What is my accounting, tax or bookkeeping practice worth?

Accounting, tax and bookkeeping practices sell for about 1× revenue (BizBuySell's average is 1.08×) and 2.27× owner earnings. Because clients come back every year, buyers focus on how many will stay with a new owner, and many deals include an earn-out or a holdback tied to retention.

Avg SDE multiple

2.27×

Typical range

1.61–2.66×

Avg revenue multiple

1.08×

Median sale price

$450K

BizBuySell industry row: Accounting and Tax Practices (bookkeeping firms are not split out), plus BizBuySell's accounting sold-business quartiles. Range is BizBuySell's sold-business lower to upper quartile (median 2.04×). Median sold business: $400,000 revenue, $208,303 owner earnings. Source: BizBuySell — Business Valuation Multiples by Industry (businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026); BizBuySell — Accounting & Tax Practice Valuation Benchmarks (sold 2021–2025).

Value your accounting or bookkeeping practice

Let's estimate what your business is worth. Seven quick questions, no email needed.

Trade: Accounting / tax / bookkeeping ·

Which state is it in?

Worked example

Hypothetical. A tax and bookkeeping practice near BizBuySell's median sold accounting practice (about $400K revenue and $208K owner earnings). About 70% of fees are monthly bookkeeping and payroll clients; the owner still prepares the complex returns.

Revenue $400,000, owner earnings (SDE) $208,000, 18 years, about 70% recurring, “I work in it part of the time”.
Start at the published 2.27× average.
Recurring revenue 60%+: +0.25×. Contracts and memberships make next year's revenue predictable.
18 years in business: +0.10×. Long, proven history.
Adjusted multiple 2.62× × $208,000 = $545,000, range $393,000 – $651,000.
Revenue cross-check: $400,000 × 1.08× = $432,000.

What raises the price

Recurring monthly bookkeeping and payroll clients
A spread of clients with no single dominant one
Staff preparers who will stay
Cloud software and documented workflows
Fees at or above local market rates

What lowers it

Mostly one-time individual returns
Clients loyal to the owner personally
Heavy work compressed into tax season
Low fees or old desktop software

Calculating SDE for a accounting or bookkeeping practice

Start from net profit on your tax return or P&L, then add back:

Owner salary and payroll taxes
Owner's CPE, licenses and personal expenses
Depreciation
Interest
One-time software or office-move costs

Only add back what a buyer can verify. See SDE explained: how to calculate owner earnings and add-backs for a full walkthrough.

If there are two working owners, the second owner's salary usually stays as a cost, because a buyer will need to replace that person.

Questions

Why do accounting practices sell close to 1× revenue?

Recurring client fees renew each year. BizBuySell's sold quartiles for accounting practices run from 0.92× to 1.17× revenue, and 1.61× to 2.66× owner earnings.

Does a buyer need to be a CPA?

For attest work and for using 'CPA' in the firm name, ownership is regulated in most states. Tax prep and bookkeeping practices are generally open to non-CPA buyers. Check your state board's rules.

How this estimate works

We start from the published average multiple for businesses in this category that actually sold, adjust it for owner involvement, recurring revenue, track record and size, and apply it to your owner earnings. Read the full valuation methodology, including what we don't do.

Related trades

Compare other trades

Trade	Avg SDE multiple	Avg revenue multiple	Median sale price	Basis
Plumbing	2.61×	0.69×	$699,000	Trade row
HVAC	2.83×quartiles 1.99–3.33×	0.60×	$750,000	Trade row
Electrical	2.77×	0.63×	$1,009,000	Trade row
Landscaping	2.49×	0.72×	$449,950	Trade row
Pool service / routes	2.61×	0.83×	—	Sector average (no trade row)
Pest control	2.46×quartiles 1.69–3×	1.01×	$250,000	Trade row
Cleaning	2.25×	0.72×	$281,500	Trade row
Roofing	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Auto repair	2.85×	0.65×	$430,000	Trade row
Salon / barbershop	2.10×	0.52×	$117,375	Trade row
Restaurant	2.18×quartiles 1.34–2.53×	0.39×	$220,000	Trade row
Daycare / child care	3.28×quartiles 1.94–4.03×	0.88×	$380,000	Trade row
Dental practice	2.75×quartiles 1.6–3.37×	0.76×	$350,000	Trade row
Gym / fitness center	2.54×quartiles 1.72–3×	0.70×	$204,000	Trade row
Insurance agency	2.87×quartiles 1.88–3.44×	1.52×	$500,000	Trade row
Accounting / tax / bookkeeping	2.27×quartiles 1.61–2.66×	1.08×	$450,000	Trade row
Moving company	2.52×quartiles 1.8–3.11×	0.63×	$350,000	Trade row
IT services / MSP	3.22×quartiles 2.2–3.87×	1.08×	$726,800	Trade row
Locksmith	2.35×	0.75×	$300,000	Trade row
Pet grooming	2.30×quartiles 1.38–2.51×	0.63×	$152,500	Trade row
Other main-street business	2.61×	0.83×	$350,000	General main-street range

Source: BizBuySell, Business Valuation Multiples by Industry, businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026; quartiles from BizBuySell's per-industry valuation benchmark pages (sold 2021–2025). Pool and roofing use sector averages; “Other” uses the Service Businesses sector. Retrieved Oct 30, 2026.

Estimates for information only; not an appraisal or an offer. MainStreetKeys is not a business broker. Data retrieved Oct 30, 2026.