Accountant Services for Texas Small Businesses

Texas doesn’t have a personal state income tax, which makes it sound simpler than most states. It isn’t — not for small businesses. The Texas Franchise Tax hits most business entities with meaningful revenue. Its sales tax environment is one of the most complex in the country. And federal income tax, payroll, and bookkeeping obligations run the same as everywhere else. The Bookkeeping Company has worked with businesses in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and across Texas remotely since 2016. QuickBooks Online, Xero, and a secure document portal handle all of it.

By Maya Primachenko, Founder · Last updated September 2026

Accountant Services for Texas Small Businesses: What They Cover

An annual federal tax return is the floor, not the ceiling, for most Texas small businesses. The real list runs longer: Texas Franchise Tax, payroll, sales tax where applicable, and the monthly bookkeeping that makes all of it manageable.

Monthly Bookkeeping

The monthly work covers transaction categorization, bank and credit card reconciliation, AR and AP management, and monthly income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. For Texas businesses, organized monthly records matter beyond the usual reasons: the Texas Comptroller uses annualized total revenue as the franchise tax base, so clean revenue records directly affect the annual filing.

Annual Tax Preparation

Federal income tax returns for all common entity structures — Schedule C for sole proprietors, Form 1120-S for S-corps, Form 1065 for partnerships, Form 1120 for C-corps — plus the Texas Franchise Tax annual report filed with the Comptroller each May 15. The owner’s personal Form 1040 also covers K-1 income, the permanent Section 199A QBI deduction, and any investment income.

What Accountant Services for Texas Businesses Include

In general, The Bookkeeping Company’s Texas engagements cover:

•       Monthly bookkeeping — flat-fee packages covering bank and credit card reconciliation, transaction categorization, AR and AP management, and monthly financial statements via QuickBooks Online or Xero
•       Payroll processing — federal FICA, federal income tax withholding, and Texas UI calculations; quarterly Form 941 and Texas Workforce Commission quarterly wage reports; direct deposit and annual W-2 preparation
•       Texas Franchise Tax preparation — annual report (Form 05-158 or EZ computation), revenue calculation, deduction selection (cost of goods sold or compensation), and May 15 filing with the Texas Comptroller
•       Federal business tax returns — Schedule C, Form 1120-S, Form 1065, or Form 1120 prepared alongside the business owner’s personal Form 1040
•       QuickBooks Online and Xero support — setup, cleanup, Desktop-to-Online migration, and team training via the accountant portal
•       Business consulting — entity structure advice, S-corp election modeling for Texas businesses, cash flow analysis, and growth planning

Monthly bookkeeping and tax preparation run through the same firm, so Texas Franchise Tax and federal returns draw from the same reconciled records. No separate year-end cleanup.

Texas Tax Obligations: What Your Accountant Needs to Know

A few specifics worth knowing before the setup conversation.

Texas Has No State Income Tax

No personal state income tax in Texas — which is the thing most people already know. What’s easy to underestimate: federal income tax and self-employment tax still apply in full, and quarterly estimated payments are required for business owners expecting to owe $1,000 or more in federal tax for the year. Pass-through income from an S-corp or partnership also flows to the personal return and gets taxed at federal rates. Still, not having a state income tax doesn’t change any of that.

Texas Franchise Tax (Margin Tax)

Most Texas business entities pay a Franchise Tax — the margin tax, as it’s usually called. Specifically, taxable margin is total revenue minus whichever deduction is most advantageous: cost of goods sold, compensation, or 30% of revenue. Below the no-tax-due threshold? You still file a no-tax-due report every year — skip it and you’ve got a compliance problem. Rates are 0.375% for retailers and wholesalers, 0.75% for most others. Due May 15. (Texas Comptroller — Franchise Tax)

Texas Payroll and Employment Taxes

Broadly speaking, federal FICA and federal income tax withholding work in Texas the same way they work everywhere else. What Texas doesn’t have is state income tax withholding — unlike most states, there’s nothing to configure on the state side for that. For state-level payroll, Texas employers pay UI to the Texas Workforce Commission quarterly on wages up to the annual wage base. Workers’ compensation insurance is also voluntary in Texas — it’s the only state that doesn’t require most employers to carry it. (Texas Workforce Commission — Unemployment Tax)

Texas Sales Tax Considerations

For context, Texas charges 6.25% state sales tax plus up to 2% in local taxes, for a maximum combined rate of 8.25%. Businesses selling taxable goods or certain services must therefore collect and remit it. Out-of-state businesses that hit $500,000 in Texas sales within 12 months cross the economic nexus threshold and must also register. Sales tax compliance is its own function, separate from bookkeeping — but the numbers land on monthly financials either way.

Virtual Accountant Services: How Remote Works for Texas Businesses

All accountant services for Texas clients are delivered remotely. In practice, that means no in-person appointments anywhere in the state.

How the Remote Process Works

Bank and credit card accounts connect to QuickBooks Online or Xero through secure bank feeds — transactions pull in automatically from there. From there, categorization and reconciliation happen through the accountant portal without your involvement. Similarly, receipts and payroll documents come in through the QuickBooks mobile app or a secure client portal. Monthly financials and tax return drafts also arrive digitally; quarterly payroll reports do too. As such, the same process that works for a Houston retailer works for a Dallas technology firm or an Austin professional services business. (IRS — Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center)

Texas-Specific Configuration

Texas QuickBooks setup means a chart of accounts built for Franchise Tax revenue tracking, Texas sales tax rates configured where applicable, and Texas UI set up in QuickBooks Payroll alongside federal obligations. Meanwhile, businesses in multiple Texas jurisdictions with different local sales tax rates need those rates built in by location. Skip that step and the sales tax liability reports are wrong at filing time.

How Much Do Accountant Services Cost for a Texas Business?

Essentially, costs depend on monthly transaction volume and the scope of tax preparation required. According to SCORE Small Business Resources (2025):

•       Monthly bookkeeping (flat packages): $250 to $1,500+ per month depending on transaction volume tier; Texas businesses with high sales volume or multi-location operations typically fall in the mid-to-upper range
•       Full-service payroll: $150 to $600+ per month depending on employee count; Texas payroll is simpler than most states (no state income tax withholding), which moderates cost for most Texas employers
•       Federal business tax return: $482 to $903+ depending on entity type per National Society of Accountants, 2025
•       Texas Franchise Tax annual report: additional fee per filing; typically bundled into the annual tax preparation engagement for Texas clients

A free initial consultation produces a specific cost estimate based on your transaction volume, employee count, entity type, and Texas Franchise Tax scope. There is no commitment required.

Accountant Services for Texas: Statewide and Nationwide

Accordingly, all Texas engagements run through remote delivery via QuickBooks Online, Xero, and secure document portal:

•       Houston and Southeast Texas — energy services, construction, healthcare, and professional services businesses; Texas Franchise Tax preparation and federal business returns
•       Dallas-Fort Worth metro — technology, retail, professional services, and logistics businesses; QuickBooks Online setup, monthly bookkeeping, and payroll
•       Austin and Central Texas — technology, creative, and professional services businesses; entity structure advice, S-corp election modeling, and cash flow consulting
•       San Antonio and South Texas — retail, hospitality, construction, and manufacturing businesses; annual Texas Franchise Tax reports and monthly bookkeeping
•       Statewide and multi-location Texas — businesses in multiple Texas cities or counties with multiple sales tax rates get unified bookkeeping tracking each location’s revenue and tax exposure separately

Overall, Texas clients get the same remote delivery model that has been working for Pacific Northwest businesses since 2016. Call 360-524-9889 or use the contact form at thebookkeepingcomp.org for a free Texas consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Accountant Services for Texas

How much do your accounting services cost per month?

Depends on what you need. Monthly bookkeeping runs $250 to $1,500 or more per month on flat-fee packages depending on transaction volume (Source: SCORE, 2025). Payroll, in addition, is a separate flat monthly fee of $150 to $600 by employee count. Annual Texas Franchise Tax preparation and federal returns are also billed at per-return rates. The free initial consultation produces a specific estimate for your actual scope — no hourly billing.

Do you work remotely with businesses anywhere in Texas?

All remote, statewide. Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth — and every other Texas community. Bank feeds connect automatically, receipts upload through the mobile app or secure portal, and all tax deliverables arrive digitally. Texas Franchise Tax annual reports and federal business returns are prepared and filed remotely. In other words, no in-person appointment anywhere in the state.

What credentials does your team hold?

For reference, Maya Primachenko holds AIPB accreditation from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, QuickBooks Elite Certified ProAdvisor status — the highest Intuit certification tier — and an IRS PTIN required to prepare and sign federal tax returns. Not a CPA firm. Still, The Bookkeeping Company covers bookkeeping and tax preparation for the routine financial needs of most Texas small businesses: federal returns, Texas Franchise Tax annual reports, and full-service payroll.

Do you offer flat monthly accounting packages?

Flat monthly packages for bookkeeping based on transaction volume, flat monthly fees for payroll based on employee count, and per-return rates for annual tax preparation. That’s the whole structure. No hourly billing anywhere in the engagement, either. The free consultation produces a combined cost estimate so Texas businesses know the full number before committing.

Do you offer a free initial consultation?

Free initial consultation for every prospective client, no exceptions. The call covers the bookkeeping platform, transaction volume, employee count, entity type, and Texas Franchise Tax filing status, and ends with a specific service recommendation and flat-fee pricing. No obligation to proceed. To get started, call 360-524-9889 or schedule through the website. Most Texas clients complete onboarding within one to two weeks.

Does your team have experience with Texas franchise tax?

Texas Franchise Tax annual reports — Form 05-158 or the EZ computation option — come with the annual tax engagement for Texas clients. In particular, this applies to most Texas businesses based on annualized total revenue above the no-tax-due threshold. The rate is 0.375% for retailers and wholesalers, 0.75% for most others. The main reason clean monthly bookkeeping matters here: the Comptroller uses total revenue as the franchise tax base, so the numbers have to be right before the return gets filed. May 15 deadline, managed as part of the annual engagement.

Can you integrate with my existing Texas-based payroll or HR system?

Texas businesses already using a payroll or HR platform get their data connected correctly into QuickBooks or Xero. For businesses needing full-service payroll, QuickBooks Payroll handles federal FICA, income tax withholding, and Texas UI remittance quarterly through the Workforce Commission. Texas payroll is simpler than most states — no state income tax withholding to configure — however, federal obligations still require accurate quarterly filings and year-end W-2 preparation.

What Texas industries do you serve?

Energy services, technology, construction, professional services, healthcare, retail, e-commerce, restaurants, and manufacturing. In particular, the firm has depth in construction bookkeeping (job costing, subcontractor 1099s, certified payroll for public works), e-commerce bookkeeping (Amazon, Shopify, and multi-channel reconciliation), and professional services. Even businesses with both Texas and out-of-state operations get multi-state bookkeeping and tax preparation coordination as a single engagement.

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