Bookkeeping is the one accounting service you buy every month, so the fit matters more than the name. Some firms here are CPA practices where bookkeeping sits beside tax and audit work; others are bookkeeping offices first. Neither is better in general — it depends on whether you want the person keeping the books to be the person preparing the return.
We have not used any of these firms and cannot speak to their work. We list what each says it offers, so you can shortlist and ask.
How we chose
- Ongoing bookkeeping on its own website. Monthly or ongoing bookkeeping is listed as a service, not just tax preparation.
- A real office south of Boston. A street address in a town between Boston and the South Coast, shown on the firm's own site.
- Checked, not assumed. Credentials are shown only where the firm states them itself. No ratings, review counts or prices.
The firms
1.Murphy Accounting
Best for: Owner-led businesses that want the books and the tax return handled together
187 Washington Street, North Easton, MA 02356
Monthly bookkeeping with a real close each month, kept so the tax return can be built from the books directly. Our office is on Washington Street in North Easton. If you are elsewhere south of Boston, ask — we would rather answer for your situation than publish a map.
- Monthly categorization and reconciliation, and a month-end close.
- Catch-up bookkeeping for books that have fallen behind.
- Business and individual tax preparation in the same relationship.
2.F5 Accounting
Best for: Businesses that want help choosing or moving accounting software
Braintree, MA
A Braintree firm listing bookkeeping, payroll, tax and CFO services, plus software implementation across Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. It also lists an office in East Providence, Rhode Island.
- Lists CPA and Enrolled Agent credentials, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Xero partner status, on its website.
3.Joseph M. Carney, CPA
Best for: Small businesses wanting a CPA-led monthly accounting package
Braintree, MA
A Braintree CPA practice whose small-business package includes bank reconciliation, financial statements and general-ledger cleanup, alongside payroll preparation and tax work.
Visit Joseph M. Carney, CPA’s website →4.TaxSense (Henderson, Grealis & Associates)
Best for: Businesses that want an office in more than one South Shore town
Braintree, Norwood, Plymouth and Dorchester, MA
A CPA firm with four offices listing bookkeeping, small-business accounting, QuickBooks setup and training, payroll and tax preparation.
Visit TaxSense (Henderson, Grealis & Associates)’s website →5.Sanon CPA
Best for: Established businesses wanting write-up and tax under one CPA firm
Stoughton, MA
A Stoughton CPA firm listing small-business accounting and bookkeeping, financial-statement write-up, tax planning and preparation, and tax problem resolution. Its site says it works with businesses from $50,000 to $10,000,000 in sales.
Visit Sanon CPA’s website →6.Business Bookkeeping Services
Best for: Small businesses that want bookkeeping and payroll checks from one office
Rockland, MA
A Rockland office whose website says it specializes in monthly bookkeeping, accounting and payroll check writing for small businesses, with business and personal tax preparation.
Visit Business Bookkeeping Services’s website →7.Leahy, Cody & O'Donnell
Best for: Businesses that want bookkeeping and payroll from linked companies
Taunton, MA
A Taunton CPA firm listing bookkeeping and write-up, financial statements, tax preparation and sales tax. Payroll runs through its affiliated company, PayQuick.
Visit Leahy, Cody & O'Donnell’s website →8.Amichetti & Company
Best for: Businesses and nonprofits wanting bookkeeping with QuickBooks training
Norwood, MA
A Norwood firm describing itself as a licensed CPA firm, listing bookkeeping, payroll, QuickBooks setup and training, tax, and audit, review and compilation services.
Visit Amichetti & Company’s website →9.King McNamara Moriarty
Best for: Restaurants, contractors, design firms and property managers
Norwood, MA
A Norwood firm offering outsourced accounting, payroll and tax, with dedicated pages for restaurants, construction, architects and engineers, and property management.
Visit King McNamara Moriarty’s website →10.Cozby & Company
Best for: Plymouth-area businesses and condominium associations
Plymouth, MA
A Plymouth CPA firm listing accounting, bookkeeping, audit, tax and consulting, with a separate practice serving condominium associations.
Visit Cozby & Company’s website →
Questions to ask any bookkeeper
- Who does the work each month, and who reviews it?
- Do you close the books each month, and what do I receive when you do?
- Which accounting software do you work in, and who owns the file?
- How do the books reach whoever prepares my tax return?
- How is the fee set — by transactions, accounts, or hours?
General information, not advice for your specific situation. Tax rules, prices and product features change, and firms change what they offer — check with the provider before relying on anything here, and talk to us or another qualified professional before acting on it.