Whalen & Company

What Whalen & Company does

Whalen & Company (operating as Whalen CPAs) is a full-service CPA firm headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, in the Columbus metropolitan area. Founded in 1945 by Elmer Whalen in Springfield, Ohio, the firm relocated to Columbus in 1947 and has operated continuously for more than 80 years. It provides accounting, audit and assurance, tax, and business advisory services across 14 industry verticals, including architecture and engineering, construction, education, manufacturing, medical and dental practices, nonprofits, professional service firms, real estate, restaurants, retail, technology, and wholesale and distribution. Specialized offerings include ERISA benefit plan audits, FAR overhead audits for state DOTs, Client Accounting & Advisory Services (outsourced CFO/controller), healthcare practice management consulting, and Value Enhancement / Exit Planning delivered through Certified Exit Planning Advisors. The firm also operates affiliated brand Simplitax for budget individual tax preparation and is a member of Enterprise Worldwide for international engagement capability.

Whalen operates as a private professional services firm organized as a corporation under Ohio law, with an employee count in the 11–50 range. It does not disclose pricing publicly; fees are quoted by engagement scope and complexity, with recurring accounting engagements on retainer-style billing, audit and tax work on project or compliance-engagement fees, and advisory work on project or retainer arrangements. Go-to-market is relationship-led, driven by referrals, industry specialization, and proactive quarterly client meetings; client acquisition is supported by content marketing, blog, workshops, newsletter, and organic social channels, but no reseller or marketplace distribution exists. Client-facing technology consists of the SafeSend and Suralink document portals for secure exchange.

Ownership is fully internal — no parent company, no external investors, no private equity. Leadership transitioned from multi-generational Whalen family stewardship to professional management in 2022 when Lisa Shuneson became the firm's first CEO. Growth has historically come through a steady cadence of tuck-in acquisitions (most recently Barnes, Barnes & Associates dba Advanced Practice Management in 2021) and the addition of adjacent services, rather than through external capital.

Name

Whalen & Company

Legal name

Whalen & Company CPAs

Website

https://whalencpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whalen & Company (Whalen CPAs) is an 80-year-old, full-service accounting, audit, tax, and business advisory firm in Dublin, Ohio, serving individuals and middle-market businesses across 14 industry verticals, including specialized healthcare, construction, and FAR/ERISA audit services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting Services: Recurring accounting services including monthly/quarterly/annual financial statement compilations, A/R and A/P processing, bank reconciliations, payroll tax reporting, and CFO/controller outsourcing. Billed on project or retainer basis.
2. Audit & Assurance Services: Financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, agreed-upon procedures, ERISA audits, and FAR overhead audits. Tiered service levels based on client complexity and stakeholder requirements.
3. Tax Services: Tax planning, preparation, and representation for individuals and businesses. Includes federal, state, local, and international tax services. Revenue from compliance and advisory engagements.
4. Business Advisory Services: Consulting engagements including business valuation, succession planning, M&A advisory, and operational consulting. Project-based or retainer arrangements.
5. Medical & Dental Practice Management: Practice management consulting, transitions, financial management, and healthcare-specific advisory services for medical and dental practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Whalen & Company is a full-service CPA firm providing accounting, audit and assurance, tax, and business advisory services to businesses, individuals, and nonprofit organizations primarily across central Ohio. The firm delivers outsourced CFO/controller services, financial statement preparation, ERISA and FAR overhead audits, exit planning led by Certified Exit Planning Advisors, and industry-specialized consulting across 14 verticals including architecture/engineering, medical/dental practices, construction, manufacturing, restaurants, nonprofits, real estate, and education.

Product overview

Whalen CPAs is a full-service CPA firm offering a comprehensive suite of accounting, audit, tax, and business advisory services. The firm operates a single integrated service model centered on core accounting and tax compliance offerings including Accounting Services, Audit and Related Services, Tax Services, and Business Advisory Services. Specialized verticals include Medical and Dentistry Services and Healthcare Consulting for healthcare practices. The firm also offers Value Enhancement and Exit Planning advisory services. Client-facing technology includes the SafeSend secure document portal. An affiliated company, Simplitax, provides basic individual tax preparation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeSend: Secure online portal for electronic document transfer to clients
• Simplitax
• Advanced Practice Management
• Value Enhancement / Exit Planning

Products and services

• Accounting Services Core outsourced accounting engagement offering financial statement preparation, cash flow forecasting, payroll assistance, accounts receivable and accounts payable processing, bank reconciliations, tax compliance filing, and outsourced CFO/controller support for businesses.
• Audit and Related Services Standalone audit and assurance service line providing audits, reviews, compilations, agreed-upon procedures, ERISA benefit plan audits, and FAR overhead audits to private and closely held companies.
• Tax Services Comprehensive tax planning, analysis, preparation, and representation service for individuals and businesses across federal, state, local, and international jurisdictions, including tax specialty services for high net worth individuals and businesses.
• Business Advisory Services Business consulting engagement covering accounting software analysis and selection, acquisition and disposition assistance, entity selection, financing and banking relationships, KPI and dashboard analytics, and succession planning for business owners.
• Medical and Dentistry Services Specialized practice management and consulting offering financial statement preparation, tax preparation, marketing strategy, and practice transitions targeted to medical and dental practice owners.
• Healthcare Consulting Healthcare-tailored business consulting covering revenue cycle management, best practices implementation, systems development, and staff training for healthcare practices.
• Value Enhancement / Exit Planning Strategic exit planning engagement led by Certified Exit Planning Advisors (CEPA), helping business owners maximize company value, ensure financial security, and execute smooth ownership transitions through value, profit, and wealth gap analysis.
• SafeSend Client Portal Secure online portal for electronic document transfer between Whalen CPAs and clients, providing temporary secure access for clients to retrieve and save financial documents.
• Simplitax Income Tax Preparation Budget-friendly individual income tax preparation service offered through wholly owned affiliate Positive Returns USA, LLC, providing an accessible filing option for clients with straightforward tax needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80+ years of continuous operation and client relationships spanning generations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments15 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Positive Returns USA, LLC dba SimplitaxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Simplitax is an affiliated company of Whalen CPAs providing budget-friendly income tax preparation services. Founded as a startup in 2016 as part of the firm's ecosystem of tax-related services. Whalen CPAs refers clients needing basic tax preparation to Simplitax.
• Enterprise WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational accounting firm network. Whalen CPAs is a member firm, providing access to global resources and the opportunity to serve international clients. The firm received the Top Firm Administrator award through this membership.
• QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationWhalen CPAs is a member of the QuickBooks Professional Advisors Program, providing setup, training, and ongoing consultation for QuickBooks users.
• Sage, NetSuite, Bill.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationWhalen CPAs provides software support and consulting for Sage, NetSuite, and Bill.com accounting platforms, assisting clients with setup and ongoing use.
• SafeSendcoreTechnology or IntegrationSafeSend provides secure client portal technology for document exchange. Whalen CPAs offers this platform to clients for easy electronic transfer of documents.
• SuralinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationDocument management portal used by Whalen CPAs for client collaboration and document exchange.
• Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhalen CPAs is a member of the AICPA's Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center, demonstrating commitment to quality and training standards in benefit plan auditing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WhalenAndCoCPAs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC65F4PI1_-45lgPHUb_KKgg
• Facebookfacebook.com/whalencpa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whalen-&-company-cpas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Whalen & Company