Chatman Tax Review (2026): Lawrenceville, GA CPA Firm

Chatman Tax and Accounting LLC is a CPA firm based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in the Atlanta metro area. With a strong 4.7 rating from 41 reviews and nearly a decade in business, the firm has built a solid reputation for tax preparation, bookkeeping, and full-cycle accounting services. The firm's tagline emphasizes providing "transparent financial analysis and sound tax advice with your future in mind," reflecting an orientation toward forward-looking tax planning rather than purely reactive compliance.

The firm serves a range of entity types including sole proprietorships, partnerships, C-Corps, S-Corps, and non-profits. This versatility allows them to handle the tax and accounting needs of most small to mid-sized business structures without needing to refer clients elsewhere. Their team of 4 employees provides personalized attention that larger firms typically cannot match, though this also means they have limited capacity for very large or complex engagements.

Chatman Tax operates as a traditional CPA firm rather than a fractional CFO provider. Their core value proposition is tax compliance, tax planning, and accurate bookkeeping—foundational financial work that keeps businesses in good standing with regulators and provides the basic financial data needed to run a business. They do not position themselves as strategic finance partners who help you think through capital allocation, fundraising strategy, or board-level financial planning. For those needs, you would want to engage a fractional CFO in addition to your CPA relationship.

The firm uses common small business accounting software including QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage, which means they can work effectively with clients who already have accounting infrastructure in place. For clients without existing systems, they can recommend and implement appropriate solutions. Their use of TurboTax for individual tax preparation extends their service capabilities to the personal tax situations of business owners, which is often a natural complement to business tax services.

Chatman Tax offers the core services expected from a CPA firm focused on small to mid-sized businesses:

Business Tax Preparation: Preparation of federal and state tax returns for corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships. This includes multi-state filings for businesses operating across state lines and specialized industry returns as needed.

Individual Tax Preparation: Personal tax return preparation for business owners and their families. This often goes hand-in-hand with business tax work, particularly for sole proprietors and S-Corp shareholders who report business income on their personal returns.

Bookkeeping: Ongoing transaction recording, reconciliation, and financial statement preparation. The firm offers both ongoing bookkeeping services and catch-up work for businesses that have fallen behind on their accounting. Proper bookkeeping is the foundation of both tax compliance and strategic financial management.

Full-Cycle Accounting: End-to-end accounting services including transaction processing, month-end close, and financial statement preparation. This goes beyond basic bookkeeping to include the analytical work needed to ensure financial statements accurately reflect business performance.

AR and AP Management: The firm can manage accounts receivable and accounts payable functions, maintaining cash flow health and vendor relationships. This operational accounting work keeps day-to-day business operations running smoothly.

Financial Statement Preparation: Compilation of financial statements for internal use, bank financing, investor reporting, or other purposes. Clean, accurate financial statements are essential for business valuation, lending, and strategic planning.

Their service scope is focused on tax and foundational accounting rather than strategic CFO-level work. If you need help with financial forecasting, fundraising modeling, board presentations, or capital strategy, you will need to supplement your CPA relationship with a fractional CFO engagement. The best outcomes come from having both: a CPA handling compliance and basic accounting, and a CFO providing strategic financial leadership.

Chatman Tax does not publicly disclose pricing on their profile or website, which is typical for CPA firms that structure fees around the complexity of specific tax situations. Tax preparation pricing varies based on entity type, return complexity, and whether you are adding bookkeeping services to the engagement. Industry benchmarks for comparable CPA firm services in the Southeast US suggest:

Business Tax Preparation: $500-$2,500 per return depending on complexity. Sole proprietorship simple returns may be at the lower end; complex multi-entity C-Corp returns with multiple states and extensive schedules will be higher.

Individual Tax Preparation: $200-$800 for comprehensive personal returns including business income, investments, and itemized deductions. Business owner personal returns tend to be more complex than W-2 employee returns.

Monthly Bookkeeping: $300-$1,500 per month depending on transaction volume and complexity. A small business with straightforward transactions may be at the lower end; businesses with inventory, multiple entities, or complex transactions require more work.

Full-Cycle Accounting: $1,000-$3,000 per month for comprehensive accounting including month-end close and financial statements. This is a step up from basic bookkeeping and reflects the additional analytical work involved.

For tax preparation specifically, CPA firms typically offer flat fees based on return complexity rather than hourly billing. This provides cost predictability for clients and incentives for the firm to work efficiently. When evaluating pricing, consider that the lowest-cost option may not deliver the best quality—the cost of an IRS audit or missed deductions often far exceeds any savings from rock-bottom pricing.

Chatman Tax's 4.7 rating from 41 reviews suggests their pricing delivers reasonable value relative to quality. The firm has been hired 80 times on Thumbtack, indicating an established client base that returns or refers others.

Chatman Tax serves a broad range of industries with documented experience across several sectors including sales and marketing, healthcare, technology and IT, manufacturing, financial services, education, retail, real estate, construction, and non-profit organizations. This breadth suggests they have developed generalist capabilities rather than deep vertical specialization, which works well for businesses with straightforward tax and accounting needs.

The firm is best suited for small to mid-sized businesses in the Atlanta metro area (Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, and surrounding communities) that need reliable tax preparation and ongoing accounting services. The ideal client has relatively straightforward tax situations—established business with normal complexity, no significant international operations or complex state filings—and values a personal relationship with their accountant over the capabilities of a large national firm.

Companies that should look elsewhere include those with complex tax situations (multi-state nexus issues, international operations, significant stock options or equity compensation, complex depreciation), businesses preparing for fundraising or exit (which need strategic CFO-level guidance), and enterprises requiring audit services or SEC reporting. Chatman Tax is not positioned as a fractional CFO or strategic finance advisor, so businesses needing that level of engagement should look for a dedicated CFO provider in addition to maintaining their CPA relationship.

The firm serves multiple entity types including C-Corps, S-Corps, partnerships, and non-profits, which covers most small business structures. Their non-profit experience is particularly valuable for organizations with specific compliance requirements around Form 990 and state charity registration.