Guide · Choosing a CPA
Best CPA Firms in Charleston, SC (2026)
This is Haigler CPA Group's own list, so we put ourselves first and say so. The right Charleston CPA firm depends on what you need: a small tax and advisory practice suits most owner-run businesses and households, while a company that needs audited or reviewed financial statements should look at the regional firms below that list audit and assurance work on their websites.
Disclosure: This list is published by Haigler CPA Group, which is included in it and appears first. Other firms are described from what their own websites said when we checked them; they did not review this page and are not affiliated with us.
Charleston has everything from one-office tax practices to regional firms with hundreds of people across the Southeast. Every firm below has a Charleston-area office that we confirmed on its own website in September 2026, and each description only repeats what that firm says about itself. We have not ranked the other firms against each other; they are listed in no particular order after our own entry.
What to weigh when you choose
- The firm holds an active South Carolina CPA firm license and its CPAs can be looked up on the SC Board of Accountancy licensee search.
- Its services match your need: tax return preparation and planning, bookkeeping, IRS representation, or audit, review and compilation work.
- It works with businesses of your size and industry, and can say so specifically.
- You know who will actually do your work and how to reach them during the year, not just in tax season.
- The office location and meeting options (in person or virtual) fit how you want to work.
- Engagement terms and fees are put in writing before work starts.
1. Haigler CPA Group
James Island, Charleston · Best for: Owner-run businesses, households and real estate investors who want year-round tax work from one Charleston CPA firm.
Haigler CPA Group is a one-office CPA firm at 2012 Wappoo Drive on James Island, founded in 2023. We handle business and personal tax returns (including multi-state and expatriate filings), tax planning, bookkeeping, rental real estate, M&A tax and IRS tax controversy. We do not perform audit or review engagements, so a business that needs attest-level financial statements for a lender, surety or board should choose one of the firms below that lists that work.
- Free consultation; Monday to Friday 9 to 5 by appointment, in person or virtual
- Business tax, personal tax, tax planning, bookkeeping, rental real estate, M&A tax and tax controversy
- Remote and multi-state engagements are routine
- No audit or review engagements, no payroll processing, no trust and estate work
2. Elliott Davis
Downtown Charleston (100 Calhoun Street) · Best for: Mid-size and larger companies that want tax, assurance and consulting from one regional firm.
Elliott Davis lists a Charleston office at 100 Calhoun Street, Suite 300. Its website groups its work under advisory, assurance and attestation, and tax, including audits, reviews and compilations, employee benefit plan audits, state and local tax and international tax. It lists industry teams including construction, healthcare, real estate, manufacturing and not-for-profit.
- Charleston office on Calhoun Street
- Website lists audits, reviews and compilations plus SOC reporting
- Industry pages include construction, healthcare, real estate and not-for-profit
3. WebsterRogers
Downtown Charleston (40 Calhoun Street) · Best for: South Carolina businesses that want a firm with offices across the state and both tax and audit services.
WebsterRogers lists a Charleston office at 40 Calhoun Street, Suite 460, with its headquarters in Florence and other offices around South Carolina. Its site lists tax consulting and compliance, state and local tax, international tax, estate and trust services, audit and attest, employee benefit plan audits and outsourced accounting. Industry pages cover construction and real estate, healthcare, government and nonprofit, manufacturing, and tourism and hospitality.
- Charleston office on Calhoun Street; other offices statewide
- Website lists audit and attest services alongside tax
- Industry pages include construction and real estate, and healthcare
4. Forvis Mazars
Downtown Charleston (200 Meeting Street) · Best for: Larger organizations that want a national firm with a local Charleston office.
Forvis Mazars lists a Charleston office at 200 Meeting Street, Suite 207. Its Charleston page says the office provides audit, tax and consulting services and names financial services, nonprofit, construction, real estate, and manufacturing and distribution among the industries it serves there.
- National firm with a Charleston office on Meeting Street
- Charleston page lists audit, tax and consulting services
- Names construction, real estate and nonprofit among local industries served
5. Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI Charleston)
Mount Pleasant (235 Magrath Darby Blvd) · Best for: Businesses that want a large multi-state firm with a Mount Pleasant office.
Carr, Riggs & Ingram lists its Charleston office at 235 Magrath Darby Boulevard, Suite 140, in Mount Pleasant. Its Charleston page describes serving clients from the Lowcountry and across the country, with an emphasis on tax planning, and the wider firm publishes industry pages including construction, where it says its advisors work on bonding capacity, tax savings and working capital.
- Office in Mount Pleasant
- Part of a firm with offices in many states
- Construction industry page mentions bonding capacity work
6. HRG CPAs
Mount Pleasant (820 Johnnie Dodds Blvd) · Best for: Business owners and professionals in East Cooper who want a local full-service firm.
HRG CPAs lists its office at 820 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Suite B, in Mount Pleasant. Its website lists small business accounting, payroll, part-time CFO services, audits, reviews and compilations, cash flow management, tax preparation and planning, IRS problem resolution, and QuickBooks help, along with individual financial and estate planning services.
- Mount Pleasant office
- Website lists audits, reviews and compilations
- Also lists tax, payroll and QuickBooks services
7. Greene Finney Cauley
Charleston (39 Farmfield Avenue, by appointment) · Best for: Nonprofits, local governments and businesses that need audit work from a South Carolina firm.
Greene Finney Cauley lists a Charleston office at 39 Farmfield Avenue that is open by appointment only, alongside offices in Mauldin and Anderson. Its website lists bookkeeping, audit, tax and advisory services and says it serves nonprofits, business owners, school districts, municipalities, counties and special purpose districts.
- Charleston office by appointment; main offices in the Upstate
- Website lists government, nonprofit and business auditing
- Also lists bookkeeping and tax services
Tax practice or audit firm: which do you need?
Most Charleston households and owner-run businesses need tax returns, tax planning, bookkeeping help and someone to answer an IRS or SC Department of Revenue letter. That is the work Haigler CPA Group does. Some businesses also need a CPA to issue a compiled, reviewed or audited financial statement, because a bank, surety, licensing board, investor or grantor asks for one. Those are attest engagements, governed by professional standards, and not every CPA firm offers them. If you need both, it is common to use one firm for attest work and another for tax, or one larger firm for both.
| Firm | Charleston-area office | Audit or review work listed on site |
|---|---|---|
| Haigler CPA Group | James Island | No |
| Elliott Davis | Downtown Charleston | Yes |
| WebsterRogers | Downtown Charleston | Yes |
| Forvis Mazars | Downtown Charleston | Yes |
| Carr, Riggs & Ingram | Mount Pleasant | Not confirmed on the Charleston page we checked |
| HRG CPAs | Mount Pleasant | Yes |
| Greene Finney Cauley | Charleston, by appointment | Yes |
How to check a CPA's credentials in South Carolina
CPAs are licensed by state boards of accountancy. In South Carolina you can confirm an individual CPA or a firm with the Licensee Lookup on the SC Board of Accountancy site run by SC LLR. The IRS also notes that CPAs, enrolled agents and attorneys have unlimited representation rights, which means they can represent you in audits, collection matters and appeals, while other paid preparers with only a PTIN have more limited rights.
What to ask on the first call
- Who at the firm will prepare and review my return, and who do I call with questions in July?
- Do you work with businesses like mine, and roughly how many?
- Do you prepare South Carolina returns under the 2026 rate changes and handle multi-state filings?
- If I need a reviewed or audited financial statement, do you provide it, or who would?
- How are fees set, and will I get an engagement letter before work begins?
Sources
The information on this site is general in nature and is not tax, legal, or accounting advice for your situation. Tax law changes and the right answer depends on facts we would need to review with you. Please speak with a qualified professional before acting on anything you read here.
Questions people ask about this
Is Haigler CPA Group ranked first because it is objectively the best?
No. This list is published by Haigler CPA Group, so we list ourselves first and disclose that. The other firms are not ranked against each other, and every description of them comes from their own websites.
Does Haigler CPA Group do audits or reviewed financial statements?
No. We do not perform audit or review engagements. If a lender, surety or board needs attest-level statements, choose a firm that lists that work, such as the regional firms on this list.
How do I confirm a Charleston CPA is licensed?
Use the Licensee Lookup on the South Carolina Board of Accountancy website, which is run by the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. You can search by individual or firm name.
Can a CPA represent me if the IRS audits my return?
Yes. According to the IRS, CPAs, enrolled agents and attorneys have unlimited representation rights and can represent clients on audits, payment and collection issues, and appeals.
Keep reading
- Best Small Business Accountants in Charleston (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of Charleston-area CPA firms for small businesses: tax, bookkeeping and planning, with what each firm's own site says.
- Best Construction CPAs in Charleston (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of Charleston CPA firms for general contractors, builders and developers, including firms that do reviews and audits for bonding.
- Best CPAs for Real Estate Investors in Charleston (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of Charleston-area CPA firms for rental property owners and real estate investors, with what each firm offers and how to choose.
- Business TaxYear-round planning, corporate returns, pass-through entities and multi-state compliance.
- Personal Tax1040 preparation, tax-saving strategy, and multi-state or expatriate filings.
- Tax Planning & AdvisoryThe plan that ties entity choice, timing, property and exit decisions together.
- Charleston, SCThe office, on Wappoo Drive on James Island. Business owners, property investors and individuals across the peninsula and the sea islands.
- Schedule a consultationWhat the first conversation covers, and what is worth having to hand.
- All Charleston tax & accounting guidesEvery list, choosing a CPA and the tax reference lists.
Talk to a tax expert
Tell us what you are dealing with and we will tell you how we would handle it.