Atlanta’s accounting firm landscape spans the full range from global Big Four offices providing audit and advisory services to Fortune 500 clients, through regional mid-market firms serving the metro area’s substantial middle-market business community, to specialized boutique practices focused on particular industry sectors or service niches. The city’s role as the economic capital of the Southeast positions Atlanta accounting firms to serve not only local clients but also regional headquarters operations, multi-state businesses, and the Atlanta offices of national and international companies requiring local expertise within a larger corporate accounting structure. The growth of Atlanta’s technology, logistics, media, and healthcare sectors has driven significant demand for accounting firms with deep sector-specific expertise alongside general audit, tax, and advisory capabilities.
When selecting an accounting firm in Atlanta, the most important distinction is between firms that operate as genuine advisors who help you make better business decisions and those that function purely as compliance processors who document what has already happened. Accounting firms in Georgia must be licensed through the Georgia State Board of Accountancy as CPA firms to provide attest services including audits, reviews, and compilations. Individual practitioners performing these services must hold active Georgia CPA licenses. For advisory and tax services without the attest function, the licensure requirement is less strict, but CPA credentials remain the standard quality indicator. For businesses undergoing rapid growth, seeking outside capital, or operating in regulated industries, firm selection should include assessment of peer firm relationships and referral networks that can support future capital and advisory needs.
Top Accounting Firm Companies in Atlanta
1. Warren Averett Atlanta
Phone: (770) 396-1100
Website: https://www.warrenaverett.com/offices/atlanta
Service Area: Atlanta metro, Southeast
Services:
- Audit, review, and compilation services
- Tax planning and compliance
- Business advisory and consulting
- Industry-specific expertise
- Wealth management advisory
About: Warren Averett is one of the largest CPA firms in the Southeast, providing accounting, audit, tax, and advisory services to Atlanta businesses and individuals from its Atlanta office. The firm serves clients across Roswell, Buckhead, Midtown, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Duluth, Brookhaven, and Kennesaw, reflecting a genuinely metro-wide service footprint. Warren Averett’s scale provides access to deep specialist expertise in areas including healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and financial services while maintaining the partner-level attention that mid-market clients require. The firm’s position as one of the Southeast’s largest CPA organizations means its Atlanta practitioners have access to substantial firm-wide knowledge resources that enhance the depth of advice available to any individual client.
2. Cherry Bekaert Atlanta
Website: https://www.cbh.com/locations/cpa-accounting-firm-in-atlanta-georgia
Service Area: Metro Atlanta, Southeast, national
Awards & Recognition: Atlanta Business Chronicle Best Places to Work, top 10 Atlanta accounting firm
Services:
- Audit and assurance
- Tax planning and compliance
- Business advisory and consulting
- Digital solutions and technology advisory
- Industry specialization across multiple sectors
About: Cherry Bekaert is one of Atlanta’s top ten largest CPA and consulting firms, with an Atlanta practice that includes 14 Partners, nearly 100 CPAs, and more than 140 associates bringing substantial capacity and expertise to engagements across all service lines. The firm has been recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work, a designation that reflects the quality of the professional environment that attracts and retains accounting talent at the level needed to serve complex clients. Cherry Bekaert’s combination of traditional CPA services with digital solutions and technology advisory capability reflects the evolution of accounting firms toward the broader business advisory role that clients increasingly expect alongside compliance services. The firm serves clients across multiple industry sectors with specific practice groups that provide genuine sector expertise rather than generalist knowledge applied to industry-specific situations.
3. Manay CPA
Website: https://www.manaycpa.com
Service Area: Metro Atlanta, Georgia, global clients
Founded: 2001
Awards & Recognition: Top 25 Atlanta accounting firms by Cobb Chamber of Commerce for four consecutive years
Services:
- Tax planning and compliance
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Payroll management
- New business formation
- HR support and consulting
About: Manay CPA is a full-service CPA firm headquartered in Atlanta with a global presence across three continents, bringing an international perspective to Atlanta’s diverse business community that many locally-focused firms cannot offer. Founded in 2001, the firm has been recognized among the top 25 accounting firms in Atlanta by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce for four consecutive years, reflecting consistent quality across an extensive client base. Manay CPA’s integrated approach to accounting, tax, payroll, and HR services provides growing businesses with a single-firm solution for multiple critical business functions during the growth phase where these services must be simultaneously established and optimized. The firm’s international client base and global network connections make it particularly valuable for Atlanta businesses with international operations or ownership, where cross-border tax and compliance complexity requires advisors with genuine international accounting experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What services does a full-service accounting firm in Atlanta provide beyond tax preparation?
A: A full-service Atlanta accounting firm provides audit and assurance services including financial statement audits, reviews, and compilations for businesses requiring objective financial verification for lenders, investors, or regulatory bodies. Advisory services encompass business valuation, transaction support for mergers and acquisitions, due diligence for business purchases, and operational improvement consulting. Tax planning beyond simple compliance includes multi-year strategic planning for business transitions, estate and gift tax strategy, and international tax structuring for businesses with cross-border operations. Some larger Atlanta firms also provide technology advisory, HR consulting, and wealth management services either directly or through affiliated practices. The scope of what any specific firm offers varies significantly, so clarifying your needs before engaging is essential.
Q: When does an Atlanta business need a formal audit rather than a review or compilation?
A: Formal audits in Atlanta are typically required by external parties rather than chosen voluntarily. Lenders making significant commercial loans frequently require audited financial statements for loans above specific thresholds, often $1 million to $5 million depending on the institution. Businesses seeking outside equity investment from institutional investors almost universally require audited financials. Government contractors subject to Single Audit requirements under federal regulation must undergo specific audit protocols. Businesses in regulated industries including banking, insurance, and certain healthcare sectors may have audit requirements imposed by their regulators. For businesses that do not have an externally imposed audit requirement, a review or compilation typically provides sufficient financial statement credibility at significantly lower cost.
Q: How do I evaluate which Atlanta accounting firm is the right size match for my business?
A: The key consideration is whether the firm’s partner and staff capacity matches your business’s complexity and service volume needs. Very large firms like Warren Averett and Cherry Bekaert are well-matched for mid-market businesses with multi-state operations, significant revenue, complex industry accounting requirements, or needs for multiple service lines including audit, tax, and advisory. Smaller specialized firms like Manay CPA are better matched for growing businesses that need comprehensive service integration but do not yet have the complexity that demands the depth of a regional firm. As a practical test, ask which partner will personally oversee your engagement and how much direct partner time versus staff time you should expect. For smaller businesses, a disproportionate amount of work done by junior staff at a large firm can produce quality that is no better than a smaller specialized firm where senior practitioners are more directly involved.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s accounting firm market provides businesses and individuals with access to exceptional expertise at every scale, from the Southeast regional depth of Warren Averett through the integrated service strength of Cherry Bekaert to the globally connected comprehensive service model of Manay CPA. Each of these firms has established a genuine track record of quality service in the Atlanta market that goes beyond self-promotion to include external recognition, client retention, and the professional reputation that sustainable Atlanta accounting practices require. For any accounting firm need in the metro area, initial consultations with any of these three organizations will clarify which firm best matches your current scale, service needs, and long-term growth trajectory.