Guide · Choosing a CPA
Best CPAs for Law Firms in Charleston (2026)
This list is by Haigler CPA Group, which ranks itself first. The other firms are Charleston-area CPA firms whose websites describe work with lawyers or law firms: Hoffman & Hoffman, Onyx Tax, Tideline CPA Group, WebsterRogers, Elliott Davis and Forvis Mazars. Solo and small firms usually need tax planning and clean books; larger firms may need partner compensation work, succession planning or audited statements.
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.
Law firms are service businesses with a few twists: the practice of law is a specified service business for the qualified business income deduction, partner or member compensation drives the tax bill, and client money held in trust must never be mixed up with firm revenue. The firms below have a Charleston-area office and say on their websites that they serve attorneys or law firms. We checked each site in September 2026 and only repeat what it says.
What to weigh when you choose
- Law firm or professional services work stated on the firm's own website
- Tax planning for owner compensation and entity choice, not just return preparation
- Books that keep client trust funds separate from operating income
- Whether you need payroll, audited statements or succession planning, and whether the firm offers them
- Responsiveness during the months your practice is busiest
1. Haigler CPA Group
James Island, Charleston · Best for: Solo attorneys and small partnerships that want business tax, bookkeeping and tax planning from one CPA firm
Haigler CPA Group is a Charleston CPA firm on James Island, founded in 2023. We work with law firms on business and personal tax returns, tax planning and advisory, and monthly bookkeeping, in person or virtually. We do not give legal advice, do not do audit or review engagements and do not process payroll. Trust (IOLTA) account compliance is governed by Rule 417 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules and remains the lawyer's responsibility.
- Business tax, bookkeeping and tax planning for law practices
- Entity and owner compensation planning
- Free consultation, in person or virtual
- No legal advice, attest work or payroll processing
2. Hoffman & Hoffman, CPA, P.A.
Charleston (7 Gamecock Avenue) · Best for: Law firms that want outsourced CFO services, payroll and litigation support from one local firm
Hoffman & Hoffman has a Law Firms page that says it offers tax and accounting services for solo practitioners and partnership-based law firms. It lists business start-ups, merger and acquisition advisory, outsourced CFO services, accounting and bookkeeping, payroll services, financial statements, cash flow management, tax preparation and planning, business valuations, litigation support and succession planning.
- Dedicated Law Firms page
- Lists payroll services and outsourced CFO work
- Lists litigation support and business valuations
3. Onyx Tax, LLC
Charleston (835 Savannah Highway) · Best for: Small law offices that want to outsource day-to-day bookkeeping along with tax
Onyx Tax describes itself as a boutique tax CPA firm founded in Charleston. Its law firm accounting page says outsourcing accounting is a smart decision for a busy law office and that it handles day-to-day bookkeeping, accounting and tax needs, with detailed financial reports and financial advice.
- Dedicated law firm accounting page
- Day-to-day bookkeeping and financial reports
- Tax preparation and planning
4. Tideline CPA Group, LLC
Mount Pleasant (1214 Chuck Dawley Blvd) · Best for: East Cooper law firms that want payroll, bookkeeping and tax under one roof
Tideline CPA Group is a locally owned Mount Pleasant firm that says it specializes in closely held, owner-operated businesses. Its industries page lists professional services, including law firms, among the industries it supports. Its services include payroll, bookkeeping, client bill pay, tax planning, tax compliance and compilation of financial statements.
- Lists law firms under professional services
- Payroll and bookkeeping in-house
- Locally owned Mount Pleasant office
5. WebsterRogers LLP
Downtown Charleston (40 Calhoun Street) · Best for: Multi-partner firms working on partner compensation, valuation or succession
WebsterRogers has an office on Calhoun Street in Charleston. Its professional services page says it works with architects, attorneys, engineers and consultants, and lists corporate and shareholder tax returns, entity selection, accounting and budgeting systems, partner compensation services, practice valuations, succession planning, retirement plan design, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation support and expert witness testimony.
- Names attorneys among its professional services clients
- Lists partner compensation and practice valuations
- Offers audit and attest services
6. Elliott Davis
Downtown Charleston (100 Calhoun Street) · Best for: Larger law firms working on operations, technology or succession planning
Elliott Davis's services industry page says it supports professional services firms, including legal organizations, by improving operational efficiency, strengthening financial management and modernizing workflows. The page describes a case study in which it helped a law firm with nearly 50 attorneys build a succession plan. The firm has an office on Calhoun Street in Charleston.
- Names legal organizations among professional services clients
- Succession planning and operations consulting
- Tax, assurance and advisory under one brand
7. Forvis Mazars
Downtown Charleston (200 Meeting Street) · Best for: Larger or multi-state firms that want a national professional services practice
Forvis Mazars is a national CPA and advisory firm with an office on Meeting Street in Charleston. Its professional services page says it meets the needs of legal, staffing and other professional services firms, from solo practices to multinational firms, and notes its involvement in the Association of Legal Administrators. Its Charleston office page lists other industries, so ask which team would serve a local firm.
- National professional services practice covering legal firms
- Involved with the Association of Legal Administrators
- Charleston office on Meeting Street
Trust accounts: what South Carolina Rule 417 requires
Rule 417 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules sets financial recordkeeping standards for lawyers, alongside Rule 1.15 of the South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct. Under Rule 417, a lawyer must keep these records for six years after a representation ends:
- Receipt and disbursement journals for client trust accounts, showing the date, source and description of each deposit and the date, payee and purpose of each disbursement
- A ledger for each trust client showing funds received, held and paid out
- Copies of fee agreements, bills and accountings to clients
- Bank statements, deposit records, canceled checks and records of electronic transfers
- Monthly trial balances and monthly reconciliations of the client trust accounts
Rule 417 also limits who can sign on or authorize transfers from a trust account to a South Carolina lawyer or a person under the lawyer's direct supervision, requires deposits to be made intact, and requires withdrawals by check to a named payee or by authorized electronic transfer, never to cash. These are the lawyer's duties. An accountant can keep the operating books clean and make sure trust money is never recorded as firm revenue, but questions about what the rule requires belong with the lawyer, the South Carolina Bar or ethics counsel.
Tax points specific to law firms
- The qualified business income deduction treats law as a specified service business. Above an income threshold that is indexed each year, the deduction phases out, so owner pay and entity choice matter.
- Section 199A is now permanent, so entity and compensation planning around it is a long-term decision.
- Contractors such as process servers, court reporters and expert consultants paid $2,000 or more for payments made after December 31, 2025 generally need a Form 1099-NEC if they are not corporations.
What to ask on the first call
- How do you keep client trust activity separate from firm income in the books?
- Who prepares the firm return and the partners' or members' personal returns?
- Do you handle payroll, or will we need a separate provider?
- If a bank asks for reviewed or audited financial statements, can you provide them?
Sources
- SC Appellate Court Rules, Rule 417, Rule 1: Recordkeeping Generally
- SC Appellate Court Rules, Rule 417, Rule 2: Client Trust Account Safeguards
- SC Judicial Branch, Office of Disciplinary Counsel: Rule 417 Financial Recordkeeping
- 26 U.S. Code section 199A (Cornell LII)
- 26 CFR 1.199A-5, specified service trades or businesses (Cornell LII)
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
What South Carolina rule governs law firm trust account records?
Rule 417 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules sets the financial recordkeeping requirements, working together with Rule 1.15 of the South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct. It requires records such as trust journals, client ledgers and monthly trial balances and reconciliations, kept for six years after a representation ends.
Is a law practice a specified service business for the QBI deduction?
Yes. Section 199A treats a trade or business in the field of law as a specified service trade or business, and the regulations give lawyers, paralegals, legal arbitrators and mediators as examples.
Does Haigler CPA Group give legal advice or audit law firm financial statements?
No. Haigler CPA Group does not give legal advice and does not do audit, review or other attest engagements. We handle tax returns, tax planning and bookkeeping for law practices.
Who is responsible for trust account compliance, the lawyer or the accountant?
The lawyer. Rule 417 says only a lawyer admitted in South Carolina, or a person under that lawyer's direct supervision, may sign on or authorize transfers from a client trust account, and its commentary calls protecting trust funds a non-delegable duty.
Keep reading
- Best CPA Firms in Charleston, SC (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of CPA firms with Charleston-area offices, from a James Island tax practice to regional firms offering audit work.
- 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 Bookkeeping Apps for Small BusinessesSeven bookkeeping and receipt apps small businesses use, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave, Zoho Books, Dext and Expensify.
- Best Business Entity Types for South Carolina BusinessesSole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, S corp or C corp? How each is taxed in South Carolina, including the 3% pass-through election and 5% corporate rate.
- Law FirmsTrust money that is never income, case costs that are not deductions, and years that arrive in lumps.
- Bookkeeping ServicesClean books, reconciled monthly, ready for tax time.
- Tax Planning & AdvisoryThe plan that ties entity choice, timing, property and exit decisions together.
- Business TaxYear-round planning, corporate returns, pass-through entities and multi-state compliance.
- LLC vs. S Corporation Taxes in South CarolinaAn LLC and an S corporation are not two competing entities — one is a state-law structure, the other a federal tax election, and most South Carolina owners can have both. What changes is how much of your profit is exposed to self-employment tax.
- All Charleston tax & accounting guidesEvery list, choosing a CPA and the tax reference lists.
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