Documents travel through a secure portal. Conversations happen by phone or video. The return is reviewed with the client before anything is filed, and the signed authorization and finished return come back the same way they went in.
Tax Preparation and Planning
We prepare individual and business returns for clients in any state, covering straightforward W-2 returns through complex situations involving self-employment income, rental properties, multiple states, and business entities of every type. Planning work runs alongside preparation — the return is the starting point for a conversation about what the next year should look like, not the end of it.
Beyond the return itself, a virtual accountant for small business can handle bookkeeping, payroll, sales tax, and the kind of financial guidance that helps an owner make decisions rather than just report on them. For construction trades clients — roofers, painters, framers, concrete contractors, remodelers — that means job costing, cash flow, and project profitability, not generic small business advice applied to a business that runs nothing like a retail shop.
Small Business Accounting Support
How the Process Works, Start to Finish
Step 1: The First Conversation
We start with a call. The goal is to understand your situation — what kind of return we are looking at, whether any years are unfiled, what your business does if you have one, and whether there is anything the prior return got wrong that needs correcting. You do not need to have everything organized before this call. Start with what you have and we will tell you what is missing.
Step 2: The Document List
After the first call, we send a document checklist built around your specific situation. It is not a generic list of every form that exists — it reflects what you told us. If something is not on the list and turns up later, we work with what comes in.
Step 3: Uploading Documents Through the Secure Client Portal
Documents go up through a secure client portal, not as email attachments. You get access to the portal at the start of the engagement. Upload your documents there — W-2s, 1099s, prior returns, business records, whatever the checklist calls for. Nothing travels through regular email. Nothing gets mailed. Nothing leaves your hands as a physical original.
Step 4: Preparing the Return
Once the documents are in, we prepare the return. If the books need work before the return can start — which happens often with business clients — that gets handled first. If prior years are unfiled, those returns are prepared in the right order before the current year is touched.
Step 5: Reviewing the Draft With You Before Anything Is Filed
Before the return is filed, we go through it with you. This is not a formality. We explain what the numbers mean, where the figures came from, and what drove the result. If something looks wrong or raises a question, we address it before the signature goes on anything. You should understand the return you are signing.
Step 6: Electronic Signature and E-Filing
The return is signed electronically using the IRS e-file authorization form. No paper changes hands. Once the authorization is signed, the return is e-filed. You receive confirmation when it goes through.
Step 7: The Finished Return Through the Portal
The completed return and copies of everything filed come back to you through the same secure portal. They are there when you need them — for a mortgage application, a lender request, or next year's preparer if you ever move on. No chasing down a paper copy. No waiting for something to arrive in the mail.
What Does a Virtual Accountant Cost?
The honest answer is that it depends, and refusing to say more than that is the reason no one owns this ground. We do not publish a flat fee because a flat fee would either overcharge a simple return or undercharge a complicated one.
Individual Returns
An individual return with a single state and straightforward income is priced differently from one involving self-employment, rental properties, or income from multiple states. The number of forms in the return, the complexity of what is being reported, and whether any prior years need to be filed all move the fee.
Business Returns
A business return carries more work than an individual return in almost every case. Entity type matters — a sole proprietor filing a Schedule C is a different engagement from an S corporation or partnership return. Whether the books are current when we start, or need to be caught up first, affects the scope and the price.
Multi-State and Remote Worker Returns
If you earn income in more than one state, or if you work remotely for an employer based somewhere other than where you live, the return involves additional state filings. Each state has its own rules. The fee reflects the number of states in play and what each one requires. For a full explanation of how multi-state returns work, the multi-state and remote worker tax filing page covers the mechanics in detail.
Prior Unfiled Years
Catching up on back filings is ordinary work here. If you are behind, the number of years and the complexity of each one determine the scope. We work through them in order and get you current. The full breakdown of how pricing works — and what to look for when comparing preparers — is on our tax help cost page.
How to Get a Number
Book a call and we will discuss your situation before any number is put on the table. Pricing is talked through up front, not handed to you after the work is done.
What You Get for the Fee
Fair pricing here does not mean the lowest number in the room. It means the fee reflects the actual work, the same person handles your return each year, and you are not paying for a brand name you never interact with.
How Documents Are Handled and Why It Matters
Every document you share with us goes through a secure client portal. We do not ask clients to email financial documents as attachments, and we do not send finished returns that way either. Email is not a secure channel for tax records, Social Security numbers, or business financial data.
The Client Portal
You receive access to the portal at the start of the engagement. Uploading is straightforward — drag and drop, or browse and select. The portal holds your documents, the draft return during review, the signed authorization, and the finished return when it is complete. It is accessible to you any time.
Why Not Just Email?
An email attachment is a file sitting in an inbox. It can be forwarded, screenshotted, or accessed from any device where that account is open. A secure portal controls who sees what and keeps a record of what was shared and when. The difference matters when the files contain your Social Security number, your business bank records, or your prior-year returns.
Access After Filing
Your finished return stays in the portal. If you need it for a lender, a refinance, or a question from a state agency, it is there. You do not have to call and ask for a copy.
Working With Us Remotely
Remote tax preparation is not a niche service for a particular type of client. It is the right fit for a wide range of situations.
- You moved away from a preparer you trusted and have not found someone new where you landed.
- You run a business in a market where the firms available are not a fit — too large, too impersonal, or unfamiliar with your industry.
- You and your household both work, and no one has a weekday free to sit in an office.
- You prefer to handle things on a screen rather than in a waiting room.
- You earn income in more than one state and need someone who handles that kind of return regularly. We cover the mechanics of those situations in detail on our multi-state tax filing page.
- You are behind on filings and would rather not say that out loud to someone sitting three feet away.
- You speak Spanish and want to work with someone who does too. Se habla español.
Ready to Get Started?
What is a virtual accountant and what does one do?
A virtual accountant handles tax preparation, planning, bookkeeping, and related financial work entirely online. There is no office visit involved — documents are shared through a secure client portal, conversations happen by phone or video, and the finished return comes back the same way it went in. The work is identical to what a traditional preparer does; the delivery is different.Is it safe to share my tax documents online?
Documents shared through a secure client portal are handled differently from email attachments. The portal controls access, keeps a record of what was uploaded and when, and is not accessible from an open inbox. We do not ask clients to send financial documents as email attachments for exactly this reason.Can a virtual accountant handle a business return, not just an individual one?
Yes. We prepare business returns for sole proprietors, partnerships, S corporations, and C corporations, along with the individual return that often accompanies them. If the books need to be caught up before the return can start, that work happens first.What if I am behind on several years of filings?
Being behind is a workable problem. We prepare back returns in the correct order, get you current, and handle any IRS correspondence that comes up along the way. Start with what you have — a call is enough to figure out where things stand.How do I know what my return will cost before I commit?
Pricing is discussed before the engagement starts, not after the work is done. The fee depends on the type of return, how many states are involved, whether prior years need to be filed, and whether the books need work first. Book a call and we will go through your situation and give you a clear number before anything moves forward.
