From Des Moines to Cedar Rapids, Davenport to Iowa City, Tides Bookkeeping provides remote bookkeeping, payroll support, and monthly financial reporting for small businesses across Iowa. Clean books. Real results. No commute required.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · 100% Remote
Iowa's economy is anchored by agriculture, where it leads the nation in corn, ethanol, pork, and egg production, but it is far more diversified than the fields suggest. Des Moines is one of the country's largest insurance and financial-services hubs, home to Principal Financial and a dense cluster of carriers. Advanced manufacturing (led by ag-equipment maker John Deere), biofuels, wind energy, and food processing round out a steady, broad-based economy.
As of 2026, Iowa taxes individual income at a single flat rate of 3.8%, having phased out its old graduated brackets in recent years, though you should confirm the current rate before filing. C-corporations pay a graduated corporate income tax of roughly 5.5% on the first $100,000 and 7.1% above that (as of 2026, confirm current rates). The state sales tax is 6%, and most jurisdictions add a 1% local option sales tax, so many Iowa businesses collect a combined 7%. Groceries and prescription drugs are generally exempt from sales tax.
Seven core services designed for small businesses across every industry in Iowa — all delivered remotely, all handled by our team.
Your most important foundation. We categorize every transaction, reconcile your accounts, and deliver clean P&L and balance sheet reports every single month — so you always know exactly where your business stands.
Months or years behind? We clean it all up — systematically organizing your past transactions so you can get current and stay compliant.
Starting fresh or inheriting a mess? We connect all your accounts, configure your chart of accounts, and set everything up correctly from day one.
Every account, every month. We match your books to your bank statements and flag any discrepancies before they become problems.
P&L, balance sheets, and cash flow statements delivered monthly in a format you can actually read and act on.
We track what you owe and what's owed to you — keeping your cash flow picture clear and your vendor relationships clean.
We ensure your payroll expenses hit your books correctly every pay period — including local Iowa municipal withholding — working alongside your payroll processor to keep everything reconciled.
From Des Moines and the metro to Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, and the university towns — 100% remote, clean books every month. Iowa's new flat 3.8% income tax and its 6% sales tax with a local-option add-on, we keep them clean. Explore by county:
From Des Moines insurance and financial services to Cedar Rapids grain processing to Quad Cities manufacturing, we understand the financial rhythms of Iowa's most common industries.
Job costing, subcontractor payments, material expenses
COGS tracking, tip payroll, inventory & vendor management
Commission tracking, rental income, property expenses
Consultants, attorneys, agencies — clean P&L every month
Inventory, merchant fees, platform reconciliation
Insurance billing, payroll, HIPAA-aware practices
Fleet expenses, fuel costs, driver payroll
Job costing, inventory, and material sales/use tax
We're not a local firm that added remote services. We were built remote-first, which means our process, communication, and delivery are optimized for businesses that never need to meet in person.
Tides is based in Greenville, SC and serves clients across the country. We know Iowa's business climate cold — the new flat 3.8% income tax, the 6% sales tax with the 1% local-option add-on most jurisdictions charge, and the corporate rate falling toward a flat 5.5% — and the industries that drive Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and the Quad Cities.
No hourly billing surprises. You pay one flat rate each month based on your transaction volume — and you always know exactly what you're getting.
We don't just hand you a spreadsheet. We deliver clean, readable financial reports each month with plain-language summaries so you can make decisions — not just file paperwork.
Your CPA will thank you. Our books are consistently maintained at a level that makes tax season — federal, state, and local — faster, cheaper, and less stressful for everyone involved.
We earn your business every month. There are no lock-in agreements — just great service that makes you want to stay. Cancel anytime if it's not working.
"I run a small HVAC company out of Ankeny and take jobs all over Central Iowa. Between materials sales tax and payroll, my books were a mess. Tides got me completely caught up, sorted out the sales/use tax on materials, and now I get a clean report every month without lifting a finger. I finally understand my numbers."
Book a free 15-minute call. We'll look at where your books stand and tell you exactly what they need — no pressure, no sales pitch.
Schedule a Free Call →Official government resources for registering, filing, and staying compliant in Iowa. Tides handles your books; these help with the rest.