Raleigh, NC. IRS Enrolled Agent. Veteran-owned.
A Raleigh tax accountant who keeps your taxes, books and the IRS in order
Cox Accounting & Financial Services is a tax accountant in Raleigh, NC for small business owners and families across Raleigh and Wake County: tax preparation, monthly bookkeeping, payroll and IRS problems, handled in one office. James Cox III is an IRS Enrolled Agent, so the person who prepares your return can also represent you if the IRS ever asks about it.
- Licensed by the IRS to represent you
- 36 Google reviews, 4.7 average
- In Raleigh since 2014
When the person who keeps your books is the Enrolled Agent who signs your return, nothing falls between two providers.
Why people call
Most people call James for one of three reasons.
A letter from the IRS arrived.
A balance, a missing return, an audit notice, a levy warning. It has a deadline on it, and the next letter is worse than this one. Often the fix is to set up an IRS payment plan before the levy lands.
IRS tax resolutionThe books are behind.
Months of transactions nobody has categorized, a bank balance standing in for a profit and loss, and a tax deadline getting closer.
Monthly bookkeepingTax season is coming, again.
A return that got more complicated this year: a business, a rental, a second state, a K-1. You want it done right by someone who will stand behind it.
Tax preparation
An IRS letter is not a verdict. It is the start of a process with rules, deadlines and options, and most of them work in your favor if you act in time. James is licensed by the IRS to stand between you and that process.
What an Enrolled Agent can do about itWhat a month with Cox looks like
Every month, the books balance to the penny.
Unreconciled differenceTransactions come in from your bank and card feeds, get categorized, and are matched line by line to the statement. When the difference reads zero, you get a profit and loss you can trust, and at tax time there is nothing to rebuild.
Illustrative figures.
In their words
The numbers behind the firm, and what clients say on Google.
- 36Google reviews, read every one
- 4.7Average rating out of 5
- 12Years in the United States Marine Corps
- 2014Incorporated in Raleigh
Looking for a CPA? James is an IRS Enrolled Agent, not a CPA. EAs are licensed by the IRS itself, specialize in tax, and have the same right to represent you before the IRS. EA vs CPA explained.
James is an amazing person and accountant. He is very patient and kind. He has done our taxes for 10 years and we've had all the changes and extras.
James has been a lifesaver to me and my small business. He has helped me transform from being a mess into being organized and under control. His knowledge and expertise has helped me save thousands and create a structure for my business and personal accounting that is manageable and makes sense.
Quick and reliable, responsive and informative. This is not the guy who is going to bend the rules to get you a bigger refund, he plays by the book and you can count on him standing beside you.
Services
Accounting services for Raleigh small businesses, in one office.
Pick the service you need, or tell James what is going on and he will tell you where to start.
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01
Bookkeeping
Monthly books kept current, reconciled and reported so you always know where the business stands.
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02
Payroll
Employees and subcontractors paid on time, with withholdings, filings, W-2s and 1099s handled.
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03
Tax Preparation
Personal and business returns prepared and signed by an IRS Enrolled Agent.
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04
IRS Tax Resolution
Back taxes, unfiled returns, audits, levies and garnishments handled by an Enrolled Agent who deals with the IRS for you.
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05
Business Formation
LLC setup, S corporation elections and the registrations a new North Carolina business needs.
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06
Business Consulting
Cash flow, budgets, pricing and profitability reviews grounded in your actual numbers.
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07
CFO Services
Part-time CFO oversight for businesses that have outgrown bookkeeping alone.
Industries
Books kept by someone who knows what a bay, a crew or a kitchen earns.
Any business is welcome. These three make up a large share of our clients, and each has its own page because its books have their own quirks.
Construction
Job costing, subcontractor payments, 1099s and progress billing for contractors and builders.
Construction Accounting
Auto Repair Shops
Parts, labor, technician payroll and shop overhead tracked so you know what each bay earns.
Auto Repair Shop Accounting
Restaurants
Tipped payroll, prime cost, sales tax and daily sales reconciled for cafes, food trucks and full-service restaurants.
Restaurant AccountingHow James works
A conversation, a plan and a fee, before any work starts.
You tell James what is going on.
A notice, a shoebox, a business that has outgrown its spreadsheet. He asks the questions that tell him what the work involves.
You get a plan and a fee in writing.
What will be done, in what order, and what it costs. Nothing starts until you have agreed to it.
James does the work, and answers for it.
Books reconciled, returns filed, the IRS dealt with. If a letter follows, it comes to him, not just to you.
Raleigh and the Triangle
An office on Wake Forest Road, and clients across Wake, Durham and Johnston counties.
Free parking and a wheelchair-accessible entrance in North Raleigh. Most bookkeeping and payroll work happens online, so a drive is never required.
- Raleigh (our office)
- Cary
- Apex
- Holly Springs
- Clayton
- Durham
- Chapel Hill
The next step
Schedule a consultation with James.
Tell him what you need handled. He replies within one business day with a plan and a fee, so you know what to expect before anything starts.
4030 Wake Forest Rd, Ste 300, Raleigh, NC 27609(919) 615-4208 james@coxacctsvcs.com
Monday to Wednesday 9 am to 5 pm, Thursday 9 am to 1 pm. Closed Friday to Sunday.
Schedule a consultation
Four fields. James Cox III, EA, replies within one business day.
Questions clients ask
Is an Enrolled Agent the same as a CPA?
No. An Enrolled Agent is licensed by the IRS itself after a three-part federal examination on taxation and representation, and the license is entirely about tax. A CPA is licensed by a state board and may focus on audit, financial statements or tax. Both can represent you before the IRS. James Cox III is an Enrolled Agent, not a CPA. See EA vs CPA explained.
Do you work with clients outside Raleigh?
Yes. Most clients are in Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Clayton, Durham and Chapel Hill, and bookkeeping, payroll and most tax work happen online, so a drive is never required. The office at 4030 Wake Forest Rd, Ste 300 is open for in-person meetings by appointment.
What happens after I send the form?
James reads it himself and replies within one business day. You describe what you need, he asks the questions that tell him what the work involves, and you get a plan and a fee in writing before anything starts.