How to Choose a Bookkeeper in Washington (2026)

To choose a bookkeeper in Washington, check the firm on the state's own records, confirm any CPA claim on the Washington State Board of Accountancy lookup, and get the fee and the monthly close date in writing. Plan to ask about price: only 8 of the 109 Washington firms we list publish one.

What a Washington bookkeeper keeps track of

A Washington bookkeeper keeps the records behind the filings below. Which of them reach your business turns on your entity, your sales, your payroll and the schedule each agency sets, so read this as general information rather than tax advice.

• Excise tax filing schedule. The Department of Revenue assigns your filing frequency when you register, based on estimated annual tax liability: annual at $1,050 or less, quarterly from $1,051 to $4,800, and monthly from $4,801. Monthly returns are due the 25th of the next month. Quarterly returns are due at the end of the month after the quarter, and annual returns on April 15. Source: Washington Department of Revenue, checked September 26, 2026.
• Business and occupation tax. Most Washington businesses owe B&O tax, a gross receipts tax figured on total income with no deduction for labor, materials or other costs. It isn't collected from customers. You report and pay it on the Excise Tax Return in My DOR, under the classification that matches each activity. Source: Washington Department of Revenue, checked September 26, 2026.
• Quarterly wage reports. Every employer files two reports with the Employment Security Department each quarter: an unemployment insurance tax and wage report, and a combined report for Paid Leave and WA Cares. The unemployment report is due the last day of the month after the quarter ends, so April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. Source: Washington Employment Security Department, checked September 26, 2026.
• Annual report. All domestic and foreign business entities file an annual report with the Secretary of State. It's due by the last day of the month the business was first formed or registered, and it can go in up to 180 days early. A reminder arrives 60 days ahead, but not getting one doesn't move the deadline. Source: Washington Secretary of State, checked September 26, 2026.
• The CPA title. Under state law, only a Washington licensee, or an out-of-state CPA who qualifies for practice privileges, may use the title "certified public accountant" or "CPA". Source: Washington State Legislature, checked September 26, 2026.

How to check a Washington firm yourself

Any firm that calls itself a CPA practice should show up on the Washington State Board of Accountancy lookup. For the business itself, search its legal name on the Washington entity search. Someone trading under their own name may not be there at all, and that's normal. Washington publishes these records as open data, so our lists already carry the checks: we matched an active CPA license or permit for 42 firms of the 109 Washington firms we list. Matched CPA records include Bliss & Tuttle CPAs, Lewis Group CPAs, Shields Tax & CPA, Cordell, Neher & Company and J Kramer & Associates PLLC.

What Washington firms put in writing

92 of the 109 firms we list in Washington say nothing about fees on their websites, and 8 publish a price or a starting price, 7% against 10% nationally. 21 of 109 say how often reports arrive (19%, against 21% nationally), 14 describe onboarding and 13 offer catch-up or cleanup work. The software Washington firms name most is QuickBooks (39%).

Where to start in Washington

• Metro pages: Seattle-Tacoma (64 firms, ranked), Bellingham (10 firms, ranked), Kennewick-Richland (10 firms, ranked) and Spokane-Spokane Valley (10 firms, ranked).
• Firms that publish a price or a starting price: Lewis Group CPAs, Shields Tax & CPA, Tru Accounting Services LLC, Caro & Associates, North Pacific Accounting, Tax Centers Of Ameri and 2 others.
• Firms that say they take on catch-up work: Tru Accounting Services LLC, Benton Bray PLLC, Caro & Associates, The Nash Group P.S. Certified Public Accountants, North Pacific Accounting, System Six Bookkeeping and 7 others.
• Highest Evidence Scores in the state: Benton Bray PLLC (74), Bliss & Tuttle CPAs (60) and Caro & Associates (58).

Questions for the first call

• What is the monthly fee, how many transactions does it assume, and what costs extra?
• On what day of the month will my books be closed, and what report do I get?
• Does the fee include preparing the excise tax filing schedule filing, or only the records behind it?
• How do you keep the records for business and occupation 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?