CPA in Detroit, MI | Business Tax, City Tax & CFO

Visit or call our Detroit, MI office

Scalesight CPA
7650 2nd Ave
Detroit, MI 48202

The office is on Second Avenue in Detroit's New Center, a short walk from the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place on West Grand Boulevard, about half a mile from Henry Ford Hospital and roughly a mile north of Wayne State University.

Call (313) 385-4631 Text us

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Please call ahead to set up a meeting time. Most client work happens through secure document sharing and video meetings.

A CPA firm for Detroit, MI businesses

Scalesight CPA's Detroit office connects metro Detroit owners with a 313 number and a New Center address, backed by the CPA team that handles tax, accounting and CFO work for every Scalesight client. We start with business and owner tax returns, then add planning, a dependable monthly close and CFO level reporting as the company needs it. All of it is listed on our services page.

Detroit had 639,111 residents at the 2020 Census, and Wayne County had 1,793,561. The city's economy still turns on the auto industry, but the businesses that reach out to us are a broader mix: tier two and tier three suppliers, machine shops and fabricators, construction and restoration contractors, healthcare practices around the Henry Ford and Wayne State medical corridors, restaurant groups, property investors rehabbing older buildings, and young software and mobility firms.

The tax layer that catches newcomers here is local. Detroit is one of the Michigan cities that levies its own income tax, on people and on businesses, and employers must withhold it. Add Michigan's corporate income tax, the elective flow-through entity tax and personal property rules, and a once-a-year preparer tends to leave money or deadlines on the table.

What metro Detroit companies need from us

Detroit city income tax returns for corporations, partnerships and owners
City withholding setup for staff who live in or work in Detroit
Michigan corporate income tax filings and small business alternative credit reviews
Flow-through entity tax elections and estimated payments
Inventory, job costing and monthly closes for manufacturers and suppliers
Personal property exemption claims and Form 5076 deadlines
Fractional CFO forecasting for customer concentration, equipment financing or an acquisition

Apply for a Free Growth Audit

Services from our Detroit, MI office

Michigan and Detroit tax rules owners face

Detroit city income tax

Detroit taxes residents at 2.4 percent and nonresidents at 1.2 percent on income earned in the city. Corporations doing business in Detroit pay 2.0 percent of income apportioned to the city. Returns are administered by the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Withholding for Detroit employees

Every employer with a Detroit location, or doing business in the city, must withhold city tax from employees working there and from Detroit residents wherever they work. Monthly withholding returns and payments are due on the 15th of the following month.

Michigan corporate income tax

C corporations, and entities taxed as corporations, pay 6 percent on income apportioned to Michigan. Companies with less than $350,000 of apportioned gross receipts do not have to file, and a small business alternative credit can lower the rate to 1.8 percent of adjusted business income for those who qualify.

Flat income tax and the FTE election

Individuals pay a flat 4.25 percent Michigan income tax for 2026. Partnerships and S corporations can elect the flow-through entity tax at the same rate, paying at the entity level so owners can recover a federal deduction lost to the SALT cap.

Sales and use tax at 6 percent

Michigan's sales and use tax is 6 percent statewide, and there are no county or city add-ons, so Detroit sellers face one rate. Most professional services are not taxed, but businesses buying equipment from out of state often owe use tax.

Small business personal property exemption

Businesses whose commercial or industrial personal property in a city has a true cash value under $180,000 can be fully exempt. The claim is filed on Form 5076 with the City of Detroit by February 20, and owners between $80,000 and $180,000 must attach a personal property statement.

Rates and thresholds change. We confirm the current rules for your business before filing.

Detroit neighborhoods and suburbs we serve

The Detroit office works with companies throughout Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Files are shared securely and meetings happen by video, so a supplier in Sterling Heights or a practice in Dearborn gets the same attention as a business a few blocks from West Grand Boulevard.

New Center
Midtown
Virginia Park
Boston-Edison
Corktown
Downtown Detroit
Lafayette Park
Eastern Market
Rivertown
Hamtramck
Highland Park
Dearborn
Ferndale
Royal Oak
Southfield
Troy
Grosse Pointe
Livonia
Warren
Sterling Heights

Other Scalesight CPA offices

How Detroit, MI owners get started

Apply
Tell us about the business in about two minutes.
Growth Audit
A CPA reviews your statements, cash flow and tax approach.
Written plan
You get an action plan and, if we are a fit, a fixed scope in writing.
Execute
Monthly close, tax planning and CFO reviews on a set calendar.

Why owners choose Scalesight

Meet Brendan. He is the face of Scalesight CPA and the voice in our short videos. Every Growth Audit is CPA-led and ends with a written plan you can use with or without us.

CPA-led

Tax preparation, books and CFO work are led and reviewed by a CPA, not handed to a call center.

Built for $1M to $30M

Our process is designed for owner-led companies that have outgrown a basic tax preparer.

One team

The people who close your books also plan your taxes and prepare your returns, so nothing gets lost between firms.

Fixed scope in writing

You know what is included and what it costs before work starts.

Read client case studies

Detroit, MI CPA questions

Where is Scalesight CPA's Detroit office located?

Our Detroit office is at 7650 2nd Ave, Detroit, MI 48202, in New Center near the Fisher Building and Henry Ford Hospital. Call (313) 385-4631 to book a time first, because most of our client meetings are on video.

What is the Detroit city income tax rate?

Residents pay 2.4 percent and nonresidents pay 1.2 percent on income earned in Detroit. Corporations pay 2.0 percent on income apportioned to the city. This is on top of Michigan's flat 4.25 percent individual rate.

Does my business have to withhold Detroit income tax?

Yes, if you have a location in Detroit or do business there. You withhold from employees who work in the city and from Detroit residents, and file monthly withholding returns with payments due on the 15th.

Do small Michigan corporations file the corporate income tax?

Not always. A company with less than $350,000 of gross receipts apportioned to Michigan is not required to file. Above that, the rate is 6 percent, and some smaller companies qualify for the 1.8 percent small business alternative credit.

Is the Michigan flow-through entity tax worth electing?

Often, for profitable partnerships and S corporations. The entity pays Michigan tax at 4.25 percent, which can turn a capped personal SALT deduction into a deductible business expense. We model it against your owners' situation each year.

Can the Detroit office help businesses in other states?

Yes. The Detroit line reaches the same team that serves clients in all 50 states, so a Michigan company with plants, staff or customers elsewhere gets multi-state filings from one firm.

Free Growth Audit for Detroit, MI businesses

Prefer to talk first? Call the Detroit, MI office at (313) 385-4631. Or apply below and a CPA will review your books, tax approach and cash flow, then send a written plan.

Financial health review of recent statements and trends
Cash flow and profitability analysis
Review of your current tax approach
Scalability readiness scorecard
A written action plan you can use with or without us

CPA in Detroit, MI: Tax and CFO Services at 7650 2nd Ave in New Center