How to Choose a Bookkeeper in Tennessee (2026)

To choose a bookkeeper in Tennessee, check the firm on the state's own records, confirm any CPA claim on the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy lookup, and get the fee and the monthly close date in writing. Plan to ask about price: only 7 of the 71 Tennessee firms we list publish one.

What a Tennessee bookkeeper keeps track of

What follows is what Tennessee's own agencies publish about the filings a small business's books have to support. It isn't tax advice, and your entity type, sales, staff and assigned schedule decide which ones are yours.

• Sales and use tax. Most Tennessee sellers file sales and use tax monthly, due the 20th of the following month. If your liability averaged $1,000 or less a month for 12 consecutive months, you may file quarterly, with returns due January 20, April 20, July 20 and October 20. Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue, checked September 26, 2026.
• Business tax. Businesses with $100,000 or more in Tennessee gross sales need a standard business license and file a business tax return with the Department of Revenue. The return is due the 15th day of the fourth month after your fiscal year ends, which is April 15 for a calendar year. Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue, checked September 26, 2026.
• Annual report. Corporations and LLCs file an annual report with the Secretary of State. The corporate fee is $20. LLCs pay $300 minimum plus $50 for each member over six, up to $3,000, and a business that misses its report may be administratively dissolved. Source: Tennessee Secretary of State, checked September 26, 2026.

How to check a Tennessee firm yourself

Any firm that calls itself a CPA practice should show up on the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy lookup. We can't match Tennessee's records automatically, which is why most Tennessee firms here show Not verified for a license or registration. It means unchecked, not failed, so run the search yourself on your shortlist.

What Tennessee firms put in writing

61 of the 71 firms we list in Tennessee say nothing about fees on their websites, and 7 publish a price or a starting price, 10%, the same share as nationally. 17 of 71 say how often reports arrive (24%, against 21% nationally), 12 describe onboarding and 7 offer catch-up or cleanup work. QuickBooks is the software named most, by 38% of Tennessee firms.

Where to start in Tennessee

• Metro pages: Nashville-Murfreesboro (38 firms, compared) and Memphis (11 firms, compared).
• Firms that publish a price or a starting price: Cleveland Business Services, LIFTED BOOKKEEPING, Patrick Accounting, CFO Services, Compere CPA Group, Jason Moll, CPA and 1 other.
• Firms that say they take on catch-up work: Critical Calculations Bookkeeping, JC Bookkeeping Services, Two Roads, Patrick Accounting, Compere CPA Group, LIGHTHOUSE BOOKKEEPING and 1 other.

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 business tax 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?