The best CPA firm in Durango for most households and small businesses is Tucker, Bechtolt, & Associates. Both of its named CPAs hold active Colorado licenses in the state's public data, it offers a free consultation, and it has a 5.0 Google rating across 17 reviews. R. Bell & Associates ranks second because it posts the CPA certificate numbers that we matched to the state's records. David W. Belleau CPA ranks third. This guide ranks seven CPA firms and tax preparers plus three bookkeeping and payroll shops. It covers who holds what credential, what each posts about fees, and where free tax help is.
How we handle conflicts, and what this is not: durangocolorado.org is run by Animas Marketing. No firm pays for a spot, and the order follows the scoring below. This guide lists credentials and logistics only. It is not tax advice. Every rule is cited to the IRS, the Colorado Department of Revenue or the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. Facts come from each firm's website and the state's open license data, checked on October 23, 2026.
Who are the best CPAs in Durango, CO?
Here are the firms that scored highest on posted, checkable facts:
- Tucker, Bechtolt, & Associates: tax, bookkeeping, payroll and part-time CFO work, with a free consultation.
- R. Bell & Associates: posts CPA certificate numbers that match state records.
- David W. Belleau CPA: tax, QuickBooks help and IRS problem work, with a free first call.
- BPX Durango: a tax preparer whose site lists its owner as an enrolled agent, and the only one here with posted prices.
- Tafoya Barrett & Associates: the firm with the most CPAs we could verify, but few posted terms.
- McCannon Tyler & Associates: a Denver and Durango firm with a full service list.
- Curtis L. Powers-Ackley, P.C.: a small practice in tax and accounting, by appointment.
One more firm, Temple Allen & Associates, has a verified license but says it is not accepting new clients, so we left it unranked.
How did we rank them?
We gave each firm up to seven points for things a reader can check:
- Credential check (0 to 3). Three points if every CPA named on the site is active in the state's license data and the site posts license numbers you can match. Two if the names match but no numbers are posted. One if the credential is real but not in that data, such as an enrolled agent, or if the site names no CPA and we matched a name from an email address. Zero if none is stated.
- Services stated (0 to 2). We counted six lines: individual tax, small-business tax, bookkeeping, payroll, IRS representation and estate or trust work. Five or six lines earn two points. Three or four earn one.
- Fees or intake (0 or 1). One point for a free consultation or posted prices. Zero if the firm is closed to new clients.
- Google rating (0 or 1). One point for at least 10 Google reviews and a 4.5 or better rating. Most CPA firms have fewer reviews than that.
Ties go to the firm with more verified CPAs. That is why Tafoya Barrett, one of the largest firms in town, sits fifth: it posts few terms. We did not grade the quality of any firm's work.
How do the Durango firms compare at a glance?
| Rank | Firm | Type | Credential check | Services stated | Fees or intake | Google rating | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tucker, Bechtolt, & Associates | CPA firm | 2 CPAs active | 6 of 6 lines | Free consultation; fees not listed | 5.0 (17) | 6 |
| 2 | R. Bell & Associates | CPA firm | 2 CPAs active; numbers posted and matched | 6 of 6 | Free consultation; fees not listed | No reviews | 6 |
| 3 | David W. Belleau CPA | CPA firm | 1 CPA active | 4 of 6 | Free first call; fees not listed | No reviews | 4 |
| 4 | BPX Durango | Tax preparer | Owner states EA; not in state data | 5 of 6 | Tax-plan packages $250, $375, $499 a month | 3.7 (18) | 4 |
| 5 | Tafoya Barrett & Associates | CPA firm | 3 CPAs active | 3 of 6 | Not listed | 5.0 (3) | 3 |
| 6 | McCannon Tyler & Associates | CPA firm | Name matched from an email address | 6 of 6 | Not listed | No reviews | 3 |
| 7 | Curtis L. Powers-Ackley, P.C. | CPA firm | 1 CPA active | 3 of 6 | Not listed; by appointment | No reviews | 3 |
| Closed | Temple Allen & Associates | CPA firm | 2 CPAs and the firm active; numbers posted and matched | 6 of 6 | Not accepting new clients | 5.0 (2) | n/a |
Google ratings are as synced to this directory in October 2026 and will drift. Prices are as posted on each firm's website that month.
Is your Durango CPA licensed?
Colorado licenses CPAs through the State Board of Accountancy at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). You can check anyone on the DORA license lookup. We also queried the state's open license data on October 23, 2026. It lists 93 active CPA licenses with a Durango mailing address, and 106 once Bayfield, Hesperus and Ignacio are added.
We matched these names on firm websites to active licenses. Each personal license runs through November 30, 2027:
- Tucker, Bechtolt, & Associates: Stacie Tucker (CPA 28990) and Connie Bechtolt (CPA 27183).
- R. Bell & Associates: Rachel Bell (CPA 25595) and Jeana Walston (CPA 30828). Both numbers match the certificate numbers posted on the firm's team page.
- Tafoya Barrett & Associates: Brad Tafoya (CPA 16079), Pat Barrett (CPA 11068) and Brad Wolter (CPA 30746). A fourth professional, Chris Carney, lists an IRS enrolled agent credential on the firm's site. The IRS issues that one, so DORA does not track it.
- McCannon Tyler & Associates: Michael Tyler (CPA 18821), listed in Durango. The firm's site shows only the email address miketyler@mtacpas.com, so this is a name match, not a posted number.
- David W. Belleau CPA: David Belleau (CPA 22575), with a Bayfield mailing address and a Durango office.
- Curtis L. Powers-Ackley, P.C.: Curtis Powers-Ackley (CPA 11425), first licensed in 1988.
- Temple Allen & Associates: the firm (license 5000502, active to 2029-08-31), Scott Allen (CPA 9036173) and Dillon Washburn (CPA 9035070).
We could not match the owner of BPX Durango, whose site lists the enrolled agent credential. The IRS keeps its own directory of preparers with credentials for that check. We could not tie a named CPA to the Durango office of Tax Time CPAs (175 Mercado St, 3.0 from 8 reviews), so that firm is not ranked.
What is the difference between a CPA, an enrolled agent and a tax preparer?
The IRS sorts return preparers by what they may do for you in an audit or collection case. It puts three groups in the top tier (IRS):
| Credential | Who licenses it | Representation rights at the IRS |
|---|---|---|
| Certified public accountant | A state board of accountancy; the person has passed the Uniform CPA Exam | Unlimited |
| Enrolled agent | The IRS; passes a three-part exam and completes 72 hours of continuing education every three years | Unlimited |
| Attorney | State courts or the state bar | Unlimited |
| Annual Filing Season Program participant | Voluntary IRS record of completion | Limited: only returns they prepared and signed, and not appeals or collection |
| PTIN holder with no other credential | Registers with the IRS | None |
A preparer paid to prepare all or substantially all of a federal return must register with the IRS and hold a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), per IRS Publication 4938. A PTIN alone does not prove skill. The IRS says some CPAs specialize in tax and some do not, so ask what share of a firm's work is tax.
What do Durango firms post about fees?
Almost nothing. Only BPX Durango posts prices: tax-strategy maintenance packages that start at $250, $375 and $499 a month. Three firms offer a free consultation, and the rest say to call. Ask any firm for a written fee quote that covers the return, the forms you expect, and what happens if you get an IRS letter.
When should you book for the 2027 tax season?
No Durango firm we checked posts a new-client cutoff for 2027. Temple Allen & Associates is the only one that says it is closed to new clients. Here is what the agencies post:
- Federal deadline. The IRS lists April 15 for calendar-year filers. For tax year 2026 returns, that falls on Thursday, April 15, 2027. The IRS "When to file" page still showed the 2026 date in October, so recheck it in January.
- Extensions. An extension gives six months to file, which would be Friday, October 15, 2027. It does not give more time to pay, per the IRS.
- Colorado. The state due date is April 15, and the state's automatic extension runs to October 15. There is no extension for tax owed, per the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Where can you get free tax help in La Plata County?
The Durango-La Plata VITA site ran at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Extension Building, 2500 Main Ave, in 2026. It opened February 2 and closed April 13, with hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Saturdays, by appointment only. The site posts its schedule at durangovita.org. We found no 2027 schedule as of October 23, 2026, so check in January.
Colorado VITA says VITA helps with basic returns for taxpayers who earn about $69,000 or less. AARP Tax-Aide, part of the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program, is free for all taxpayers and aimed at people 60 and older. Call 1-888-227-7669 to find a site.
The bookkeepers and payroll shops
A CPA files your return. A bookkeeper keeps the books during the year. We ranked three Durango shops by years in business, services, credentials stated and Google reviews:
- Leah Ilanah Business Solutions (since 2009; 5.0 from 19 reviews): bookkeeping, payroll, tax and QuickBooks advice at 734 E 2nd Ave. Its site lists the owner as a licensed certified bookkeeper and an IRS Annual Filing Season Program preparer. Its client list names farms and ranches, real estate investors and rentals. Best for bookkeeping.
- The Payroll Department (since 1993; 5.0 from 38 reviews): payroll, HR and benefits administration at 2530 Colorado Ave, Suite 2B. It also lists nonprofits as clients. Best for payroll.
- Blue Skies Bookkeepers: bookkeeping, payroll, and sales and property tax filing from a Durango office at 190 Turner Dr, Unit F. It has no Google reviews yet. Its Durango partner manages the Temple Allen CPA office, so the two share an address.
Which kind of help fits you?
| Your situation | Kind of help | Local places to start |
|---|---|---|
| Only W-2 income, simple return | Free VITA or Tax-Aide, or any preparer with a PTIN | Durango-La Plata VITA; any firm above |
| Rental property | CPA or enrolled agent | Tafoya Barrett lists rental property advice; BPX lists rental income returns |
| Small business, monthly books | CPA plus a bookkeeper | Tucker Bechtolt, R. Bell, Leah Ilanah, Blue Skies |
| Ranch or farm | CPA with farm clients, plus a bookkeeper | Leah Ilanah names farms and ranches; ask CPAs directly, since none of their sites does |
| Nonprofit | CPA | Tucker Bechtolt, McCannon Tyler and BPX list nonprofit work |
| An IRS letter or audit | CPA, enrolled agent or attorney | Belleau, Bell and BPX list IRS representation |
| Payroll only | Payroll service | The Payroll Department, Blue Skies |
What should you ask before you hire?
- Who signs the return, and is that person a CPA or enrolled agent?
- What is the fee, and what is not included?
- Are you taking new clients for the 2027 season?
- What do you need from me, and by what date?
- If the IRS writes to me, who answers?
Starting a business? Our starting a business guide covers licensing, and our estate planning guide lists attorneys. For help with a website or ads, see our ranked marketing agencies in Durango. For the local sales tax rate, see this answer. Property owners can check property tax due dates. Browse every accountant, CPA, tax preparer and bookkeeper in our directory, or the wider finance category. Run a Durango firm we missed? Claim your free listing and send us your details.