CPA in Washington, DC: Tax and CFO Services at 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW
Business tax preparation, DC franchise tax and multi-jurisdiction filings, monthly accounting and fractional CFO support for companies doing roughly $1M to $30M.
- Local office in Washington, DC
- CPA-led team
- Tax preparation and CFO planning in one place
Visit or call our Washington, DC office
Scalesight CPA
5335 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20015
Phone: (202) 519-7917
The office is on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Friendship Heights, Ward 3, just inside the District near the Western Avenue line with Chevy Chase, Maryland, and close to the Friendship Heights Metro station on the Red Line.
Get driving directions | View Scalesight CPA on Google Maps
Please call ahead to set up a meeting time. Most client work happens through secure document sharing and video meetings.
A CPA firm for Washington, DC businesses
Scalesight CPA's Washington, DC office gives owners in the District and the surrounding suburbs a local address and phone number for the same CPA-led team behind all of our tax, accounting and CFO work. Business tax preparation is the core, supported by planning, a monthly close and fractional CFO reporting. The full list is on our services page.
The District had 689,545 residents at the 2020 Census, and far more people work here than live here. That is the first thing that shapes a DC client's taxes: owners, partners and employees often live in Maryland or Virginia, the business may have offices on both sides of a jurisdiction line, and payroll has to follow each person home.
The companies we hear from in Northwest DC and the close-in suburbs include government contractors and consultancies, medical and dental practices, architecture and engineering firms, restaurant groups and real estate businesses. Most have the same problem: a preparer who files on time but nobody planning before the year ends.
What DC-area companies ask us for
- DC unincorporated business franchise tax returns and minimum tax planning for LLCs and partnerships
- Multi-jurisdiction filings when owners, staff or offices are spread across DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Payroll and withholding setup for employees who live in a different state than the office
- Clean monthly books, job costing and indirect cost tracking for government contractors
- Entity reviews: LLC, S corporation or C corporation, given DC's entity-level tax
- Fractional CFO forecasting for contract wins, hiring, a line of credit or a sale
- Personal returns for owners with K-1 income from more than one jurisdiction
Services from our Washington, DC office
- Business tax filingsAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- S corp, C corp and LLC returnsAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- Multi-state filingsAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- Tax strategy planningAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- Monthly bookkeepingAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- Virtual CFO servicesAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- Cash flow and runway managementAvailable from the Washington, DC office
- Personal tax filings for ownersAvailable from the Washington, DC office
DC tax rules District owners run into
Franchise tax on LLCs and partnerships
DC taxes unincorporated businesses at the entity level. The unincorporated business franchise tax and the corporation franchise tax are both 8.25 percent, and the unincorporated tax applies once gross income passes $12,000, after a 30 percent owner salary allowance and a $5,000 exemption.
Minimum tax
Even a business with no DC taxable income owes a minimum franchise tax: $250 when DC gross receipts are $1 million or less and $1,000 when they are more. Owners who formed an LLC expecting pass-through treatment are often surprised by this line.
The personal services exemption
An unincorporated business is exempt from the franchise tax if more than 80 percent of its gross income comes from personal services by its members and capital is not a material income-producing factor. Professions that cannot incorporate by law are also exempt. Whether a consulting firm qualifies is a facts question worth reviewing every year.
Sales tax
The general DC sales tax rate is 6 percent, and the planned increase to 7 percent has been postponed, so 6 percent applies through September 30, 2027. Restaurant meals and on-premises alcohol are taxed at 10 percent. Most professional services, such as consulting and legal work, are exempt.
Licensing and registration
Businesses register for DC taxes with the Office of Tax and Revenue through MyTax.DC.gov and generally need a Basic Business License from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Both need to stay current when the business moves, adds an office or changes entity type.
Living in Maryland or Virginia
DC cannot tax the wages of people who live in another state, so employees and many owners file their individual returns where they live. Partners and LLC members still deal with DC's entity-level franchise tax, and Maryland residents may also owe Maryland and county income tax on their share.
Rates and thresholds change. We confirm the current rules for your business before filing.
DC neighborhoods and nearby areas we serve
The DC office works with businesses in the District, Montgomery County and Northern Virginia. Most of the work runs through secure document sharing and scheduled video meetings, so a firm in Tysons or Rockville gets the same service as one a short walk from Wisconsin Avenue.
- Friendship Heights
- Chevy Chase, DC
- Tenleytown
- American University Park
- Spring Valley
- Cleveland Park
- Van Ness
- Georgetown
- Dupont Circle
- Downtown DC
- Capitol Hill
- Navy Yard
- Chevy Chase, MD
- Bethesda
- Silver Spring
- Rockville
- Arlington
- Alexandria
- McLean
- Tysons
Other Scalesight CPA offices
How Washington, DC 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.
Washington, DC CPA questions
Where is Scalesight CPA's Washington, DC office?
At 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015, in Friendship Heights near the Maryland line and the Friendship Heights Metro station. Call (202) 519-7917 to set up a time before visiting, because most client work happens by video.
Do DC LLCs pay tax at the entity level?
Usually yes. DC's unincorporated business franchise tax applies to LLCs and partnerships with more than $12,000 of gross income, at 8.25 percent of DC taxable income after a 30 percent owner salary allowance and a $5,000 exemption, with a $250 or $1,000 minimum.
Is a consulting firm exempt from the DC franchise tax?
It can be. An unincorporated business is exempt when more than 80 percent of gross income comes from personal services by its members and capital is not a material income-producing factor. We review the facts before you rely on it.
I live in Maryland and own a business in DC. Where do I file?
Your individual return goes to Maryland, including Maryland county tax, because DC cannot tax nonresidents' personal income. The business itself may still owe the DC franchise tax, so the business and personal returns need to be planned together.
What is the DC sales tax rate?
The general rate is 6 percent through September 30, 2027, after the planned increase to 7 percent was postponed. Restaurant meals are taxed at 10 percent, and most professional services are exempt.
Can the DC office work with businesses outside the District?
Yes. The DC number reaches the same team that serves clients in all 50 states, so owners in Bethesda, Arlington or anywhere else get one firm for every return.
Free Growth Audit for Washington, DC businesses
Prefer to talk first? Call the Washington, DC office at (202) 519-7917. 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