Accurate Accounting

Isn’t Optional… It’s ESSENTIAL!

Trust Worthy

Providing accounting services to the Salisbury, Maryland community for over thirty years.

Experienced

A B.S. in finance, qualified to be a CPA, a certified Quickbooks™ ProAdvisor and 25 years in banking.

Friendly

More than just an accountant. I aim to be your council, your friend and your biggest supporter.

Member in Good Standing of the National Society of Accountants
ACAT Accredited Tax Preparer
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Essential Accounting

Great Accounting – Great Relationships

Bob Lockwood of Essential AccountingBob Lockwood, the owner of Essential Accounting has been serving the Salisbury, MD community for over 30 years. Whether you need assistance on your personal income taxes, long-term financial planning, ongoing bookkeeping, payroll and tax filing support for your LLC, corporation or business partnership; you won’t find any other service on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that offers a better, more personalized and affordable service than Essential Accounting of Salisbury, MD.

Essential Accounting is committed to building lifetime relationships with its clients through unparalleled responsiveness and an individualized approach to your financial needs. Take a look below at what our clients say about our services and you’ll understand why so many of our new clients are referrals from our very satisfied clients.

Whatever your needs might be – personal taxes, business taxes, personal financial planning, retirement planning, estate and trust management, or business mergers and acquisitions – we welcome the opportunity to build a relationship with you that gives you peace of mind and saves you, your family and your business money.

Tax Preparation

ACAT Accredited AcoountantWhile the IRS’s efforts to certify tax return preparers may have been sidelined by Loving vs. IRS in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Bob Lockwood, owner of Essential Accounting, continues to complete his Continuing Professional Education (CPE) to provide top notch tax preparation services at affordable rates. Essential Accounting is geared up and ready to go for the upcoming tax preparation season. Why would you pay the high fees of national tax preparation chains when you can get knowledgeable, trustworthy, professional & personal service at a better price? For personal, professional and economical tax preparation services get in touch with Essential Accounting TODAY!

Quickbooks Services

Small business owners know how great Quickbooks™ can be. They also know using Quickbooks correctly and to its full potential can be very complicated. Bob Lockwood, of Essential Accounting, is continually staying on top of all Quickbooks software updates so you don’t have to. Bob provides small business owners with expert Quickbooks setup and the best Quickbooks programming methods. Do you have a Quickbooks™ question? Would you like to uncover all the benefits of utilizing Quickbooks correctly? Give Bob a call and he will create a plan providing you the guidance you need. Why wait until you have a mess – GET STARTED TODAY!

Let’s Do This Together…

Accounting Services

We Cover an Array of Personal and Business Accounting Services

Personal Finance & Tax Preparation

Your money is important to you and it’s important for the future of our family. Essential Accounting can help ensure your family’s future with strategic financial planning, tax preparation and estate planning.

Business Finance and Bookkeeping

Payroll is due, quarterly taxes are due, monthly record keeping is due and you just don’t have the time to get it done much less have confidence it’s done right. Let Essential Accounting help. Our goal is your success.

Quickbooks ProAdvisor

Whether you use Quickbooks for business or Quicken for home I can help you ensure it is set up correctly and that you are using it to its full potential. If you are looking for a Quickbooks ProAdvisor I’d be glad to help.

What My Customers Say…

TNT Construction

We have been using Bob Lockwood, with Essential Accounting, ever since the inception of our business over 15 years ago. We have been very impressed with the service we have received. Bob is very knowledgeable and is always willing and able to answer all questions that...

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Classic Canvas

I found Bob online with his website, moving my business from a CPA that treated me just like another number. Turns out, Bob took a devout interest in me and my business from the first day. Frankly, I do not believe I ever made a better change in my business than...

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Creative Electric

Bob Lockwood is not just a typical accountant; He is a partner who is equally invested in the success of your business. He does so much more for us than just “the books.” He helps us to build and grow relationships and keep them on a solid foundation of mutual...

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My Customers Are Like Family

Look, I run a small shop, and I don’t have the time nor the will to work with hundreds of customers. I want to work with people I like and trust. People I can call family. If you feel the same way, get in touch with me and let’s see if we’re a good fit. If we are, GREAT! If not, we’ll part ways best of friends anyway.

My goal isn’t to be your accountant – I want to be your council, your confidant and your friend.

Accounting Resources & Articles

2023 Tax Brackets Explained

Now that we are into "tax season", I was thinking: "Maybe someone out there would be interested in an explanation of how the IRS Tax Brackets actually work"?!?  First, "Tax Rates" did not change for 2023.  The "Tax Brackets" increased due to "Bidenomics" Inflation,...

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This-N-That

A few points from the January 5, 2024, issue of the Kiplinger Tax Letter, concerning Retirement, included in the SECURE ACT 2.0: Provides for penalty-free withdrawals of up to $10,000 for domestic abuse victims and $1,000 for emergencies, from IRA's & 401(k)'s,...

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