Choosing the right accounting firm can determine whether your Los Angeles business thrives through tax season or drowns in compliance headaches. With the 30 largest accounting firms in LA County employing over 3,346 CPAs and 12,800+ total accounting professionals, the options range from global Big Four giants to specialized local boutiques that understand California’s unique regulatory environment.
For businesses selling across state lines, California sales tax presents particular challenges—complex sourcing rules, district taxes layered on top of the base rate, and economic nexus obligations that general accounting firms may not handle in-house. Understanding which firms excel at what services helps you build the right team for your specific needs.
This guide profiles 15 top-rated accounting firms serving Los Angeles businesses, organized by size and specialty, so you can quickly identify which type of firm matches your company’s stage, industry, and compliance requirements.
Key takeaways
- Big Four firms (EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG) dominate LA’s accounting landscape with offering comprehensive services for public companies and enterprises requiring SOX compliance and international tax expertise
- Large national firms (Grant Thornton, RSM, BDO, Baker Tilly) provide Big Four–quality services at mid-market pricing
- Entertainment and media specialists (Miller Kaplan, GHJ) serve LA’s signature industries with dedicated practices for royalty compliance, business management, and production accounting
- Sales tax compliance often requires specialized solutions beyond what general accounting firms provide—managed services covering multi-state nexus, registrations, and filings can complement your accounting firm relationship
Big Four accounting firms in Los Angeles
1. Ernst & Young LLP (EY)
Ernst & Young maintains the largest CPA workforce in Los Angeles County with 590 CPAs and 2,272 total professionals operating from their Downtown LA office at 725 South Figueroa Street. The firm reported $49.4 billion in global revenue for fiscal year 2023.
Core capabilities:
- Audit and assurance services for public and private companies
- Tax planning and compliance including international structures
- Technology and fintech industry expertise
- SOX compliance and corporate governance
- Financial advisory and M&A consulting
What makes Ernst & Young stand out:
EY’s technology practice serves LA’s growing fintech sector with dedicated teams understanding both regulatory compliance and innovation challenges. Their extensive resources support comprehensive service delivery across audit, tax, and advisory functions.
Contact:
(213) 977-3200
Best for:
Public companies, pre-IPO businesses, and enterprises requiring Big Four credibility for investor relations, debt covenants, or international operations.
2. PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
PwC ranks as LA County’s second-largest accounting firm with 1,873 total professionals and 507 CPAs based at 601 South Figueroa Street. The firm’s strong fintech and technology practice makes them a go-to choice for LA businesses preparing for public markets or navigating complex digital transformation initiatives.
Core capabilities:
- Audit and assurance for SEC registrants
- Tax compliance and strategic planning
- Business advisory and transformation services
- Forensic accounting and litigation support
- Digital and technology consulting
What makes PwC stand out:
PwC’s litigation support practice regularly handles complex disputes where detailed financial analysis determines outcomes. Their technology consulting capabilities help businesses navigate digital transformation initiatives.
Contact:
(213) 356-6000
Best for:
Technology companies, entertainment conglomerates, and businesses requiring forensic accounting expertise.
3. Deloitte LLP
Deloitte fields the largest total headcount in LA County with 2,677 professionals, though their 390 CPAs rank third among the Big Four locally. Their Downtown LA office at 555 West 5th Street serves as a major hub for the firm’s entertainment, media, and technology practice—particularly relevant for LA’s signature industries.
Core capabilities:
- Audit and financial statement services
- Corporate, partnership, and individual tax services
- Technology and digital transformation consulting
- Risk management and internal controls
- M&A advisory and transaction services
What makes Deloitte stand out:
Deloitte’s entertainment, media, and technology practice aligns perfectly with LA’s signature industries. The firm brings extensive experience to digital-first businesses and organizations undergoing significant transformation. Note: Deloitte plans to relocate from their current downtown location (lease ends 2031) to a renovated Glendale office at 555 North Brand Boulevard. The current address remains operational through the transition.
Contact:
(213) 688-0800
Best for:
Media and entertainment companies, digital-first businesses, and organizations undergoing significant transformation or transaction activity.
4. KPMG LLP
KPMG maintains a strong LA presence with 1,302 total professionals and 189 CPAs from their office at 550 S. Hope Street in Downtown LA. With $38.4 billion in firmwide revenue (2024), KPMG brings substantial resources to complex engagements while often positioning themselves as more accessible than competitors for upper-middle-market clients.
Core capabilities:
- Audit and assurance
- Tax services and planning
- Corporate finance and M&A advisory
- Risk management and compliance
- Technology sector expertise
What makes KPMG stand out:
KPMG positions themselves as more accessible than competitors for upper-middle-market clients while still delivering Big Four resources and credibility. Their risk management frameworks and corporate finance expertise serve companies preparing for major transactions.
Contact:
(213) 972-4000
Best for:
Companies preparing for transactions, businesses needing risk management frameworks, and technology companies seeking Big Four credibility.
Large national accounting firms
5. Grant Thornton LLP
Grant Thornton maintains 305 total professionals and 133 CPAs in LA County. Their $2.036 billion in firmwide revenue (2024) supports deep specialization in entertainment, media, and technology—industries where LA businesses require both technical expertise and creative problem-solving.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit services
- Tax planning and compliance
- IT and technology advisory
- M&A and transaction services
- Entertainment, media, and technology sector focus
What makes Grant Thornton stand out:
Grant Thornton offers Big Four–quality services with mid-market pricing and responsiveness. Their innovation focus and entertainment, media, and technology specialization make them particularly valuable for companies implementing new technologies or business models.
Contact:
(213) 627-1717
Best for:
Growing technology companies, entertainment businesses, and mid-market organizations seeking sophisticated advisory services.
6. RSM US LLP
RSM ranks as the fifth largest accounting firm nationally with $4.008 billion in firmwide revenue (2024) and a focused middle-market strategy. Their LA County presence includes 281 total professionals and 86 CPAs operating from 515 S. Flower Street in Downtown LA.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit services
- Tax services and planning
- IT consulting and cybersecurity
- M&A advisory
- Risk management
- Technology and family office services
What makes RSM stand out:
RSM’s focused middle-market strategy delivers genuine partner attention that larger firms struggle to provide. Their family office services make them valuable for high-net-worth individuals managing complex holdings.
Contact:
(213) 330-4800
Best for:
Middle-market companies ($10M–$500M revenue), family-owned businesses, and technology companies seeking a national firm with genuine partner attention.
7. BDO USA
BDO brings 291 total professionals with 100 CPAs in LA County. Their Downtown LA office at 515 S. Flower Street, 47th Floor, serves clients across apparel, financial services, healthcare, and media—reflecting LA’s diverse business landscape.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit
- Corporate finance
- Estate planning
- IT advisory
- Royalty compliance
- Tax services
What makes BDO stand out:
BDO’s cross-industry expertise spans apparel, financial services, healthcare, and media. Their royalty compliance practice serves LA’s entertainment industry while their estate planning capabilities address complex wealth management needs.
Contact:
(310) 557-0300
Best for:
Apparel and consumer products companies, healthcare organizations, and media businesses requiring a national firm with industry-specific expertise and LA market knowledge.
8. Baker Tilly
Baker Tilly achieves a 6.231 prestige score from Vault, ranking them #8 nationally by prestige—a metric that matters for client perception and talent recruitment. Baker Tilly combines national scale with meaningful local presence from their Woodland Hills office.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit
- Business management
- Financial advisory
- Litigation support
- M&A advisory
- Tax services
Industries served:
Construction, entertainment, financial services, nonprofit, real estate, sports, technology
What makes Baker Tilly stand out:
Baker Tilly’s 67 U.S. offices and extensive training programs maintain consistent service quality. Their dedicated practices in real estate, construction, nonprofit, and sports/entertainment deliver industry-specific expertise.
Contact:
(818) 995-0090
Best for:
Real estate and construction companies, nonprofit organizations, and sports/entertainment businesses.
LA-based and regional accounting firms
9. HCVT (Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP)
HCVT stands as the only locally headquartered firm in LA County’s top 10, with 500+ employees and 200+ CPAs operating from their West LA headquarters at 11444 West Olympic Boulevard. Their #35 national ranking and recent expansion to San Diego, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Denver demonstrates growth without sacrificing their LA roots.
Core capabilities:
- Tax planning and compliance
- Audit and assurance services
- Business management and family office
- M&A and valuation services
- Real estate, entertainment, manufacturing, and tech sectors
What makes HCVT stand out:
HCVT delivers deep local relationships and entertainment industry business management expertise. Their 3.205/10 Vault prestige score reflects their standing among accounting professionals. For businesses with complex sales tax obligations, HCVT’s tax planning expertise pairs well with dedicated compliance services that handle the operational burden of multi-state registrations, filings, and nexus tracking.
Contact:
(310) 566-1900
Best for:
LA businesses wanting deep local relationships, entertainment industry clients requiring sophisticated business management, and companies valuing a firm that built its reputation in their market.
10. Miller Kaplan
Miller Kaplan has served LA’s entertainment industry since 1941, building a nationally recognized practice in media accounting, royalty compliance, and forensic accounting. Their Burbank headquarters at 3900 W. Alameda Avenue positions them near major studios, with $71 million in firmwide revenue (2024) and 173 total professionals (71 CPAs) in LA County.
Core capabilities:
- Entertainment and media accounting
- Legal industry services
- Nonprofit audit and tax
- Real estate
- Technology
- Business management
- Forensic accounting
- Royalty compliance
- Information security management
What makes Miller Kaplan stand out:
Miller Kaplan brings over 80 years of entertainment industry expertise from their Burbank location near major studios. Their genuine industry specialization delivers value beyond generic service delivery.
Contact:
(818) 769-2010
Best for:
Entertainment companies, production entities, legal practices, and nonprofits seeking a firm with deep LA roots and genuine industry expertise.
11. GHJ (Green Hasson Janks)
GHJ operates as a prominent LA accounting firm. Their acquisition of Hacker, Douglas & Company’s entertainment accounting team strengthened an already robust media practice.
Core capabilities:
- Audit and assurance
- Tax services
- Advisory services
- Entertainment industry (expanded through Hacker Douglas acquisition)
- Food and beverage, media, nonprofits
What makes GHJ stand out:
GHJ’s acquisition of Hacker Douglas & Company’s entertainment team expanded their already strong media practice. Their industry-specific knowledge serves entertainment, nonprofit, and food/beverage companies.
Contact:
(310) 873-1600
Best for:
Entertainment industry clients benefiting from the combined expertise of GHJ and Hacker Douglas teams, nonprofit organizations, and food/beverage companies.
12. SingerLewak LLP
SingerLewak operates as a Top 100 U.S. firm with a 3.178 Vault prestige score, $105 million in firmwide revenue (2024), and offices spanning California, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas. Their 140 LA County professionals (53 CPAs) serve clients from 10960 Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit
- Business management
- IT consulting
- Litigation support
- Tax services
- Franchise consulting
- International tax
Industries served:
Entertainment, manufacturing, nonprofit, real estate, retail, technology
What makes SingerLewak stand out:
SingerLewak’s multi-state footprint across California, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas serves companies with geographic expansion. For technology companies dealing with SaaS taxability across multiple states, pairing SingerLewak’s strategic tax planning with a managed sales tax compliance service ensures both planning and execution receive proper attention.
Contact:
(310) 477-3924
Best for:
Companies with multi-state operations benefiting from SingerLewak’s geographic footprint, franchise businesses, and organizations requiring international tax expertise.
13. Citrin Cooperman
Citrin Cooperman brings $780 million in firmwide revenue (2024) and 218 LA County professionals (77 CPAs) to their Woodland Hills office at 21650 Oxnard Street. As a Top-50 national firm, they offer substantial resources while maintaining specialized industry practices.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit
- Tax planning and compliance
- Business advisory
- Real estate, construction, healthcare
- Technology companies
What makes Citrin Cooperman stand out:
Citrin Cooperman’s dedicated technology practice serves tech companies while their real estate, construction, and healthcare capabilities deliver industry-specific compliance expertise.
Contact:
(818) 226-2600
Best for:
Technology companies seeking a national firm with dedicated tech practice, real estate and construction businesses, and healthcare organizations.
Specialized and mid-size accounting firms
14. Vasquez + Company LLP
Vasquez + Company earned a Best of Accounting award from ClearlyRated, validating their client service approach. Established in 1969, the firm maintains a presence in LA County from their Glendale headquarters at 655 N. Central Avenue.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and audit
- Business management
- Forensic accounting
- Internal audit
- IT advisory
- Tax and contract compliance
- Risk management services
Industries served:
Construction, entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail
What makes Vasquez + Company stand out:
Vasquez + Company’s specialized government contractor compliance services, combined with their strong diversity focus and community roots, serve construction and manufacturing companies.
Contact:
(213) 873-1700
Best for:
Government contractors requiring specialized compliance, construction and manufacturing companies, and organizations valuing a firm with strong diversity focus and community roots.
15. CNM LLP
CNM LLP serves LA’s San Fernando Valley from their Woodland Hills office at 6320 Canoga Avenue, with 109 total professionals and 45 CPAs. Founded in 2003, the firm combines regional expertise with five office locations serving clients across Southern California.
Core capabilities:
- Accounting and financial advisory
- Internal audit
- IT services
- M&A advisory
- Regulation compliance
- Risk management
- Transaction services
Industries served:
Apparel, entertainment, financial services, hospitality, manufacturing, media, retail
What makes CNM LLP stand out:
CNM’s San Fernando Valley expertise and five Southern California office locations deliver responsive regional service. Their apparel and retail practice serves LA’s fashion industry.
Contact:
(818) 999-9501
Best for:
San Fernando Valley businesses, apparel and retail companies, and organizations seeking a responsive regional firm with genuine partner relationships.
Selecting the right accounting firm for your Los Angeles business
Matching firm size to your needs
The firm size question matters more than prestige alone. Big Four firms offer unmatched resources and credibility for public companies, but their minimum engagement sizes and partner-to-staff ratios often mean growing businesses receive junior-heavy teams. Mid-size national firms like Grant Thornton and RSM provide sophisticated services with more accessible partner attention. LA-based firms like HCVT and Miller Kaplan deliver deep local knowledge and relationships that national firms struggle to replicate.
Industry specialization counts
Los Angeles businesses span entertainment, technology, real estate, manufacturing, and beyond. Firms with dedicated industry practices—Miller Kaplan for entertainment, Citrin Cooperman for technology, Vasquez for construction—bring relevant experience that generalists lack. Ask potential firms how many clients they serve in your industry and request references from similar-sized companies.
Understanding service boundaries
Most accounting firms excel at financial statement preparation, audit, and strategic tax planning. However, operational compliance tasks like multi-state sales tax registration, filing, and notice management often fall outside their core competencies—or get staffed to junior team members who treat it as administrative work.
For businesses selling across state lines or through multiple channels, dedicated sales tax compliance services complement your accounting firm relationship. Managed solutions handle the 13,000+ U.S. jurisdictions and 70+ countries where tax obligations arise, ensuring registrations stay current, filings meet deadlines, and notices get resolved before they escalate. This division of labor lets your accounting firm focus on strategic planning while specialists manage operational execution.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a CPA firm and an accounting firm?
CPA firms employ Certified Public Accountants licensed by state boards to perform audits, prepare tax returns, and attest to financial statements. The CPA designation requires passing rigorous exams and meeting continuing education requirements. All CPA firms are accounting firms, but not all accounting firms employ CPAs. For audited financial statements required by lenders or investors, you need a CPA firm. For bookkeeping, management accounting, or advisory services, non-CPA accounting professionals may suffice.
How much do Los Angeles accounting firms charge?
Fees vary dramatically by firm size, service type, and complexity. Always request fee estimates before engaging and clarify what triggers additional charges.
Can my accounting firm handle sales tax compliance?
Most accounting firms provide tax planning and filing for income taxes but treat sales tax as secondary. For businesses with economic nexus obligations in multiple states, the operational burden—registrations, monthly or quarterly filings, rate updates, notice responses—exceeds what traditional accounting firms staff for. Many businesses find that pairing their accounting firm’s strategic tax planning with a managed sales tax compliance service delivers better results than asking one firm to do both.
How do I know if I need a Big Four accounting firm?
Big Four firms make sense when you need audited financial statements for SEC filings, credibility for major investors or lenders, international tax structures across multiple countries, or complex transaction support for M&A activity exceeding $50M+. For most private companies under $100M in revenue, mid-size national or strong regional firms provide equivalent technical quality with more partner attention.
What should I prepare before meeting with a potential accounting firm?
Gather your last three years of financial statements and tax returns, a list of states where you have employees, inventory, or sales activity, information about your ownership structure, details on any pending audits or tax notices, and a summary of what you need (audit, tax compliance, advisory, or all three). The more context you provide, the more accurate their assessment and fee estimate will be.
Building the right professional services team—accounting firm for strategic planning, specialists for operational compliance—positions your LA business for growth without compliance surprises. Whether you select a Big Four giant, a mid-market national firm, or an LA-based specialist, ensure each partner understands their role and communicates clearly with the others.
For businesses ready to remove sales tax from their accounting firm’s plate entirely, Zamp’s managed compliance handles registrations, real-time rooftop-accurate calculations across 13,000+ jurisdictions, automated filing and remittance, and proactive notice resolution—with the flexibility to work alongside you or take care of everything on your behalf.
