Certified Tax Service provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, selecting other managers, education planning, estate planning, insurance, tax planning, and tax preparation. Financial planning was provided to 1–10 clients last fiscal year.
Certified Tax Service reports 249 clients. They include 160 individual clients and 89 high-net-worth individuals. Of its assets, 100.0% ($314M across 732 accounts) are managed with discretion.
| Client type | Clients | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 64% | 16% |
| High-net-worth individuals | 36% | 84% |
Client breakdown and activity details
| Client type | Clients | Regulatory AUM | AUM share | Avg. per client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 160 | $51.5M | 16.4% | $322K |
| High-net-worth individuals | 89 | $262M | 83.6% | $2.95M |
| Total | 249 | $314M | 100% | $1.26M |
- Clients
- 160
- Regulatory AUM
- $51.5M
- AUM share
- 16.4%
- Avg. per client
- $322K
- Clients
- 89
- Regulatory AUM
- $262M
- AUM share
- 83.6%
- Avg. per client
- $2.95M
Total
- Clients
- 249
- Regulatory AUM
- $314M
- AUM share
- 100%
- Avg. per client
- $1.26M
- Clients outside the U.S.
- 0%
- Clients advised without assets under management last fiscal year
- 0
- Private funds advised
- 0
- Financial planning clients last fiscal year
- 1–10
Certified Tax Service charges 1.00%–2.00% a year for its Investment Management Fee. The fee is billed in arrears and is negotiable. The brochure also prices one other service, listed under fee details.
Fee details and sources
Other fees
- Financial Planning and Consulting
- Financial planning and consulting is charged a fixed fee, generally $500 to $7,500, or an hourly rate of $125 to $500, negotiable.
Todd Much owns 25% to 50% of Certified Tax Service. Todd Much is CEO; the leadership team includes President Charles Marien, Chief Investment Officer Christopher Much and Chief Operating Officer Jonathon Much. It has 9 employees, 4 of them in advisory roles.
Staff
- 9 employees
- 4 in advisory functions
- 4 state-registered reps
- 4 insurance agents
- Owns 25% to 50% of Certified Tax Service, Inc.
Todd Much
Control person · since August 1981
- Owns 25% to 50% of Certified Tax Service, Inc.
Charles Marien
Control person · since October 1984
- Owns 10% to 25% of Certified Tax Service, Inc.
Christopher Much
Control person · since October 2013
- Owns 10% to 25% of Certified Tax Service, Inc.
Jonathon Much
Control person · since June 2015
Certified Tax Service’s regulatory assets grew from $268M (April 2021) to $314M (December 2025); clients were 249 in both filings and employees rose from 8 to 9.
Figures from each annual filing
| Filed | Regulatory AUM | Clients | StaffEmployees | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025December 2025 | $314M | 249 | 9 | 2 |
| Dec 2024December 2024 | $299M | 247 | 8 | 2 |
| Dec 2023December 2023 | $274M | 244 | 8 | 1 |
| Dec 2022December 2022 | $266M | 249 | 8 | 1 |
| Dec 2021December 2021 | $308M | 245 | 9 | 1 |
| Apr 2021April 2021 | $268M | 238 | 8 | 1 |
Besides its headquarters, Certified Tax Service has 1 office (1 private residence, listed without an address), with 1 listed address in 1 state.
Illinois · 1 listed address
- 737 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2120, ChicagoHQ
Other business names
Certified Tax Service has reported 1 other business name to the SEC.
- CTS Financial Group
Contact and registration details
- Legal name
- Certified Tax Service, Inc.
- Headquarters
- 737 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2120, Chicago, IL 60611
- Website
- ctsfinancialgroup.com
- Phone
- 312-337-1040
- @1311857
- SEC file
- 801-25781
- Founded
- 1972
- Structure
- Illinois corporation
- Fiscal year end
- September
Certified Tax Service’s named custodians for separately managed accounts are Charles Schwab ($249M, 85%) and Nationwide Securities ($43.5M, 15%). Certified Tax Service has custody of $99.5M for 111 clients.
- Charles SchwabCharles Schwab & Co., Inc. · Westlake, TX · $249M85%
- Nationwide SecuritiesNationwide Securities, LLC · Louisville, KY · $43.5M15%
At year end, Certified Tax Service’s separately managed accounts were mostly in funds (73%).
What the accounts hold
- Stocks6%
- Funds73%
- Bonds4%
- Cash3%
- Other14%
- Variable annuities.14%
How many clients does Certified Tax Service have?
Certified Tax Service has 249 clients and manages $314 million for them, as of December 2025. They include 160 individual clients and 89 high-net-worth individuals.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.D and 5.F, filed 23 December 2025
What services does Certified Tax Service offer?
Certified Tax Service provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, selecting other managers, education planning, estate planning, insurance, tax planning, and tax preparation.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.G, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file; Part 2A brochure, Item 4
How much does Certified Tax Service charge?
Certified Tax Service charges 1.00%–2.00% a year for its Investment Management Fee. The fee is billed in arrears and is negotiable.
Which custodians does Certified Tax Service use?
Certified Tax Service’s separately managed account assets are held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Westlake, TX), with $249M and Nationwide Securities, LLC (Louisville, KY), with $43.5M. Only custodians holding at least a tenth of those assets are named.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 5.K.(3), filed 23 December 2025
How many financial advisors does Certified Tax Service have?
Certified Tax Service has 4 investment adviser representatives registered with state securities authorities, out of 9 employees, and 4 perform investment advisory functions. 0 employees are registered representatives of a broker-dealer and 4 employees are licensed insurance agents.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.A and 5.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
What does Certified Tax Service invest in?
At the end of its last fiscal year, Certified Tax Service’s separately managed accounts held 73% registered funds (mutual funds, ETFs, BDCs), 14% other, 6% exchange-traded equities, 4% U.S. government and agency bonds and 3% cash and equivalents. The 14% other category is described as: Variable Annuities.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.K.(1) and 7.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
Who owns Certified Tax Service?
Certified Tax Service’s direct owners are Todd Much, Charles Marien, Christopher Much and Jonathon Much, each holding 50% or less.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedules A and B, filed 23 December 2025
How does Certified Tax Service get paid?
Certified Tax Service is paid through a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges and fixed fees. Its Form ADV lists no commissions or performance-based fees among how it is paid.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.E, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
How do I contact Certified Tax Service?
Certified Tax Service’s main office is at 737 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2120, Chicago, IL 60611. Its phone number is 312-337-1040. Its website is ctsfinancialgroup.com.