Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company

What Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company does

Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company, LLP is a privately-held certified public accounting firm established on November 1, 1988, operating as a Limited Liability Partnership under Pennsylvania law. The firm is headquartered in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, with a second office in Indiana, Pennsylvania, serving clients across Fayette County, Indiana County, and surrounding areas in southwestern Pennsylvania. The firm provides three core service lines: Tax Services (individual and business tax preparation, estate and trust tax preparation, non-profit tax preparation, tax planning, and tax representation), Audit & Assurance Services (audits, reviews, compilations, employee benefit plan audits, agreed-upon procedures, internal control review, and financial forecasts and projections), and Accounting Services (bookkeeping, business valuation, cash flow and budget analysis, payroll, and accounting software selection and setup). It also offers interactive financial calculators as a website resource. The firm is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), and the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center.

The firm serves individuals, small to mid-sized businesses (including closely-held businesses, manufacturers, contractors, wholesale and retail operations, franchises, physicians, and service organizations), not-for-profit organizations, and employee benefit plans. Staff includes multiple CPAs, Certified Valuation Analysts (CVAs), and QuickBooks Pro Advisors, with credentials from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, John Carroll University, Waynesburg College, West Virginia University, and Penn State. The current leadership consists of Stephanie Smith (Managing Partner at Uniontown, joined 1998) and Kelly S. Berfield (Managing Partner of the Indiana Office). Founded by William R. Smith, Walter L. Lewis, and Daniel L. Chess, the firm has experienced the full retirement of its founding partners (Chess 2012, Smith 2014, Lewis 2015, Siebart 2023).

The firm's technology stack is described as standard accounting and tax preparation software, with QuickBooks Pro Advisor certifications, a content website (slcccpa.com), and email newsletters as the primary client communication and marketing channels. Services are delivered through a direct sales motion with face-to-face consultations and online appointment scheduling. No pricing is publicly disclosed; the firm operates on a quote-based professional services model. There are no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no patents, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. The business is a traditional small regional CPA partnership with a stable but unscaling footprint.

Name

Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company

Legal name

Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company, LLP

Website

https://slcccpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company, LLP is a Pennsylvania-based CPA firm founded in 1988, operating two offices in Uniontown and Indiana, providing tax, audit, and accounting services to individuals, small-to-mid-sized businesses, and not-for-profit organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pausa

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax Services: Tax preparation and planning services for individuals and businesses including individual and business tax preparation, estate and trust tax preparation, non-profit tax preparation, tax planning, and tax representation. Services are provided year-round with electronic filing capabilities.
2. Audit & Assurance Services: Financial reporting services including audits, reviews, compilations, employee benefit plan audits, agreed upon procedures, internal control review, and financial forecasts and projections. The firm undergoes peer review process required of firms issuing reports in accordance with AICPA standards.
3. Accounting Services: Bookkeeping, write-up services, business valuation, cash flow and budget analysis, payroll services, and accounting software selection and setup. Staff includes CPAs, CVAs, QuickBooks Pro Advisors, and payroll specialists.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company, LLP is a Pennsylvania-based certified public accounting firm delivering three core service lines: Tax Services (individual, business, estate and trust, and non-profit tax preparation and planning, plus tax representation), Audit & Assurance Services (audits, reviews, compilations, employee benefit plan audits, and internal control reviews), and Accounting Services (bookkeeping, business valuation, cash flow analysis, payroll, and accounting software selection). The firm serves both individual taxpayers and small-to-mid-sized businesses through two regional offices in Uniontown and Indiana, PA.

Product overview

Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company, LLP is a certified public accounting firm offering a unified suite of professional services organized into three core service lines: Tax Services, Audit & Assurance Services, and Accounting Services. The firm also provides complementary Financial Calculators as web-based tools. Tax Services encompasses individual and business tax preparation, estate and trust tax preparation, non-profit tax preparation, tax planning, and tax representation. Audit & Assurance Services covers audits, reviews, compilations, employee benefit plan audits, agreed upon procedures, internal control reviews, and financial forecasts and projections. Accounting Services includes bookkeeping, business valuation, cash flow analysis, payroll, and accounting software selection. The Financial Calculators module provides interactive tools for auto, business, debt, insurance, loan, mortgage, personal finance, retirement, savings, and tax calculations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Services Comprehensive tax preparation and planning services including individual and business tax preparation, estate and trust tax preparation, non-profit tax preparation, tax planning, and tax representation. Services are delivered year-round with electronic filing capabilities. Targeted at individual taxpayers, closely-held businesses, non-profits, and estates/trusts.
• Audit & Assurance Services Financial reporting and assurance services including financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, employee benefit plan audits, agreed-upon procedures, internal control reviews, and financial forecasts and projections. The firm adheres to AICPA peer review standards. Targeted at small and mid-sized businesses, employee benefit plans, and non-profit organizations requiring audited financial statements.
• Accounting Services

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Bench: Tech-enabled bookkeeping platform serving small businesses with software plus human support. Comparable to the firm's bookkeeping and accounting services through a digital-first delivery model targeting the same SMB market segment.
• Botkeeper: AI-powered bookkeeping platform that automates categorization, reconciliation, and reporting for businesses. Competitive threat to traditional bookkeeping and accounting services, particularly as automation matures and pricing declines.
• Pilot: Tech-enabled bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services for startups and small businesses. Comparable to the firm's accounting, tax, and advisory services for SMBs, with a scalable technology-driven model that pressures traditional CPA delivery.

Others

• H&R Block: National mass-market tax preparation franchise with thousands of locations serving individual taxpayers. Adjacent competitor to the firm's individual tax segment, though operating with a low-cost standardized model rather than personalized CPA advisory service.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Downs: Pittsburgh-based accounting, tax, and business advisory firm serving mid-market and larger clients across industries. Comparable in service categories and PA regional focus, but with broader portfolio, larger client base, and industry-specialized practices.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Top-10 US accounting firm providing tax, audit, advisory, and consulting services to middle-market businesses and individuals. Comparable in core service offerings and SMB/middle-market focus, but with national scale, broader industry specialization, and significant resources.

Direct peers

• Maher Duessel: Pennsylvania-based CPA firm providing audit, tax, and consulting services with strong government and nonprofit practice. Comparable in service mix and PA regional focus, with overlap in nonprofit and employee benefit plan engagements.
• Hill Barth & King LLC: Mid-Atlantic CPA firm with offices across multiple states offering tax, audit, accounting, and advisory services. Comparable in service offerings and client segments (individuals and SMBs), though with broader geographic coverage.
• Wipfli LLP: Multi-state regional CPA firm delivering tax, audit, accounting, and advisory services to small/mid-sized businesses and individuals. Comparable in service offerings and SMB target market, though with broader geographic reach and larger scale.
• Carbis Walker LLP: Regional Pennsylvania accounting firm providing tax, audit, accounting, and advisory services to individuals and small/mid-sized businesses. Directly comparable to Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company in service mix, target market, and PA regional focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Smith, Lewis, Chess & Company