What CATS does

Cats Inc. (branded 'CATS') is a privately held professional services firm headquartered in Ocala, Florida, with a second office in Hernando. Founded in 2001 by Paul Schmieder, who continues to serve as CEO, the firm provides tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, IRS representation, financial planning, business consulting, and notary services to individual taxpayers and small businesses in Marion and Citrus counties. The company positions itself as a year-round, one-stop financial partner rather than a seasonal tax-preparation shop, emphasizing personalized service and over 20 years of practitioner experience supporting a cumulative base of 30,000+ tax returns filed.

The underlying technology stack is operational rather than productized. Cats Inc. relies on third-party SaaS tools — SecureSync for encrypted client document exchange, Trafft for online appointment booking, a MyTaxOffice-branded client portal, and QuickBooks for accounting assistance — rather than proprietary software or platform IP. There is no application, public API, or AI/ML component disclosed, and no patents, certifications, or regulatory licenses are referenced. The firm runs as a traditional accounting practice with light digitization of client intake and document workflows.

Go-to-market is sales-led and locally distributed: the firm acquires customers through direct in-person consultations at its two Florida offices, online booking through its website, free 30-minute initial consultations, and word-of-mouth referrals. Marketing channels include the company website (catsinc.net), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google reviews. Services are quote-based with publicly undisclosed pricing; the firm is privately held, founder-owned, with no institutional investment, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or capital raises on record.

Name

CATS

Legal name

Cats Inc.

Website

https://catsinc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CATS (Cats Inc.) is a privately held Florida-based accounting and financial services firm that provides tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, IRS representation, financial planning, and notary services to individual taxpayers and small businesses in Ocala and Hernando.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocala

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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: Cats Inc generates revenue through service fees for tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, IRS representation, financial planning, and notary services. Services are priced quote-based with free initial consultations offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CATS (Cats Inc) is an accounting and financial services firm that delivers tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll processing, IRS representation, financial planning, tax-saving strategy, business consulting, and notary services to individuals and small businesses in Florida. Services are delivered through in-person consultations at office locations in Ocala and Hernando, supported by online booking and a secure client document portal.

Product overview

CATS (Cats Inc) is an accounting and financial services firm serving individuals and small businesses in Ocala and Citrus County, Florida. Founded in 2001, the company offers a unified suite of financial services under one roof rather than a modular software platform. The core service portfolio includes Bookkeeping Services, Individual Tax Preparation, Small Business Solutions (encompassing payroll and accounting), IRS Representation, Financial Planning, Tax Saving Strategies, Business Consulting Services, and Notary Services. The company leverages SecureSync for secure document management and Trafft for appointment scheduling. With over 20 years of experience and more than 30,000 tax returns filed, the services are delivered through their team led by CEO Paul Schmieder, with offices in Ocala and Hernando, Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Bench: Tech-enabled bookkeeping service combining software with dedicated bookkeepers for small businesses — a digitally native entrant directly challenging the bookkeeping arm of Cats Inc.'s offering.
• 1-800Accountant: Virtual/digital-first accounting firm offering bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and advisory for SMBs — a tech-enabled alternative competing for the same small business clients with a remote delivery model.
• Pilot.com: Venture-backed accounting and bookkeeping firm serving startups and SMBs with software-augmented service — competing for the same small business accounting and tax dollar with a more scalable delivery model.

Direct peers

• Jackson Hewitt: National tax preparation franchise serving individuals and small businesses with similar seasonal + year-round support offerings — overlapping service portfolio and SMB/individual customer base.
• Liberty Tax: Franchised tax preparation chain providing individual and small business tax services with IRS representation — competing for the same taxpayer and small business clients in similar service categories.
• H&R Block: Largest U.S. retail tax preparation chain offering individual and small business tax services, IRS representation, and financial products — directly comparable service mix and target customer segments to Cats Inc.
• Padgett Business Services: Franchise network of small business accounting, tax, payroll, and advisory services — near-identical service suite for the same small business segment that Cats Inc. targets.

Broad incumbents

• RSM US: Large national accounting firm providing tax, audit, and consulting to middle-market businesses — broader portfolio but overlapping tax and advisory services for the SMB segment.
• BDO USA: Global accounting and advisory firm offering tax preparation, bookkeeping, and consulting for businesses — overlapping service categories targeting SMB and mid-market clients.
• Intuit: Owner of TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Credit Karma — the dominant software ecosystem for DIY tax and small business accounting that increasingly cannibalizes demand for local CPA firms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CATSINCTAX
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/paul-schmieder-7961a38

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 CATS