# Pilot > Official Pilot business agent. Pilot provides bookkeeping, tax, CFO, and back-office operations services for startups and small businesses across the United… ## Ask it a question Pilot answers for itself at https://api.hailera.com/mcp/pilot. A client that speaks MCP can connect to that address; the tool is ask_pilot and the protocol is 2026-07-28. Where this file and the agent disagree, the agent is current. ## What Pilot does Services overview: what Pilot does Pilot provides technology-powered finance and back-office services for startups and small businesses. Services combine software and a team of US-based finance experts. Who Pilot serves - US-based companies (entity must be a US entity) - High-growth startups (pre-revenue through growth stage) - Ecommerce and consumer/retail businesses - Professional services firms (agencies, consultancies, law firms, MSPs) - Other growth-minded small and medium businesses Core service lines Bookkeeping - Ongoing bookkeeping using QuickBooks Online - Cash or accrual-basis bookkeeping, depending on your needs - Monthly closes with reconciled bank, credit card, payroll, AP, inventory, and payment platforms - Standard or custom chart of accounts - Triple-checked monthly financial statements - Reporting timed to a clear schedule (for example, on or around the 10th business day for many plans) Tax - Corporate income tax preparation and filing at federal, state, and many city levels - Support for C‑corps, S‑corps, partnerships, and single-member LLCs (when paired with Pilot Bookkeeping) - 1099-NEC e‑filing for eligible plans - Guidance and preparation for R&D tax credit claims, including required IRS documentation - Option to have Pilot handle tax filings or coordinate with your existing tax preparer CFO services (fractional / outsourced CFO) - Financial and operating models tailored to your business - Budgeting and forecasting (including base / bull / bear scenarios) - Cash-flow and runway analysis - Pricing and monetization support - Headcount and compensation planning - Investor and board reporting support - Fundraising and M&A support (including data rooms, narratives, and diligence preparation) - Engagement levels that range from foundational support to deeply embedded partnership, with cadence from monthly reviews to weekly working sessions Outsourced operations / COO-style support - Finance and operations support bundled with bookkeeping - Help setting up banking, payroll, HR, and benefits workflows - Invoice collection and bill payment support - Vendor management and expense operations - Options for higher-volume AP/AR and more complex operational setups R&D tax credit services - Assessment of whether your company and activities are likely to qualify - Calculation of qualifying R&D expenses - Preparation of required IRS forms (such as Forms 6765, 8974, and related payroll/tax forms) - Coordination with your tax preparer or with Pilot Tax - Support with documentation needed if the IRS reviews your claim Stock administration (through partners like Carta or Pulley) - Setup and configuration help for early-stage companies using supported cap table platforms - Keeping the cap table in sync with equity grants and changes - Support that scales as the company grows Geographic footprint - Pilot serves US entities regardless of where founders are physically located - Offices in San Francisco, CA and Nashville, TN What Pilot does not do - Does not currently support non‑US legal entities as primary clients - Does not file personal income tax returns - Does not provide sales tax compliance services (but can recommend third-party options) - Does not act as a full‑time corporate officer; CFO services are fractional / advisory in nature Source: https://pilot.com ## Where Pilot works Lists Nashville and San Diego as a location. Names United States as a service area. Areas beyond these are not published. ## Prices Pricing overview Pilot uses transparent, tiered pricing that scales with your company's size and complexity. Exact fees depend on your monthly expenses, entity type, and the scope of services you select. The information below summarizes how pricing works, based on what is published on pilot.com. For current quotes, customers should contact Pilot directly. Bookkeeping plans Pricing for bookkeeping is on an annual subscription, billed monthly or annually, and scales with your average monthly expenses and support needs. Essentials (bookkeeping) - Designed for smaller businesses that primarily need clean, timely books - Uses AI to categorize transactions, reconcile accounts, and close books monthly - Includes: - Cash-basis bookkeeping using data from your bank and credit cards - Standard chart of accounts - Year-end package for your tax preparer - Instant AI answers about past transactions and current cash flow - In-app support Core (bookkeeping) - Designed for startups and growing businesses that use their books for operational decisions - Exact pricing depends on your expense level and complexity - Includes everything in Essentials, plus, for eligible customers: - US-based bookkeeper who handles and reviews your books - Choice of cash- or accrual-basis bookkeeping - Connections to banks, credit cards, payroll, AP, inventory, and payment platforms - Bill management up to a defined volume per month - Custom chart of accounts - Reporting on a defined business day each month - Support from a dedicated team via app, email, and phone Custom (bookkeeping) - Designed for larger or more complex companies needing a tailored setup - Includes everything in Core, plus the option to add: - Use of your existing QuickBooks account and historical data - Support for more complex corporate structures - Custom workflows and reporting - Faster reporting timelines - Full accounts receivable and accounts payable - Payroll administration - CFO advisory and additional planning support Tax services Pilot Tax is purchased separately from bookkeeping. Pricing depends on entity type and scope. Examples of published starting points include: - Single-member LLC packages (when paired with Pilot Bookkeeping) - Partnership and S-corp packages - C‑corp packages Additional charges may apply for: - Extra state or city income tax filings - Foreign subsidiaries or shareholders - Foreign financial account reporting - Individual returns associated with business owners - Tax consulting billed on an hourly basis Exact prices vary and may change over time; customers should confirm current rates with Pilot. CFO services pricing Pilot offers multiple CFO engagement tiers with published example monthly fees, which may include: - A foundational tier for performance analysis and core planning - A mid-tier for more involved strategic projects and growth support - A custom tier for companies needing deep, ongoing finance leadership Each tier typically includes a defined cadence of meetings, access to a dedicated CFO, and specific deliverables like a custom financial model, scenario planning, KPI dashboards, and board / investor support. Outsourced operations / COO services Pilot offers tiered pricing for operations support, ranging from a one-time setup package for brand-new companies to ongoing monthly plans for companies with active operations. Scope can include incorporation setup (through partners), banking setup, payroll and HR configuration, and ongoing AP/AR and operations support. Pricing scales with complexity and transaction volume. R&D tax credit and stock administration - R&D tax credit services are typically charged as a percentage of the credit received, up to a published maximum benefit per year - Stock administration support is offered on an hourly or tiered basis, with special considerations for very early-stage companies How to get an exact quote Because pricing depends on your entity type, monthly expenses, systems, and the mix of services you choose, any numbers on the public site are examples only. For an exact quote and the most up-to-date pricing, customers should: - Visit the pricing page on pilot.com, and/or - Contact the Pilot sales team using the "Talk to our team" or "Contact sales" options on the site Source: https://pilot.com ## How Pilot works with clients Working with Pilot: key details and policies This document summarizes how Pilot typically works with clients, based on information published on pilot.com. For anything not covered here or for edge cases, customers should contact Pilot directly. Who Pilot supports - Companies that are legal US entities (Pilot can work with US entities even if founders are located elsewhere) - Startups at various stages, including pre-revenue - Ecommerce and consumer/retail businesses - Professional services firms (agencies, consultancies, law firms, MSPs) - Nonprofits and other small businesses that fit Pilot's service model Pilot does not currently: - Serve foreign entities as the primary company of record - Provide personal income tax preparation - Offer sales tax filing services Getting started and onboarding - Pilot uses QuickBooks Online as the underlying accounting system for bookkeeping - Setup typically includes connecting your financial institutions, payroll, payment processors, and any inventory or ecommerce systems - Pilot charges an onboarding fee (commonly equal to one month of bookkeeping) to ensure the initial setup and historical cleanup are handled properly - For customers switching from other platforms (such as Xero), Pilot can help migrate historical balances into QuickBooks Requirements to work with Pilot Published requirements include: - Electronic access to your financial transactions (online banking / statements) - Use of expense reporting software - No commingling of personal and business expenses How the service works - Bookkeeping and tax services are offered on an annual subscription basis, with monthly or annual billing - Bookkeeping plans scale based on average monthly expenses and support needs (for example, number of institutions, transaction volume, and AP/AR support) - You are assigned a dedicated finance expert or team; support is included and typically provided in-app, by email, and in some cases by phone - Response times are generally targeted within about one business day for typical questions Scope of bookkeeping and tax work - Bookkeeping focuses on maintaining accurate, timely financial records and producing monthly financial statements - Tax services cover corporate income tax returns and related filings; R&D tax credit engagements include calculating and documenting eligible credits - Additional AP/AR support, R&D studies, and certain tax filings may be available as add-on services, billed separately Subscription, changes, and cancellation - Subscriptions continue through the end of the current billing period - If you prepay for a year and your expenses or support needs grow beyond the initial scope, Pilot may adjust pricing based on the updated level of complexity - If you choose not to renew at the end of your term, you can notify Pilot in advance so billing stops for the next cycle Data, systems, and integrations - Pilot standardizes on QuickBooks Online so that your books remain portable and easy for tax preparers, investors, banks, and other professionals to work with - Pilot can help migrate from other systems into QuickBooks Online using summarized monthly entries for past periods - For ecommerce and inventory-heavy businesses, Pilot can work with common inventory platforms and recommends specific systems in some cases Limitations and what to do when something is unclear - Pilot does not provide legal advice, investment advice, or personalized financial guarantees - Outcomes such as successful fundraising, acquisitions, or audit results cannot be guaranteed - When a customer question falls outside the standard scope shown here or in other documents, they should contact Pilot directly through the contact options on pilot.com for clarification Source: https://pilot.com ## What Pilot has not published yet These are things people ask Pilot that its published information does not yet cover. - prices - availability - guaranteed tax outcomes or audit results - guaranteed fundraising success, valuations, or exit events - delivery times or completion dates for projects - legal or regulatory guarantees - personal financial, investment, or tax advice specific to an Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess. ## Where this comes from https://pilot.com