Step 1
Structure review
Licensed Enrolled Agents - Nationwide Virtual Service
Startup accounting services
Your first cap table, your first hiring cycle, your first R&D tax credit deadline. Most founders get this wrong once and pay for it later. ProTax USA is an Enrolled Agent for early-stage companies that sets up your books right from day one, tracks monthly cash burn, and files the credits founders usually miss. Our Enrolled Agents handle year-round tax planning and bookkeeping together as one accounting service, which matters more for a new business than most founders realize early on. It's the kind of oversight a founder would otherwise pay a full-time hire to build. Flat monthly pricing, no year-end surprises. Book online or call now.
What You Get
What does an Enrolled Agent for early-stage companies actually do?
A generalist accountant closes your books once a year and calls it done. ProTax USA works as an EA firm for founders, offering accounting for startups tailored around the metrics investors ask for: burn rate, runway, and monthly recurring revenue where it applies. This kind of accounting means separating pre-revenue R&D spend from operating costs from day one, because that split determines whether you qualify for the payroll tax offset on research credits. Structure matters here too. A Delaware C-corp raising venture capital needs different treatment than an LLC bootstrapping through year two. ProTax USA reviews how you're set up before your first funding round closes, not after, so cap table accounting and 83(b) elections don't turn into a scramble. We also simplify your accounting software setup so the books stay clean without extra manual work. Founders often ignore compliance until an investor's diligence team flags it, and every entrepreneur eventually learns that lesson one way or another. We handle it upfront.
How It Works
How does ProTax USA onboard a new client?
First call runs about 30 minutes. ProTax USA looks at how you're structured, current bookkeeping (or lack of it), and whether you've raised outside capital yet. Most founders come in with a mix of a personal card, a business card, and a spreadsheet nobody's touched since the seed round closed. After that, ProTax USA builds a chart of accounts suited to an early-stage company, not a retail shop, then sets up monthly bookkeeping in QuickBooks with cash burn and runway reported at every month-end close. We give founders a real-time view of the numbers instead of a report that's already stale by the time it lands. Cash flow gets tracked weekly for companies burning fast, monthly for everyone else, which matters for any new business still figuring out its rhythm. If your company qualifies for the research credit, we file that alongside your federal return, and for pre-revenue companies we apply the offset against employment taxes so you get the credit as cash back, not just a paper deduction. We also build a simple forecast so you know how many months of runway your current burn leaves you.
Step 2
Book cleanup
Step 3
Startup chart
Step 4
Monthly close
Step 5
R&D credit
Why It Matters
Why do venture-backed companies choose ProTax USA?
Most accounting firms treat an early-stage company like a small business with a fancier logo. They miss valuable tax credits, they don't know what a 409A valuation is, and they can't answer a question about cap table accounting when your Series A term sheet lands. ProTax USA works with founders specifically, from pre-revenue companies still writing their first pitch deck to funded companies managing six-figure monthly burn, at every stage of growth. That specialization shows up at tax time. A firm that understands venture capital and accounting services for startups knows to check whether you're eligible for Qualified Small Business Stock treatment, whether your research credit was calculated correctly, and whether your financial statements are clean enough to survive a due diligence review. This is what real tax services look like when the firm actually understands what founders and investors need, not just generic small-business filings. ProTax USA builds financial reporting and tax optimization that holds up when a VC firm's associate or another stakeholder starts asking questions, not just paperwork that satisfies the IRS. Founders who don't yet need a full-time CFO still get the financial modeling and forward-looking numbers a business owner needs to make decisions. As you grow, the same scalable process supports your financial health from seed round through Series B and beyond.
Generalist firm
Startup EA
Research credit
Often missed
Checked
Cap table
Unclear
Reconciled
Investor metrics
Basic
Built in
Due diligence
Reactive
Prepared
Pricing Clarity
How much do EA services for early-stage companies cost?
ProTax USAn EA services for early-stage companies start at $400/month for a pre-revenue company with under 10 transactions a week. That covers monthly bookkeeping, invoice tracking, a cash flow management report, and one annual tax return. Companies past their seed round with payroll, contractors, and multi-state sales usually land between $700 and $1,500/month. Founders claiming the research credit or preparing for a funding round add a flat project fee on top, quoted after we see your books. A company with clean records costs less to support than one with 18 months of unreconciled Stripe payouts, and that's true for any new business, not just venture-backed ones. Most founders find it cheaper to outsource bookkeeping services and tax work to a firm like ProTax USA than to build the same function internally, and it keeps your financials audit-ready for the next raise. Our Enrolled Agents quote a real number after a free 30-minute call, not a generic online calculator. Book that call to find out where your startup lands.
Pre-revenue startup
Weekly transactions
Seed-stage support
Credit / raise project
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FAQ
Common questions about EA services for early-stage companies
Scope
Remote
General
Tax
Scope What makes an EA firm for startups different from a regular accountant?
A startup EA firm understands cash burn, runway, research credits, and venture capital deal terms that a generalist accountant rarely sees. ProTax USA sets up accounting and tax planning around the metrics investors track and the specific needs of an early-stage company, not just what the IRS requires. Whether you're running a tech startup or a services business, our startup accountants know the accounting needs that come with venture funding, which is often more cost-effective than hiring an in-house controller too early.
Remote Does ProTax USA offer online EA services for early-stage companies outside a single state?
Yes. ProTax USA works as an online EA nationwide, handling multi-state registration, employment tax, and sales tax as your company grows into new markets. These are real tax services delivered the same way regardless of state, built around strategic planning for founders specifically. Everything runs through video calls and shared bookkeeping software.
General Can a pre-revenue startup claim the research credit?
Yes, if the company has under $5 million in gross receipts and qualifying research expenses, it can apply the credit against payroll taxes instead of income tax. ProTax USA calculates the credit and files the offset election against employment taxes with your quarterly 941.
Tax How does ProTax USA handle cap table accounting?
ProTax USA reconciles your cap table against equity issued in your books each time you grant options or close a funding round, so your financial statements match what your lawyer has on file. We also keep accounts payable current so vendor bills don't slip through the cracks during a raise. Mismatches here are one of the most common issues in investor due diligence.
Remote Do you work with startups in Houston or only remotely?
ProTax USA serves early-stage companies in Houston and across the country as an online EA firm. Location doesn't change how we work: monthly bookkeeping, cash burn tracking, and tax filing all happen the same way whether your team sits in Houston or splits across three states.
Scope What entity type is best for a startup raising venture capital?
Most venture-backed companies incorporate as a Delaware C-corp because it matches standard VC deal terms and supports Qualified Small Business Stock treatment. This structure tends to serve growing businesses well as they raise additional rounds. ProTax USA reviews that structure before a raise closes, since switching after the fact creates tax complications.
General How often should a company review cash flow and spending?
Companies burning through a seed round should review cash flow weekly; slower-growth or bootstrapped businesses can review monthly. ProTax USA builds a cash burn and runway report into every close, pulling from the same financial data founders already trust, so founders always know how many months of cash remain.