Cowan, Epperson & Associates
What we could verify
- Registered business?
- Not verified
- CPA license or firm permit?
- CPA firm permit active · 066003615 · Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (open data pzzh-kp68)
- Publishes prices?
- Not stated on its website
- Local or remote?
- Local
- Software?
- QuickBooks
Who they say they serve: restaurants, construction, medical, dental, retail (self-reported, from the firm's own website)
3 of 5 answered from a dated source.
Documents 1 of 5 core services; CPA license verified with the state board; IRS preparer record found for a named person.
Score breakdown
Dark bar: points earned. Grey bar: the weight we could check.
Evidence
| Claim | What the source shows | Source | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business name | Cowan, Epperson & Associates | home page | |
| Website | https://www.ceassoc.com/ | home page | |
| Office locality | Springfield, IL | home page | |
| Phone | +12175236969 | home page | |
| Offers bookkeeping | Documented: ...At CEA we do more than just taxes. In addition to our accounting services, we also do bookkeeping, business valuations, estate planning, payroll preparation, payroll taxes... | /about | |
| Payroll coordination | Documented: ...our accounting services, we also do bookkeeping, business valuations, estate planning, payroll preparation, payroll taxes, retirement planning, and much more. In the event of a tax... | /about | 4 pts (max 4) |
| Industries served (documented) | restaurants, construction, medical, dental, retail, law firms | /about | 5 pts (max 5) |
| Software supported | QuickBooks | /about | 5 pts (max 5) |
| Local / remote model stated | Local | /contact | 3 pts (max 3) |
| Active CPA firm or individual license (state board) | CPA firm permit active · 066003615 · Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (open data pzzh-kp68) | State accountancy board Third-party Sep 26, 2026 expires Nov 30, 2027 | 8 pts (max 8) |
| Bookkeeping designation (AIPB/NACPB) or IRS preparer record | IRS preparer record for Darren M. Epperson · CPA (self-reported to the IRS, not a state license) · business name on the record: Cowan, Epperson & Associates, PC | IRS preparer records Third-party Sep 27, 2026 | 6 pts (max 6) |
| Named contact / team | Darren Epperson, Managing Partner | /our-team | 3 pts (max 3) |
Checked and not found
- Not documented. Checked 5 pages of the firm's own site on 2026-09-26 (Firm's own website): Monthly bookkeeping (0 pts, max 8); Catch-up / cleanup (0 pts, max 5); AP / AR (0 pts, max 4); Month-end close + reporting (0 pts, max 6); Pricing approach published (0 pts, max 6); What is included / excluded (0 pts, max 5); Onboarding described (0 pts, max 4); Reporting cadence stated (0 pts, max 4); Communication channel / process (0 pts, max 3); Privacy / data-handling page (0 pts, max 2).
Not verified (not checked yet, so each scores 0 and counts against coverage): Service area; Current QuickBooks ProAdvisor or Xero advisor listing (0 pts, max 6); Entity found in the state business registry (0 pts, max 6); Operating 1+ year (registry formation date) (0 pts, max 5); Working contact route verified (0 pts, max 2).
Check it yourself on the state's own records: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation license search and business registry search.
- Active CPA firm or individual license (state board): Illinois lists an ACTIVE CPA firm permit (ACTIVE) under this name, expiring 2027-11-30. It does not prove service quality.
- Bookkeeping designation (AIPB/NACPB) or IRS preparer record: The IRS's public file of active tax preparers (PTIN holders, updated 2026-02-23) lists Darren M. Epperson under the business name 'Cowan, Epperson & Associates, PC' in Springfield, IL. The record lists: CPA. It is one individual's IRS preparer record, not a firm license or a directory listing. Its CPA entry is self-reported to the IRS and is not a state CPA license. It does not prove service quality.
Data limitations
- 20 of 22 evidenced items come from Cowan, Epperson & Associates's own website and are labelled self-reported.
- No ratings or review counts are published here. Why.
Is this your firm?
Claim this listing to correct a field with evidence, or report a correction. Claiming confirms ownership only; it does not change the score.