How to Choose a Bookkeeper in Michigan (2026)

To choose a bookkeeper in Michigan, check the firm on the state's own records, confirm any CPA claim on the Michigan Board of Accountancy lookup, and get the fee and the monthly close date in writing. Plan to ask about price: only 6 of the 87 Michigan firms we list publish one.

What a Michigan bookkeeper keeps track of

These are the state filings your books feed in Michigan. 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. Treasury assigns your sales and use tax filing frequency each year: monthly, quarterly or annual. Monthly returns are due on the 20th of the following month, and quarterly returns on April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20. Every filer also sends an annual return by February 28. Source: Michigan Department of Treasury, checked September 26, 2026.
• Income tax withholding. Withholding is reported on the same sales, use and withholding return, at the frequency Treasury assigns. Monthly and quarterly returns are due on the 20th of the month after the period. All withholding accounts also file an annual return, due February 28. Source: Michigan Department of Treasury, checked September 26, 2026.
• Unemployment wage reports. The Unemployment Insurance Agency wants a quarterly wage and tax report and payment by April 25, July 25, October 25 and January 25, filed online through MiUI. You file every quarter, even with no payroll. Source: Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, checked September 26, 2026.
• Annual report or statement. LLCs and professional LLCs file an annual statement by February 15. Profit and professional corporations file an annual report by May 15. The fee is $25 for an LLC or a corporation and $75 for a professional LLC, filed with LARA's Corporations Division. Source: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, checked September 26, 2026.
• CPA title. Only an individual who meets Michigan's CPA requirements may use the title certified public accountant or the abbreviation CPA, unless the board approves the use. The statute also names certified accountant, chartered accountant, public accountant and registered accountant as misleading titles. Source: Michigan Legislature, checked September 26, 2026.

How to check a Michigan firm yourself

Any firm that calls itself a CPA practice should show up on the Michigan Board of Accountancy lookup. For the business itself, search its legal name on the Michigan entity search. Someone trading under their own name may not be there at all, and that's normal. Michigan publishes these records as open data, so our lists already carry the checks: we matched an active CPA license or permit for 36 firms of the 87 Michigan firms we list. Matched CPA records include Matthew Accounting, Walker June Calhoun, Curtis, Bailey, Exelby & Sposito, WSR Certified Public Accountants and Schultz & Associates, CPA.

What Michigan firms put in writing

79 of the 87 firms we list in Michigan say nothing about fees on their websites, and 6 publish a price or a starting price, 7% against 10% nationally. 11 of 87 say how often reports arrive (13%, against 21% nationally), 7 describe onboarding and 2 offer catch-up or cleanup work. QuickBooks is the software named most, by 37% of Michigan firms.

Where to start in Michigan

• Metro pages: Detroit-Warren (52 firms, ranked), Grand Rapids-Wyoming (9 firms, compared), Kalamazoo-Portage (9 firms, ranked) and Ann Arbor (8 firms, compared).
• Firms that publish a price or a starting price: Matthew Accounting, Accountants for Michigan Contractor Teams, Wail Aljirafi, CPA, Accounting Plus, J&F Advisors and Niffler Bookkeeping.
• Firms that say they take on catch-up work: Noor Bookkeeping and Mitten State Bookkeeping Services.
• Highest Evidence Scores in the state: Schultz & Associates, CPA (60), Matthew Accounting (54) and Niffler Bookkeeping (52).

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?
• Who files the sales and use tax return, you or me, and is it inside the fee?
• How do you keep the records for income tax withholding ready before each due date?
• Can you clean up past months first, and what does that cost?
• Which accounting software do you work in, and who owns the file if we part ways?