What Heard & Associates does

Heard & Associates LLC is a Chicago-based, privately held accounting firm that delivers tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, business formation, and Virtual CFO advisory services to individuals, small/mid-sized businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The firm is founder-led by Darrel Heard (CEO) and operates from a dual-office footprint in Illinois (Chicago, opened as the primary hub in February 2026, and Olympia Fields, the original location), with nationwide remote service delivery. Customer reach spans multiple verticals, including healthcare practitioners, home services (HVAC, plumbing, trucking), retail and hospitality, real estate professionals, eCommerce operators (Shopify, Amazon, Stripe), startups, and high-net-worth individuals — a horizontal segmentation approach supported by industry-specific service pages.

The firm's underlying technology stack is composed entirely of third-party accounting platforms rather than proprietary technology: it holds Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Xero Advisor, FreshBooks, NetSuite, Ambrook, Roadvisor, and Intuit ProConnect certifications. The two branded product extensions beyond standard compliance work are a Virtual CFO platform (cash flow management, business turnaround planning, M&A due diligence, and financial forecasting) and a year-round Tax Advisory product referencing early filing advisory and predictive analytics for the 2026 tax season. The 5.0-star Google rating across 107 reviews for the Chicago office functions as a primary trust signal, and content marketing (SEO guides on federal/Illinois tax rates, inherited IRAs, estate planning) anchors inbound lead generation.

Heard & Associates operates a sales-led, professional services revenue model. Pricing is quote-based across all engagement types, with monthly subscription retainers implied for ongoing bookkeeping work. New client acquisition flows through a structured 3-step onboarding process (Discovery → Proposal → Setup), with booking via website or phone. Distribution relies on direct sales (in-person at both Illinois offices and remote nationwide), supplemented by referrals, organic search, and the firm's Black-owned community identity. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and there is no disclosed funding, institutional investor, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

Heard & Associates

Legal name

Heard & Associates LLC

Website

https://heardassociatesllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Heard & Associates LLC is a Chicago-based, privately held accounting firm providing tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, business formation, and Virtual CFO advisory to individuals, small/mid-sized businesses, and nonprofits across Illinois and nationwide via remote delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax & Accounting Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

Keywords

• Tax preparation services
• Bookkeeping services
• Payroll services
• Virtual CFO services
• Business formation advisory

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 & Planning Services: Income tax preparation for individuals, S-corps, C-corps, partnerships, and nonprofits, including multistate tax, IRS representation, amended returns, and extended filing. Also includes tax advisory, estate and trust tax services, and inheritance IRA guidance.
2. Bookkeeping & Accounting Services: Monthly bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, financial statement preparation, and catch-up/cleanup bookkeeping services for small businesses, S-corps, and nonprofits. Supports monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial reporting.
3. Payroll Services: Payroll processing, tax filings, W-2 and 1099 preparation, and multi-state payroll support for small businesses and nonprofits.
4. Business Formation & Advisory: Business setup services (LLC, S-Corp, PLLC), plus ongoing CFO-level advisory including succession planning, mergers & acquisitions due diligence, and financial planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heard & Associates is a full-service accounting and tax firm that delivers tax preparation and planning, bookkeeping, accounting and financial reporting, payroll processing, business formation, and Virtual CFO advisory services. The firm serves individuals, small-to-mid-sized businesses, and nonprofits across the United States through two Illinois offices (Chicago and Olympia Fields) and a remote/virtual delivery model, with specialized expertise in multistate taxation, sales tax, estate tax, and IRS representation.

Product overview

Heard & Associates LLC is a virtual tax, bookkeeping, and accounting firm offering a unified service portfolio centered on tax preparation and planning. The core offerings include Tax Preparation & Planning, Bookkeeping Services, Accounting & Financial Reporting, Payroll Services, and Business Formation & Advisory. These are supplemented by value-added modules including Virtual CFO/Outsourced CFO Services, Financial Planning, Tax Advisory with predictive analytics, IRS Representation, Multistate Tax Services, State & Local Tax (SALT) Compliance, Extended Tax Return Filing, Sales Tax Filing, Estate Tax Return Services (Federal Form 706 and Illinois Form 700), and Inherited IRA Guidance. The firm also provides QuickBooks & Accounting Software Support as a specialized service, with certifications in QuickBooks (ProAdvisor Advanced), Xero, FreshBooks, Ambrook, Roadvisor, and Intuit ProConnect. The Chicago office expansion (February 2026) established a dual-office structure with Virtual CFO platform integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Preparation & Planning Federal, state, and local tax return preparation plus proactive year-round tax planning for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits, including extended tax return filing support.
• Bookkeeping Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 107 Google reviews at 5.0-star rating for the Chicago office location
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and supporting.

• Chicago Network SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChicago Network Solutions partnered with Heard & Associates to redesign and upgrade the firm's network infrastructure, improving operational reliability and uptime for the accounting practice. The firm publicly recommends Chicago Network Solutions to clients who inquire about IT support, indicating a referral-level relationship.
• QuickBooks (Intuit)coreTechnology or IntegrationHeard & Associates holds Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Payroll Certified status, using QuickBooks as a primary accounting platform for client bookkeeping, financial reporting, and payroll services. The partnership involves certified use and client delivery through the Intuit ecosystem.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationHeard & Associates holds Xero Advisor Certified status, leveraging Xero as a cloud-based accounting platform for client bookkeeping and financial management services.
• FreshBookssupportingTechnology or IntegrationHeard & Associates provides support and consulting for FreshBooks users, integrating the platform into its service delivery stack for suitable small business clients.
• NetSuite (Oracle)supportingTechnology or IntegrationHeard & Associates offers NetSuite implementation and support services, indicating specialized expertise in deploying NetSuite for larger or more complex client accounting needs.
• AmbrooksupportingTechnology or IntegrationHeard & Associates holds Ambrook Advisor Certified status, integrating Ambrook's accounting and bookkeeping tools into its service offerings.
• Intuit ProConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationHeard & Associates is certified in Intuit ProConnect, using this professional tax preparation and accounting suite as a core component of its tax services delivery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO USA: BDO USA is a top-5 global accounting network with extensive SMB tax, bookkeeping, and advisory practices across major U.S. metros including Chicago — a broad incumbent competing for the same SMB and emerging-middle-market clients.
• Wipfli: Wipfli is a top-20 U.S. accounting and consulting firm providing tax, advisory, audit, and outsourced accounting services to SMB and mid-market clients — comparable in service mix (tax, bookkeeping, advisory, CFO) to Heard & Associates but at significantly larger scale.
• Plante Moran: Plante Moran is a top-15 U.S. accounting and management consulting firm with a strong Chicago presence — overlapping with Heard & Associates on SMB tax, advisory, and outsourced accounting for the Chicago metro market.
• Cherry Bekaert: Cherry Bekaert is a top-30 U.S. accounting and advisory firm offering tax, audit, advisory, and outsourced accounting to mid-market and SMB clients — a larger incumbent that competes for the same SMB and small-mid market tax/advisory engagements Heard & Associates targets.

Emerging players

• Botkeeper: Botkeeper is an AI-augmented bookkeeping service for SMBs combining automated transaction processing with human accountants — emerging competitor targeting the same SMB bookkeeping market Heard & Associates serves, with a tech-driven cost structure.

Regional players

• Porte Brown LLC: Porte Brown is a Chicago-area accounting, tax, and business advisory firm serving SMBs across Illinois — a direct regional competitor offering a similar mix of tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, and advisory to local businesses and individuals.
• Selden Fox LTD: Selden Fox is an Oak Brook, Illinois-based accounting and advisory firm providing tax, audit, and outsourced CFO services to SMBs and nonprofits in the Chicago metro — closely comparable to Heard & Associates on geographic focus, SMB/nonprofit client base, and service mix.

Direct peers

• Pilot: Pilot provides outsourced bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services to startups, eCommerce, and SMBs — directly overlapping Heard & Associates' SMB tax, bookkeeping, and Virtual CFO offerings with similar pricing and customer segments.
• 1-800Accountant: 1-800Accountant is a virtual accounting and tax services firm serving SMBs and individuals nationwide — directly competing in the same outsourced tax, bookkeeping, and advisory space, including entity formation and year-round advisory.
• Bench: Bench is a tech-enabled virtual bookkeeping and accounting firm serving SMBs in the U.S. and Canada with monthly bookkeeping, tax filing, and financial reporting — a direct competitor in the outsourced SMB accounting category where Heard & Associates operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HeardAssociates
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance7 records

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 Heard & Associates