Padgett Business Services franchise
2026 filing · March 23, 2026Fewer locationsShares sales figures
Padgett Business Services at a glance
An accounting, tax, payroll and advisory practice for small businesses, under the Padgett name. At the end of 2025 there were 164 Padgett Business Services locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- SmallBizPros, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 1988
- 38 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Athens, Georgia
- Typical size
- About 500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $117K
- A new Padgett office with no existing clients
- Franchise fee
- $37,000
- Charged as the initial license fee for a new office, plus an $18,000 training fee, a $7,020 software fee and a $1,000 application fee
- Royalty
- 9% + minimum
- The greater of 9% of gross receipts or a monthly minimum that starts at $100 after the first six months and rises in steps to $1,500
- Brand fund
- None now
- Up to 2% of gross receipts; not charged at present
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 164
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 164
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- −8
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 41
- Most in California, Florida and Georgia
From SmallBizPros, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Padgett Business Services among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Padgett Business Services | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $117,295 | Costs less than 84% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $37,000 | Lower than 60% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 9% | Higher than 94% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 164 | More than 83% of franchises |
How much a Padgett Business Services franchise costs
Opening a new Padgett office with no existing clients costs an estimated $117,295. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, page 15
Padgett Business Services franchise fee
The franchise fee is $37,000, charged as the initial license fee for a new office, plus an $18,000 training fee, a $7,020 software fee and a $1,000 application fee. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 9% of gross receipts or a monthly minimum that starts at $100 after the first six months and rises in steps to $1,500. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 2% of gross receipts; not charged at present. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, pages 9 and 10
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Padgett Business Services publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, page 31
SBA loans to Padgett Business Services franchisees
Lenders approved 57 SBA-backed loans for Padgett Business Services franchisees from 1995 to 2024, $10.5M in all: 56 7(a) loans and 1 504 loan. Of the 46 that have ended, 42 were paid in full and 4 were charged off (8.7%). The other 11 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Padgett Business Services | Typical tax brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −1.2% / −4.7% | −4.3% / −4.7% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 2.4% / 15% | 2.4% / 15% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 2.8% | 0% / 0% |
Typical tax brand is the median of the 7 brands in tax franchises with three years of counts.
How Padgett Business Services compares
Of the 12 tax franchises on this site, Padgett Business Services is the most expensive to open and the 5th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Padgett Business Services | Typical tax brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $117K | $58K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $117K | $97K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $37K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 9% | 10% | 6% |
| US locations | 164 | 111 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 8 of 12 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 12 brands in tax franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 173 (−26) | 0 | – | – |
| 2022 | 173 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2023 | 165 (−7) | 0 | +4 | −11 |
| 2024 | 166 (+1) | 0 | +11 | −10 |
| 2025 | 164 (−2) | 0 | +2 | −4 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 199 to 164 (−35, −18%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, pages 36–37
2021–2022: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2024 filing, page 37
Where Padgett Business Services locations are
At the end of 2025, Padgett Business Services had franchised locations in 41 states. The most are in California, Florida and Georgia.
- California14
- Florida12
- Georgia11
- Colorado9
- Illinois9
- Pennsylvania9
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| California | 14 |
| Florida | 12 |
| Georgia | 11 |
| Colorado | 9 |
| Illinois | 9 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 |
| Texas | 8 |
| Virginia | 8 |
| Michigan | 6 |
| Ohio | 6 |
All 41 states
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, page 38
Who owns Padgett Business Services?
Padgett Business Services franchises are sold by SmallBizPros, Inc.
From SmallBizPros, Inc’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 7. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: SmallBizPros, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 7, bankruptcy on page 7
Padgett Business Services filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from SmallBizPros, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued March 23, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 23, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other tax franchises
All tax franchises
Padgett Business Services is also on these lists: business services franchises.