Cowart Reese Sargent

What Cowart Reese Sargent does

Cowart Reese Sargent (operating as CRS CPAs) is a privately-held regional accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Jackson, Tennessee, with five additional offices across West Tennessee in Martin, Brownsville, Dyersburg, Paris, and Milan. Founded in 1980, the firm delivers a full-stack professional services offering spanning tax preparation and planning, tax problem resolution, personal financial planning, monthly bookkeeping, payroll and HR support, compliance and audit services, and CFO consulting services including cash flow management, bank financing, succession planning, new business formation, and internal controls. Its core technology stack is limited to QuickBooks as the underlying accounting platform and SafeSend Returns as a secure electronic delivery and e-signature mechanism for tax returns and K-1s — there is no proprietary software product or platform architecture.

The firm organizes its service delivery around four specialized verticals: Professional & Service Businesses, Farms & Agriculture, Nonprofits, and Government Entities. The government and nonprofit audit practice is a particular point of differentiation, supported by a dedicated team with 70+ combined years of experience serving municipalities, school districts, utility districts, airport authorities, and 501c3 organizations across the Mid-South. Agricultural clients receive farm-specific tax services including farm income averaging and succession planning.

CRS generates revenue through professional services engagements billed on either hourly or fixed-fee arrangements, with pricing determined per engagement rather than through published tiers. The go-to-market model is sales-led and relationship-based: clients are acquired primarily through referrals, the firm's embedded community presence across six West Tennessee offices, and a curated network of referral partners including attorneys, financial advisors, insurance agents, IT providers, marketing experts, and benefits specialists. Marketing is supported by a content-led strategy anchored on a multi-topic Learning Center and active organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), with gated educational guides used as lead capture. The firm is led by approximately ten principals and directors with deep local tenure, including founding-era principal Jack Reese (40+ years with the firm).

Name

Cowart Reese Sargent

Legal name

Cowart Reese Sargent CPAs

Website

https://crscpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cowart Reese Sargent is a privately-held regional CPA firm headquartered in Jackson, Tennessee, operating six offices across West Tennessee to provide tax, audit, bookkeeping, payroll, and CFO consulting services to small businesses, farms, nonprofits, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting and Tax Services: Professional accounting and tax preparation services delivered through hourly billing or fixed-fee arrangements. Services include tax preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, payroll processing, compliance and audit, CFO consulting, and financial planning for businesses, farms, nonprofits, and government entities across West Tennessee.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cowart Reese Sargent (CRS CPAs) is a regional CPA firm delivering tax preparation and planning, monthly bookkeeping, payroll and HR support, compliance and audit, and CFO consulting services. The firm is organized around four sector verticals—professional and service businesses, farms and agriculture, nonprofit organizations, and government entities—and delivers its services through six physical office locations across West Tennessee that operate as a single unified practice.

Product overview

Cowart Reese Sargent (CRS CPAs) is a CPA firm providing comprehensive accounting and financial services to clients across West Tennessee. The firm offers a unified suite of professional services organized around core accounting functions: Tax Services (including Tax Preparation, Tax Planning, Tax Problems resolution, and Personal Financial Planning), Monthly Bookkeeping, Payroll & HR Support, Compliance & Audit, and CFO Consulting (encompassing Part-time CFO Services, Cash Flow Management, Bank Financing, Strategic Business Planning, Succession Planning, New Business Formation, and Internal Controls). The firm also offers specialized services for specific sectors: Professional & Service Businesses, Farms & Agriculture, Nonprofits, and Government Entities. SafeSend Returns serves as the electronic delivery mechanism for tax documents. Services are delivered across six physical office locations in West Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Services Comprehensive tax preparation, tax planning, tax problems resolution, and personal financial planning services delivered to businesses, farms, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and individuals across West Tennessee. Services cover federal, state, and local filings, identification and maximization of deductions, IRS matter representation, and proactive year-round tax planning.
• Monthly Bookkeeping Recurring day-to-day accounting and financial record management for small businesses, including transaction categorization, bank and credit-card reconciliations, monthly financial statements, and maintaining accurate books throughout the year.
• Payroll & HR Support Outsourced payroll processing and human resources support for client businesses, including payroll administration, payroll tax filings, and HR-related compliance assistance.
• Compliance & Audit Financial statement audits, single audits of federal funds, internal controls assessment, GASB compliance for governments, nonprofit audits, and ongoing regulatory compliance support for client organizations across West Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
• CFO Consulting Strategic business advisory and outsourced CFO services for growing businesses, including part-time CFO engagements, cash flow management, bank financing support, strategic business planning, succession planning, new business formation, and internal controls design.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Referral Network (Attorneys)supportingOthersCRS positions itself as the hub for clients' advisor relationships and has established referral relationships with attorneys to provide comprehensive services to shared business clients. The firm connects clients with attorneys when legal needs arise beyond accounting services.
• Referral Network (Financial Advisors)supportingOthersEstablished referral relationships with financial advisors to provide comprehensive financial services to clients. CRS connects clients with financial advisors for investment management, insurance, and other financial planning needs outside the scope of accounting services.
• Referral Network (Insurance Agents)supportingOthersReferral relationships with insurance agents to provide comprehensive business and personal insurance solutions to clients. CRS helps match clients with appropriate insurance coverage through trusted partner agents.
• Referral Network (IT Providers)supportingTechnology or IntegrationReferral relationships with IT providers to help clients with technology infrastructure, software, and technical support needs that complement accounting and financial management services.
• Referral Network (Marketing Experts)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerReferral relationships with marketing experts to provide comprehensive business advisory services. CRS connects clients with marketing professionals for branding, advertising, and growth marketing needs.
• Referral Network (Benefits Specialists)supportingOthersReferral relationships with benefits specialists to help business clients with employee benefits administration, health insurance, retirement plans, and other HR-related benefits needs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eide Bailly LLP: Top-30 U.S. accounting firm providing tax, audit, and advisory services to businesses, nonprofits, and government entities with strong government and NPO practices. Comparable as a larger regional CPA firm with similar vertical specialization in government and nonprofit assurance work.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Top-10 U.S. accounting firm with significant outsourced accounting, tax, and advisory practices for SMBs, nonprofits, and government entities. Comparable as a large-scale provider of bundled compliance and advisory services targeting the same mid-market and small-government client segments as CRS.
• LBMC: Nashville-headquartered Tennessee accounting, tax, and advisory firm with strong healthcare, government, and business services practices. Comparable as a leading Tennessee-based CPA firm covering many of the same verticals (government, NPO, professional services) CRS serves, though at much larger scale.
• Cherry Bekaert LLP: Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regional CPA and advisory firm serving government, nonprofit, and commercial clients. Comparable because, like CRS, it built dedicated practices in governmental auditing and nonprofit accounting while expanding advisory services to regional businesses.
• HORNE LLP: Ridgeland, Mississippi-headquartered regional accounting and advisory firm serving government, healthcare, and commercial clients across the Southeast including Tennessee. Comparable because, like CRS, it built deep government and nonprofit audit practices while expanding into advisory - though at significantly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Mauldin & Jenkins: Southeast U.S. regional CPA firm (Georgia-rooted) serving government, nonprofit, and commercial clients across multiple southern states. Comparable due to its strong specialization in governmental and nonprofit auditing, which mirrors CRS's domain expertise and vertical focus.
• Frazier & Deeter: Nashville-headquartered top-100 U.S. CPA firm providing tax, audit, and advisory services to businesses across the Southeast. Comparable because it serves mid-market companies and high-net-worth individuals in Tennessee with a similar service mix of tax, audit, and outsourced advisory services.
• HHM CPAs: Chattanooga, Tennessee-based regional CPA firm offering tax, audit, advisory, and outsourced CFO services to businesses, nonprofits, and government entities. Comparable because it shares CRS's Tennessee footprint, vertical specialization strategy, and full-service CPA positioning across West/Middle Tennessee.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpN_PVeWVi6gOPctZO6pS9A
• Facebookfacebook.com/crscpas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crscpas
• Instagraminstagram.com/crscpas
• Xx.com/crscpa_1975

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Cowart Reese Sargent