Accounting and bookkeeping in the US

Accounting for a US company owned from abroad starts with a choice that is easy to miss: how the entity is treated for federal income tax. The IRS states that an LLC with one member is treated as an entity disregarded as separate from its owner, unless it files Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a corporation. The books must work whichever way the company is treated, and that decision shapes what the accountant records and reports.

Ask a firm how it handles owners who live outside the US, which states it files in, whether it keeps books in your reporting currency as well as in dollars, and how it works with an accountant in your home country. In a profile, check the languages, the entity types handled and whether a price is published. Many firms on this page work in Spanish. For the legal set-up, read the US country guide.

Accountanty lists 236 firms that offer accounting in the United States: 210 accounting firms and 22 corporate services providers and 4 law firms. Most of the list is small practices: 192 small, 33 medium and 11 large networks. English is the most common language (161 firms), and Spanish follows (58). Real estate, construction, e-commerce and startups are the sectors named most often. Browse by city: Miami, New York, Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas.

Firms offering accounting in the US

H&CO LLP

Accounting firm · International network

Miami, Florida

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: English · Spanish · Portuguese

View profile of H&CO LLP

212 more firms offering accounting in the US

Frequently asked questions

Does a foreign-owned US LLC need bookkeeping?

Yes. Even when the LLC is treated as disregarded for income tax, it still needs records of income, expenses and bank activity, and filings in the state where it is registered. A bookkeeper or accountant keeps those records in a form a tax preparer can use.

Can I use the same accountant in the US and at home?

Sometimes, if the firm works with owners in your country. More often a US firm works alongside your home accountant. Ask how the two will share documents and who is responsible for each filing.

Do I need a firm in the state where the company is registered?

Not always. Many firms serve clients in several states, but you should check that the firm files in your state and in any state where you operate. Ask for this in the engagement letter.

Other services in the US

Accountants by city in the US

Setting up a company in the US: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.