CPA firms in Chicago, IL

764 firms in Chicago employ an accountant the IRS lists as credentialed, and 622 of them are one-person practices. Grouped below by size, smallest first — because that is the shelf most people actually need.

Solo practices — one credentialed accountant

Where most small businesses end up. You deal with the person doing the work — and with their holiday schedule. Chicago has 622 of them.

Showing 24 of 622, alphabetically.

Small firms — 2–5 CPAs

Cover for each other through filing season, still small enough that a partner knows your file. Chicago has 93 of them.

Showing 16 of 93, alphabetically.

Mid-sized firms — 6–20 CPAs

Specialists on staff for anything unusual: multi-state, audits, valuations. Chicago has 31 of them.

Showing 10 of 31, alphabetically.

Large and national firms — 21 or more CPAs

Listed for completeness. Minimum engagements here run into five figures and most do not take small-business clients at all. Chicago has 18 of them.

Showing 12 of 18, alphabetically.

Firms with a phone number on file only — without one the listing cannot be acted on. Order inside each group is alphabetical: the IRS records a credential, not the quality of the work, and we have no basis to rank.

Which size fits you

The four big names at the bottom of this page audit listed companies. They will not file a return for a plumbing business, and their minimum engagement is larger than most small firms bill in a year. Listing them is completeness, not a suggestion.

For a business under a few million in revenue the real choice is between a solo practice and a small firm. A solo is cheaper and knows your business personally; the risk is that one person is also one point of failure in March. A firm of three to five costs more and covers that, which is what you are paying the difference for.

The Chicago market in numbers

Why the two counts differ. The list above covers the city of Chicago and comes from the IRS, which records every credentialed accountant including sole practitioners working from home. The table covers the whole Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area and comes from the Census, which counts only businesses with paid employees. Different areas, different definitions — they are not meant to match.

At 14.9 employees per establishment, Chicago is a market of mid-sized practices. Nationally the same code averages 10.5 (mid-sized practices), so firms here are larger than typical — which is the clearest signal of what you will be quoted.

Licensed CPA practices — audit, assurance, tax planning and advisory.

CPA firms in other metros

• New York, NY — 4,261 firms
• Los Angeles, CA — 3,514 firms
• Miami, FL — 2,009 firms
• Dallas, TX — 1,197 firms
• Atlanta, GA — 1,179 firms
• Washington, DC — 1,065 firms
• Houston, TX — 1,037 firms
• Philadelphia, PA — 1,028 firms

Other accounting services in Chicago

• Bookkeeping services — 1,407 firms
• Tax preparation — 786 firms
• Payroll services — 146 firms

Questions

How many CPA firms are there in Chicago?

764 firms in Chicago employ at least one accountant the IRS lists as credentialed, and 622 of those are one-person practices. Separately, the Census counts 1,818 accounting establishments with paid employees across the wider Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area.

Should I use a solo CPA or a larger firm?

For a business under a few million in revenue the choice is between a solo practice and a firm of two to five. A solo costs less and knows your business personally, but one person is also one point of failure in filing season. National firms are listed here for completeness — their minimum engagements run into five figures and most do not take small-business clients.

What do accountants earn in Chicago, IL?

Average annual pay in this category is $110,543 across Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area, against $99,530 nationally. Pay is a rough proxy for what a market charges: firms in expensive cities bill more because they pay more.

How do I check that an accountant is actually licensed?

The IRS publishes a directory of credentialed preparers, and every state board of accountancy runs a licence lookup. The listings on this page come from the IRS record, which shows a credential — it does not say anything about the quality of the work, and this site does not rank firms.

Firm list: IRS Return Preparer PTIN listing, released under the Freedom of Information Act, February 2026. Market figures: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022. We publish firm-level records only — no individual names or street addresses. Last updated 2026-09-01.