What Candy & Schonwald does

Candy & Schonwald CPA is a full-service public accounting firm founded in 1976 and headquartered at 3116 Live Oak Street in Dallas, Texas. The firm delivers three integrated service lines — Tax Services (tax planning, tax preparation and compliance, new business advising), Estate Planning & Valuations (estate plans and trusts, AICPA-accredited business valuations, business succession planning), and Accounting & Bookkeeping (financial compilations, fractional CFO, payroll, bookkeeping, and QuickBooks consulting by certified ProAdvisors). The practice is built around credentialed professionals, with management holding CPA, CPA/ABV (Accredited in Business Valuation), CPA/CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics), and Enrolled Agent designations, and a stated 120+ years of combined experience across the leadership team. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; the firm operates as a traditional professional services practice without software products, APIs, mobile applications, or AI/ML capabilities. The firm is independently and privately held, with no institutional investors, parent company, or funding history.

The firm's revenue model is fee-for-service professional services, with engagements quoted based on scope, complexity, and client size — no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct client relationships, professional referrals from a partner ecosystem of attorneys, investment advisors, insurance consultants, and third-party administrators, supplemented by a newsletter and community-service-driven brand visibility. It primarily serves small to mid-size businesses (accounting, tax, payroll, fractional CFO) and high-net-worth individuals and families (tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning), with a secondary segment of entrepreneurs and investors requiring entity structuring, valuations, and succession advice. Service delivery occurs face-to-face at the Dallas office and remotely to clients across the United States and abroad, though the core geographic concentration is the Dallas–Fort Worth–North Texas region. The firm is staffed by approximately 20 professionals plus a management team of CPAs and enrolled agents, and the founding partners Jerry A. Candy and Avrum B. Schonwald remain semi-retired but active in an advisory capacity.

Name

Candy & Schonwald

Legal name

Candy & Schonwald CPA

Website

https://cscpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Candy & Schonwald is a Dallas-based CPA firm founded in 1976 offering tax, estate planning and valuation, and accounting and bookkeeping services to small and mid-size businesses, high-net-worth individuals, and entrepreneurs across North Texas and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Tax Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412), Other Accounting Services (541219)

akta.pro primary industry

Trust & Estate Tax Planning & Compliance (FSAEAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Trust Services (Trustee, Agent & Escrow Roles) (FSAEAKAB)

Keywords

• Tax preparation services
• Estate planning services
• Business accounting
• Bookkeeping services
• CPA firm

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Fees: Revenue generated from providing tax services (planning and preparation), estate planning and valuations, and accounting and bookkeeping services to individuals and businesses. Fees are quote-based and depend on scope of engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Candy & Schonwald is a Dallas-based CPA firm offering tax services (planning, preparation, compliance, and new business advising), estate planning and valuations (wills, trusts, business valuations, succession planning), and accounting and bookkeeping (financial compilations, fractional CFO, payroll, bookkeeping, and QuickBooks consulting) to business owners, investors, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm operates as a traditional professional services practice with no proprietary technology platform.

Product overview

Candy & Schonwald is a full-service Dallas CPA firm offering a unified portfolio of professional accounting, tax, and estate planning services. The core offerings consist of three main service lines: Tax Services (including Tax Planning, Tax Preparation & Compliance, and New Business Advising), Estate Planning & Valuations (including Estate Plans & Trusts, Business Valuations, and Business Succession Plans), and Accounting & Bookkeeping (including Financial Compilations, Fractional CFO, Payroll, Bookkeeping, and QuickBooks Consulting). The firm provides these services as a integrated suite where tax professionals work alongside estate planners and accounting staff to deliver comprehensive financial solutions to individuals, families, and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Services
• Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Estate Planning and Valuations
• Fractional CFO
• Payroll Services
• QuickBooks Consulting
• Business Valuations

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of taxpayers report benefits from hiring a professional for tax preparation (US General Accounting Office study)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AttorneyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCandy & Schonwald partners with attorneys to provide clients with a team approach for comprehensive tax, estate, and business plans. The firm can provide referrals to attorneys if clients need assistance with legal matters related to estate planning, business formation, or other legal needs.
• Investment AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnerships with investment advisors enable coordinated financial planning, retirement planning, and wealth management strategies for clients. The firm works collaboratively to optimize tax outcomes alongside investment strategies.
• Insurance ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with insurance consultants provides clients with comprehensive estate planning, life insurance analysis, and risk management. The firm collaborates on wealth transfer and estate planning strategies.
• Third-Party AdministratorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with third-party administrators for employee benefits, retirement plans, and payroll administration. Works alongside administrators to ensure compliance and optimal outcomes for business clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Withum: Top-30 U.S. CPA and advisory firm serving private businesses, family offices, and HNW individuals with tax, audit, and advisory — comparable size band and integrated service model.
• Aprio: Top-50 U.S. CPA and advisory firm with a major Dallas presence offering tax, audit, wealth advisory, and fractional CFO services to closely-held businesses and HNW families — directly comparable across service line and target segments.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Top-10 U.S. CPA firm focused on private mid-market businesses, family offices, and HNW individuals with integrated tax, accounting, and advisory — comparable client profile and cross-selling model at greater scale.
• Eide Bailly: Top-25 U.S. CPA and business advisory firm serving closely-held businesses, family enterprises, and individuals with tax, audit, and wealth advisory services — comparable service breadth and target segments.
• Whitley Penn: Dallas-headquartered full-service CPA firm serving similar mid-market businesses, HNW individuals, and family enterprises with tax, audit, advisory, and estate services — the closest direct local competitor to Candy & Schonwald.
• Wipfli: Top-25 U.S. accounting and advisory firm serving private mid-market companies, family businesses, and individuals with tax, audit, and consulting — comparable in size bracket and client focus areas.
• Lane Gorman Trubitt: Long-standing Dallas CPA firm providing tax, accounting, audit, and business advisory to private businesses and individuals in North Texas — directly comparable in geography, client base, and service mix.
• PKF Texas: Houston-anchored CPA and advisory firm serving Texas-based private businesses, family offices, and HNW individuals with tax, audit, and consulting services — overlapping Dallas-Fort Worth geography and service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• BDO USA: Top-10 national CPA and advisory firm providing tax, audit, and consulting to mid-market and large private businesses including many with HNW owner needs — broader portfolio but overlaps with Candy & Schonwald's target client profile.
• RSM US: Top-5 U.S. provider of audit, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market — competes for the same private-business and owner/family-office relationships, though at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Candy & Schonwald