What NMS does

NMS Certified Public Accountants, Inc. is a privately held, full-service CPA firm founded around 2004 and headquartered in Chardon, Ohio, serving individuals, small-to-medium-sized businesses, and non-profit organizations across Ohio's Lake, Geauga, and Summit counties. The firm operates from five physical offices (Chardon, Mentor, Twinsburg, Middlefield, and Burton), with its Chardon and Mentor locations housed in restored historic buildings — the Old Chardon Post Office (renovated 2009) and Mentor's Old Village Hall (renovated 2017). NMS delivers its services through in-person consultations, a secure online client portal, and QuickFee-integrated digital payments.

The firm's service portfolio centers on tax preparation and planning as its core offering, supplemented by financial statements, outsourced accounting and bookkeeping, live payroll processing, business formation, business valuations, and advisory services. NMS holds PCAOB-registered firm status, enabling it to perform 401(k) benefit plan audits and HUD audits, and maintains QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification. Its technology stack is conventional for the industry: secure client portal infrastructure, electronic filing, QuickFee payment processing, and standard accounting software — with no proprietary AI/ML or differentiated platform capabilities.

NMS generates revenue through professional services fees that are primarily quote-based or flat-fee, with free initial consultations offered for advisory work. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, built on long-term client retention, community sponsorships, content marketing, and local SEO across its five locations. The firm has executed a sustained roll-up strategy, acquiring five local practices since 2010 (SR Snodgrass, McIntosh & Company, Picardini & Associates, Miller + Associates, and Ted Reed Accounting), and has earned repeated regional recognition including the Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 20-Year Hall of Fame (2023) and Weatherhead 100 honors.

Name

NMS

Legal name

NMS, Inc.

Website

https://nms-cpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NMS Certified Public Accountants is a privately held, full-service Ohio CPA firm serving over 10,000 individual, SMB, and non-profit clients across five Northeast Ohio offices with tax preparation, accounting, audit, payroll, and advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chardon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Accounting Services: Recurring and project-based accounting services including financial statement preparation, outsourced accounting, and bookkeeping for individuals and businesses.
2. Tax Preparation and Planning: Tax return preparation for individuals, businesses, S-corporations, partnerships, and non-profits. Includes year-round tax planning services.
3. Advisory and Consulting Services: Retirement planning, financial planning, business valuations, bank loan consulting, and business formation services.
4. Payroll Processing: Live payroll processing services with tax filing capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NMS Certified Public Accountants is a full-service CPA firm providing tax return preparation and planning, accounting/bookkeeping, live payroll processing, financial statement preparation, audit and attestation services (including 401(k) and HUD audits as a PCAOB-registered firm), business valuations, business formation, and bank loan consulting. The firm also offers individual-focused financial planning, retirement planning, trust and estate services, death benefit planning, FAFSA/education financing, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor consulting, delivered through five Ohio offices and a secure client portal.

Product overview

NMS Certified Public Accountants is a full-service CPA firm providing comprehensive financial and tax-related services to individuals and business owners in Ohio. The firm operates a unified service model centered on tax preparation and planning as core offerings, supplemented by financial planning, trusts & estates, and business services. With over 22 years in operation and more than 10,000 clients, NMS offers its services through five Ohio locations (Chardon, Mentor, Twinsburg, Middlefield, and Burton). The product portfolio centers on Tax Preparation Services as the primary offering, which encompasses Individual & Business Tax Services, Non-Profit Reporting, Tax Planning, Financial Planning, and Trusts & Estate Services. Additional service modules include Retirement Planning, Business Formation, Live Payroll Processing, Bank Loan Consulting, and specialized audits (401(k), HUD). The firm also provides outsourced accounting/bookkeeping and QuickBooks ProAdvisor services, representing a comprehensive accounting and advisory practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Preparation and Planning Services Comprehensive federal, state, and local tax return preparation for individuals, businesses, S-corporations, partnerships, and non-profits, plus year-round tax planning to maximize deductions and savings under changing tax laws. Delivered with flat fee pricing and financial analysis. consolidation of individual/business tax filing, non-profit reporting, and tax planning into one offering.
• Outsourced Accounting and Full-Service Bookkeeping Comprehensive outsourced accounting and bookkeeping services for small and medium-sized business clients, delivered with customized monthly engagements.
• Live Payroll Processing Full-service live payroll processing and preparation, including filing of payroll tax returns, for business clients.
• Financial Statement Preparation and Auditing Preparation and auditing of financial statements for business clients across industries.
• 401(k) Benefit Plan Audits Auditing services for employer 401(k) retirement benefit plans, delivered under NMS's PCAOB-registered firm status.
• HUD Auditing Specialized auditing services for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) related requirements, enabled by NMS's PCAOB-registered firm credentials.
• Retirement Planning Advisory services for personal retirement planning, helping individuals develop strategies for financial success in retirement.
• Trust and Estate Services Comprehensive trust and estate planning and administration services, including estate and trust income tax return preparation with expertise in elections, distribution rules, and deadline filings.
• Death Benefit Planning Planning services for death benefits and related financial considerations for individuals and families.
• FAFSA and Education Financing Planning Assistance with FAFSA applications and education financing planning for families.
• Individual Financial Planning Individualized wealth planning services to help clients identify and prioritize financial goals for education, social security, and retirement.
• Business Formation Services Formation services for for-profit and non-profit entities including entity type selection, tax benefit assessment, and compliance handling for sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, LLCs, and charitable organizations.
• Bank Loan Consulting and Bank Financing Guidance and consulting for bank loan processes including assessing financial situations, reviewing credit profiles, identifying suitable options, and negotiating with lending institutions.
• Business Valuations Business valuation services for various business and legal purposes, supported by the firm's CVA-credentialed staff.
• Taxpayer Advocacy and IRS Representation IRS representation and advocacy services for past-due tax issues, leveraging the firm's Enrolled Agents and CPAs.
• QuickBooks ProAdvisor Consulting QuickBooks consulting and advisory services delivered by staff certified as QuickBooks ProAdvisors, supporting client bookkeeping setup, cleanup, and ongoing use.
• Personal Financial Statements Preparation of personal financial statements for individuals, used for loan applications, estate planning, and other financial purposes.
• BWC Group Rating Analysis Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation group rating program analysis and consulting to help businesses reduce workers' comp premiums.
• Title Agency Review Review services for title agencies, providing CPA-level assurance and consulting support.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lake County YMCAminorOthersNMS sponsors Lake County YMCA's Annual Golf Outing events, supporting community health and wellness initiatives. The firm has sponsored hole activities at these events for multiple years.
• Lake Geauga Recovery CentersminorOthersNMS sponsors Lake Geauga Recovery Centers' Annual Golf Outing, supporting addiction recovery services in the community.
• Geauga County Maple FestivalminorOthersNMS serves as a Maple Patron sponsor of the Geauga County Maple Festival's centennial celebration, supporting local agricultural heritage and community traditions.
• Middlefield Swiss Cheese FestivalminorOthersNMS is a Community Supporter-level sponsor of the revived Middlefield Swiss Cheese Festival, celebrating local cheese-making history.
• Geauga Park FoundationminorOthersNMS sponsors Geauga Park Foundation events including the Hike-a-Thon and Caveman Crawl 5K Trail Run, supporting environmental conservation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• H&R Block: National tax preparation chain with significant Ohio retail footprint competing directly for individual tax clients that form a core segment of NMS's 10,000+ client base. Represents the scaled, lower-cost alternative in tax preparation.
• Plante Moran: Large national CPA and advisory firm with significant Ohio presence (Cleveland, Columbus offices). Overlaps with NMS in SMB accounting/tax/audit and competes for Ohio talent and mid-market clients, though operates at much larger scale.
• Cohen & Company: Mid-sized Cleveland-headquartered accounting and advisory firm offering audit, tax, wealth management, and specialized industry services. Larger incumbent serving overlapping Ohio markets with broader capabilities and capital resources than NMS.

Direct peers

• Bober Markey Fedorovich: Northeast Ohio (Akron) accounting and business advisory firm offering audit, tax, business valuation, and outsourced accounting. Comparable regional Ohio peer with similar SMB focus and specialty services like business valuations that NMS also offers.
• Apple Growth Partners: Akron/Canton-based CPA and business advisory firm providing accounting, tax, audit, and business consulting to closely-held businesses. Comparable Ohio regional competitor with overlapping SMB and owner-led client base.
• Barnes Wendling CPAs: Cleveland-based CPA firm providing accounting, tax, audit, business valuation, and forensic accounting services. Comparable Northeast Ohio peer with overlapping specialty credentials (CFF, CVA) and similar SMB/individual client mix.
• Rea & Associates: Ohio-based regional CPA and advisory firm serving individuals, businesses, and non-profits across multiple Ohio cities. Highly comparable to NMS in service mix (tax, audit, advisory, payroll) and Ohio SMB client base.
• Maloney + Novotny: Cleveland-based regional CPA and advisory firm serving closely-held businesses and individuals with tax, audit, and consulting services. Comparable Northeast Ohio peer with similar service breadth and SMB orientation.
• GBQ Partners: Columbus-based CPA and advisory firm with offices across Ohio providing tax, audit, valuation, and consulting services. Comparable Ohio multi-office peer with similar acquisition-driven growth history and service breadth.

Others

• QuickFee: Payment technology provider integrated with NMS for client invoicing and financing. Listed as an ecosystem enabler/partner rather than a direct competitor; relevant as a technology integration that supports NMS's client payment experience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myNMSoffice
• Facebookfacebook.com/myNMSoffice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/myNMSoffice

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 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 NMS