CO Tax & Accounting Services
Kurt Simmons CPA provides comprehensive tax and financial services to individuals and businesses throughout Colorado (CO). With its thriving tech and cannabis industries, we understand the unique financial landscape that comes with doing business in Colorado.
Under the CPA Mobility Act, our CPA — licensed in Maryland, Delaware, and Florida — is authorized to provide the full range of attestation, tax, and advisory services to Colorado clients without the need for an additional state license. This means Colorado individuals and businesses receive the same comprehensive service as our home-state clients: financial statement audits, tax strategy, IRS representation, virtual CFO services, and every other service we offer — delivered through our technology-forward, virtual-first practice model.
CPA Services Available in Colorado (CO)
CO Individual Tax Preparation
Comprehensive federal and Colorado state tax return preparation, including complex returns with investments, rental properties, and self-employment income.
Learn More →CO Business Tax Services
Tax preparation and planning for Colorado-based businesses including S-Corps, C-Corps, partnerships, LLCs, and sole proprietorships.
Learn More →CO Cryptocurrency Tax
Specialized crypto tax services for Colorado investors and traders. DeFi, NFTs, staking rewards, and exchange reporting handled with expertise.
Learn More →CO Trader Tax Services
Mark-to-market elections, wash sale tracking, and tax optimization strategies for active traders in Colorado.
Learn More →CO IRS Resolution
Professional representation before the IRS for Colorado taxpayers facing audits, collections, liens, levies, or offers in compromise.
Learn More →CO 83(b) Elections
Equity compensation planning and 83(b) election filing for Colorado startup employees and founders receiving restricted stock.
Learn More →CO Financial Statement Audits
Full-scope GAAS-compliant financial statement audits for businesses, nonprofits, and organizations requiring independent assurance.
Learn More →CO Review Engagements
Limited assurance engagements providing meaningful confidence in financial statements for lender requirements and stakeholder reporting.
Learn More →CO Compilations
Professionally prepared financial statements from management-provided data for internal reporting, small business needs, and bank presentations.
Learn More →CO Agreed-Upon Procedures
Targeted, customized engagements designed to address specific areas of concern with flexible scope tailored to stakeholder needs.
Learn More →CO Employee Benefit Plan Audits
DOL-compliant audits for 401(k), pension, and employee benefit plans meeting ERISA filing requirements and fiduciary obligations.
Learn More →CO Tax Strategy & Advisory
Proactive, year-round tax planning that identifies savings opportunities. Entity structure optimization, multi-state planning, and strategic initiatives.
Learn More →CO Cost Segregation Studies
Engineering-based analysis to accelerate depreciation deductions on commercial and residential rental properties, maximizing cash flow.
Learn More →CO Virtual CFO Services
Fractional CFO capabilities including financial modeling, cash flow management, KPI dashboards, and strategic financial leadership.
Learn More →CO Business Consulting
Operational assessments, process improvement, internal control design, and strategic planning to drive efficiency and profitability.
Learn More →CO Estate & Succession Planning
Comprehensive estate planning, business succession strategies, and wealth transfer optimization for business owners and high-net-worth individuals.
Learn More →CO Capital Markets Advisory
Securities compliance, FINRA regulatory guidance, and capital markets advisory for businesses navigating public offerings, private placements, and broker-dealer requirements.
Learn More →Colorado Audit Services in Detail
Colorado businesses, nonprofits, and benefit plan sponsors typically need an independent audit when state law, federal rules, lenders, grantmakers, or boards require external assurance. We perform GAAS-compliant attest engagements scoped to the specific assurance need — most commonly:
Colorado Nonprofit Audits
Colorado does not impose a strict state-mandated audit threshold for nonprofits beyond its general charitable solicitation registration. Audited financial statements are routinely required by major Colorado funders — including the Anschutz Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, the Daniels Fund, the Gates Family Foundation, the El Pomar Foundation (Colorado Springs), the Denver Foundation, and federal subrecipient grantors.
Colorado 401(k) & Employee Benefit Plan Audits
Colorado plan sponsors filing Form 5500 generally require an ERISA-compliant audit when the plan has 100 or more participants with account balances at the start of the plan year. We perform full-scope and §103(a)(3)(C) limited-scope benefit plan audits for 401(k), 403(b), and defined-benefit plans across Colorado, including plans sponsored by Lockheed Martin Denver, Ball Aerospace (Boulder), Colorado Springs defense contractors (NORAD/Cheyenne Mountain ecosystem; Air Force Academy area), Boulder/Denver tech and SaaS companies, the cannabis industry, and Colorado healthcare systems.
Colorado Single Audits (Uniform Guidance)
Colorado nonprofits, municipalities, school districts, tribal nations, and pass-through subrecipients that expend $1,000,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year are subject to the Single Audit requirements of 2 CFR Part 200.
Colorado Cannabis Industry Audits & Lender Audits
Colorado's licensed cannabis industry faces unique audit and accounting needs. We perform GAAS-compliant audits and reviews for licensed cannabis operators, structured to address IRC §280E compliance, GAAP-based reporting for state licensure, lender and investor requirements, and the unique financial reporting expectations of cannabis-focused banks.
Colorado Reviews & Compilations
Where a full audit is not required, we deliver review engagements (limited assurance) and compilations (no assurance) — both routinely accepted by Colorado lenders and stakeholders requiring CPA-prepared financial statements.
Colorado (CO) Tax & Business Landscape
Key Colorado Tax Numbers. Personal income tax: 4.4% flat (lowered from 4.55% in 2024). Corporate income tax: tracks 4.4% flat. Sales and use tax: 2.9% state (one of the lowest), plus county, city, and special district add-ons; combined Denver rate approximately 8.81%. Estate tax: none. Pass-through entity (PTE) elective tax under the SALT Parity Act: 4.4% rate, available since tax year 2022. TABOR refunds: under the Colorado Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, state surplus revenues are refunded to taxpayers.
Filing Mechanics. Individuals file Form 104. C-corporations file Form 112. Partnerships, S-corps, and LLCs taxed as partnerships file Form 106; PTE election is made on Form DR 1705. Sales tax is filed at multiple levels: state, county, special districts, and Colorado's approximately 100 home-rule cities.
Colorado's Home-Rule Sales Tax Maze. Colorado is one of the most complicated sales tax states in the country. The state has approximately 100 home-rule cities — municipalities that administer their own sales tax separately from the state DOR, each with its own rate, base, exemptions, and filing requirements. The Colorado Sales and Use Tax Simplification (SUTS) portal has helped, but compliance remains uniquely complex.
Colorado Cannabis Industry & IRC §280E. Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational cannabis (2012), and the licensed cannabis industry generates billions annually. Cannabis operators face unique federal tax challenges under IRC §280E, which prohibits deducting most ordinary business expenses (only COGS is deductible). Colorado, however, allows full state-level deductions — creating a meaningful federal-state difference.
Colorado Economy & Who We Serve. Colorado's economy spans technology and cybersecurity (Denver, Boulder — "Silicon Plains"), aerospace and defense (Lockheed Martin Denver, Ball Aerospace Boulder, NORAD/Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, the U.S. Air Force Academy), oil and gas, military, outdoor recreation and tourism (Aspen, Vail, Steamboat, Telluride, Breckenridge), agriculture, the cannabis industry, and growing renewable energy.
CPA Mobility in Colorado. Colorado has adopted CPA mobility provisions under the Uniform Accountancy Act. Kurt Simmons holds active CPA licenses in Maryland, Delaware, and Florida, and we confirm all applicable Colorado State Board of Accountancy mobility and firm registration requirements before commencing any engagement.
Cities and Communities We Serve. Our virtual-first practice serves clients across all of Colorado, including Denver, Colorado Springs (military, aerospace; NORAD; Air Force Academy), Aurora, Fort Collins (CSU), Lakewood, Thornton, Arvada, Westminster, Pueblo, Centennial, Boulder (CU; tech), the Front Range, the mountain resort communities (Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Breckenridge), the Western Slope, and every Colorado county.
Why Colorado Clients Choose Us
- GAAS-compliant audit, review, and compilation experience for nonprofits, benefit plans, cannabis operators, and privately held businesses
- Deep expertise in CO-specific issues: SALT Parity Act PTE elections, TABOR refund integration, IRC §280E for licensed cannabis operators, Colorado's complex home-rule sales tax compliance, and Colorado Springs federal contractor / military equity compensation
- Capital markets background — Kurt Simmons has passed the Series 65 examination (Passed; not currently held as an active license) in addition to holding the CPA
- Specialized practices in cryptocurrency taxation, active trader tax, and 83(b) elections for CO Boulder/Denver tech/SaaS startup employees
- Technology-forward, virtual-first delivery — secure client portal, e-signature, and video consultations
- Transparent, fixed-fee engagements where possible — no surprise hourly invoices
Colorado CPA — Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Colorado-licensed CPA?
Colorado has adopted CPA mobility provisions under the Uniform Accountancy Act. Kurt Simmons holds active CPA licenses in Maryland, Delaware, and Florida, and we confirm any applicable firm-level Colorado State Board of Accountancy registration before commencing attest engagements.
What is Colorado's income tax rate?
Colorado has a flat 4.4% personal income tax (lowered from 4.55% in 2024) — among the lowest flat rates in the country. The Colorado corporate income tax also tracks 4.4%. Form 104 is due April 15.
Does Colorado have a SALT-cap workaround?
Yes. Colorado enacted the SALT Parity Act effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. Eligible S-corps and partnerships pay an entity-level tax tracking the personal flat rate (4.4%), and members receive a corresponding credit on Form 104.
What are TABOR refunds?
Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) — a 1992 constitutional amendment — limits state government revenue growth. When state revenue exceeds the TABOR limit, the surplus must be refunded to taxpayers. Recent TABOR refund mechanisms have included the Cash Back Refund and sales tax refund mechanisms tied to AGI.
I run a Colorado cannabis business. What special tax issues apply (IRC 280E)?
Colorado's cannabis industry faces unique federal tax challenges under IRC §280E, which prohibits cannabis businesses from deducting most ordinary business expenses (only Cost of Goods Sold is deductible). Colorado, however, allows full state-level deductions, creating a meaningful federal-state difference.
Why is Colorado sales tax so complicated?
Colorado is one of the most complicated sales tax states in the country because it has approximately 100 home-rule cities — municipalities that administer their own sales tax separately from the state Department of Revenue. Each home-rule city has its own rate, base, exemptions, and filing requirements.
Do you serve Colorado clients outside Denver?
Yes. Our practice is virtual-first, so we serve clients across all of Colorado — including Colorado Springs (military, NORAD, Air Force Academy), Aurora, Fort Collins (CSU), Lakewood, Thornton, Arvada, Westminster, Pueblo, Centennial, Boulder (tech, CU), the Front Range, the mountain resort communities, and every Colorado county.