Payroll Companies & Payroll Services in Bolingbrook, IL

Overview

Eberhart Accounting Services, P.C., which goes by EA Taxes online, is an accounting and tax firm in Bolingbrook, Illinois. It serves clients throughout the Chicago area and describes its reach as global. Payroll sits alongside bookkeeping, tax preparation and advisory work, so an employer can place several financial functions with a single office rather than coordinating multiple vendors.

Payroll Support

The firm frames payroll as a recurring burden for owners, since federal, state and local rules shift regularly. Its payroll professionals say they stay current on those rules and will alert a client early when a significant change could affect the company or its employees.

The firm also states that it can keep payroll running smoothly however large the business and its workforce become. Because the same practice prepares sales tax filings, financial statements and QuickBooks files, payroll records can be coordinated with the books and with year-end tax work.

Other Services

The firm presents itself as large enough to provide a full range of professional services, yet small enough to give each client individual attention. Its listed offerings include:

• Payroll services
• QuickBooks consulting, covering both the online and desktop versions
• Bookkeeping, write-up and accounting
• Tax preparation and planning for individuals and businesses
• Estate and trust tax work, done in cooperation with a client's legal counsel
• Sales tax services
• Business consulting, including questions about expanding, selling or restructuring
• Financial analysis and financial statements
• Business entity selection, such as LLC, partnership or corporation
• IRS representation during audits
• Retirement planning and notary public services

Working Method

The firm describes a four-step process. It begins by helping the client get books and records in order, then studies the client's specific needs. Next it develops legal ways to reduce taxes, and finally it helps carry out the plan and watches the outcome.

Its stated philosophy has three parts: dependable, timely service at a reasonable cost; contributing to the community and the profession; and growing without losing the local character and personal ties that the practice was built on.

People and Availability

Karen Eberhart Metcalfe is the corporate owner. She holds EA and CPA credentials as well as an MSMIS degree, and she acts as a QuickBooks advisor. The staff also includes:

• Rose Marzano, an enrolled agent working as a tax specialist and accountant
• A second enrolled agent, who is also a tax specialist and accountant
• A further tax specialist and accountant who speaks Spanish
• Briana Barrios, a Spanish-speaking bookkeeper who serves as the point of contact for Oldfield Townhomes
• Cathy Hahn, who handles customer service

Client reviews praise the firm as knowledgeable, responsive and informed about tax law changes. One client credits the owner with taking time to answer questions, and another mentions help with a parent's final return. A writer who has worked with the firm for a long time also enjoys its newsletters, which she calls whimsical and folksy.

The site includes a message in Spanish offering help with business accounting and taxes as well as personal returns. During tax season, February 1 through April 15, the office is open weekdays into the evening and on Saturday mornings and early afternoons. The rest of the year it keeps shorter hours from Monday to Thursday. Visitors can also use a client portal, an online payment page, a newsletter and a library of calculators, guides and tax references.

Whitfield & Associates LLC is a certified public accounting firm in Bolingbrook, Illinois, that works almost exclusively with churches, ministries, and other faith-based nonprofits. Its ideal clients are growing congregations and outreach organizations with annual budgets of roughly $50,000 to $2 million.

For buyers comparing payroll providers, the firm stands out as a compliance-focused accounting partner rather than a stand-alone payroll processor. It handles the payroll tax reporting side of ministry finances and fits that work into a broader bookkeeping relationship.

Payroll and Compliance Services

The firm files quarterly and annual payroll returns with both the IRS and the state on behalf of its clients. It also prepares year-end 1099 forms and sends them to vendors. In addition, it reviews donor contribution statements so they meet federal requirements. Each organization decides who runs payroll, pays bills, and records donations.

A ministry can keep those tasks internal or hand them to the firm. Clients that prefer an in-house bookkeeper can have Whitfield & Associates teach that person to process payroll, enter transactions, and reconcile accounts correctly. The firm then reviews the bookkeeper's entries daily, runs quarterly financial check-ups, and stays available for questions.

• Quarterly and annual federal and state payroll filings
• Year-end 1099 preparation and distribution
• Contribution statement compliance reviews
• Bookkeeper training covering payroll and reconciliations
• Ongoing IRS and state compliance assessments

How Engagements Work

A typical engagement starts with access to the client's QuickBooks Online file and bank feeds. The team then brings overdue records up to date, going back as far as the organization chooses, and addresses any existing compliance problems. After that, it keeps data entry and reconciliations current and checks regulatory compliance at intervals during the year.

Organizations still tracking finances in spreadsheets can be moved onto QuickBooks Online. Ministries preparing for a bank loan or grant request can get a timeline-driven plan to have their financial statements ready. Beyond bookkeeping, the firm prepares Form 990 returns, handles tax matters for clergy, and helps groups apply for 501c3 status.

For do-it-yourself applicants, it also sells downloadable sample application kits with video walkthroughs tailored to churches, outreach ministries, community programs, day care ministries, and transitional living programs.

Background and Credentials

The practice is led by Belinda Whitfield, a CPA who belongs to the Illinois CPA Society and the AICPA. Her ministry accounting work began in 1995, when the pastor of her home church, Dr. Bill Winston, asked her to examine the congregation's records.

She went on to design the church's accounting department from the ground up, replacing handwritten checks and manual reports with an integrated computerized system. That system later allowed the church to quickly assemble the documentation needed for a property loan that was approved. The church has since grown to more than 20,000 members.

Whitfield & Associates serves ministries across the country from its Bolingbrook office and also offers free training and presentations to pastors and church leaders. Client testimonials frequently mention clear explanations, responsiveness, and guidance on pay structures and deductions. The firm is a good fit for churches that want payroll tax filings handled as part of a broader effort to put their books and compliance on solid footing.