Quick Comparison
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| <a href="https://www.jhunter.com/">J. Hunter Company</a> | Founded 2014 by Jarad Hunter (12 years); Advanced Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor listed in the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory under Jarad Hunter. | Small business bookkeeping, payroll, workers' compensation, tax preparation, and wealth planning for Ohio business owners and individuals. |
| <a href="https://www.gundlingcpa.com/">Gundling & Company</a> | Founded 1997 by Joyce Gundling, CPA (29 years); QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor with 35 plus years of accounting experience and a collaborative network of independent bookkeepers. | QuickBooks Online setup and training, accounting, and bookkeeping services for small business owners across the Cincinnati market. |
| <a href="https://lighthammerbookkeeping.com/">Lighthammer Bookkeeping</a> | Founded 2021 by Jim Whittenburg, CPA (5 years); QuickBooks Online Elite Tier ProAdvisor listed in the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory under Lighthammer Bookkeeping. | Day-to-day bookkeeping, QuickBooks Online support, payroll, business tax accounting, forecasting, and entity formation for real estate and service businesses. |
1. J. Hunter Company
- Address: 3571 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226
- Phone: (513) 460-7691
- Founder / Owner: Jarad Hunter (Owner)
- Operating Since: 2014 (12 years)
- Credentials: Advanced Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor listed in the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory under Jarad Hunter; tax attorney by trade; authorized IRS e-file provider; fixed annuity insurance agent
- Service area: Cincinnati, the Ohio Kentucky Indiana tri-state area, and Ohio-based small business clients statewide
- Industries served: Small business owners across the Cincinnati and tri-state area, plus individuals approaching or in retirement
- Website: jhunter.com
Columbia Parkway Office and Founder Profile
J. Hunter Company works from 3571 Columbia Parkway in zip 45226, the Columbia Tusculum corridor east of downtown Cincinnati along the Ohio River. Jarad Hunter is named as owner on the firm About page, the company LinkedIn page, the Yelp business listing, the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory under Jarad Hunter, and the Facebook business page. Jarad is an Ohio native raised in Cincinnati who finished his undergraduate degree at Ohio University with a major in Finance and Business Pre-Law before graduating from the University of Cincinnati Law School.
Sole Proprietorship to Incorporation Path
J. Hunter Company started as a sole proprietorship in March 2014 and incorporated in 2018, which gives the practice a documented 12-year window in the Cincinnati bookkeeping and tax market. Since launch, the shop has worked with more than one hundred small businesses plus hundreds of individuals, and Jarad has stayed in the founder seat across the full window. The path from sole proprietor to incorporated firm signals stable growth under single-owner control.
Bookkeeping Plus Tax and Wealth Stack
The firm runs a stacked service line that pairs monthly bookkeeping inside QuickBooks Online with payroll, workers’ compensation filings, business counsel, tax preparation, and wealth planning. The QuickBooks Advanced ProAdvisor credential confirms the practice’s depth on the ledger side, and the tax attorney background gives the practice room to handle business entity questions and tax planning conversations alongside the routine close work. That combination suits Cincinnati owners who want one firm for both books and tax.
Tri-State Reach From the Cincinnati Riverfront
Although the office sits along Columbia Parkway in eastern Cincinnati, the firm supports clients across the Ohio Kentucky Indiana tri-state area, with the website and LinkedIn page both referencing Tri-State coverage. The riverfront office location pairs with cloud-based QuickBooks Online files for clients in northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana who want a single Cincinnati-based bookkeeper familiar with multi-state business filings. The reach pattern fits owners running operations across more than one tri-state county.
2. Gundling & Company
- Address: 2070 Anderson Cove Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45244
- Phone: (513) 528-6777
- Founder / Owner: Joyce Gundling, CPA (Founder and Owner)
- Operating Since: 1997 (29 years)
- Credentials: Certified Public Accountant; QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor; 35 plus years of accounting experience; Ohio State University graduate
- Service area: Cincinnati and the surrounding Hamilton County and Clermont County markets
- Industries served: Small business owners across the Cincinnati market, with a collaborative bookkeeping network that supports a broad mix of service and retail clients
- Website: gundlingcpa.com
Anderson Cove Lane Practice Profile
Gundling & Company works from 2070 Anderson Cove Lane in zip 45244, the Anderson Township submarket on the east side of Cincinnati. Joyce Gundling is named as founder on the company About page, the shop Yelp listing, the Facebook business page, the LinkedIn company page, the PTIN Directory entry for Joyce A Gundling CPA LLC, and the TaxBuzz CPA directory profile. The (513) 528-6777 phone matches across the practice site and the third-party directories.
Nearly Three Decades Under Founder Control
Joyce founded Gundling & Company in 1997 with a stated commitment to top-notch affordable service for small business clients, and the firm has stayed under her control across a 29-year window in the Cincinnati market. That window crosses every major QuickBooks version cycle since the late 1990s, the QuickBooks Online migration, and the 2020 remote-work shift. Long single-owner windows reduce the staff churn risk that comes with rolled-up national bookkeeping brands.
Collaborative Bookkeeping Network
Joyce works closely with her daughter Grace and her niece Macy, who each run independent bookkeeping practices, and together they have built a collaborative network that gives small business owners personalized attention across more than one firm. That structure lets Gundling & Company route routine bookkeeping work to network partners while Joyce keeps the QuickBooks Online setup and training, the chart-of-accounts design, and the CPA-level oversight in-house. The network model is unusual for a Cincinnati firm of this size.
QuickBooks Online Setup and Training Focus
The firm positions itself as a QuickBooks Online Certified CPA practice and emphasizes QuickBooks Online setup and training alongside comprehensive accounting and bookkeeping services for small business owners. That focus suits Cincinnati owners who need a one-time QuickBooks Online configuration plus ongoing close support, with optional CPA-level review on the financial statements. The combination is hard to find at a single firm in the Anderson Township and Hamilton County submarkets.
3. Lighthammer Bookkeeping
- Address: 7813 Laurel Avenue, Madeira, OH 45243
- Phone: (513) 935-1776
- Founder / Owner: Jim Whittenburg, CPA (Founder and Owner)
- Operating Since: 2021 (5 years)
- Credentials: Certified Public Accountant; QuickBooks Online Elite Tier ProAdvisor listed in the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory under Lighthammer Bookkeeping; Better Business Bureau Accredited since 2023
- Service area: Cincinnati, Madeira, the eastern Cincinnati suburbs, and nationwide clients on a remote QuickBooks Online delivery model
- Industries served: Real estate agents, landlords, house flippers, rental property investors, rehabbers, service-based businesses, and independent business owners earning between 250 thousand and 3 million in annual revenue
- Website: lighthammerbookkeeping.com
Madeira Office and Founder Profile
Lighthammer Bookkeeping works from 7813 Laurel Avenue in Madeira at zip 45243, an eastern Cincinnati suburb between Indian Hill and Kenwood. Jim Whittenburg is named as owner on the company site, the shop LinkedIn company page, the BBB business profile under Lighthammer Bookkeeping Inc, the Gusto Partner directory profile, the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory under Lighthammer Bookkeeping, and the Yelp business listing. Jim holds a CPA license and brings more than 20 years as a CFO and comptroller in the real estate industry to the bookkeeping practice.
Elite Tier ProAdvisor Credential Window
Jim founded Lighthammer Bookkeeping in 2021 per the practice LinkedIn company page, which puts the practice at the 5-year mark and just past the minimum tenure threshold this directory applies. Across that window, Jim has held the QuickBooks Online Elite Tier ProAdvisor designation, the highest tier in the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor program, and the firm earned BBB accreditation in 2023. That credential stack is uncommon for a Cincinnati practice of this size and signals deep platform expertise on QuickBooks Online.
Real Estate Industry Specialization
Lighthammer focuses on real estate clients, including agents, landlords, house flippers, rental property investors, and rehabbers, alongside service-based businesses earning 250 thousand to 3 million in annual revenue. That specialization suits Cincinnati owners running rental portfolios across Hamilton County, fix-and-flip operations in eastern Cincinnati neighborhoods, and brokerage businesses that need property-level profit and loss tracking inside QuickBooks Online. Few independent Cincinnati bookkeepers publish this depth on real estate industry workflows.
CPA-Level Stack at Bookkeeping Rates
The firm offers a stacked service line that ranges from day-to-day bookkeeping and QuickBooks Online support through full-service business tax accounting, financial forecasting, payroll, and new entity formation, all under one founder-owned roof. Jim positions the practice as a way to deliver CPA-level financial services at bookkeeping rates, with a published focus on helping small business owners increase profit and save time on the monthly close. That positioning suits Madeira and eastern Cincinnati owners who want CPA oversight without paying CPA tax-prep hourly rates for routine ledger work.
Reference Notes
J. Hunter Company details were cross-checked across the company’s own site at jhunter.com, including the About page that names Jarad Hunter as owner and the home page that lists Cincinnati Tri-State coverage, plus the LinkedIn profile for Jarad Hunter under J. Hunter Company, the Yelp business listing at 3571 Columbia Pkwy, the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory entry under Jarad Hunter, the Facebook business page, and the ZoomInfo company profile. The 2014 founding year was confirmed against the shop About page and the LinkedIn company page, and the Advanced Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor credential was confirmed in the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory.
Gundling & Company details were cross-checked across the practice’s own site at gundlingcpa.com, including the About page that names Joyce Gundling as founder and the home page that emphasizes QuickBooks Online setup and training, plus the Yelp business listing at 2070 Anderson Cove Lane, the LinkedIn company page under Gundling & Company CPA, the Facebook business page under Gundling and Company, the PTIN Directory entry for Joyce A Gundling CPA LLC, the TaxBuzz CPA directory profile, and the Nextdoor page. The 1997 founding year was confirmed against the firm About page, and the QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor credential was confirmed against the company home page and the LinkedIn company page.
Lighthammer Bookkeeping details were cross-checked across the shop’s own site at lighthammerbookkeeping.com, including the contact information that lists the 7813 Laurel Avenue Madeira office and the (513) 935-1776 phone, plus the LinkedIn company page that lists Jim Whittenburg as founder and 2021 as the founding year, the BBB business profile under Lighthammer Bookkeeping Inc, the Gusto Partner directory profile, the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory entry under Lighthammer Bookkeeping, the Yelp business listing at 7813 Laurel Ave, and the Cincy’s Best feature profile. The Elite Tier QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor credential was confirmed against the practice site Elite Tier badge and the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory. All three firms appear as independent, founder-led practices and not as franchised or rolled-up brands such as Bench, Pilot, QuickBooks Live, BELAY, Bookkeeper360, Bookminders, Supporting Strategies, Bookkeeper.com, or 1-800Accountant.
Selection Methodology
This list applies four filters to the Cincinnati market. First, the firm has to be independent, family owned, or founder led rather than part of a national rollup or franchise brand. Second, the company must show active QuickBooks ProAdvisor or QuickBooks-certified credentials, with that focus visible on its own site or on a third-party directory such as the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor listings. Third, the shop has to have been in business for at least five years, with priority given to firms past the ten-year mark. Fourth, the practice has to position itself as a bookkeeping practice rather than a pure CPA tax-prep shop, even if the founder happens to hold a CPA license. Public address and phone data also had to match across at least two independent sources, including the firm’s own site plus a Better Business Bureau record, a chamber directory listing, a LinkedIn profile, the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory, or another third-party listing. National rollup brands such as Bench, Pilot, QuickBooks Live, BELAY, Bookkeeper360, Bookminders, Supporting Strategies, Bookkeeper.com, and 1-800Accountant were excluded by design, since this directory targets locally owned shops in the Cincinnati and Hamilton County market. The firms profiled in the companion Columbus and Cleveland directories were also excluded so this Cincinnati list reflects only Cincinnati-area practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these firms serve clients outside Cincinnati proper?
Yes. J. Hunter Company works from 3571 Columbia Parkway in the Columbia Tusculum corridor and supports clients across the Ohio Kentucky Indiana tri-state area through cloud-based QuickBooks Online files. Gundling & Company works from 2070 Anderson Cove Lane in Anderson Township and supports clients across the Cincinnati and Clermont County markets, with a collaborative bookkeeping network that extends coverage through Joyce Gundling’s daughter and niece. Lighthammer Bookkeeping works from 7813 Laurel Avenue in Madeira and supports both eastern Cincinnati clients and nationwide engagements under a remote QuickBooks Online delivery model.
Are these firms CPA practices or bookkeeping practices?
All three position themselves as bookkeeping and QuickBooks practices rather than as CPA audit shops. J. Hunter Company is run by tax attorney Jarad Hunter and pairs bookkeeping and payroll with tax preparation and wealth planning under a stacked service line. Gundling & Company is run by Joyce Gundling, who holds a CPA license, yet the company positions itself as a QuickBooks Online Certified practice with comprehensive accounting and bookkeeping services for small business owners. Lighthammer Bookkeeping is run by CPA Jim Whittenburg and positions itself as a CPA-level bookkeeping practice rather than a tax-prep shop, even though the shop offers business tax accounting alongside the monthly close. Owners who need formal CPA audit or attest work would still need to retain a separate licensed firm.
Do Cincinnati bookkeeping firms typically offer remote service?
Yes. Lighthammer Bookkeeping runs a remote delivery model out of the Madeira office and supports clients nationwide with cloud-based QuickBooks Online files. J. Hunter Company pairs in-person Columbia Parkway meetings with cloud-based QuickBooks engagements that suit owners across the Ohio Kentucky Indiana tri-state area. Gundling & Company supports remote engagements alongside in-person Anderson Cove Lane meetings, and the collaborative network with Joyce Gundling’s daughter and niece extends remote bookkeeping support across the Cincinnati and Clermont County markets.
How long have these firms been operating?
J. Hunter Company has been in business since 2014 (12 years) under founder Jarad Hunter. Gundling & Company has been in business since 1997 (29 years) under founder Joyce Gundling, CPA. Lighthammer Bookkeeping has been in business since 2021 (5 years) under founder Jim Whittenburg, CPA. Each firm sits at or past the five-year minimum tenure threshold this directory applies, and each has stayed independent and founder-led across its full window.
Editorial Note
This post was prepared on 2026-05-11 using publicly available web sources, including each firm’s own website, third-party business directories such as the Better Business Bureau, the Intuit Find-a-ProAdvisor directory, Yelp, Gusto, ZoomInfo, TaxBuzz, PTIN Directory, and Nextdoor, plus LinkedIn business profiles and Facebook business pages. Address, phone, ownership, and tenure details reflect those sources at the time of writing. Readers should confirm current details directly with each firm before contracting, since office locations, phone numbers, and ownership can change after publication.