What Bernards does

Bernards, CPA is an independent, founder-led public-accounting firm founded in 1987 and headquartered at 441 NW Hill Road, McMinnville, Oregon. The firm delivers a comprehensive suite of professional services to individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local-government entities throughout Yamhill County, including tax planning and preparation, financial-statement audits/reviews/compilations, bookkeeping and payroll, IRS resolution and audit representation, estate and succession planning, forensic accounting, and specialized advisory work. The firm holds distinctive credentials — a licensed Oregon municipal auditor since 1978 and a Certified Fraud Examiner on staff — and serves 18+ industry verticals ranging from agriculture and wineries to high-tech firms and local government.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: Bernards is a QuickBooks Online Certified Pro Advisor and integrates that platform for client bookkeeping engagements, but the firm does not develop proprietary software, publish APIs, or operate any AI-based automation tooling. Service delivery is relationship-based and primarily in-person, supported by phone and email for remote clients, with annual income-tax bulletins used as client-education thought leadership. The business model is project-fee billing via client consultation, with contract cadences ranging from single engagements to multi-year relationships. Go-to-market relies on direct client referrals and a curated professional network of attorneys and investment advisors rather than paid advertising or digital demand generation.

Ownership is concentrated in founder Kathleen Bernards (President and Managing Partner), with no external investors, parent company, or subsidiary structure. The firm employs approximately four additional professionals plus a para-professional and maintains an active intern-to-full-time pipeline via Linfield University and Linfield College (the founder's alma mater and a recurring source of new hires), suggesting deliberate succession planning for a founder-led practice nearing four decades of operation.

Name

Bernards

Legal name

Bernards, CPA

Website

https://bcpa-mac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bernards, CPA is a private, founder-led certified public-accounting firm in McMinnville, Oregon providing tax, audit, bookkeeping, payroll, IRS resolution, and advisory services to individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, and local-government entities across Yamhill County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcminnville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax Preparation and Planning: Income tax filings and planning services for individuals, businesses, and organizations including federal, state, and local tax preparation
2. Audit and Assurance Services: Financial audits, reviews, compilations, and agreed-upon procedures for businesses and organizations
3. Bookkeeping and Payroll: Ongoing bookkeeping, payroll processing, and financial statement preparation services
4. Advisory Services: Estate planning, succession planning, IRS resolution, cash flow planning, retirement planning, and consulting services
5. Compliance Services: Employee benefit plan filings, personal property tax filings, workers compensation, payroll tax reports

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bernards, CPA is a McMinnville, Oregon-based certified public accounting firm delivering tax planning and preparation, audit and assurance, bookkeeping and payroll, IRS resolution, estate and trust planning, forensic accounting, and general financial advisory services to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, employee benefit plans, and local government entities. All engagements are staffed by licensed CPAs and supported by QuickBooks Online expertise.

Product overview

Bernards, CPA is a professional services firm offering a unified suite of accounting, tax, and financial advisory services rather than a software product. The core offerings include tax planning and preparation services, audit and assurance engagements, bookkeeping and payroll processing, IRS resolution representation, estate and trust planning, forensic accounting, and general financial advisory services. All services are delivered by certified CPAs with expertise across diverse industries including agriculture, real estate, wineries, nonprofits, and local government. The firm also provides informational resources through annual Income Tax Bulletins covering federal and Oregon tax law changes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Planning and Preparation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000s of clients served over 30 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Intuit (QuickBooks)coreTechnology or IntegrationBernards CPA is a QuickBooks Online Certified Pro Advisor, enabling the firm to provide integrated bookkeeping and accounting services using the QuickBooks platform for client engagements.
• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)coreOthersAll CPAs at Bernards are members of AICPA, the national professional organization for certified public accountants, providing access to standards, resources, and professional development.
• Oregon Association of CPAs (OSCPA)coreOthersAll CPAs are members of OSCPA, the state-level professional association for CPAs in Oregon.
• Oregon Association of Independent Accountants (OAIA)coreOthersAll CPAs maintain membership in OAIA, supporting independent accounting professionals in Oregon.
• Professional Network (Attorneys and Investment Advisors)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirm maintains a network of professional partners including attorneys and investment advisors to provide comprehensive financial services to clients through coordinated referrals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Moss Adams: Pacific Northwest-headquartered accounting, tax, and advisory firm with full-service offerings (audit, tax, consulting) serving mid-market clients. Closest regional peer by geography and service breadth, though materially larger than Bernards.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Top-10 U.S. accounting firm focused on mid-market businesses, nonprofits, and local governments, offering audit, tax, and advisory. Comparable in its emphasis on small/mid-market clients and government audit work Bernards performs.
• RSM US: Mid-market focused audit, tax, and consulting firm serving privately held businesses and their owners, with industry specializations including agriculture, manufacturing, and nonprofits—directly overlapping Bernards' vertical mix.
• BDO USA: Top-10 global accounting network with mid-market focus, providing audit, tax, and advisory to closely held businesses, nonprofits, and government entities. Overlaps with Bernards across audit, tax, and nonprofit/government work.

Direct peers

• Padgett Business Services: National franchise network of small-business CPAs and tax advisors serving SMBs with bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and advisory. Most directly comparable business model—local CPA-led full-service accounting for small businesses and individuals.
• H&R Block: Largest U.S. retail tax preparation franchise with both DIY and full-service professional offerings for individuals and small businesses. Competes with Bernards' individual tax prep and small business tax services at the consumer end.
• Liberty Tax: Retail tax preparation franchise offering individual and small business tax services through seasonal offices. Competes for the same individual taxpayer and small business filing clients in similar rural/small-market geographies.
• Jackson Hewitt: Retail tax preparation franchise competing for individual taxpayer and small business filings, particularly price-sensitive segments. Comparable in serving mass-market tax clients with lower fee points.

Emerging players

• Pilot.com: Tech-enabled bookkeeping, CFO, and tax services platform for small businesses and startups. Represents the digital-first competitive threat to Bernards' traditional bookkeeping and basic tax engagements.
• Bench.co: Online bookkeeping service pairing small businesses with dedicated bookkeepers and software. Directly threatens Bernards' bookkeeping and basic financial statement prep revenue stream with a lower-cost, software-augmented delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bernards-cpa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bernards