Who we work with in Charlotte
Charlotte has a lot of small businesses and a lot of investors, and the clients we see there tend to fall into a few groups:
- Trades and construction businesses riding the building boom across Mecklenburg and the surrounding counties
- Real estate investors with long term rentals in the city and short term rentals elsewhere in the Carolinas
- Professionals and banking and tech employees with equity compensation, rentals or a side business
- Owners who moved here from another state and now file in two
What they have in common: returns with moving parts, and a CPA who used to show up in March and disappear in May.
How we help each kind of Charlotte client
Business owners
Monthly or quarterly outsourced accounting with your tax returns included, so the numbers you see during the year are the numbers that end up on the return. When profit gets high enough, we look at whether an S corp election and a reasonable salary make sense, and whether the North Carolina pass-through entity tax election saves you federal tax. See outsourced accounting for business owners.
Contractors and trades
Job costing, subcontractor 1099s, equipment purchases timed around year end, and North Carolina sales tax on repair, maintenance and installation work. With Mecklenburg's combined rate rising to 8.25% on July 1, 2026, both the tax you charge on taxable repair work and the tax you pay on materials went up. See accounting for contractors.
Real estate investors
Depreciation schedules that hold up, cost segregation when the numbers justify it, short term rental rules, and 1031 exchanges when you trade up. Rentals in Mecklenburg and in South Carolina mean a return in each state. See real estate investor tax strategy.
Our services for Charlotte clients
- Tax preparation in Charlotte, with starting prices published
- Tax planning, quarterly, so the moves happen before year end
- Outsourced accounting, with your tax returns included
- Accounting for contractors and trades
- Real estate investor tax strategy
- LLC formation and S corp conversions
What is specific to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
Most tax rules are federal or statewide, but a few things come up again and again for Charlotte businesses:
- No local income tax. North Carolina counties and cities do not tax income. Your Charlotte address changes nothing on your income tax return compared to anywhere else in the state.
- Business personal property listing. Every January, businesses list their equipment, furniture and other business property with the Mecklenburg County Assessor's Office, and pay property tax on it. It is easy to miss in your first year, and late listings carry a penalty.
- No city business license. North Carolina stopped letting cities charge a general privilege license tax in 2015, so most Charlotte businesses do not need a city business license. Some trades need a state license, and some activities need permits.
- Sales tax. Mecklenburg has its own combined sales tax rate, which includes a local transit tax. If you sell taxable goods or services, the rate depends on where the sale happens, not where you are. Since July 1, 2026, the combined Mecklenburg rate is 8.25%, up from 7.25%, after voters approved an extra 1% for roads and transit.
- The South Carolina commute. A large share of Charlotte's workforce lives in York and Lancaster counties. If your employees or your partners live in SC, payroll withholding and your K-1s cross the state line. See NC and SC dual-state taxes.
North Carolina and Mecklenburg tax snapshot
The numbers we check most often for Charlotte clients. Rates are for the years shown and change by law, so we confirm them again when we prepare your return.
| Item | What applies | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| NC individual income tax | Flat rate on NC taxable income, no local income tax | 4.25% (2025) · 3.99% (2026) |
| NC pass-through entity tax | Optional yearly election for S corps and partnerships, taxed at the individual rate | Elect each year |
| Sales tax | Combined state and Mecklenburg rate, including the transit tax and the new 1% for roads and transit voters approved in November 2025 | 8.25% from July 1, 2026 (was 7.25%) |
| Business personal property | Listed with the county every January | Mecklenburg County |
| Town business license | NC ended general privilege license taxes in 2015 | Generally none |
North Carolina rate cuts after 2026 only happen if state revenue hits targets set in law, so plan with the current rate, not a promised one.
Why a Waxhaw CPA for a Charlotte business
We are not going to pretend to have an uptown office. We are in Waxhaw, in Union County, about 20 miles south.
Here is what that means in practice: nothing. Your discovery call is on Google Meet. Documents go through a secure portal. Returns are signed electronically and delivered with a recorded walkthrough. Charlotte clients work with us exactly the way Waxhaw clients do, and the way clients in other states do.
What you get in return is a small, focused team where the people working on your account know your account, and a CPA who picks up the phone during the year.
Areas around Charlotte we serve
Charlotte, Ballantyne, Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius and Harrisburg, plus Union County to the south and Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Indian Land and Rock Hill across the state line. The full list is on our service areas page.
From our insights
Plain English articles on the questions our clients ask most. More on the insights page.
Questions we get asked
Do you have an office in Charlotte?
No. Our office is in Waxhaw, NC, about 20 miles south of uptown Charlotte. All client work is virtual, over Google Meet, secure upload and electronic signature, so Charlotte clients never need to drive to us. You still get a small team that knows your account.
How much does a CPA cost in Charlotte?
Individual tax returns start at $400 for a single filer and $600 for married filing jointly. Business returns start at $1,500. Our Essentials accounting package starts at $5,500 a year, about $458 a month, plus a one time $500 onboarding fee. These are starting prices, and we confirm your exact price before any work begins.
Does Charlotte have a local income tax?
No. North Carolina counties and cities do not tax income, so a Charlotte address changes nothing on your income tax return compared with anywhere else in the state. What does differ is property tax, the county business personal property listing each January, and sales tax, because Mecklenburg adds a local transit tax.
Do Charlotte businesses need a business license?
Most do not. North Carolina ended general city and county privilege license taxes in 2015. Some trades need a state license, for example general contractors on projects of $40,000 or more, and businesses still list their business personal property with Mecklenburg County each January.
Do Charlotte businesses have to list business property?
Yes. Every January, businesses list their equipment, furniture and other business property with the Mecklenburg County Assessor's Office and pay property tax on it. It is easy to miss in your first year, and late listings carry a penalty. Businesses based in Union County list with Union County instead.
Can you help if I live in South Carolina and work in Charlotte?
Yes, it is one of the most common situations we handle. You file a North Carolina nonresident return for the income earned in NC and a South Carolina resident return that credits the NC tax. Details are on our NC and SC dual state tax page.
What is the North Carolina income tax rate for 2026?
North Carolina has a flat individual income tax. The rate is 4.25% for 2025 returns, which you file in 2026, and 3.99% for 2026. Further cuts after 2026 only happen if state revenue hits targets set in law. Charlotte and Mecklenburg County add no local income tax on top.