From Portland to Bangor, Lewiston to Augusta, Tides Bookkeeping provides remote bookkeeping, payroll support, and monthly financial reporting for small businesses across Maine. Clean books. Real results. No commute required.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · 100% Remote
Maine's economy is shaped by its coast and its forests. It lands the vast majority of the nation's lobster, supports a large tourism and hospitality sector (its license plates read Vacationland), and remains a leader in forestry, paper, and wild blueberry and potato production. Shipbuilding (Bath Iron Works), healthcare, and a growing food-and-beverage scene add further depth.
Maine has a graduated individual income tax with three brackets, roughly 5.8%, 6.75%, and a top rate of 7.15% (as of 2026, confirm the current rates and bracket thresholds, which adjust for inflation). The state sales tax is 5.5%, and Maine allows no local or county sales taxes, so the rate is uniform statewide, though certain items such as prepared meals, lodging, and short-term rentals carry higher special rates. Pass-through business profits flow to owners' individual returns, while C-corporations pay Maine corporate income tax.
Seven core services designed for small businesses across every industry in Maine — 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 Maine municipal withholding — working alongside your payroll processor to keep everything reconciled.
From Portland and the twin cities to Bangor, the Midcoast, Downeast, and Aroostook — 100% remote, clean books every month. Maine has no local sales tax, so we keep your income tax and its tiered sales rates (5.5% general, 8% meals, 9% lodging) clean. Explore by county:
From Portland's food and waterfront economy to Bangor healthcare, Midcoast lobster and tourism, and Aroostook agriculture, we understand the financial rhythms of Maine'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, multi-city payroll withholding
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 Maine's business climate cold — from the graduated income tax and the no-local, tiered sales tax (5.5% general, 8% meals, 9% lodging) to the seasonal tourism economy that drives the coast and the industries across the state.
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 Portland and take jobs all over southern Maine — with the busy summer season, I fell way behind on my books and dreaded tax season. Tides got me completely caught up, sorted out the sales-tax side, 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 Maine. Tides handles your books; these help with the rest.