What Berkheimer does

Berkheimer, also known as H A Berkheimer (HAB), Berkheimer Tax Innovations, and HAB-EIT/HAB-BPT/HAB-PPT/HAB-MISC across tax types, is a Pennsylvania-based tax collection and administration company founded in 1936. Under Pennsylvania Act 32, Berkheimer is an appointed tax officer/collector for 32 County Tax Collection Districts, administering Earned Income Tax (EIT), Local Services Tax (LST), Business Privilege Tax (BPT), Mercantile Tax (MCT), Payroll Preparation Tax (PPT), Per Capita Tax, Occupation Assessment Tax, Real Estate Tax, and municipal utility bills on behalf of municipalities, school districts, and counties. The company is structured as a private for-profit LLC with 251–500 employees and is headquartered in Pennsylvania (Erie mailing address on the corporate site, with primary P.O.-box operations in Lehigh Valley and a physical office in Bangor).

The company's core technology is a portfolio of web-based tax administration portals — an Individual E-File Portal (cp-efile.hab-inc.com/individual), an Employer E-File Portal (cp-efile.hab-inc.com/employer), a Customer Self-Service Balance Inquiry Portal (customer.hab-inc.com), and the BerkApp mobile application — supported by a PSD/Address Confirmation Service that validates Political Subdivision codes and resident vs. non-resident tax rates for employers. File ingestion supports CSV, Federal File Format, Pennsylvania Standard File Format, and Social Security EFW2 formats, with payment processing delivered through a third-party integration with ACI Payments, Inc., supporting ACH and credit/debit card rails. There is no developer-facing public API.

Berkheimer operates a multi-segment go-to-market serving three core constituencies: individual taxpayers (filing, balance inquiry, payment, mobile app usage), businesses and employers (registration, quarterly/monthly filings, W-2 reconciliation, wage garnishment, PSD code management), and Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts (tax collection administration, delinquent tax services, tax billing/mailing, records management). Revenue is generated through contractual managed-services agreements with local-government clients (the primary stream), pass-through ACH and credit card processing fees imposed via ACI Payments, statutory penalty and late-fee revenue, tax certification fees ($20–$35 per parcel depending on jurisdiction), payment-plan setup fees ($5 per payment on delinquent plans), and wage-garnishment processing services. Marketing and distribution run primarily through the corporate website (hab-inc.com), the e-file portals, BerkApp, email reminder newsletters (berk-e News), comprehensive FAQ pages, and online customer-care forms.

Name

Berkheimer

Legal name

Berkheimer

Website

https://hab-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Berkheimer is a Pennsylvania-based, Act 32-appointed tax collector and administrator founded in 1936 that serves 32 County Tax Collection Districts, collecting Earned Income, Local Services, Business Privilege, Payroll Preparation, Per Capita, and Real Estate taxes on behalf of municipalities, school districts, employers, and individual taxpayers via web portals and the BerkApp mobile application.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Tax Administration Services

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD)

Keywords

• Local tax administration
• Tax collection services
• Earned income tax
• Employer tax filing
• Municipal tax billing

Headquarters

HQ city

Erie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tax Collection Administration Services: Berkheimer serves as appointed tax collector/officer for Pennsylvania tax collection districts under Act 32, collecting Earned Income Tax, Local Services Tax, Business Privilege Tax, Mercantile Tax, Payroll Preparation Tax, Per Capita Tax, Occupation Assessment Tax, and Real Estate Tax on behalf of municipalities and school districts. Revenue is derived from contractual agreements with local government entities for tax collection services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Berkheimer operates as an appointed tax collector and administrator for Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts under Act 32, collecting and administering local taxes including Earned Income Tax, Local Services Tax, Business Privilege Tax, Mercantile Tax, Payroll Preparation Tax, Per Capita Tax, Occupation Assessment Tax, and Real Estate Tax. The company serves 32 County Tax Collection Districts across Pennsylvania and delivers services through digital portals (individual and employer e-file), a mobile application (BerkApp), and customer self-service platforms.

Product overview

Berkheimer Tax Innovations is a tax collection and administration company serving Pennsylvania municipalities, school districts, and counties. The company operates primarily as a web-based tax processing platform rather than a single unified product. Its core offerings include multiple online portals (Employer E-File Portal and Individual E-File Portal) for filing Earned Income Tax, Local Services Tax, Business Privilege Tax, Payroll Preparation Tax, Per Capita Tax, Real Estate Tax, and Utility Bills. Supporting services include the mobile BerkApp, PSD Confirmation Service, Balance Inquiry portal, and Delinquent Tax Services. The product portfolio functions as a collection of web-based tax administration modules serving different taxpayer segments (individuals, employers, and government entities).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BerkApp Mobile Application Mobile application for Pennsylvania individual taxpayers to file annual tax returns, respond to inquiries, pay taxes due, and respond to reminder letters directly from a smartphone or tablet. Available on iOS and Android app stores.
• Employer E-File Portal Online platform for Pennsylvania employers to file quarterly/monthly Earned Income Tax returns, Local Services Tax (LST-1) filings, and W-2 Annual Reconciliation. Supports both data entry and file upload methods in multiple formats including CSV, Federal File Format, Pennsylvania Standard File Format, and Social Security EFW2 Format.
• Individual E-File Portal Online platform for individual taxpayers to file Final Earned Income Tax Returns (F-1), quarterly estimated tax payments (DQ-1), respond to reminders, and manage tax filings electronically.
• PSD Confirmation Service Service allowing employers to upload employee data files and receive reports listing proper Political Subdivision (PSD) codes and tax rates for each employee under Act 32, verifying residency certification accuracy.
• Balance Inquiry Portal (HAB-MISC) Self-service portal for taxpayers to check account balances for Real Estate Tax, Per Capita Tax, Occupation Assessment Tax, and Utility Fees/Services.
• Earned Income Tax (EIT) Collection and Administration Collection and administration of local Earned Income Tax for employers and individuals under Act 32, including withholding, quarterly filings, annual reconciliations, and final returns. Berkheimer administers EIT as an appointed tax collector for Pennsylvania Tax Collection Districts.
• Local Services Tax (LST) Administration Collection of Local Services Tax from employers on behalf of Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts, with proration based on pay periods. Annual tax withheld from employee compensation.
• Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax Administration Administration of Business Privilege and Mercantile Tax based on gross receipts for businesses operating in Pennsylvania taxing jurisdictions, including license issuance and delinquent tax collection.
• Payroll Preparation Tax (PPT) Administration Tax on employer payroll amounts, self-employed earnings, and rental income for financially distressed municipalities in Pennsylvania, including Hazleton, Scranton, and Scranton School District.
• Per Capita and Occupation Assessment Tax Collection Collection of flat-rate Per Capita Tax and occupation-based Assessment Tax from adult residents within Pennsylvania taxing jurisdictions, with penalties for late payment up to 10%.
• Real Estate Tax Billing and Collection Billing and collection of Real Estate Taxes for Pennsylvania counties, townships, boroughs, and school districts, with associated tax certification services at $20-$35 per parcel.
• Utility Billing Services Billing and collection services for Pennsylvania municipal utilities including sewer, trash, storm water, and recycling fees, integrated with online payment processing via ACI Payments.
• Wage Garnishment Services Wage garnishment processing for collection of delinquent taxes from employees of Pennsylvania employers, including employer notification and compliance tracking.
• Delinquent Tax Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Consolidated 560 EIT collectors to 14 under Act 32, streamlining Pennsylvania's local earned income tax system
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Berkheimer Tax Innovations (HAB): Subject company entry; included for completeness as one of the 14 Act 32 collectors in PA.
• Jordan Tax Service: Jordan Tax Service is one of the other Act 32 appointed tax collectors in Pennsylvania, directly comparable to Berkheimer in providing EIT, LST, and local tax collection services to municipalities and school districts under the same regulatory framework.
• Keystone Collections Group: Keystone Collections Group is another Act 32 appointed Pennsylvania tax collector, competing head-to-head with Berkheimer for Tax Collection District appointments and serving overlapping municipalities and school districts.

Broad incumbents

• ADP Tax Services: ADP is a broad incumbent in payroll and payroll tax administration, offering employer-side tax filing and withholding services at national scale. While not a direct PA municipal tax competitor, ADP addresses the same employer compliance pain points that Berkheimer's PSD Confirmation Service targets.
• Paychex: Paychex is a major payroll services and employer tax administration provider, comparable in serving employer compliance needs including multi-jurisdiction withholding and quarterly filings, though operating nationally rather than within a single state tax framework.
• Intuit: Intuit operates QuickBooks and TurboTax, providing tax preparation and compliance software used by both individuals and businesses. While primarily income-tax focused, Intuit's product set overlaps with Berkheimer's e-file and self-service portal functionality.
• H&R Block: H&R Block is a tax preparation retailer serving individuals and small businesses. Comparable in handling consumer-facing tax filing workflows, though focused on federal/state income tax rather than local PA Earned Income Tax.
• Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting (CCH): Wolters Kluwer's CCH unit provides professional tax compliance software and research used by accountants and payroll professionals. Comparable as a tax compliance technology and content provider serving the same regulatory complexity that Berkheimer addresses at the municipal level.

Emerging players

• Avalara: Avalara is a tax compliance automation company that handles sales tax, VAT, and other transaction-based tax categories via SaaS. It is comparable as a technology-led tax compliance platform, though focused on different tax types (sales/use rather than local earned income).
• Sovos: Sovos provides global tax compliance software including withholding, payroll tax, and reporting. Comparable in addressing regulatory tax compliance for businesses, though Sovos is a SaaS vendor rather than a government-appointed collector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkheimer-tax-administrator

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Berkheimer