Accounting and tax for Waukegan restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses

Sound familiar?

• Sales arrive from several systems.

  Point-of-sale, card processors, booking platforms and delivery apps all report differently. Monthly reconciliation brings them into one set of books you can trust.

• Busy seasons and quiet ones.

  When revenue swings through the year, current financial statements show how each month actually performed and help you plan for the slower stretch.

• Margins that are hard to see.

  Food, labor, supplies and occupancy costs move fast. Regular reporting shows where the money goes while you can still act on it.

• Bars and liquor sales

  Liquor inventory and pour cost are the figures that show what the drinks a bar pours cost against what they sell for.

Your situation isn’t on this list? Tell us about it — every engagement starts with a conversation.

How we help.

• Monthly accounting

  Current books and financial statements.

• Business and owner returns

  Prepared together.

Services and starting prices.

• 01

  Monthly Accounting

  From $400/mo

  Transaction categorization, account reconciliations, financial statements and regular accounting support.

• 02

  Accounting + Tax + Planning

  From $900/mo

  Monthly accounting and reporting, business and owner tax returns, proactive tax planning and year-round CPA access.

  Founding Client Rate: $825/month for your first 12 months when you engage by March 31, 2027. Terms

Starting prices. Your scope and price are agreed in writing before work begins.

Already have an accountant? See how switching works.

Waukegan at a glance

• 133

  restaurants with paid employees in the ZIP codes 60085 and 60087 that serve Waukegan

  Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023

• 48%

  share of restaurants with 10+ employees (estimate)

  Source: estimate derived by Tucker from Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023; not a published figure

Tax offices for Waukegan hospitality businesses

• City of Waukegan License Department (Business License Division)

  City business tax and licenses.

  Phone 847-360-0334

  Official website

• Lake County Treasurer

  County property tax collection.

  18 N County Street, Room 102, Waukegan, IL 60085

  Phone 847-377-2323

  Official website

• Illinois Department of Revenue

  State tax and revenue agency.

  101 West Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62702

  Phone 800 732-8866

  Official website

• IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center - Schiller Park

  Federal tax help in person.

  5100 River Road, Schiller Park, IL 60176

  Phone (847) 737-6688

  Official website

A Waukegan restaurant or hotel owner has a short list of offices to know in Lake County, Illinois. City of Waukegan License Department (Business License Division) is the city office listed for local taxes. Lake County Treasurer collects property tax.

Illinois Department of Revenue covers the state, and IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center - Schiller Park covers the federal level.

Tucker's estimate, derived from Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023, is that 48% of the restaurants in those ZIP codes have 10 or more employees.

Brent Tucker, CPA, brings sales from several systems together through monthly reconciliation and prepares business and owner returns together for Waukegan hospitality businesses.

Source: each office's official website, checked October 16, 2026.