Frequently asked questions

Clear answers to the questions that matter.

The questions established business owners ask us most. If yours is not here, the application is the best place to start.

Getting started
Who do you work with?
Established businesses doing roughly $250k or more in annual revenue, including S-corporations, C-corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and serious solopreneurs. We take on a limited number of clients so we can serve each one well.
How do we begin?
You start with a short application. If it looks like a fit, the first step is The Blacklight Review, a paid diagnostic of your last two years of returns and your current books. From there, if we both want to move forward, we onboard you and bring your books current.
What is The Blacklight Review, and why is it required?
It is how we understand your real situation before quoting any ongoing work. We examine two years of returns and a detailed view of your books for what is wrong, what is exposed, and what is being left on the table, and you leave with an audit-risk score and a clear findings report. It is $750, and it credits toward your plan if you move forward. The findings are yours to keep either way.
What if I am behind on my bookkeeping?
That is common and not a problem. Cleanup and catch-up are part of how we onboard clients. We bring your books current and set everything up properly before ongoing work begins.
Services and scope
Why is bookkeeping required with every plan?
Because tax work and strategy are only as honest as the books beneath them. We do not offer tax-only or advisory-only engagements. We own the bookkeeping layer for every client so the returns we file and the advice we give are built on numbers we trust.
What is included, and what is billed separately?
Every plan includes monthly bookkeeping for one entity, your annual business and personal returns, one state return, tax strategy at your tier, and monthly reporting. Items like 1099 filing, payroll, sales tax, additional states or entities, and audit representation are quoted up front or billed separately, so you are never surprised by an invoice.
What bookkeeping software do you use?
We work in Digits or QuickBooks Online, depending on your tier and needs. The software subscription is billed to you directly by the provider and is not part of the monthly fee.
Can you represent me before the IRS?
Yes. Blacklight is led by an Enrolled Agent, who is federally licensed and admitted to practice before the IRS with full representation rights. The work is done to that standard from the start, because it may have to hold up to exactly that scrutiny.
Pricing and billing
How much does it cost?
There are three monthly plans: Spark at $400, Spectrum at $850, and Ultraviolet at $2,500. Each is a monthly floor on an annual agreement, and the right fit depends on your size, transaction volume, and the depth of strategy and reporting you want. You can compare them in detail on the Services page.
How does billing work?
Plans are annual agreements billed monthly. You keep a card or bank account on file, and we bill on a set schedule each month. The full terms are spelled out plainly in your engagement letter before you sign anything.
Do the prices ever change?
The listed prices are floors. Final pricing reflects your complexity, transaction volume, and scope, and we confirm it with you in writing before you commit. We do not believe in surprise increases.
Trust and security
How is my information handled?
Your information is used to do your work and nothing else. We never sell your data. We follow safeguards built for firms that handle sensitive financial and tax records, and you exchange documents with us through secure requests rather than email.
What standards are you held to?
As an Enrolled Agent practice, we work under Treasury Circular 230, the rules that govern representation before the IRS. That includes duties of diligence and candor, and your right to receive your own records.
What if you decide we are not a good fit?
We will tell you plainly, and if you completed The Blacklight Review, you still keep the findings. We would rather pass than take on work we cannot do well.

Still have a question?

The short application is the best way to get specific answers about your situation, and to find out if we are a fit.

See if we’re a fit