Desk with notebooks and documents in an office overlooking a city skyline and mountains, Nevada Bookkeeping Services and CPAs: How to Choose

Nevada Bookkeeping and Accounting Services: How to Choose

Last verified: November 5, 2026

Most new Nevada businesses need two accounting relationships, not four: a bookkeeper who closes the books every month and a CPA who files the returns and answers tax questions. A payroll service and a virtual CFO are add-ons you buy when headcount or revenue calls for them. Nevada charges no state income tax on individuals (Nevada Department of Taxation, income tax in Nevada), but the books are not simpler for it: the state still has a business license, an annual list, the Modified Business Tax on wages and, above $4,000,000 of Nevada gross revenue, the Commerce Tax. This page explains which hire covers which job, which Nevada deadlines your records have to feed, and what to ask before you sign. It does not rank individual firms, because we have no way to test their work.

Decide: Bookkeeper, CPA or Both

A bookkeeper records and reconciles transactions every month so the numbers are current. A CPA prepares and signs tax returns and advises on entity and tax choices. Nevada reserves the title: no one may call themselves a certified public accountant or use "CPA" unless they hold a Nevada certificate and live permit, or practice privileges under NRS 628.450 and 628.315. You can check a CPA on the Nevada State Board of Accountancy site. A bookkeeper who does not claim the title is a different kind of provider, so you judge one by references and a sample monthly report.

Paid tax preparers are separate again: the IRS requires a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from anyone who prepares federal returns for pay, and the IRS says plainly that this does not measure skill (IRS PTIN requirements; IRS: choosing a tax professional).

Our order of hiring (judgment, not a Nevada rule): talk to a CPA before you form the entity or elect S corporation status, because entity choice is costly to undo (see Nevada LLC vs S corp and how to start an LLC in Nevada), then add a bookkeeper in the first month of real transactions.

When to skip all of this: a one-owner LLC with no employees and a few dozen transactions a month can run on accounting software plus a CPA at tax time. Hire a bookkeeper when you cannot reconcile the bank account monthly yourself, or when you pay anyone through payroll.

What Your Books Must Feed in Nevada

These are the recurring figures a Nevada bookkeeper or CPA should have on a calendar for you. Amounts come from the statutes and Department of Taxation pages in the last column; confirm them there before you file.

ItemAmount or RuleSource
State business license renewal$200 for an LLC, $500 for a corporation, paid with the annual list; $100 penalty if lateNRS 76.130
Annual list, LLC$150, due the last day of the month of the LLC's anniversary; $75 penalty added on defaultNRS 86.263 and 86.272
Annual list, corporation$150 if authorized shares total $75,000 or less, up to a maximum of $11,125 for large share countsNRS 78.150
Modified Business Tax1.17% of quarterly wages above $50,000 for most general business employers; return due the last day of the month after each quarter; every employer files, even with nothing dueDepartment of Taxation: MBT; NRS 363B.110
Commerce TaxReturn only if Nevada gross revenue is over $4,000,000 in the fiscal year; due 45 days after year end (August 14, 2026 for the year ended June 30, 2026)Department of Taxation: Commerce Tax; NRS 363C.200
Federal employment taxesDeposits and quarterly and annual wage reports if you have employeesIRS: employment taxes

One interaction that a generic bookkeeper can miss: NRS 363B.110(4) gives an employer a credit against the Modified Business Tax equal to 50% of the Commerce Tax paid for the preceding year. It can only be used in the four quarters after that year, and unused credit is not refunded. If you cross $4,000,000, ask your CPA who tracks it.

The annual list is the item people forget. A late state business license adds $100, and an LLC still in default a year later has its charter revoked (NRS 86.274); reinstating costs $300 plus the back fees and penalties (NRS 86.276). Our annual list and license renewal guide walks through the filing, and if you are still forming the company, see how Nevada LLC formation services compare. Compliance reminders are a reasonable thing to hand to your bookkeeper or CPA, as long as one named person owns the date.

Hire a Bookkeeper: What the Monthly Work Should Look Like

Ask what the monthly package contains before you ask the price. A usable close has the bank and credit card accounts reconciled, transactions categorized, payroll and owner draws separated, and a profit and loss statement and balance sheet delivered by a day you agree on. If you have employees, ask that wages be summarized by calendar quarter, because that is the unit the Modified Business Tax return uses.

Our recommendation: keep the accounting software subscription and the bank connections in your own name, and give the bookkeeper a user login. That way you keep the records if you change providers.

We do not list monthly fee ranges because we found no Nevada-specific official or survey source for them. Get written quotes from at least two providers and compare the same things: the fixed monthly fee, whether catch-up cleanup of past months is extra, and whether payroll and sales tax returns are included.

Hire a CPA: Questions That Matter in Nevada

Ask who prepares the return and who signs it, and ask whether the firm files the Modified Business Tax and Commerce Tax returns itself or leaves them to you. Ask how many of their clients are Nevada LLCs, and whether they have advised a client through the $4,000,000 Commerce Tax line. Those are the questions where a firm with Nevada clients and an out-of-state firm give different answers.

Ask about billing too: fixed fee per return, hourly, or a retainer for planning. A retainer makes sense when you want tax planning during the year, not only a return in spring. If you expect to hire a CPA mainly for entity choice, a one-time consultation is usually enough; that is our view of how to buy it, not a legal requirement.

Payroll: Decide Who Files What

A payroll service normally runs paychecks and federal deposits. The Nevada Modified Business Tax return is a separate state filing, so ask in writing whether the provider files it or whether your bookkeeper or CPA does. Do not outsource half of payroll: one party should own the federal deposits, the quarterly and annual wage reports and the state return, so a missed deadline has one owner.

Federal deposit and reporting rules for employers are in the IRS Publication 15 (Employer's Tax Guide). Confirm Nevada unemployment insurance reporting with the state agency before you pick a provider that promises to cover it.

Gaming and Hospitality Books

Nevada's economy leans on gaming and hospitality, and the gaming side has its own monthly rhythm. Under NRS 463.370, a gaming licensee pays a state license fee on gross revenue of 3.5% up to $50,000 per month, 4.5% from $50,000 to $134,000, and 6.75% above $134,000, collected on or before the 15th of the following month. The Gaming Commission sets by regulation how winnings and gross revenue must be computed and reported (NRS 463.1595). Restricted operations with a small number of slot machines pay a separate quarterly per-machine fee under NRS 463.373.

The practical point: if you hold a gaming license, hire accountants who already close monthly books quickly and know the Gaming Control Board reporting forms, and confirm that with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Restaurants, bars and hotels without gaming do not file this fee, so a general small-business CPA is usually enough for them.

When a Virtual CFO or Advisor Makes Sense

A virtual CFO works on forecasting, pricing, financing and reporting for owners, not on day-to-day bookkeeping. Our view: do not buy one until your monthly close is reliable and a decision is waiting on the numbers, such as a second location, a loan or an investor. Before you sign, get the scope in writing: whether the person works alongside your bookkeeper and CPA or replaces one of them, how often you meet, and which reports you receive.

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

  • Which Nevada filings do you handle? Annual list, state business license, Modified Business Tax, Commerce Tax, sales tax if you sell taxable goods.
  • Who owns each deadline? Name one person per filing.
  • Do I keep the login and the data? The answer should be yes.
  • What is excluded from the fixed fee? Cleanup of past months, amended returns and notices from agencies are common extras.
  • Can I see a sample monthly report? Names removed is fine.
  • Can I speak to a client in my industry? A reference beats a review score.

Start the relationship with clean records: bank statements, last year's return if you have one, your entity documents and a list of recurring vendors. The cleaner the handoff, the less you pay for setup.

Disclaimer

This article is general information about choosing accounting and bookkeeping help in Nevada. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Fees, rates and deadlines change, so confirm them with the Nevada Secretary of State and the Nevada Department of Taxation, and ask a CPA or tax attorney licensed in Nevada about your own situation.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides