Methodology

How we verify

Most directories rank on reviews. Reviews measure how a job felt, not whether the person doing it was licensed to do it.

What we check

IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers

What it proves: Confirms an active PTIN and a recognised credential — CPA, enrolled agent, attorney, enrolled actuary, or Annual Filing Season Program participant.
Where it stops: Publishes only name, city, state, ZIP and credential. It proves the credential exists; it tells us nothing about the practice.

State boards of accountancy / CPAVerify

What it proves: Confirms the CPA licence itself — that it is current, in good standing, and issued to the person the listing names.
Where it stops: Coverage and refresh rates vary by state, so a small number of licences cannot be machine-checked and are marked unverified rather than guessed at.

Google Places

What it proves: Supplies the practical detail — address, hours, phone, and whether the business is still operating at all.
Where it stops: Says nothing about credentials. A five-star rating is not a licence, which is precisely the gap this directory exists to close.

What the seal does not mean

The seal means a credential was matched to a public record on a given date. It is not a recommendation, a quality rating, or a promise that a particular firm is right for your situation. We have never met most of the people in this directory.

It also does not mean an unsealed listing is disreputable. Plenty of excellent bookkeepers hold no CPA licence and need none for the work they do. An unsealed listing means we could not match a credential — nothing more.

If you spot a listing whose credentials look wrong, tell us and we will re-check it. Getting this wrong in either direction is the one thing that would make the whole directory worthless.