About Us
At Godley Tax & Accounting, we believe tax and accounting services should do more than check boxes—they should help you make better decisions. We work with businesses and individuals who want clarity, confidence, and a trusted advisor in their corner. Our goal is simple: make taxes and accounting easy, transparent, and stress‑free, while helping our clients understand the “why” behind the numbers and plan proactively for the future. We combine technical expertise with a modern, client‑first approach—leveraging technology, streamlined processes, and clear communication to deliver high‑quality service without unnecessary complexity or cost.
What Makes Us Different
An Advisor‑First, Partnership Approach
We don’t see ourselves as just your tax preparer—we aim to be a long‑term partner in your financial success. Every engagement includes a complimentary planning review because we believe real value comes from looking beyond compliance. We take the time to understand your situation, identify potential tax planning opportunities, and flag issues or opportunities that can drive the most impact. At the conclusion of each engagement, we schedule a wrap‑up call to walk through the results, discuss planning opportunities, and answer any questions you may have. This ensures you’re not left guessing and fully understand where you stand and what steps may be worth considering next. Our goal is simple:
Help you make informed decisions
Avoid surprises
Provide guidance you can actually act on
By working collaboratively and proactively, we help our clients feel supported, informed, and confident-not just during tax season, but year‑round.
A Guaranteed 24‑Hour Response Time
Your questions matter-and they deserve timely answers. We guarantee a 24‑hour response time because we believe every client should feel supported and prioritized. You’ll never wonder if your email got lost or if your concern is being ignored. That commitment reflects how we operate:
Clear expectations
Prompt communication
Respect for your time and peace of mind
A Modern, Remote Firm That Passes the Savings On
Godley Tax & Accounting operates as a fully remote firm out of Lakeview, Chicago, allowing us to stay efficient, flexible, and cost‑effective. By eliminating unnecessary overhead, we’re able to:
Invest in better technology and systems
Serve clients anywhere, seamlessly
Pass real savings on to our clients through fair, transparent pricing
You get the same high‑level expertise-without paying for things that don’t add value.
About John Godley, CPA Managing Principal | Godley Tax & Accounting
John Godley is a Certified Public Accountant and the Managing Principal of Godley Tax & Accounting. He founded the firm with a clear vision: to provide high‑quality tax and accounting services while making the experience approachable, responsive, and client‑focused. John works closely with business owners and individuals, helping them navigate complex tax and accounting issues with clarity and confidence. He is known for his ability to break down complicated concepts, provide practical guidance, and advocate for his clients’ best interests. As Managing Principal, John is directly involved in client relationships and takes pride in being accessible, proactive, and accountable. His advisory mindset, attention to detail, and commitment to service are at the core of the firm’s culture. When you work with Godley Tax & Accounting, you’re not handed off to layers of staff—you’re working with a CPA who understands your situation and is invested in your success.
Let Us Help:
Dear Friend,
I have a feeling I know why you’re reading this right now.
You need more time in your day. Running a business is extremely demanding and there just isn’t enough time in the day to keep all the plates from spinning out of control. What you need most right now is more proactive help. You need the benefit of business advising to straighten up your business finances and tax strategy. As soon as possible. In fact, yesterday would have been ideal to get our business advising expertise. Am I close?
We get it. We’ve worked with plenty of businesses who have to cobble together 9 different software programs to keep everything straight, or who just wash their hands of it all and put everything on the credit card … and then try to clean up every year after the fact. And they know that this is no way to properly monitor profit margins, cash controls, account management, tax strategy, and all of the myriad components of an effective financial system for a business. They need business advising support.
Perhaps this is your story too. Or perhaps you’ve reached a stage of development in your business that you want to pass the baton of accounting to another expert business advising team so your team can focus on what they do best: making sales and taking care of customers.
Or are you just starting your business and want to begin on the right foot?
Whatever the reason, we want you to know that our business advising team has been diligently and effectively taking care of the accounting needs of countless organizations in a wide variety of industries—discreetly and expertly handling the ongoing financial management of tax burdens, payroll, bookkeeping, and other comprehensive accounting services while providing expertise in business planning, coaching, and strategic consulting that many businesses need.
Because here’s a certain truth as it relates to taxes and your business: The State and Federal Government would love to have more of your business’s hard-earned money in their accounts. And yes, even though it’s painful, none of us begrudge paying our legal and fair share of taxes. But the problem is that regular business owners, like you, are missing out on legal and safe deductions to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed refunds every year.
It doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to hand more dollars over to the government than they require just because you don’t know their rules as well as they do. You don’t have to live in a constant state of anxiety over the state of your books, feeling guilty about the time you should be devoting to keeping your business profitable.
In fact, to help you find answers to your questions, I’ve compiled some resources in the last couple of years for business people like you in response to the specific tax and accounting questions I’ve received from my clients.
Click the button above to take your first step. And of course, feel free to poke around our site and discover why I’ve been called “The Most Trusted CPA in the Chicago Area.”
Talk again soon,
John Godley, CPA
PS — When you fill out the form, we’ll also add you to our weekly email series on “Real World” Strategy for small business owners. Our readers enthusiastically forward these to their colleagues and peers all the time, because they’re not your standard tax and business advising tips.
PPS — Already want to schedule an appointment? I don’t blame you … many people are fed up with trying to manage their financials on their own. Our schedule is very full … but if you call us at (312) 213-6193 or Email Us, we’ll give you two options for an appointment right away. We will NOT make dealing with an accountant as painful as dealing with your books has already been!