Best Bookkeepers for Hire in Chicago

Bookkeeping Services in Chicago

Chicago has always been a city built on industry, precision, and momentum. From the trading floors that shaped modern finance to today’s mix of manufacturers, professional services firms, nonprofits, restaurants, real estate operators, and tech startups, the city runs on numbers that have to be right. Behind every successful Chicago business is a financial system that keeps cash flow visible, compliance tight, and decision-making grounded in reality.

Bookkeeping in Chicago isn’t just about reconciling accounts—it’s about keeping businesses resilient in a city known for weathering economic shifts. Whether you’re operating in the Loop, scaling in Fulton Market, or running a family-owned business on the South or North Side, financial clarity is what allows growth to happen with confidence.

At Digital Reference, we focus on surfacing professionals who bring radical authenticity, transparency, and real-world results to their work. Our platform exists to help businesses make better hiring and partnership decisions by highlighting verified expertise—not marketing fluff. (If you’re curious about how we think about credibility and modern professional trust, our resources on finance talent evaluation and verified professional insights on Digital Reference offer helpful context.)

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🏀 Our Methodology - Curating This List of Top Chicago Bookkeepers

Every professional featured in this guide was selected through hands-on research and qualitative evaluation, not paid placement or ranking systems. We reviewed LinkedIn profiles, firm websites, service offerings, leadership histories, and professional positioning to understand how each bookkeeper supports clients in practice. Priority was given to Chicago-based professionals with clear specialization, strong communication, ethical financial practices, and a demonstrated commitment to long-term client success. Above all, we look for alignment with Digital Reference’s core values: authenticity over hype, transparency over jargon, and accountability over shortcuts.

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🌟 Meet the Top Bookkeepers in Chicago

🔴 Cathy Mallers

Owner & CEO at Bookkeeping Bistro

Cathy Mallers brings a refreshingly human approach to bookkeeping through Bookkeeping Bistro, a firm designed to make financial management more approachable for small business owners. Her work focuses on creating systems that are both accurate and understandable, helping clients move from reactive bookkeeping to proactive financial control. Cathy is known for meeting clients where they are and building processes that grow alongside the business.

📊 Small Business Focus: Designs bookkeeping systems tailored to entrepreneurs and owner-operators
🧾 Process Simplification: Helps clients move away from messy records toward clean, usable financials
🤝 Education-Driven Support: Ensures clients actually understand their numbers, not just receive reports

Cathy’s work stands out for its balance of technical accuracy and genuine client care.

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🔴 Melissa Miller Furgeson

Owner at Bookkeeping for Good Inc

Melissa Miller Furgeson leads Bookkeeping for Good with a mission-driven mindset that blends financial precision with purpose. Her firm is especially known for supporting organizations that want their finances to align with their values, including nonprofits and socially conscious businesses. Melissa’s background allows her to structure bookkeeping systems that support transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability.

🌱 Values-Aligned Bookkeeping: Supports mission-driven organizations and ethical businesses
📚 Financial Stewardship: Emphasizes clarity and responsibility in financial reporting
🛠️ Scalable Systems: Builds bookkeeping processes that grow with the organization

Melissa brings heart and rigor together—an uncommon but powerful combination in finance.

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🔴 Nancye F. Rivera

Owner at Plus Bookkeeping Services, Inc.

Nancye F. Rivera has built Plus Bookkeeping Services, Inc. around reliability, responsiveness, and operational clarity. She works closely with Chicago-area businesses to ensure their financial records are accurate, current, and usable for decision-making. Her approach is hands-on, detail-oriented, and designed to reduce stress for business owners juggling multiple priorities.

📂 Full-Cycle Bookkeeping: Manages day-to-day records through monthly closes
⏱️ Consistency & Timeliness: Keeps books current so surprises don’t pile up
📈 Owner Support: Acts as a steady financial partner, not just a service provider

Nancye’s strength lies in her ability to bring order and calm to complex financial operations.

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🔴 Asif Vadaria, CPA

CEO at Profiter CPA Group

Asif Vadaria leads Profiter CPA Group with a focus on helping businesses improve profitability through clean books and strategic insight. His CPA background allows him to bridge the gap between bookkeeping, accounting, and tax planning—an advantage for businesses looking for integrated financial support. Asif’s firm serves clients who want their numbers to actively inform smarter decisions.

💼 CPA-Led Oversight: Ensures bookkeeping aligns with tax and compliance requirements
📊 Profitability Focus: Uses financial data to identify improvement opportunities
🔍 Advisory Mindset: Goes beyond data entry to provide strategic perspective

Asif’s work is especially valuable for businesses that want their bookkeeping to drive outcomes.

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🔴 Rachael Brinker, MBA

Founder & CEO at KHULAS

Rachael Brinker brings a strategic, systems-level perspective to financial operations through KHULAS. With an MBA background, she focuses on helping organizations create financial clarity that supports leadership decision-making. Her work often intersects bookkeeping, operations, and strategy—making her a strong fit for growing companies navigating complexity.

🧠 Strategy-Driven Finance: Aligns bookkeeping with broader business goals
📋 Operational Clarity: Builds systems leadership teams can rely on
🚀 Growth-Ready Systems: Designs processes that scale without breaking

Rachael stands out for her ability to connect numbers to leadership insight.

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🔴 Nancy McClelland, CPA, MAFM

Founder at The Dancing Accountant

Nancy McClelland is widely recognized for bringing personality and precision together at The Dancing Accountant. Her CPA and financial management background allows her to deliver rigorous bookkeeping while making the experience approachable. Nancy works with clients who value accuracy but also appreciate clear communication and trust.

🩰 Approachable Expertise: Makes complex financial concepts easier to understand
📑 Compliance-Focused Bookkeeping: Ensures records are audit-ready and accurate
🤝 Client Relationships: Builds long-term partnerships based on trust

Nancy’s blend of professionalism and accessibility makes her especially memorable.

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🔴 Erik J. Cascio

Owner & CEO at Golden Tree Wealth Partners

Erik J. Cascio leads Golden Tree Wealth Partners with a holistic view of financial health. While rooted in bookkeeping and accounting discipline, his work often supports broader financial planning and long-term strategy. Erik helps clients see how clean books support stability and future opportunity.

🌳 Holistic Financial View: Connects bookkeeping to broader financial outcomes
📊 Long-Term Focus: Supports sustainable business growth
🔐 Financial Integrity: Prioritizes accuracy and trust

Erik’s approach emphasizes stability, foresight, and disciplined execution.

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🔴 Ryan Behrends

Founder & CEO at No Bull Financial Consulting, LLC

Ryan Behrends built No Bull Financial Consulting around straightforward, no-nonsense financial support. His philosophy centers on telling clients what they actually need to hear—clearly and without jargon. Ryan’s bookkeeping services are designed to give business owners real control over their finances.

🐂 Straightforward Communication: Cuts through complexity
📈 Owner Empowerment: Helps clients understand and use their numbers
🧩 Practical Systems: Builds processes that work in the real world

Ryan’s transparency is a defining strength in an industry often overcomplicated.

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🔴 Daliah Fritz

Owner at Fritz Financial Solutions

Daliah Fritz leads Fritz Financial Solutions with a client-first mindset and strong operational discipline. She works closely with businesses to maintain clean records while improving financial organization behind the scenes. Daliah is known for her responsiveness and attention to detail.

📁 Organized Financial Systems: Keeps records clean and accessible
📊 Accuracy-Driven Work: Reduces errors and improves confidence
🤝 Hands-On Support: Acts as an extension of the client’s team

Daliah’s reliability makes her a trusted financial partner for Chicago businesses.

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🔴 Michael Flax

Owner at Flax CPA & Business Solutions

Michael Flax combines bookkeeping, accounting, and business consulting at Flax CPA & Business Solutions. His work supports clients who want financial clarity alongside practical business insight. Michael’s CPA background ensures that bookkeeping aligns with compliance and tax strategy.

🧾 Integrated Services: Connects bookkeeping with accounting oversight
📊 Business Insight: Helps clients interpret financial data
🔍 Compliance-Ready Records: Keeps books aligned with regulatory needs

Michael’s strength lies in bridging detail with strategy.

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🔴 Chris Amundson

President at Accounting Solutions Ltd.

Chris Amundson leads Accounting Solutions Ltd. with an emphasis on dependable, process-driven financial services. His firm supports Chicago businesses that need consistency, accuracy, and professional oversight. Chris brings structure to financial operations that might otherwise feel overwhelming.

🏢 Firm-Level Support: Scales services for growing organizations
📅 Reliable Processes: Keeps books current and consistent
📊 Professional Oversight: Ensures quality and accountability

Chris’s work is rooted in operational excellence and trust.

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🔴 Tom Dillon, CFA

Owner at Frak Finance

Tom Dillon brings an analytical edge to bookkeeping through his CFA-informed perspective at Frak Finance. His work often appeals to data-driven founders and financially sophisticated clients who want deeper insight from their numbers. Tom treats bookkeeping as a foundation for smarter capital decisions.

📈 Analytical Rigor: Applies investment-level thinking to business finances
🧠 Decision Support: Helps clients use data strategically
📊 Precision Reporting: Focuses on accuracy and insight

Tom’s approach is ideal for businesses that want more than surface-level bookkeeping.

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Final Thoughts & Why Digital Reference

Chicago businesses thrive when financial systems are built on trust, clarity, and accountability. The professionals featured here reflect the city’s work ethic—disciplined, resilient, and forward-thinking. Each brings a unique approach to bookkeeping, shaped by real experience and a commitment to doing the work right.

👇 Dive deeper with Digital Reference:

• Best Accountants for Hire in Chicago
• Best Wealth Advisors in Chicago
• Best Bookkeeping Services in the USA

Digital Reference exists to make these connections easier. By focusing on verified expertise, transparent evaluation, and authentic professional stories, we help businesses find partners they can rely on long-term. To learn more about our mission and how we evaluate professionals, visit our About Digital Reference page and explore additional resources across the platform.