Tax preparation services in Chicago, IL

1,427 firms in Chicago employ someone the IRS credentials to prepare returns, and 1,143 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 preparer

Where most small businesses end up. You deal with the person doing the work — and with their holiday schedule. Chicago has 1,143 of them.

Showing 24 of 1,143, alphabetically.

Small firms — 2–5 credentialed preparers

Cover for each other through filing season, still small enough that a partner knows your file. Chicago has 210 of them.

Showing 16 of 210, alphabetically.

Mid-sized firms — 6–20 credentialed preparers

Specialists on staff for anything unusual: multi-state, audits, valuations. Chicago has 44 of them.

Showing 10 of 44, alphabetically.

Large and national firms — 21 or more credentialed preparers

Listed for completeness. Minimum engagements here run into five figures and most do not take small-business clients at all. Chicago has 30 of them.

Showing 12 of 30, 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 5 employees per establishment, Chicago is a market of small practices. Nationally the same code averages 4.7 (very small practices), so firms here are larger than typical — which is the clearest signal of what you will be quoted.

Storefront and seasonal preparers. Average pay in this code is low nationwide because much of the work is part-time and seasonal.

Tax preparation in other metros

• New York, NY — 1,839 firms
• Los Angeles, CA — 1,534 firms
• Miami, FL — 992 firms
• Atlanta, GA — 672 firms
• Houston, TX — 663 firms
• Dallas, TX — 633 firms
• Washington, DC — 454 firms
• Phoenix, AZ — 449 firms

Other accounting services in Chicago

• CPA firms — 1,818 firms
• Bookkeeping services — 1,407 firms
• Payroll services — 146 firms

Questions

How many tax preparers are there in Chicago?

1,427 firms in Chicago employ someone the IRS credentials to prepare returns — that includes CPAs, enrolled agents, attorneys and holders of the Annual Filing Season Program record.

What is the difference between a CPA, an enrolled agent and an AFSP preparer?

All three may prepare your return. A CPA, an enrolled agent and an attorney can also represent you before the IRS in an audit or appeal. An AFSP holder can only represent you on a return they prepared themselves. If representation matters to you, ask about the credential before you ask about the price.

What do accountants earn in Chicago, IL?

Average annual pay in this category is $34,581 across Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area, against $25,031 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.