From downtown Durham to Research Triangle Park, the Duke University area, and beyond — Tides Bookkeeping handles the books for small businesses across every corner of Durham County. 100% remote. Clean books every month.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · 100% Remote
Durham County is the innovation engine of the Research Triangle, anchored by Duke University and Research Triangle Park. The county drives a knowledge-based economy built on biotech, pharma, technology, healthcare, and education — making it one of the most economically dynamic counties in the Southeast.
With Duke University's $12B endowment, IBM/Red Hat's global headquarters, Fidelity Investments, IQVIA, and RTI International, Durham attracts world-class talent and entrepreneurs. The revitalized downtown — centered on the American Tobacco Campus and Brightleaf Square — has become one of the South's most vibrant food, arts, and startup scenes.
Whether your business is headquartered in Durham or operating out of a smaller community, we serve the entire county with the same level of service.
The county seat and Triangle innovation hub — home to Duke University, a booming downtown food and startup scene, and the biotech/pharma corridor.
The largest research park in the US — hundreds of biotech, pharma, and tech companies in a 7,000-acre campus shared with Wake County.
Northern Durham County — rural community with local businesses, farms, and trades serving the surrounding area.
Western Durham County community — local services, trades, and residential businesses.
Also serving Eno, Mangum, and all unincorporated Durham County communities and townships.
Serving the broader Durham metro including businesses in the RTP area and surrounding communities.
Serving Durham County means knowing it. Here's the local context that shapes how businesses operate across the county.
Durham County's economic transformation is one of the great American reinvention stories. Once a tobacco and textile town — American Tobacco Company was headquartered here — Durham has reinvented itself as one of the nation's leading biotech, pharma, and tech hubs. The tobacco warehouses now house startups, restaurants, and creative companies.
Duke University and its healthcare system are the county's most powerful economic engine — Duke Health alone employs over 40,000 people. IBM/Red Hat, headquartered in downtown Durham, anchors the tech sector. Fidelity Investments, IQVIA, and RTI International drive financial services and research.
Today, Durham County is experiencing explosive growth. The American Tobacco Campus, Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), and the 9th Street district have made downtown one of the South's most desirable places to live and work. The county's startup ecosystem, fueled by Duke's entrepreneurial programs and RTP's corporate R&D, generates new businesses at an extraordinary rate.
Seven core services, all delivered remotely. Everything your Durham County business needs to stay financially clean and tax-ready year-round.
Our flagship service. Every transaction categorized, every account reconciled, and clean financial reports delivered to your inbox each month — without you lifting a finger. The financial foundation every Durham County business deserves.
Behind on your books? We clean up any backlog — whether it's 3 months or 3 years — so you can move forward with accurate, up-to-date records.
New business or inherited a mess? We configure QuickBooks, connect your accounts, and build a chart of accounts that actually makes sense for your industry.
Monthly reconciliation of every bank account and credit card — ensuring your books match your statements and no transactions fall through the cracks.
P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports delivered monthly in a format you can actually understand and act on.
We keep your AP and AR organized so you always know what's coming in, what's going out, and what's overdue.
We make sure your payroll expenses hit your books correctly and stay in sync with your payroll processor every pay period.
We understand the financial patterns of the industries that drive Durham County's economy — from contractors to restaurants, healthcare to professional services.
Job costing, subcontractors, material expenses, and seasonal cash flow
Agent commissions, rental income, property expenses, and investor portfolios
COGS, tip payroll, inventory management, and vendor reconciliation
Insurance billing coordination, payroll, and practice management
Consultants, attorneys, agencies — clean monthly financials
MRR tracking, ASC 606, investor-ready books
Grant tracking, R&D capitalization, compliance-ready books
Inventory, merchant fees, platform reconciliation
"I own a dental practice near Duke and Tides has been handling our books for over a year now. Insurance reconciliation, payroll for six staff members, and clean monthly reports — all done remotely. Our accountant said our books are the cleanest she's ever seen from a dental office."
Yes — we serve businesses across the entire county, including Durham, the RTP area, Bahama, and all unincorporated areas. Since we're 100% remote, your exact location within the county doesn't matter.
No. If you don't have QuickBooks Online, we can set it up as part of your onboarding. If you already have an account, we'll connect to it and clean it up as needed. We also connect Puzzle.io for real-time dashboards and an instant snapshot of your books before beginning regular monthly service.
Pricing is based on your monthly transaction volume. Most small businesses fall between $395–$895/month. We provide an exact quote during your free consultation — no guesswork.
We keep your books tax-ready and can work alongside your CPA or tax preparer on sales tax matters. We don't file returns directly, but we ensure all the supporting data is clean and organized for whoever handles your tax filings.
Most Durham County businesses are fully onboarded within 5–7 business days. We schedule a kickoff call, connect your accounts, review your chart of accounts, and begin work right away.
We make switching easy. We can work directly with your previous bookkeeper to transition files and access, review existing books for accuracy, and pick up right where they left off — or clean things up if needed.
Durham County is one of our core markets in the Triangle, and we serve businesses across the entire region and beyond.
Raleigh · Cary
Chapel Hill · Hillsborough
Pittsboro · Siler City
Roxboro
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. Tell us about your business and we'll give you a clear picture of where your books stand and what it will cost to fix it.
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.