ATAX Accounting & Financial

ATAX Accounting & Financial is a tax preparation and business services company that serves individuals, self-employed workers, and small businesses with personal and business tax filings, bookkeeping, payroll, and related support. The brand focuses on everyday taxpayers and small enterprises that want accessible, walk-in help with their finances rather than working with large accounting firms. As of December 2024, ATAX operates more than 80 offices across the United States and Puerto Rico, with locations in over a dozen states and a footprint that spans dense urban neighborhoods as well as smaller community retail corridors.

The company was founded in 1986, when Rafael Alvarez opened a single tax office in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The original business was built around serving the local Latino community with bilingual service and a neighborhood presence. Over the next two decades, ATAX added locations in New York and nearby markets and then shifted to a franchise model in 2007, allowing independent owners to open ATAX-branded offices under a common system and support structure. A major milestone came in 2018, when ATAX was acquired by Loyalty Brands, a Virginia Beach based multi-brand franchisor led by longtime franchising executive John Hewitt. That acquisition gave ATAX access to shared technology, marketing, and back-office resources and set the stage for a new phase of growth.

Over roughly the last five years, ATAX has moved from being a largely Northeastern and Puerto Rico focused concept to a broader national network. Under the Loyalty Brands platform, the brand has expanded into Texas, Florida, Georgia, and other parts of the Southeast, while reinforcing its positions in New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. As of December 2024, ATAX continues to grow primarily through franchising, with new offices opening in priority markets such as Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico, along with selective infill in other states where there is demand for bilingual and community-oriented tax and accounting services.

In its current form, ATAX presents itself as a year-round financial services resource, not just a seasonal tax shop. Offices handle personal and business income tax preparation, ongoing bookkeeping, payroll processing, business formation assistance, and select administrative services that keep small businesses running between tax seasons. Many locations remain open throughout the year, which supports steady customer visits and recurring annual relationships.

From a real estate standpoint, ATAX locations typically occupy small-format storefronts suited to inline space in neighborhood shopping centers, urban retail corridors, and community strips with strong street visibility and easy access. The concept fits into everyday retail environments that draw nearby residents and local businesses rather than destination retail traffic. Its focus on bilingual service and community presence often resonates in multicultural and immigrant-heavy trade areas, where trusted financial and tax services generate consistent foot traffic.

The brand’s growth posture is active but measured. ATAX continues to recruit franchisees, concentrating on markets with deep residential density and a high share of small businesses that value in-person guidance on taxes and bookkeeping. For landlords, brokers, and developers, ATAX offers a service-oriented tenant with nearly four decades of operating history, supported by the broader Loyalty Brands platform. The combination of long-term brand tenure, franchised local operators, and a business model anchored in recurring annual tax and accounting needs can help stabilize neighborhood centers and street-front retail with a professional services use that is less tied to discretionary retail spending cycles.