Business phone system for offices of certified public accountants

Offices of certified public accountants in the United States

County Business Patterns counted 55,052 offices of certified public accountants in the U.S. in 2023 (NAICS 541211, Offices of Certified Public Accountants). They employed 604,209 people in mid-March and paid $60.8 billion in annual payroll. The average establishment has 11.0 employees. That is 16.2 establishments for every 100,000 residents.

California has the most (7,542), followed by Florida (4,664), Texas (4,096), and New York (3,519). Relative to population, Montana leads with 30.1 per 100,000 residents, and Tennessee has the fewest at 11.0.

Why the phone matters for offices of certified public accountants

CPA firms see sharp call peaks around filing deadlines, when the same small staff answers questions from many clients at once. Capturing every call and routing it to the right preparer keeps deadline weeks manageable.

Calls offices of certified public accountants commonly handle:

• A client calls to ask whether a missing tax form has been received.
• A small business owner calls to ask about bookkeeping help.
• A client calls about a notice from a tax agency.
• The firm calls a client to request a signature.
• A bank calls to verify a client's financial statements.

Texting and after-hours calls

Firms text document reminders and let clients know when returns are ready to sign.

During filing season, after-hours voicemails pile up quickly, so transcription and urgency flags help staff work through them.

Avoid sending taxpayer identification numbers or full financial details by text.

How big offices of certified public accountants are

64.8% of U.S. offices of certified public accountants with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023. 83.5% had fewer than ten. Most phone decisions in this industry are made for small teams, where one shared number and sensible routing matter more than a desk phone per person.

Offices of certified public accountants by state

Establishment counts for the 51 states (and DC) where Census published a figure, with the rate per 100,000 residents.

Largest metro areas for offices of certified public accountants

Census published accounting firm counts for 864 metro and micropolitan areas. The 25 largest:

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for offices of certified public accountants in the U.S.

The average U.S. accounting firm has 11.0 employees, so the comparison uses an 11-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $274.45 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $330.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $219.00 a month for 11 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $1,332 less than RingCentral for an accounting firm in the U.S. of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

How Callata works for offices of certified public accountants

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Texting from a local number requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee. Porting an existing number is free.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.