How to Choose a Bookkeeper in Arkansas (2026)

The short version for Arkansas: look the firm up on the state's records, search the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy if it says it's a CPA practice, and don't sign until the fee and the monthly close date are written down. Of the 36 Arkansas firms we list, 3 publish a price.

What an Arkansas bookkeeper keeps track of

These are the state filings your books feed in Arkansas. Which ones apply depends on your entity type, what you sell, whether you have employees and the schedule each agency assigns. It's general information, not tax advice. The bookkeeper keeps the records; you, or whoever your engagement letter names, file.

• Sales and use tax. The Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 calendar lists the monthly sales and use tax report for the previous month as due on the 20th. The exceptions in 2026 are June 22, September 21 and December 21. Source: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, checked September 26, 2026.
• State income tax withholding. New Arkansas withholding accounts start as monthly filers. Form AR941M and the tax withheld are due by the 15th of the following month, with a zero voucher for months with no withholding. Once an account has a filing history, it can be moved to annual filing if deposits are under $1,000 in a reported period. The annual reconciliation, Form AR3MAR, is due February 28. Source: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, checked September 26, 2026.
• Unemployment wage reports. Arkansas employers file quarterly wage reports with the Division of Workforce Services. They're due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31 for the quarters ending March, June, September and December. Employers with 250 or more employees must file electronically through Tax21. Source: Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, checked September 26, 2026.
• LLC franchise tax. Every Arkansas LLC files an annual franchise tax report with the Secretary of State. The 2026 report, for the year ending December 31, 2025, was due on or before May 1, 2026, and the form lists $150.00 for all LLCs. Source: Arkansas Secretary of State, checked September 26, 2026.

How to check an Arkansas firm yourself

Any firm that calls itself a CPA practice should show up on the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy lookup. For the business itself, search its legal name on the Arkansas entity search. Someone trading under their own name may not be there at all, and that's normal. Arkansas publishes these records as open data, so our lists already carry the checks: we matched an active CPA license or permit for 21 firms of the 36 Arkansas firms we list. Matched CPA records include Beyer CPA & Advisors, Brent G. Cassady, CPA, John Langham & Co., CPAs, Lawson Accounting Group, PLLC and Potts, Inc..

What Arkansas firms put in writing

32 of the 36 firms we list in Arkansas say nothing about fees on their websites, and 3 publish a price or a starting price, 8% against 10% nationally. 4 of 36 say how often reports arrive (11%, against 21% nationally), 3 describe onboarding and 3 offer catch-up or cleanup work. The software Arkansas firms name most is QuickBooks (36%).

Where to start in Arkansas

• Metro pages: Fayetteville-Springdale (16 firms, ranked) and Little Rock-North Little Rock (12 firms, ranked).
• Firms that publish a price or a starting price: Keen & Company, ABTSNWA and Mokestaxfirm.
• Firms that say they take on catch-up work: OBS Financials, White River and Hawkins & Garrett, CPA's, PLLC.
• Highest Evidence Scores in the state: Todd & Associates CPAs (60), Keen & Company (53) and Purvisha Patel CPA (39).

Questions for the first call

• What does the fee cover, and at what volume does it go up?
• On what day of the month will my books be closed, and what report do I get?
• Does the fee include preparing the sales and use tax filing, or only the records behind it?
• How do you keep the records for state income tax withholding ready before each due date?
• Will you take on months I'm behind on, and is that priced separately?
• If we stop working together, do I keep the accounting file and its history?