Karlsson & Lane

What Karlsson & Lane does

Karlsson & Lane is a privately held accounting firm operating as an Accountancy Corporation from a single office in Pleasanton, California, serving closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout the greater Bay Area. The firm was founded in 2006 by David Karlsson, CPA and Penny Lane, CPA, both of whom bring over twenty years of public accounting experience and personally perform client engagements rather than delegating to junior staff. Its service offering is organized into three core lines: audit and assurance (performed under AICPA standards, Government Auditing Standards / Yellow Book, and Single Audits); business and nonprofit tax compliance and planning; and other accounting services covering entity structure advisory, benchmark analysis, accounting system frameworks, dashboard reporting, and budget analysis.

The firm generates revenue through professional service fees on a quote-based engagement model, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: prospects are converted via a website consultation form, and the firm cultivates referral flow through memberships in six professional and community associations — Tri-Valley Non Profit Alliance, Pleasanton Chamber, Downtown Pleasanton, CalNonprofits, CalCPA, and AICPA — with particular depth in the AICPA Peer Review Program and the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center. The technology base is conventional professional services tooling; no proprietary platform, AI capabilities, or productized offering is disclosed. Distribution is regional and direct, with the firm describing itself as combining the technical resources of larger CPA firms with the personalized service of a local two-partner practice, operating with a headcount in the 1–10 range.

Name

Karlsson & Lane

Legal name

Karlsson & Lane

Website

https://karlssonlane.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Karlsson & Lane is a privately held, two-partner CPA firm in Pleasanton, California, providing audit and assurance, tax compliance, and accounting services to closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout the greater Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Auditing Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Audit & Assurance Services (BPAHABAA)

Keywords

• Audit and assurance services
• Nonprofit tax services
• CPA firm services
• Financial statement audits
• Business tax compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasanton

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Audit and Assurance Services: The firm performs audits, accounting and review services, and attestation services in accordance with AICPA standards, U.S. Government Accountability Office standards, and U.S. Office of Management and Budget standards. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for these engagements.
2. Tax Compliance and Planning Services: The firm provides tax compliance services to nonprofit organizations, trusts, partnerships, and corporations, including tax deadline tracking, research consultation, and planning services. Revenue generated through tax preparation and advisory fees.
3. Accounting and Financial Consulting Services: The firm offers financial consulting services including entity structure consultation, benchmark analysis, accounting system framework consulting, dashboard reporting, compliance tracking, and budget analysis. Revenue through consulting engagement fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Karlsson & Lane is an east bay accounting firm located in Pleasanton, California that provides audit and assurance, tax planning and compliance, and consulting services to closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations. The firm performs audits, accounting and review services, and attestation services in accordance with AICPA, GAO, and OMB standards, alongside tax compliance for nonprofits, trusts, partnerships, and corporations, and financial consulting covering entity structure, benchmark analysis, accounting system frameworks, dashboard reporting, and budget analysis.

Product overview

Karlsson & Lane is an accounting firm that offers a unified set of professional services centered around audit and assurance, tax compliance and planning, and general accounting consulting. The three core service offerings work together to serve closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations: Audit and Assurance provides independent verification and compliance attestation; Business and Nonprofit Tax Services handles tax compliance and planning; and Other Accounting Services delivers financial consulting and analysis to complement the other two services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit and Assurance Audit, accounting and review, and attestation services performed in accordance with AICPA standards, U.S. Government Accountability Office standards, and U.S. Office of Management and Budget standards (including Yellow Book governmental audits and Single Audits). Intended for closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations in the greater Bay Area requiring independent verification of financial statements and compliance attestation.
• Business and Nonprofit Tax Services Tax compliance and planning services for nonprofit organizations, trusts, partnerships, corporations, and individuals, including tax deadline tracking, research consultation, and planning to monitor an ever-changing tax code. Designed for clients that lack in-house tax expertise and need ongoing regulatory monitoring alongside annual filing support.
• Other Accounting Services Financial consulting and accounting services covering business entity structure advisory, benchmark analysis, accounting system framework consultation, dashboard reporting, covenant compliance tracking, and budget vs. actual analysis. Targeted at closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations that need ongoing operational financial analysis and well-organized financial records to support decision-making.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Tri-Valley Non Profit AllianceminorOthersProfessional association membership providing networking and referral opportunities within the nonprofit community in the Tri-Valley region.
• Pleasanton Chamber of CommerceminorOthersLocal business chamber membership providing community connections and business referral opportunities.
• CalNonprofitsminorOthersStatewide membership organization for nonprofits providing advocacy and resources.
• California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)minorOthersProfessional association membership for CPA firms providing professional development, advocacy, and networking.
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)minorOthersThe firm is an enrolled member of AICPA's Peer Review Program and the AICPA's Governmental Audit Quality Center, demonstrating commitment to quality standards.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Eide Bailly LLP: Large regional CPA firm with a significant nonprofit and government audit practice. Competes for similar client profiles and audit engagements but primarily outside the Bay Area.
• Moss Adams LLP: Major West Coast accounting and consulting firm with a strong Bay Area presence. Competes in audit, tax, and consulting for closely held businesses and nonprofits but at a national scale.
• Burr Pilger Mayer (BPM): Bay Area-headquartered full-service CPA and advisory firm. Comparable in audit and tax services to closely held businesses and nonprofits, but with a much larger footprint across California and the Pacific Northwest.
• CBIZ Inc. National professional services firm offering accounting, tax, and advisory services. Competes for the same mid-market and nonprofit audit and tax engagements with significantly greater scale and national reach.
• Withum: National accounting and advisory firm with a strong nonprofit and mid-market practice. Comparable service offerings and target client base, but at a far larger scale.
• Marcum LLP: Top-tier national accounting firm with significant nonprofit and closely held business practices. Competes for the same audit and tax engagements but operates with far greater geographic and service-line breadth.
• Armanino LLP: One of the largest Bay Area-based accounting and business consulting firms. Overlaps with Karlsson & Lane in audit, tax, and advisory services to mid-market and nonprofit clients, but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Wipfli LLP: Large regional CPA and consulting firm serving closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations. Comparable in service mix (audit, tax, advisory) but operates across multiple states with substantially more resources.

Regional players

• Clark Nuber PS: Pacific Northwest-based CPA firm serving closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations. Highly comparable in service mix and client profile, though operating in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Sensiba San Filippo LLP: Bay Area CPA firm serving closely held businesses, nonprofit organizations, and socially responsible enterprises across the East Bay. Directly comparable in geography, client mix, and nonprofit audit focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Karlsson & Lane