- Years answering calls
- 30+
- Live agents, every call
- 24/7/365
- English & Spanish agents
- EN · ES
- Plans start at
- $33
Accounting answering service
Tax season shouldn’t mean a full voicemail box.
From January to April, the phones at a CPA firm never stop: clients asking what documents to send, new clients wanting an appointment, and everyone asking whether their return is done. Our accounting answering service gives your callers a live, professional person every time. Agents answer in your firm’s name, book appointments, take intake details from new clients, and deliver messages securely so your team can stay focused on the work.
We answer for CPA firms, tax preparers and bookkeepers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English and Spanish. Use us for overflow during tax season, after-hours coverage year-round, or as your full-time receptionist. Southern Voices has answered calls for professional firms since 1995.
Who we answer for
An answering service for accountants and tax professionals
Solo practitioners, growing firms and seasonal tax offices, each with its own greeting and rules.
CPA firms
Client calls, appointment requests and messages for partners and staff.
Tax preparers
Seasonal tax offices that need extra hands on the phones from January to April.
Bookkeeping & payroll
Client questions and deadline-day calls handled in your firm’s name.
Multi-office firms
Consistent coverage across offices, with calls routed to the right location and person.
What we handle
Accounting firm calls we answer for you
Tax-season overflow
When every line is busy, calls roll to a live agent instead of voicemail, so clients still reach a person.
Appointment booking
Tax prep meetings, reviews and consultations booked on your calendar or sent as requests.
New client intake
Name, contact details, the type of return or service needed and how they found you, captured on every call.
Secure message handling
Messages delivered by secure text, email or the client portal, and agents never ask for more financial detail than your script calls for.
Common client questions
Office hours, where to drop off documents and which forms to bring, answered from the information you give us.
Year-round after-hours
Evening and weekend calls answered in every season, not just the busy one.
Tax season & year-round
Answering for CPA firms in every season
Tax season is the surge, but the calls don’t stop on April 15. Extensions, quarterly estimates, payroll deadlines and notices from tax agencies keep clients calling all year. Forward your lines to us after hours, during lunch and on busy days, and every caller reaches a person who answers in your firm’s name.
Truly urgent calls, like a client with a notice deadline tomorrow, can be sent straight to the person you choose. Everything else is delivered as an organized message for the next business day. Calls are not recorded. Read does your answering service sound like you?
- Your front desk: 8 AM–5 PM
- Southern Voices: nights, weekends, holidays
- Southern Voices: lunch hour
- Overflow backup whenever your lines are busy
Example schedule. You choose exactly which hours we cover.
How client calls are handled
What happens when a client calls
A live agent answers in your firm’s name, works out what the caller needs, and handles it exactly the way your instructions say.
- Urgent The partner or staff member you choose, reached now Live phone patch, a call to their cell, or a secure text
- Tax prep Meeting booked On your calendar, or as a request for your office to confirm
- New client Intake captured Contact details, service needed and the best time to follow up
- Question Question answered Office hours, document drop-off and what to bring
Why firms use us
More time for client work, fewer interruptions
Every call your staff doesn’t have to take is time back for returns, reviews and advisory work.
Fewer interruptions
Agents handle scheduling, document questions and messages, so preparers aren’t pulled off a return every few minutes during the busiest weeks of the year.
A professional first impression
New clients reach a courteous person who answers in your firm’s name, takes their details and books the consultation, instead of a voicemail greeting.
No seasonal hiring
Add phone coverage for tax season without recruiting and training a temporary receptionist, then scale back when the rush is over.
Getting started
How it works
- Share your instructionsWho takes which calls, what counts as urgent, your services and what to ask new clients.
- Approve your scriptsA custom greeting in your firm’s name and scripts built around your process. Agents are trained before go-live.
- Forward your linesOverflow during tax season, after hours year-round, or every call.
- Update any timeChange instructions for deadlines, extension season and staff vacations whenever you need to.
Pricing
What an accounting answering service costs
Pricing follows your call volume and how much each call involves, so you can add coverage for tax season without paying for it all year. Plans start at $33, and larger firms get volume discounts.
See answering service pricing for what goes into a quote, or ask us for one.
Plans start at
$33
Your plan is built around your call volume, and larger organizations get volume discounts.
Questions
Accounting answering service FAQs
Don’t see your question? Call and ask a live agent, any time.
Can you just cover tax season?
Yes. Many firms use us for overflow from January to April and after-hours coverage the rest of the year. You choose when calls forward to us and can change it whenever you need to.
How do you handle confidential client information?
Agents collect only the details your script asks for and deliver messages by secure text, email or the client portal. Calls are not recorded. Agents don’t give tax or financial advice; they take the message and get it to your team.
Can your agents book appointments in our calendar?
Yes. When you give us access, agents book directly in your calendar or scheduling software. If you’d rather confirm each one, they take the request and send it to your office.
Is an answering service for accountants useful for a solo practitioner?
Yes. When you’re in a client meeting or deep in returns, a live agent answers instead of voicemail, books the appointment and sends you the details. Plans start at $33.
Can you answer in Spanish?
Yes. Bilingual agents answer in English and Spanish live, not through a “press 2” menu or a translation line.
How much does an accounting answering service cost?
Plans start at $33 and scale with call volume and complexity. Larger firms get volume discounts. See our pricing page or contact us for a quote.
Keep reading
Guides for accounting firms
Overflow calls: the hidden growth bottleneck
Why busy-season calls slip away and how to catch them.
Virtual receptionist benefits for small businesses
What a live receptionist adds without adding headcount.
Does your answering service sound like you?
Keeping your firm’s voice on every call.
Also serving: law firms, insurance agencies (our insurance answering service) and small & professional businesses.