What Notchbooks does

Notchbooks (NotchBooks, Inc.) is a virtual tax and accounting firm based in Smithtown/Islandia, New York, founded in 2013 and operating with a team of 1-10 employees under principal Ian Alpert, CPA. The firm serves individual taxpayers and small business owners, delivering core services such as tax preparation, accounting, and related advisory engagements. Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a per-engagement basis, with no disclosed subscription, SaaS, or technology-licensing component to the business model.

The firm's service offering has been extended beyond base tax preparation through three structural moves: a partnership with Opolis to serve independent professionals via an Employer of Record relationship, Ramsey Trusted Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) status within Dave Ramsey's personal finance network, and a Tax Protection Plus add-on that bundles audit/representation support into client engagements. Additional deliverables include a "Peace of Mind Report" and a formal client Referral Program. The underlying technology stack is not publicly detailed; the operation is described as virtual, and there is no evidence of proprietary software, platform, or AI tooling.

Go-to-market relies on personal referrals, content marketing, the credibility conferred by the Ramsey endorsement, and the firm's reported 4.9-star Google rating. No enterprise customers, multi-state expansion, or institutional channel partnerships are disclosed, and the firm appears to operate as a lean, principal-driven practice rather than a scalable professional services platform.

Name

Notchbooks

Legal name

NotchBooks, Inc.

Website

https://notchbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Notchbooks is a virtual tax and accounting firm in Smithtown/Islandia, NY, founded in 2013, serving individual taxpayers and small business owners through core tax, accounting, and advisory services delivered by a 1-10 person team led by Ian Alpert, CPA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Islandia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax Preparation Services: Core revenue from preparing tax returns for individuals and small businesses. Services include individual tax preparation and small business tax preparation.
2. Protection Plus Add-on Services: $1,000,000 Tax Audit Defense and Identity Theft Restoration included with every individual e-filed tax return, valid for three years after filing due date. This protection service is provided as part of the tax preparation engagement.
3. Peace of Mind Report: IRS status snapshot report provided to all individual clients showing tax standing for past years, with green checkmarks for good standing and actionable information for issues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Notchbooks is a tax and accounting practice that prepares and files tax returns, performs bookkeeping, and delivers small-business accounting services for individuals and small businesses. Its work is supported by Tax Protection Plus (up to $1 million in audit defense) and a Peace of Mind Report designed to summarize each client's tax position and identify planning opportunities.

Product overview

NotchBooks is a tax and accounting services firm offering a unified set of services rather than a modular software platform. The core offering consists of tax preparation and accounting services, supplemented by two value-add services: Tax Protection Plus (an add-on providing audit defense and identity theft restoration) and the Peace of Mind Report (included with individual tax returns, providing IRS status tracking). The company also offers client referral incentives, partnerships with Opolis for payroll/benefits support, and educational resources including newsletters and downloadable tax guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Preparation & Accounting Services Annual personal and small-business tax preparation and filing, plus ongoing bookkeeping and accounting support, delivered by CPA-reviewed staff for individuals and small businesses.
• Tax Protection Plus An audit-defense add-on service that provides up to $1 million in audit protection coverage for clients whose returns Notchbooks has prepared.
• Peace of Mind Report An annual advisory deliverable that summarizes each client's tax position and surfaces year-round planning opportunities beyond the standard return.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9-star Google rating from verified client reviews

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OpoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpolis is an Employer of Record (EOR) that provides payroll, benefits, and compliance services for independent professionals. NotchBooks has partnered with Opolis to offer seamless tax and accounting services to Opolis members, including discounts on NotchBooks services for Opolis members. NotchBooks helps Opolis members with business taxes, accounting, and S corp evaluation.
• Dave Ramsey Ramsey TrustedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNotchBooks is a Ramsey Trusted Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) - professionals thoroughly vetted by Dave Ramsey's team and recommended by Dave Ramsey. ELPs must maintain standards through consistent work and regular coaching. This endorsement provides credibility and access to Dave Ramsey's audience.
• Tax Protection PlusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTax Protection Plus provides $1,000,000 Tax Audit Defense and Identity Theft Restoration services that are included with every individual tax return e-filed through NotchBooks. This is a bundled protection service for clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Found: Business banking and tax platform purpose-built for self-employed individuals and small business owners; a digitally-native emerging player addressing the same independent professional / small business tax-and-finance pain points NotchBooks targets through professional services.
• Hurdlr: Income and expense tracking app with tax preparation features for freelancers, gig workers, and independent professionals; overlaps with the independent professional segment NotchBooks reaches through its Opolis partnership, but operates primarily as software rather than full-service CPA firm.
• Pilot: A tech-enabled bookkeeping, accounting, and tax services firm focused on startups and small businesses; comparable as a virtual-first professional services firm targeting SMB owners with bundled bookkeeping and tax offerings, though more software-centric and VC-backed.
• Keeper: Tax filing app targeted at gig economy workers and self-employed individuals; comparable as an emerging, technology-led provider addressing tax preparation for the same independent contractor and small business owner segments.
• Bench Accounting: Tech-enabled bookkeeping and accounting service for small businesses combining software with dedicated bookkeepers; overlaps with NotchBooks' SMB bookkeeping and accounting scope, with a more productized delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Intuit TurboTax Live: Intuit's full-service tax preparation offering connecting individuals and small businesses with credentialed tax experts virtually; competes for the same individual and small business tax prep demand NotchBooks serves, with the backing of a much larger technology and marketing machine.
• H&R Block: National tax preparation retailer offering in-person and virtual tax services for individuals and small businesses; comparable as a household-name tax preparation provider serving overlapping customer segments at substantially greater scale.
• 1-800Accountant: A larger virtual-first accounting and tax services firm serving small businesses and individuals nationwide; comparable as a virtual tax/accounting practice targeting overlapping SMB and self-employed segments, but at materially greater scale and brand recognition.
• Jackson Hewitt: National retail tax preparation chain serving individual taxpayers and small business clients; competes for the same individual and small business tax preparation demand, with a franchise-driven physical and virtual footprint.
• Liberty Tax Service: Franchised tax preparation chain offering individual and small business tax filing; overlaps with NotchBooks' core tax preparation services for overlapping customer segments at a national retail scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NotchBooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/notchbooks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Notchbooks