# Clearway Accounting

> Clearway Accounting is an accounting firm based in Boston, Massachusetts that prepares tax returns, keeps books, and builds Quality of Earnings reports for small businesses and the owners behind them, across Massachusetts and remotely in any state.

Clearway Accounting is based in Boston, Massachusetts, working with clients across Massachusetts and remotely with clients in any state. The firm is fully remote: clients work with us by email, through a secure client portal, and on calls when a conversation helps. Engagement letters and returns are signed by eSignature, and returns are e-filed.

Fees for returns and bookkeeping are flat, quoted in a one-page proposal, and agreed in writing in the engagement letter before work starts. Work outside the agreed scope, such as IRS notices, is billed at the hourly rate in the engagement letter. Routine questions are part of the relationship and are never billed separately.

Sales tax, payroll setup, and catch-up and cleanup are sections of the bookkeeping page; IRS and state notice responses and tax planning are sections of the tax page.

Contact: team@clearwayacct.com, or the contact form at https://clearwayacct.com/#contact. Legal name: Clearway Accounting PLLC.

## Services

- [Tax returns and tax planning](https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/): S corporation (1120-S), partnership (1065), C corporation (1120), trust (1041), and individual (1040) returns, multi-state filings, IRS and state notices, catch-up filings, and tax planning as its own engagement. Markdown: https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/index.md
- [Bookkeeping, sales tax, and payroll](https://clearwayacct.com/services/bookkeeping/): Monthly close in QuickBooks Online or Digits with a monthly financial statement package, annual reconciliations, catch-up and cleanup, sales tax, and payroll setup through providers such as Gusto. Markdown: https://clearwayacct.com/services/bookkeeping/index.md
- [Quality of Earnings](https://clearwayacct.com/services/quality-of-earnings/): Financial due diligence on a business being bought or sold: 36 months recast, a Seller Addback Evaluation, one Adjusted EBITDA basis, and debt service coverage against the SBA 1.15x minimum. Markdown: https://clearwayacct.com/services/quality-of-earnings/index.md

## Pricing

- [Business tax return (Form 1120-S, 1065, 1120, or a 1040 with Schedule C)](https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/): $1,500 to $10,000 per year. What moves the price: number of entities, states, and K-1s.
- [Individual tax return (Form 1040)](https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/): $1,000 to $5,000 per year. What moves the price: number of states, schedules, K-1s, and investment accounts.
- [Additional state return](https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/): Priced per additional state. What moves the price: number of states.
- [Tax planning](https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/#planning): Quoted per engagement, as a project or a retainer. What moves the price: what the planning covers.
- [Monthly bookkeeping](https://clearwayacct.com/services/bookkeeping/): $300 to $1,500 or more per month. What moves the price: transaction volume, number of bank and card accounts, and employees.
- [Catch-up and cleanup (tax filings or books)](https://clearwayacct.com/services/bookkeeping/#catch-up): One-time fee, stated separately from any monthly fee. What moves the price: number of years or months behind.
- [Sales tax](https://clearwayacct.com/services/bookkeeping/#sales-tax): One-time fee for registration and catch-up, then a flat monthly fee. What moves the price: number of states, filing frequency, and past-due periods.
- [Payroll](https://clearwayacct.com/services/bookkeeping/#payroll): Per payroll run and per employee, plus filings and year-end forms. What moves the price: number of employees and payroll runs.
- [IRS and state notices, representation](https://clearwayacct.com/services/tax/#irs-notices): Billed at the hourly rate in your engagement letter. What moves the price: what the notice requires.
- [Quality of Earnings report](https://clearwayacct.com/services/quality-of-earnings/): Fixed fee, quoted after a scoping call. What moves the price: annual revenue of the business, years analyzed, add-ons, and locations or entities.

## Firm and fees

- [Pricing](https://clearwayacct.com/pricing/): Every fee range in one table, with what moves each price. Markdown: https://clearwayacct.com/pricing/index.md
- [About](https://clearwayacct.com/about/): What the firm is, who it works with, how an engagement runs, the tools it uses, and contact. Markdown: https://clearwayacct.com/about/index.md

## FAQ

- [Do I have to come to an office?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): No. Clearway Accounting is fully remote. We work by email and through a secure client portal, with calls when a conversation helps. Engagement letters and returns are signed by eSignature, and returns are e-filed.
- [How much does a tax return cost?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): Business tax returns (S corporation, partnership, C corporation, or a 1040 with Schedule C) typically run $1,500 to $10,000 per year. Individual returns typically run $1,000 to $5,000 per year. The number of entities, states, K-1s, and investment accounts moves the price, and every return is quoted as a flat fee agreed in writing before work starts.
- [How much does monthly bookkeeping cost?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): Monthly bookkeeping typically runs $300 to $1,500 or more per month. Transaction volume, the number of bank and card accounts, and employees move the price. Every engagement starts with a flat-fee quote, so you know the cost before we begin.
- [Who handles my work?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): You work directly with the person responsible for your work, by email, through the portal, and on calls when needed. Clearway Accounting is small by design, so you know who to contact and how to reach them.
- [Do you work with businesses in my state?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): Yes. Clearway Accounting is based in Boston, Massachusetts, working with clients across Massachusetts and remotely with clients in any state. We prepare the state returns your business needs, priced per additional state.
- [Can you handle multi-state tax filings?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): Yes. We prepare multi-state business and individual returns, including apportionment for businesses that operate in more than one state and nonresident returns for owners. Each additional state is priced separately.
- [What is the difference between tax compliance and tax planning?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): Tax compliance is preparing and filing your returns. Tax planning is work done during the year to change the result: tax projections, entity structure, S corporation reasonable compensation, and retirement plan strategy. At Clearway Accounting, tax planning is a separate engagement with its own fee. When we spot a planning opportunity while preparing your return, we raise it with you.
- [How do we get started?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): Send a note through the contact form or by email, and we reply with times for a 30-minute call on Microsoft Teams, by video or phone. Within 24 hours of the call you receive a one-page proposal with the fees. Once you agree, the engagement letter comes to you for eSignature, and then you get access to the client portal. There is no form to fill out before the call.
- [Will I be charged for asking questions?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): No. Routine questions are part of the relationship. If a question turns into a larger piece of work, we tell you first and agree on the fee before we start.
- [What is not included in my fee?](https://clearwayacct.com/#faq): IRS and state notices, amended returns, audits, special projects, additional entity returns, and a large jump in complexity sit outside the original scope unless your engagement letter lists them. Each one is agreed with you before the work is done, so there are no surprises on an invoice.
- [When is a tax return billed?](https://clearwayacct.com/pricing/#faq): In two payments: 50% at the later of signing the engagement letter or January 15, and the balance upon delivery of services. You can ask to pay in full up front.
- [How are invoices paid?](https://clearwayacct.com/pricing/#faq): Invoices are sent through the client portal and paid by ACH bank transfer. We do not take card payments.

## Optional

- [Full text of every page](https://clearwayacct.com/llms-full.txt)
- [Home page in markdown](https://clearwayacct.com/index.md)