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Every dollar has a home
Reconciled every month, with every dollar recorded where it belongs. Sales tax, local filings, and contractor 1099s handled along the way, so tax time starts from trusted numbers.
Industries · Service Businesses · Washington
You sell time and expertise. We make sure you keep what it earns.
Contractors, trades, agencies, consultants, and every business where the product walks out the door each morning. Owner-operated, typically $500K to $5M, and past the point where books-by-feel works.
What you get
What service businesses get from us
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Labor cost you can price from
Wages plus taxes, L&I, benefits, and idle time. The true number, not the wage number, because the gap between them is where service businesses lose margin.
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Payroll without the anxiety
Crews and staff paid on time, every payroll tax filed, workers comp and PFML handled, HR support included.
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Cash flow visibility
Runway, receivables aging, and the monthly conversation about what the numbers say to do next.
The rhythm
The problems we see every week
margins
Busy but not profitable
Revenue grows, take-home does not. Usually a pricing problem hiding in an unmeasured labor cost. We measure it.
taxes
The April ambush
A year of healthy draws, then a tax bill nobody planned for. Quarterly projections end this permanently.
growth
Scaling without the mess
More people means more rules and more filings. If a past setup left problems behind, we untangle them and build payroll that keeps up with your growth.
cities
Working across city lines
Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, and other cities levy their own B&O. Where your crews work determines what you file. We track it.
Straight answers
Questions owners actually ask
What does accounting cost for a service business?
The Core Package starts at $750 per month flat for bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and advice. A single part-time bookkeeper typically costs more and files nothing. Your exact number gets scoped in writing on a 30-minute call.
We are a trade, not an office business. Do you get our world?
Yes. Landscape construction, painting, plumbing, electrical, HVAC: businesses like these are a large share of our client base, and one of our longest reviews is from a landscape construction company we have served for over 8 years.
Do you handle L&I and workers comp?
Yes. Washington L&I is part of payroll for every trades client, and we also prepare you for workers comp and liability audits as an add-on when they come.
Our books are a mess from the last few years. Where do we start?
With your most recent verifiable tax return or financial statement. We scope the catch-up in writing, fix history once, then keep it clean monthly. Most messes are 2 to 4 weeks of work, not months.
Operator to operator, bring us your numbers
Bring us 30 minutes and your latest financials or tax return. No pitch deck, no obligation.
From the Learning Center
Keep reading: cash flow
Our clients' reviews
Here is what they say about working with us
I have been doing business with Caro & Associates for about 2 years now; personal and business account and I have wonderful things to say. First of all, they have saved me tons of money, I finally found an accounting company that won't overcharge me and will follow the rules to the "T". Secondly, their customer service is amazing, the Owner Jose Caro came to meet me several times and answer all my questions. The key to a great relationship with any professional is communication, whether it is an email or a phone call they are very timely when it comes to responding. I was so impressed with the service I began to refer my clients and every one of them has been just as pleased.
Jose is a total pro and I can’t recommend him enough. He’s my go-to source for all business-related tax or accounting questions. You can tell how much he cares about the work he does for his clients and the level of detail as passion he puts into his work. He’s always keeping up on the latest tax laws and changes to the small business landscape and it shows in the advice he gives. I highly recommend!!
I’ve been working with Jose, owner of Caro & Associates for a few years now. Jose is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to tax preparation and planning. I highly recommend Jose and his team. They’re dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service. In addition, I have referred most of my clients to Jose with the peace of mind of knowing that Jose and his team will take great care of them.
Jose is the best accountant I've worked with, He takes the time to explain your options, he's very attentive whenever I need help with something, highly recommended.