Chicagoland CPAs

Chicagoland CPA has been outstanding to work with. As a Chicago-based startup, we had a lot of accounting-related questions and complexities to navigate, and their team, specifically Andrea and Dianne, made the entire process incredibly smooth. They were timely, responsive, and consistently professional, from quick answers to detailed guidance. What I appreciated most was how easy Andrea and Dianne were to work with. They took the time to understand our needs and provided clear, practical advice that helped us stay on top of everything. I highly recommend Chicagoland CPA for any business looking for reliable and knowledgeable accounting support. - Mike P.

I had the pleasure of working with Dario Zanichelli at Chicagoland CPAs, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. Dario brings a deep understanding of tax law and a strategic approach that made a real difference for my situation. He took the time to explain every detail clearly and helped me navigate complex tax issues with confidence. What really stood out was Dario’s proactive mindset. He didn’t just react to problems; he anticipated them and offered smart, effective solutions. It’s clear he genuinely cares about his clients and stays ahead of the curve when it comes to changing tax regulations. If you're looking for someone who’s knowledgeable, trustworthy, and truly committed to delivering top-notch tax services, I highly recommend Dario Zanichelli.

TLDR (EDIT): If any service provider refuses to send you their contract (and insists on live review, then prompt agreement/payment), that's not a RED FLAG, that's a RED BANNER... not to mention illegal! You have every right to review contracts on your own time, including with your own counsel (IF you so choose). Please beware of shady business practices and protect yourself. If a business relationship starts like this, it speaks volumes about the character of who you are in business with. ------‐-- If you're looking for an accountant who thinks that selling you on his services through his own 'required' 2-step sales process (reinforced multiple times as a "free consultation" / doing you a favor), then you've found your match. Dario makes it clear throughout his sales process that he's providing you a "free" service & consultation by selling/ informing you of his services (completely bizarre by any normal sales standards). Beyond that, he truly believes it reinforces his value to charge transactional fees - like cancellation fees - for new client consults (folks that haven't even signed up with him yet!) Clearly a misguided attempt to appear valuable while losing the forest for the trees. To his credit, Dario seems knowledgeable (maybe?), but his approach leaves much to be desired. While touting ,"white glove"/ relationship-based, his actions denonstrate that he's highly transactional and "pay-for-play" - not exactly what you'd expect from a thought partner in high-level professional services. Further, he refuses to share his legal contract (extremely unusual business practice - if not teetering on legal/ ethical boundaries). He will review it with you live (ok, fine), but he'll only send it to you if you agree to pay immediately! In fact, he demanded I pay $430/ hour BEFORE I even signed up - simply because I asked for the DocuSign contract and requested to pay upon onboarding in January, which was previously agreed upon. Per his note, I "exhausted my 2 free sales consults", and any further requests - like a Docusign contract - required a ~$500/hr consult fee. Folks, this is bizarro land territory, as I was not requesting any free advice beyond a contract that he guards closely due to irrational competitor fears, which he freely acknowledged. In short, Dario is probably a good accountant (maybe?), but a terribly misguided business person, highly transactional, and not the right choice if youre seeking a thought partner. After his last absurd note regarding a consult fee in exchange for the DocuSign, I resolved it wasn't a fit for me and decided to move on. Then, I received a note from his assistant to the same effect (um...ok!) This further reinforced my impression that Dario is myopic, focused on payment rather than providing value as a partner, and likely to be self-serving/ problematic in the long run, even if his technical work might be sound (unknown?). Best of luck if you go this route (be prepared to pay an exorbitant setup fee, above industry standards, AND a creative $700 cancellation fee). Otherwise, you'll find plenty of stronger /relationship-based alternatives - happy to help as I've done extensive research.

Dario did an amazing job helping me with tax preparation and decisions especially since I was in a bind. Not only is he personable he provided helpful suggestions and solutions well beyond the scope of taxes that got to the root of my issue. I would recommend him!

Loving the collab with Dianne Malera at Chicagoland CPAs! It’s been a year of working together and we’re thrilled. Dianne is very engaged in seeing our organization succeed. Her ability to find cost savings is much appreciated!