BNA

What BNA does

BNA CPAs & Advisors is a privately held, integrated accounting and wealth management firm founded in 1977 by Bernard N. Ackerman in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The firm operates two divisions: a CPA practice offering tax planning and preparation, accounting and bookkeeping, Customer Accounting & Advisory Services (CAAS) with fractional CFO capabilities, and M&A advisory; and a wealth management division (BNA Wealth, formed via the 2018 merger with Consolidated Investment Advisors) offering investment, retirement, insurance, estate, and education planning, plus an institutional wealth practice serving retirement plans and nonprofits. BNA serves individuals, families, and business owners — with a particular focus on specialized verticals including medical professionals, legal practitioners, technology companies, and insurance agents — delivering fixed-fee subscription engagements tiered across Bronze, Gold, and Platinum membership plans ranging from $1,200 to $100,000 annually.

BNA's technology stack is cloud-native and built entirely on best-of-breed SaaS integrations rather than proprietary systems: Xero is the primary accounting platform (partnership since 2013, Accounting Partner of the Year 2024), Gusto handles payroll (one of Gusto's largest partners with 125+ customers), Karbon powers practice management, CCH Tax supports multi-state tax preparation, and Bill.com, HubDoc, Orion, Nitrogen, Box, and Ignition round out the operational stack. BNA co-founded WealthRabbit, a digital retirement plan management platform, and partners with Wealth.com for digital estate planning — giving the firm a differentiated ecosystem position for retirement and estate workflows. The firm serves clients across 46 states and territories for tax preparation, despite its single-physical-location footprint at the new Riverwalk headquarters in Rock Hill.

The business model is a sales-led, relationship-driven professional services model with face-to-face onboarding, fixed-fee (not hourly) pricing, unlimited client communication bundled into plans, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The firm is bootstrapped with no external institutional investment or PE backing, has been actively hiring (expanding to 37 total staff including 8 wealth professionals), and is led by a multigenerational Ackerman family team spanning CPA and CFP® credentials.

Name

BNA

Legal name

BNA CPAs & Advisors

Website

https://bnacpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BNA CPAs & Advisors is a privately held, integrated CPA and wealth management firm founded in 1977 in Rock Hill, SC, serving individuals, families, business owners, and specialized professional verticals across 46 states via fixed-fee subscription plans and a cloud-based technology stack.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rock Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CPA and Accounting Services: Tax planning, preparation, and advisory services; accounting and bookkeeping; financial planning; IRS representation
2. Wealth Management Services: Investment management, retirement planning, insurance advisory, estate planning, and education savings planning for individuals, families, and business owners
3. Customer Accounting Advisory Services (CAAS): Comprehensive accounting support, payroll management, fractional CFO services, and business coaching with tiered pricing
4. Membership Plans: Tiered annual membership plans (Bronze, Gold, Platinum) providing various levels of CPA services, tax planning, and advisory

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BNA is an integrated CPA and wealth management firm that delivers tax preparation and planning, accounting and bookkeeping, customer accounting advisory services (CAAS) with fractional CFO/controller support, and wealth management including investment, retirement, insurance, estate, and education planning for individuals, families, business owners, and institutions. Service is delivered via fixed-fee subscription membership plans (Bronze/Gold/Platinum) and tailored engagements through CPA and CFP® professionals working collaboratively under one roof.

Product overview

BNA CPAs & Advisors operates as an integrated financial services firm offering two primary divisions: CPA/Accounting Services and Wealth Management. The CPA division provides tax preparation and planning, accounting and advisory services, and customer accounting & advisory services (CAAS) with technology integration support. The Wealth Management division offers investment, retirement, insurance, estate, and education planning alongside institutional wealth services for retirement plans and charitable organizations. The firm leverages technology integrations including Xero (primary accounting platform), Gusto (payroll), WealthRabbit (retirement planning), and Wealth.com (estate planning) to deliver services. BNA also runs a scholarship and internship program for aspiring accountants at Winthrop University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BNA CPA Services Comprehensive CPA practice offering individual and corporate tax preparation, tax planning, IRS representation, financial advisory, and bookkeeping for individuals and businesses in the Carolinas and nationwide.
• Tax Services Tax preparation and planning covering individual and corporate returns, estate tax planning, tax minimization strategies, and IRS representation across 46 states and territories.
• Advising Services Advisory services including mergers and acquisitions guidance, social security planning, financial planning, divorce financial planning, estate planning advisory, and expert witness services.
• Customer Accounting & Advisory Services (CAAS) High-value partnership providing day-to-day accounting, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, fractional controller and CFO services, technology integration, and business coaching for SMB and growth-stage clients.
• Giving Services Charitable giving advisory and community service support helping clients with charitable giving strategies and connecting them with local organizations in the York County area.
• BNA Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management offering investment management, retirement planning, insurance guidance, estate planning, and education savings for individuals, families, and business owners.
• Investment Services Personalized investment planning tailored to individual goals, objectives, financial resources, and risk tolerance for BNA Wealth clients.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning synchronizing retirement goals with financial resources, retirement incomes, and Social Security strategies.
• Insurance Services Expert guidance on selecting appropriate insurance options to protect loved ones and safeguard assets for individuals and families.
• Estate Planning Personalized estate plans ensuring client wishes are met while strategically minimizing gift, estate, and income taxes.
• Education Planning Education savings strategies including college savings plans, financial aid opportunities, and expense management for education.
• Retirement Plan Advisory & Consulting Institutional retirement plan services including fiduciary investment advisory, plan design consulting, operational efficiency enhancement, and governance best practices for 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and other retirement plans.
• Charitable Solutions Investment management and fiduciary guidance for nonprofit organizations, including custom investment policies, spending policies, and board governance support under UPMIFA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fixed-fee pricing eliminates surprise invoices and provides cost certainty
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationBNA has partnered with Xero since 2013, achieved Emerging Partner distinction in 2016, and won Accounting Partner of the Year in 2024 and Community Champion in 2025. Xero is BNA's primary cloud accounting platform enabling real-time collaboration with clients.
• GustocoreTechnology or IntegrationGusto is a Gold Partner integration for payroll processing. BNA uses Gusto to manage payroll, benefits, workers' comp, employee onboarding, and W-2 distribution for over 125 Gusto customers, making BNA one of Gusto's largest partners.
• WealthRabbitcoreTechnology or IntegrationWealthRabbit is co-founded by Adam and Jason Ackerman of BNA. BNA recommends and integrates WealthRabbit for retirement plan management, providing a fully digital platform for setup, payroll integration, and ongoing contributions.
• Wealth.comsupportingTechnology or IntegrationBNA partners with Wealth.com for digital estate planning, offering clients a guided platform for wills, powers of attorney, and secure document storage with advisor-led planning support.
• Stanford TaxsupportingTechnology or IntegrationStanford Tax organizer is available through BNA's client portal for tax preparation workflow management.
• OrionsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOrion practice management platform used for BNA's customer portal and client relationship management.
• Charles SchwabsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWealth clients can access Charles Schwab accounts through BNA's client portal for integrated wealth management services.
• KarboncoreTechnology or IntegrationKarbon is BNA's practice management system enabling efficient tax return delivery (as fast as 3 days). BNA received Karbon Excellence Awards for Practice Excellence (2026) and Client Excellence (2023).
• CCH TaxsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCCH Tax software used for tax preparation across 46 states and territories.
• Bill.comsupportingTechnology or IntegrationBill.com used for accounts payable and receivable management as part of BNA's technology stack.
• BoxsupportingTechnology or IntegrationBox cloud storage used for secure document management and client file access through BNA's web portal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cherry Bekaert: Top-30 US accounting and advisory firm with adjacent wealth management — comparable Southeast presence (Charlotte, Raleigh) and directly competes with BNA for Carolinas mid-market clients.
• Plante Moran: Largest US CPA-owned firm providing tax, advisory, wealth, and technology services — same integrated professional services menu as BNA, but at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Baker Tilly: Top-10 US advisory, tax, and wealth management firm — competes for mid-market and high-net-worth advisory clients with a much larger platform but similar integrated service philosophy.
• Wipfli LLP: Top-20 US accounting and advisory firm with embedded wealth management services — operates a similar multi-suite professional services model but across the Midwest and nationwide.
• Eide Bailly: Top-20 US accounting and advisory firm offering tax, audit, wealth management, and technology services — comparable integrated offering but at materially larger scale and broader regional footprint.
• Creative Planning: Large national RIA offering wealth management, tax, and estate planning services — competes most directly with BNA Wealth on investment advisory and attracts clients with the same integrated financial planning pitch.

Emerging players

• Carson Wealth Management Group: Growing RIA consolidator with tax-prep and financial planning capabilities — competes for wealth management clients and advisor talent in the Carolinas, pressuring regional firms like BNA Wealth.

Direct peers

• CapinCrouse: Integrated CPA and investment advisory firm providing tax, audit, and wealth services to nonprofits, churches, and businesses — same combined CPA+wealth model with subscription-style client relationships, but serving a national nonprofit vertical.
• Dean Dorton: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regional CPA and business advisory firm of comparable size offering tax, accounting, and wealth-adjacent advisory — closely mirrors BNA's integrated regional professional services approach.
• Anders CPAs + Advisors: Integrated CPA and advisory firm combining tax, audit, technology, and wealth services under one roof in the Midwest — a near-structural twin to BNA's CPA + wealth model at slightly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/bnacpa
• Xx.com/bna_cpa
• Facebookfacebook.com/BNACPA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 BNA