Anchorage runs on small businesses — and great books are the foundation of every one that lasts. Tides Bookkeeping provides remote bookkeeping, payroll support, and monthly financial reporting for Anchorage business owners in the Municipality of Anchorage who'd rather focus on running their business than managing their books.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · 100% Remote
Home to roughly 40% of all Alaskans, Anchorage is where the state's economy concentrates — Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport moves more air cargo than almost any airport on earth, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson anchors a large military workforce, and the oil and gas majors, Alaska Native regional corporations, and the state's biggest hospitals all keep their corporate offices here.
That concentration creates opportunity — and financial complexity. Business owners in Anchorage juggle high freight costs, seasonal swings, and multi-jurisdiction customers, and they need clean books, clear cash flow visibility, and a partner who can keep up as they scale.
Ted Stevens Anchorage International is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world — anchoring a logistics, freight, and aviation-services economy that touches nearly every local business.
Oil and gas offices, healthcare systems, the military, Alaska Native corporations, tourism, and thousands of contractors and service firms — Anchorage spans every industry we serve.
Alaska levies no state sales tax and no state personal income tax — and unlike most Alaska communities, Anchorage adds no general local sales tax either (as of 2026 — confirm current rules). That is genuinely rare in the U.S.
Anchorage is more than a zip code — it sits in the Municipality of Anchorage, a unified home-rule municipality — the city and the borough are the same government. Understanding its neighborhoods, roads, history, and economy is how we serve our clients better.
Anchorage began in 1915 as a tent city on Ship Creek — the construction headquarters for the Alaska Railroad. What started as a railroad camp became the supply and transportation hub for the whole territory, and the city grew around the movement of freight, people, and material.
World War II and the Cold War brought Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base (today's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson), and the 1968 Prudhoe Bay oil discovery and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline turned Anchorage into the corporate capital of Alaska's oil economy. The 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) created the Alaska Native regional corporations — several of the state's largest companies — many headquartered here. The 1964 Good Friday earthquake rebuilt much of the city in the process.
Today that mix of freight, energy, healthcare, and Native corporate business continues — with more small business owners than ever, and more who need clean books to grow with confidence.
Seven core bookkeeping services, all delivered remotely — designed specifically for the pace and complexity of Anchorage's growing small business economy.
Your most important financial foundation. We categorize every transaction, reconcile every account, and deliver clean P&L and balance sheet reports to your inbox every month — so you always know exactly where your Anchorage business stands financially.
Got months or years of backlog? We clean it all up so you can move forward with an accurate set of books — ready for your CPA and ready for decisions.
Starting fresh or inheriting a mess? We configure QuickBooks, connect your accounts, and build a chart of accounts tailored to your industry and business model.
Every account reconciled every month — ensuring your books match your bank statements and every transaction is accounted for accurately.
P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports that are easy to read, understand, and act on — delivered every month, on time.
We track what you owe and what's owed to you, keeping your cash flow picture clear and your vendor relationships organized.
We ensure payroll expenses hit your books correctly every pay period, syncing with your payroll processor to keep everything reconciled and tax-ready.
We work with business owners across every major industry in Anchorage — from contractors in South Anchorage to freight and logistics firms near the airport to restaurant owners in Spenard and downtown.
Job costing, subcontractor payments, material expenses, seasonal flow
Commission tracking, rental income, investor portfolios, property expenses
COGS, tip payroll, vendor reconciliation, inventory management
Consultants, marketing agencies, attorneys — clean monthly P&L
Medical practices, gyms, spas — payroll and insurance billing support
Inventory costs, merchant fees, online and in-store reconciliation
SaaS, subscription revenue, runway tracking, investor-ready reports
Salons, barbershops, cleaners — simple, consistent monthly books
There's no shortage of bookkeepers in Anchorage — but most are local firms with hourly billing, slow turnarounds, and outdated processes. Tides was built differently.
We're not a local firm that went remote reluctantly. We were built remote-first from day one, which means faster delivery, better systems, and no overhead passed to you.
One flat rate based on your transaction volume. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices, no "extra work" fees. You know exactly what you're paying every month.
We don't just hand you a spreadsheet. Clean, readable reports with plain-language summaries — so you can make real business decisions from your financials.
Tax season gets dramatically easier when your books are maintained properly year-round. Most clients report lower CPA bills after working with Tides.
We earn your business every month. No lock-in agreements, no early termination fees. If we're not delivering, you can leave. That keeps us sharp.
All plans include monthly P&L, balance sheet, bank reconciliation, and dedicated support. Payroll bookkeeping support available as an add-on.
View Full Pricing & Sign Up →"I run a small business in Anchorage and my books were always the last thing I wanted to deal with. Tides completely changed that. I get a clean report every month, my accountant is happy, and I actually know what's going on in my business financially. Couldn't recommend them more."
Based in or near Anchorage? We also serve businesses throughout the Municipality of Anchorage and communities across Southcentral Alaska and the rest of the state.
Mat-Su Valley · 45 min North
Borough Seat · Mat-Su Valley
Cook Inlet · Kenai Peninsula
Peninsula Hub · Kenai River
Kachemak Bay · End of the Road
Interior Alaska · Parks Hwy
State Capital · Southeast
Fishing Port · Kodiak Island
It depends on how far behind you are, but most catch-up projects are completed within 2–4 weeks. We work methodically through each month, ensure everything is accurate, and give you a clean set of books before beginning regular monthly service.
We work in QuickBooks Online for your bookkeeping and Puzzle.io for real-time dashboards and an instant snapshot of your financials. If you're not on QBO yet, we can set it up as part of onboarding.
Absolutely. We can coordinate directly with your CPA or tax preparer — sharing access to QuickBooks, exporting reports in whatever format they need, and making tax season as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
No setup fees. You pay your first month's rate after onboarding is complete and we've begun your first month of bookkeeping. We also offer a satisfaction guarantee on your first month of service.
Book a free 15-minute consultation. We'll review your current situation, walk you through our process, and give you an exact quote. If it's a fit, we'll start onboarding right away — most Anchorage clients are up and running within a week.
Yes. No contracts, no cancellation fees. We work month to month and believe our results speak for themselves. If for any reason Tides isn't the right fit, you can cancel with 30 days' notice and we'll ensure a smooth transition.
Not at all. We serve businesses across the entire Municipality of Anchorage — Eagle River, Chugiak, Girdwood and everywhere in between — plus the rest of Alaska and small businesses nationwide. Our process is 100% remote and works just as well anywhere in the country.
This is the fact most people get wrong. Alaska has no state sales tax and no state personal income tax, and the Municipality of Anchorage levies no general local sales tax either — so most Anchorage businesses have no routine sales tax filing at all. There are still targeted municipal taxes (room, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana), and Alaska does impose a corporate income tax on C-corps. Rates and rules change, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the current rules with the Municipality before you rely on it (as of 2026 — confirm current rate).
Possibly. Alaska has no state sales tax, but 100+ boroughs and cities levy their own — roughly 0% to 7.5%. Remote sellers and marketplace facilitators register and file through the Alaska Remote Sellers Sales Tax Commission (ARSSTC), which lets you file one return for all member jurisdictions. The economic nexus threshold is $100,000 in gross statewide sales; the old 200-transaction test was removed effective January 1, 2025. We keep your books coded so those destination-based sales are easy to report.
100% remote bookkeeping for small businesses across Alaska and throughout the United States. Tides works with Anchorage owners from our home base in Anchorage, Alaska — no Alaska office, no drive-time, no hourly billing.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We'll review your current situation and give you a clear, honest picture of what it will take to get your Anchorage business financially clean — local sales tax filings included.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · First month guaranteed
Official government resources for registering, filing, and staying compliant. Tides handles your books; these help with the rest.