Charlotte
A CPA in Charlotte, working with clients nationwide
Nottingham CPA PC is based in Charlotte and works with Charlotte-area individuals and business owners, and with clients in other states through a secure online portal.
I am Hunter Nottingham, JD, CPA, and this is a one-person practice. If you are looking for a CPA or tax accountant in Charlotte, the plain description of what you get is this: you talk to me, I prepare the return myself, and I give you an estimate in writing before I start. There is no staff to hand your file to and no hourly clock.
Charlotte has a particular tax shape, and it is worth knowing about whoever you hire.
If you live in South Carolina and work in Charlotte
The Charlotte metro crosses a state line. Plenty of people live in Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Indian Land, or Lake Wylie and work in Uptown or South End. As a South Carolina resident you pay South Carolina tax on all your income, and you also owe North Carolina tax on the wages earned here, with a credit on the South Carolina return for the North Carolina tax. North Carolina has no reciprocity agreements with its neighbors, so the withholding at work does not settle this on its own. It is a two-state return, and it is routine when it is prepared with the credit in mind.
If you live in North Carolina
North Carolina taxes income at a single flat rate rather than graduated brackets, and does not tax Social Security benefits. That changes how a few decisions run: the difference between a federal and a state deduction, the cost of realizing gain in a given year, and where the mix of pass-through income lands. North Carolina also offers an elective pass-through entity tax for owners of S corporations and partnerships, which is worth a projection for some owners and not for others.
Who tends to need this in Charlotte
The city runs on banking and finance, healthcare, energy, and a deep bench of engineering and construction. My clients reflect that mix: owners of small businesses, freelancers and contractors, rental property owners, physicians and dentists, engineers, and people paid partly in company stock. Whatever the work, the same factor-based method sets the fee.
Areas I serve around Charlotte
I take clients across Mecklenburg County and nearby towns, including Uptown, South End, SouthPark, Ballantyne, Matthews, Mint Hill, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Concord, and across the line in Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill, Indian Land and Lake Wylie. I do not have an office in each of these places. The work runs mostly online, so where you live makes no difference to the service.
Bookkeeping for Charlotte businesses
If you run a business here and want the books off your desk, monthly bookkeeping covers it: every account reconciled, statements you can read, and a year end that flows straight into the return. If the file has drifted, a cleanup comes first, with its own written estimate.
What I do for Charlotte-area clients
- Tax return preparation, federal, North Carolina, South Carolina, and any other state
- Tax planning through the year, so April is not a scramble
- Small business accounting and monthly bookkeeping and cleanup
- IRS and state notices, from the letter you have not opened yet to a full examination
- Business advisory: entity choice, growth, and the decisions that come before the return
How it works if we never meet in person
Most of this practice runs through the client portal. You upload documents to a vault organized by tax year, sign electronically, and can see exactly where your return stands. It starts with a conversation and ends with a written estimate, which you can take away and think about. Here is the full process.
Further reading
Common questions.
Do I have to be in Charlotte to work with you?
No. The practice serves clients in every state, and the portal handles documents, signatures, and status. Being nearby is a convenience, not a requirement.
Do you prepare both North Carolina and South Carolina returns?
Yes. A resident of one state who works in the other files in both, with a credit that prevents the same income being taxed twice. The second state is part of the estimate, stated up front.
What is the difference between a CPA and an accountant?
Anyone can call themselves an accountant. A CPA has passed the Uniform CPA Examination, met experience requirements, and holds a state license with continuing education. A CPA can also represent you before the IRS. My North Carolina license number is 41299, and you can look it up with the State Board.
How much does a CPA cost in Charlotte?
It depends on what the work involves, and many firms bill differently. I do not bill by the hour. I give you an estimate before I start and set the fee from countable facts in your return, such as the forms, states and business or rental activity. <a href="/pricing.html">Here is how that works</a>.
How do I choose a CPA in Charlotte?
Check the license first, on the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners lookup. Then ask who will actually prepare your return, how the fee is set, and whether they regularly handle your situation, whether that is a business, rentals, stock pay, or a return in both Carolinas. A good CPA will also tell you when you do not need one.
Do you offer bookkeeping for Charlotte small businesses?
Yes. I do monthly or quarterly bookkeeping, one-time cleanups, and QuickBooks setup, and the books tie to the return at year end. You get a written estimate before I start.
Does the first conversation obligate me to anything?
No. You describe your situation, I tell you plainly whether you need me, and if you do, I give you a written fee. You do not have to decide on the call.
Let’s talk
Start with a conversation.
Tell me what's going on and I'll tell you plainly whether you need me.
Schedule a Conversation