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Business phone system for tax preparation services in Ohio

930 tax preparation services operated in Ohio in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
930CBP 2023
Employees
4,587mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
7.8U.S. 8.5
State rank
7th of 51by count

The tax preparation office industry in Ohio

County Business Patterns counts 930 establishments in Ohio classified as Tax Preparation Services (NAICS 541213) for 2023. They employed 4,587 people in mid-March and reported $87.1 million in annual payroll. That is the 7th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Tax preparation services make up 0.36% of the 255,049 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Ohio has 7.8 tax preparation services, 7.5% below the national rate of 8.5. The average establishment has 4.9 employees against 4.7 nationally. Payroll per employee is $18,995, 23.7% below the U.S. figure of $24,908.

Tax preparation services: Ohio compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureOhioUnited States
Establishments93028,762
Mid-March employees4,587 (moderate noise)133,868 (moderate noise)
Annual payroll$87,128,000$3,334,416,000
Employees per establishment4.94.7
Payroll per employee$18,995$24,908
Establishments per 100,000 residents7.88.5

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Ohio's largest markets for tax preparation services

Census published tax preparation office counts for 35 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Ohio. The largest is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, with 193 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 78% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Tax preparation services by metro or micropolitan area, Ohio, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN1931,0998.4
Columbus, OH1928368.6
Cleveland, OH1807718.3
Akron, OH652789.3
Dayton, OH553376.7
Toledo, OH35—5.8
Youngstown, OH311857.3
Canton, OH291697.2
Huntington, WV-KY-OH201815.5
Wheeling, WV-OH19—14.1
Mansfield, OH12449.6
Springfield, OH11—8.1
Wooster, OH9317.7
Weirton, WV-OH9—7.9
Portsmouth, OH9—12.5
Lima, OH8497.9
New Philadelphia, OH7287.6
Fremont, OH75511.9
Salem, OH6276.0
Marion, OH6—9.2
Wapakoneta, OH6—13.1
Sandusky, OH5354.4
Findlay, OH5—6.7
Mount Vernon, OH5437.8
Celina, OH5—11.7

Top 25 of 35 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.

Team sizes at tax preparation services in Ohio

60.6% of Ohio's tax preparation services with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 69.1% nationally. 89.0% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Tax preparation services in Ohio by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees56460.6%69.1%
5–9 employees26428.4%20.9%
10–19 employees838.9%7.3%
20–49 employees192.0%2.3%
50 or more employees00.0%0.5%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

What tax preparation services in Ohio use the phone for

Tax preparers do much of their year's business in a few months, and a missed call in March is often a lost return. Seasonal staff need to share one business number without giving out personal phones.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for tax preparation services in Ohio:

Calls after closing time

Evening and weekend calls spike in tax season, so a greeting with hours and a way to request an appointment helps.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for tax preparation services in Ohio

Tax preparation services in Ohio average 4.9 employees, so the comparison uses a 5-person team. Priced per seat, 5 users would run $150.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $124.75 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 5 people cost $99.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $612. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 5-person tax preparation office
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$99.00$1,188.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$95.00$1,140.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$115.00$1,380.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$124.75$1,497.00
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$135.00$1,620.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$150.00$1,800.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Ohio

Ohio has 15 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your clients know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Ohio by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
330787Eastern1996234
740786Eastern1997220
513784Eastern1947283
419783Eastern1947567
937780Eastern1996326
614777Eastern1947380
440757Eastern1997436
216612Eastern1947none
567421Eastern2002419
234398Eastern2000330
220142Eastern2015740
380138Eastern2016614
32688Eastern2020937
28348Eastern2023513
4360Eastern2024440

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for tax preparation services in Ohio

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.

If you already have a number in Ohio, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Avoid sending Social Security numbers or full tax documents by text.

Frequently asked questions

How many tax preparation services are in Ohio?

930 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 4,587 people in mid-March.

Which Ohio metro area has the most tax preparation services?

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, with 193 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 5-person tax preparation office?

$150.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $124.75 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $99.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Ohio number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.