Top 7 Bookkeepers in the Columbia Area, MO (2026)
Key Takeaways
- First on the list: Accounting Plus, scoring 62 with 83% of the evidence checked.
- We reviewed 15 firms here; 9 of the 10 that met the listing bar reached 70% evidence coverage, and the 7 with at least 6 documented items are numbered.
- Pricing is hidden across the board: no firm here publishes a monthly price, and 8 of 10 don't mention fees at all.
- Compared with every firm we list, this group stands out on verified credentials: 5 of 10 hold a credential a third party confirms (50% against 13%).
Sources cited in this article: DNS check, Firm's own website, IRS preparer records, State accountancy board, and our published methodology.
15 profiles reviewed, 10 met the listing bar, 9 scored (evidence coverage of 70% or more). 7 document at least 6 of the items we score and are ranked by Evidence Score; the other 2 are under the list as Also scored.
Firms on this page have offices in Columbia (10). The page covers 25 towns and cities in the metro area, and a firm elsewhere in Missouri appears on the state page.
How this list is built: Methodology · Disclosures · About · Report a correction
This list numbers the 7 Columbia bookkeeping firms with enough documented evidence to rank, out of 10 that met our listing bar, and scores 2 more below it without a number. Start from what you need and use the filters: remote service (2).
Top 7 Bookkeepers in the Columbia Area, MO, Ranked by Evidence Score
- Accounting Plus (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 62/100 at 83% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 3 of 5 core services; IRS preparer record found for a named person; publishes prices. Documented fit: restaurants, construction.Who they say they serve (self-reported): restaurants, construction, healthcare, retail, salons.
- PaulHood (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 55/100 at 77% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 4 of 5 core services; publishes a starting price. Documented fit: Xero users.
- Wassman CPA Services LLC (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 39/100 at 74% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 3 of 5 core services; CPA license verified with the state board.
- Squires Tax Planning (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 33/100 at 83% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 1 of 5 core services. Documented fit: real estate.Who they say they serve (self-reported): real estate.
- Columbia CPA Group, LLC (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 33/100 at 78% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 1 of 5 core services; CPA license verified with the state board; IRS preparer record found for a named person.
- Convergence Accounting (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 30/100 at 73% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 3 of 5 core services; IRS preparer record found for a named person.
- Erin Palmer (Columbia, MO). Evidence Score 27/100 at 81% coverage. Read the full profileDocuments 3 of 5 core services; CPA license verified with the state board.
Also scored
These firms reached 70% evidence coverage, but fewer than 6 of the items we score are documented for them, so they carry a score and no number.
| Firm | Where | Services documented | Software | Pricing | Credentials verified | Coverage (%) | Evidence Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanson & Company CPAs P.C. | Columbia, MO Local | payroll coordination | Not verified | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license, IRS preparer record | 81 | 26 |
| Elsasser, Crum, & Stark | Columbia, MO | payroll coordination, month-end close | Not verified | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license | 75 | 21 |
Comparison table
| Firm | Where | Services documented | Software | Pricing | Credentials verified | Coverage (%) | Evidence Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting Plus Says it serves: restaurants, construction, healthcare, retail, salons | Columbia, MO Local | monthly bookkeeping, payroll coordination, month-end close | QuickBooks | Other fees only, no monthly price | IRS preparer record | 83 | 62 |
| PaulHood | Columbia, MO Local + remote | monthly bookkeeping, AP/AR, payroll coordination, month-end close | QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks | Not verified | Not verified | 77 | 55 |
| Wassman CPA Services LLC | Columbia, MO Local | AP/AR, payroll coordination, month-end close | QuickBooks | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license | 74 | 39 |
| Squires Tax Planning Says it serves: real estate | Columbia, MO Local + remote | payroll coordination | QuickBooks | Not verified | Not verified | 83 | 33 |
| Columbia CPA Group, LLC | Columbia, MO Local | month-end close | Not verified | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license, IRS preparer record | 78 | 33 |
| Convergence Accounting | Columbia, MO Local | monthly bookkeeping, payroll coordination, month-end close | Not verified | Not verified | IRS preparer record | 73 | 30 |
| Erin Palmer | Columbia, MO | AP/AR, payroll coordination, month-end close | Not verified | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license | 81 | 27 |
Also listed (not scored yet)
These firms met the listing bar but have under 70% evidence coverage, so they are not ranked.
| Firm | Where | Services documented | Software | Pricing | Credentials verified | Coverage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PERSONAL ACCOUNTING SERVICES|MID-MISSOURI AREA | Columbia, MO | payroll coordination, month-end close | QuickBooks | Not verified | Not verified | 69 |
What the evidence shows
Pricing
No firm on this page publishes a monthly price. None of the 10 say they quote each client, and 8 say nothing about fees at all. That's less open than Missouri as a whole, where 4% publish a monthly price. Ask for the fee and what it covers in writing before the first month starts.
Licenses and public records
Because Missouri publishes its records as open data, the checks for this group found 5 firms with an active CPA license or permit on Missouri's published register. The CPA records we matched belong to Wassman CPA Services LLC, Columbia CPA Group, LLC, Erin Palmer and Hanson & Company CPAs P.C.. Each profile shows the license or permit number and the date we checked.
The ranking
The numbered firms score between 27 and 62; the median across every scored firm is 33. 2 more firms reached 70% coverage with fewer than 6 documented items, so they sit under the list as Also scored, without a number. The top of the list: Accounting Plus (62 at 83% coverage), PaulHood (55 at 77% coverage) and Wassman CPA Services LLC (39 at 74% coverage). A high-coverage firm with a modest score isn't a weak firm. Its site simply leaves more for you to ask.
Columbia area in figures
Shares of the 10 firms listed, from accepted evidence only. A firm with no evidence for an item counts as not stating it. Median evidence coverage: 77.5%; median Evidence Score of the scored firms: 33.
| What the firms state | Share (%) | Firms (of 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Publish a price or starting price | 0 | 0 |
| State they price by quote | 0 | 0 |
| Say nothing about pricing | 80 | 8 |
| Hold a third-party-verified credential | 50 | 5 |
| State a reporting cadence | 20 | 2 |
| Describe onboarding | 20 | 2 |
| Offer catch-up or cleanup work | 0 | 0 |
| Work remotely (stated) | 20 | 2 |
| Mention QuickBooks | 40 | 4 |
| Mention QuickBooks Online | 10 | 1 |
| Mention Xero | 10 | 1 |
| Mention FreshBooks | 10 | 1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do any Columbia bookkeepers publish their prices?
Not on their websites. None of the 10 say they quote each client, and the rest don't mention fees. Ask for the monthly fee and what it covers in writing.
Which Columbia bookkeepers work in Xero?
PaulHood names Xero on its site. More firms here name QuickBooks, so ask which one a firm prefers before you switch anything.
Which Columbia bookkeepers say which industries they serve?
2 of 10 name them on their own sites, among them Accounting Plus (restaurants and construction) and Squires Tax Planning (real estate). It's self-reported, so ask for a client reference in your trade.
Every place this page covers (25)
Armstrong, Ashland, Blackwater, Boonville, Bunceton, Centralia, Clark, Columbia, Fayette, Franklin, Glasgow, Hallsville, Harrisburg, Hartsburg, Huntsdale, McBaine, New Franklin, Otterville, Pierpont, Pilot Grove, Prairie Home, Rocheport, Sturgeon, Windsor Place, Wooldridge.
Sources and further reading
Dates are when we checked. Report an error.
- DNS checkChecked Sep 26, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026
- Firm's own websiteChecked Sep 26, 2026 to Nov 7, 2026
- IRS preparer recordsChecked Sep 27, 2026
- State accountancy boardChecked Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 22, 2026
- Missouri business entity searchState of Missouri
- How the Evidence Score worksBookkeeping Index methodology
- Commercial disclosuresBookkeeping Index