AI will be part of bookkeeping either way. Running your own practice puts you in the driver's seat: you decide how it's used, and it helps you take on more clients.
1 The path
The path is a certificate or an associate degree, then a firm or your own practice. Olympic College in Bremerton offers a two-year Accounting Technology degree, with certificates in Tax Preparer, Accounting Software Specialist and Accounting Clerk. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median pay for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks at $50,670 a year (May 2025). Washington's RCW 18.04.345 lets unlicensed people provide bookkeeping, tax services and tax return preparation; the CPA title and assurance on financial statements stay with licensees.
2 Credentials
Credentials are voluntary for bookkeeping. Each organization publishes its own fees.
| Credential | What it takes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AIPB Certified Bookkeeper | A four-part exam, an ethics code, and two years (3,000 hours) of experience. | Official page |
| NACPB Certified Public Bookkeeper | Coursework, knowledge certifications, supervised experience, annual continuing education and renewal. | Official page |
| IRS PTIN and Annual Filing Season Program | A PTIN is required to prepare federal returns for pay. The program asks 18 hours of continuing education (a 6-hour refresher with a test) of preparers without another credential. | Official page |
| Enrolled Agent | A three-part Special Enrollment Examination and a suitability check. It is the credential for representing taxpayers before the IRS. | Official page |
3 Your first three clients
In the film above, Dana, a Tacoma bookkeeper, tells a student to pick a niche most people avoid: Washington state and local tax. Start with three clients in one vertical. Each industry has its own film on the Industries page.
4 Where it gets hard, and how Sundry helps
Sales tax follows where the customer receives the goods or service, not the seller's address, and rates reset each quarter. The state does not administer city B&O; each city sets its own rates, exemptions and thresholds. A seller who cannot produce the right document for an exempt sale carries the tax, which is why exemption proof matters. Sundry sources each sale, prepares the return and the Sundry Worksheet, and Sal answers your questions; your client signs off, and you take it from there.
5 Starting a practice
A Business Licensing Service application gives you a 9-digit UBI, and the opening fee is $50. Your city may add its own business license endorsement, and the rules vary by city. Your bookkeeping fees are Service and Other Activities for B&O, at 1.5% below $1 million in prior-year taxable income and higher tiers above, on gross receipts with no deduction for costs. A Small Business Credit can reduce or remove it for small service income, and your city's B&O is separate.
Not tax or legal advice. The Washington State Board of Accountancy is the authority on who may do what.