A startup needs three jobs covered: books kept current every month, a tax return filed every year, and someone thinking ahead about the decisions in between. One firm can do all three, or a bookkeeping team can work alongside the CPA you already have. Either way, the right fit is someone who already knows what a SAFE, a 409A, and a Delaware franchise tax notice look like.
The titles get used loosely, but the work stacks in layers. Each one depends on the layer underneath it being done right.
Records, categorizes, and reconciles every transaction each month so the books match the bank.
Closes the month, books accruals, and turns the ledger into a P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
A state-licensed accountant. Prepares and signs returns, plans taxes, and is the only one who can issue a review or audit.
Most early startups don't need a CPA on staff, and they don't need an audit. They need clean monthly bookkeeping, a correct return, and access to tax advice when a real decision comes up. An audit usually comes later, when a lender, a large round, or an acquirer asks for one. The compilation, review, and audit breakdown covers when each level shows up.
A general small business accountant can keep a steady, profitable company in good shape. A startup brings a different set of problems, and most of them show up in the first year:
None of these are exotic. They're routine for a team that works with startups every day, and easy to miss for one that doesn't.
The books only get caught up once a year, right before the return is due. Nobody has asked about your 409A, your 83(b), or how your SAFEs are booked. You paid the Delaware franchise tax bill exactly as it arrived. Monthly statements come weeks late, or not at all. And when an investor asks for financials, someone has to rebuild them first.
Any one of these is fixable. Several at once usually means the firm is a good fit for a different kind of business. If the books have already fallen behind, the catch-up cost calculator gives a rough read on what the backlog will take to clear.
Staxiom is a startup accounting team built by founders, investors, CPAs, and startup people, and the team includes former Big 4 accountants. Bookkeeping is the base of every plan, and you add tax work as you need it:
Already have a CPA you trust? Keep them. We can handle the books and identify your R&D credit, and your CPA claims it on the return. See how we work alongside your CPA, or compare every plan.
Not on staff, and usually not right away. A startup needs current monthly books, a correctly filed return, and tax advice when real decisions come up. A CPA prepares and signs returns and is the only one who can issue a review or audit, which usually matters later, when a lender, a large round, or an acquirer asks for one.
Experience with the things venture-backed companies run into early: 83(b) elections, 409A valuations, SAFEs and convertible notes, accrual-basis books for investors, Delaware franchise tax, and the R&D tax credit. A general small business accountant can do good work and still miss these.
It depends on what's included. At Staxiom, bookkeeping starts at $200/month, bookkeeping plus tax filing at $500/month, and full tax advisory at $1,500/month, scaling with revenue and complexity. When comparing quotes, check which of payroll, AP/AR, amendments, and R&D credit work sit inside the base fee.
Yes. Our bookkeeping plan is bookkeeping only, and your CPA keeps filing your returns. We can also identify your R&D credit and hand it off to your CPA to claim.
When the books only get caught up at tax time, nobody has asked about your equity or how your SAFEs are booked, monthly statements arrive late or not at all, or financials have to be rebuilt every time an investor asks. Switching before a raise is much easier than switching during one.
See how this works for Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego startups.
See how the full accounting team works, from monthly books to tax planning.