I can't say enough good things about John Mao at Argus CPA. When our CPA unexpectedly retired and our corporate return was due on March 15, John came to the rescue. He was calm, detail-oriented, and genuinely caring about getting it right. He turned a stressful moment into a relief. I wish I could give him more than five stars! read more

John, you are just amazing! Our business has income tax issues and John helped us resolve them. Not only is he very knowledgeable (and you can tell from others who cannot answer your questions; they just keep on talking.), he is very kind, considerate of what our challenges are. (again; others including our recent tax attorney just reciting the tax laws that do not even apply to our conditions.) He listens, focuses on the issues, and able to answer the tax questions we have. Terrific! read more

John has been our tax accountant for the past 5 years. He is knowledgeable, efficient, and a lovely person. We are so happy with and confident in his services, highly recommended! read more

Several years ago, we had created an LLC for our rental property in Hawaii. After the two years of having taxes prepared by another CPA, we questioned the validity of what we had received. When we finally interviewed John, we realized that we had found a person who would work with our best interests at heart. John not only straightened out our previous returns, he helped to properly set up the LLC which the previous accountant had completely ignored. John was extremely thorough and explained everything in detail. When John did not immediately have a solution for a particular problem, he had the expert resources to come up with the proper solution for us. We have been using John ever since and having since moved to Kauai we were able to do everything remotely with John's help. We are completely comfortable with John and highly recommend him. read more

Highly responsive and timely with completing our personal taxes. Have recommended to others looking for an accountant.

John has been my CPA now for 2+ years and he has been phenomenal. His attention to detail, professionalism, and timeliness are exceptional. He truly listens to your own personal situation and gives you personalized advice that makes the best sense financially in your own unique situation. Additionally, he is fully accessible and is always willing to take the time to explain things, even if you have asked it multiple times! Most importantly, he is meticulous and careful in his work. He triple and quadruple checks that all the balance sheets make sense and are reflected appropriately in all your personal and business tax reportings. I have no reservations in recommending John to anyone who wants a down to earth, affordable, trustworthy, and overall genuinely nice professional to work with. read more

I am not a client of John's, so I can't actually attest to his skills as a CPA. However, I can attest to his responsiveness, professionalism and commitment to providing excellent service to his clients. How do I know this despite not being an actual client? Because he declined my attempt to hire him as my CPA. John was originally referred to me by a trusted financial adviser. The long list of 5 star reviews on Yelp further boosted my confidence in his services. We soon sat down for a Saturday morning interview meeting at my office, and then a handful of email communications on the subject of hiring him as the new CPA for my company later transpired. Despite my strong desire to move forward with the relationship, he very astutely recognized that he was not going to be able to provide the breadth of CPA services I was seeking. Only a man with a clear commitment to providing excellent service to each and every one of his clients would turn away a potential new client likely worth thousands of dollars each year. I know this because I too own a service business and I know all too well how a single client that does not quite fit your business model can consume an excessive amount of your time, preventing you from properly servicing your other clients. It requires an incredible amount of honor and personal dedication to pursue excellent service rather than money. For that reason alone, I have no doubt that Mr. Mao's services are as good as they get. read more

My family has been relying on Mr. Mao's professional tax return services during past four years. His details oriented and client centered business etiquettes turn the daunting process into a easy peasy one for my family. read more

We decided we needed to take it up a notch and start working with a CPA for 2012 tax returns and general financial/tax advice as needed, instead of continuing with H&R B. So we did a little homework, made some calls and emails to touch base, interviewed, etc. And we loved John off the bat!! He's very courteous, punctual, ethical, prompt, methodical, and generally a great CPA. Even my 1-year old son was beaming and cooing at John (and like a friend of mine says, I trust the judgment of babies and dogs!). Anyway, we discussed with John a bit about our 2012 financials, plus got a little free advice about certain topics at our first meeting. He quoted a low and a "high" estimate for preparing our returns, and said no matter what--the price wouldn't go higher than that (and we could quote him on it, he said). Fast forward: upon e-filing our returns and presenting us with a neat portfolio containing all items, he only charged us the lower estimated price. Very nice! I would recommend John for anyone in the area looking for a CPA. read more

I have been a client of Argus CPA since 2010. I first enlisted John's accounting services for one of my company's payroll and tax returns. Since then, John has provided similar tax services to all four of my companies along with my personal tax returns for my wife and I. After eight years, I can confidently say that Argus CPA Inc is the most reliable and helpful accounting firm that I've had the pleasure of working with. Below are a few reasons as to why John and his team are truly the gold standard when it comes to CPA/tax services in the Bay Area. - Competency: Taxes are never fun to do by yourself, and the last thing you want while trying to get a good nights sleep is the thought of an IRS auditor knocking on your door. That being said, I have had zero issues with my taxes in the past 8 years of working with John (on top of getting a good chunk of change back on my personal tax returns!) John regularly walks me through the ins and outs of my taxes, which was a process that I've never had clarified for me by previous CPA's/Accountants. His detail-oriented attitude combined with his patience explaining the tax preparation process line-by-line is testimony of his dedication to his craft, and why we keep going back to Argus year after year. - Integrity: Trust is one of the most important values when it comes to finding a CPA. From the get-go, John was upfront about the accounting services he provides and the time frame that he would be able to accomplish these tasks in. Rate-wise, John has consistently stuck to his word and never once has he ever altered the prices/quotes that we discussed for his services. - Work ethic: Simply put, John is a really hardworking guy. Weeknights, weekends, whenever ... John usually gets back to me within a few hours after I call and/or leave a message. At the end of the day, it is easy to see how much pride John takes in making sure that he does a good job. This relates to my first point on integrity and how difficult it can be to find someone who really cares about the quality of their craft and about the well-being of his/her client. There's not much more to say other than the fact that we are incredibly grateful to have found Argus CPA Inc! read more

John Mao is absolutely fantastic. Always ready to answer any tax related questions that I have yearly. Extremely knowledgeable of all tax codes and a truly great guy. By far the best CPA I have ever used. Customer for life. read more

I didn't even have the opportunity to meet John, but I am giving him the highest rating because of the valuable guidance he gave me. The fact that he listened to my problem over the phone as opposed to telling me to come to his office and pay for his time; to me, that's a rarity. John is the epitome of how professionals should act facing different situations. It's not just money that makes the world go round...character of the people living in it is far more important. John, count me in as a future client. read more

John has been an amazing help and I wish he could be my CPA. He was very responsive and thoughtful on following up, and was looking to help me with quick questions even thought he couldn't take me on to help with my full situation. I can clearly tell why he's popular with his current clients and I hope I get the chance to work with him in the future. read more

I found John on yelp and he was amazing response time and customer service. John is thorough precise and wonderful at what he does, he helped me with my taxes and provided me with information and knowledge that I had not known regarding taxes. His professionalism and five-star customer service is a under statement, thank you John! read more

I have been doing my taxes with John for years now. He is the most reliable, professional and nicest guy there is. His attention to detail and punctuality is impressive. I highly recommend John / Argus CPA! read more

John Mao will ruin your business and you wont even know it. John Mao response WAS CLEARLY NOT WRITTEN BY JOHN MAO. John cannot write in English. The response demonstrates his problem. He states that I wanted him to change his figures and submit a fraudulent tax return. I JUST TOLD HIM THAT HIS FIGURES WERE WRONG. His work was reviewed by top CPAS and found to be full of DIRTY ACCOUNTING PRACTICES. ****************** Stay Away from John Mao Argus CPA. Wrong figures, Dirty Accounting Practices, Poor English skills, would have resulted in over 250,000 in tax for our business. John Mao failed to properly keep our books, Failed to prepare our Company Tax Returns. John Mao refused to give us our data, even though he had been PAID SEVERAL THOUSANDS. John Mao became very arrogant when I questioned his figures. It took a while for us to understand that he was not even trying to correct his figures, he was just angry that we questioned his figures. Our Tax Returns were subsequently reviewed and revealed questionable practices used by John Mao that resulted in huge over payments to the IRS. DO NOT TRUST this man with your Business Accounting Read less read more

I have hired 5 CPA's in the past 10 years, John by far, was the best CPA, he not only followed up on deductions that I overlooked, but was very affordable and patient dealing with my reports and records. I referred him to 3 of my clients and they stated he did an excellent job at half of what their former CPA's charged! I would high recommend John Mao, he is very professional. Curt B. read more

John, with Argus CPA, does such a thorough review of our taxes each year and we can't thank John enough for his hard work and attention to detail. He is so personable and caring, we consider him an extension of our family. read more

Once again, yelp comes through. I found John through yelp and he's simply super. Very, very clear and meticulous. It's actually calming just to go through the tax materials. Instead of raised blood pressure as I try to make sense of the various tax forms and instructions, we had a pleasant time with John and, like magic, it's all taken care of. We've experienced more than one CPA over the years and John is, for sure and by far, the best. read more

I have used John for two years. He is a rare find! He has a high degree of integrity ,extremely competent, and very dependable. If John says I will do x on x date, or it will cost x amount- He delivers on his promise... I have used John on personal taxes, business taxes, and financial planning advise. Their is a reason he receives so many 5 star recommendation...... read more

Switched to John from Turbo tax three years ago, and will not go back again. Great service and pay attention to details. He reconciles your current number with your last year's return and gives you advice on how to prepare for the coming year. Such a great service! read more

Unfortunately the timing wasn't right to get a full consultation with Mr. Mao. But I had to give 5 stars because I contacted several "high-end" CPAs in the area and he was the only one to call me back personally and explain important details to me. He was incredibly informative and sounded very meticulous. He is very personable as well. I would get a consultation from Mr. Mao if you are in the area. read more

I found john through yelp, since I'm the owner now of a restaurant that I've worked for 17 years, I'm new to all the paper work and stuff that has to be done ,correctly. I'm very happy to have found john to be my CPA and also does my payroll. He explains very calm and make sure you understand what he is talking about,For sure I will be a long term customer with john. Thank's john read more

I don't normally review and this is my first review here. I can not thank you John enough for his advice and guidance for both my personal and business tax. My previous CPA had been sick for a long time(over a year) and that lead to many issues (missing filings, etc..), John stepped in and help me out in every aspect of the business and now everything is better and smooth then ever. On top of that, in some occasion, I mistakenly paid for his invoice twice, he notified me right away. I would highly recommend John if any tax/payroll/accounting service you may have. read more

I found John Mao on Yelp. He was great. I emailed him a couple weeks before our appointment and told him what we needed information on. It was very specific information that we needed and I wanted to be sure that he could help us. When we showed up for our appointment (on a Saturday no less), he had printouts ready for us. He explained each one and waited while we read them. A few days after our appointment there was a change in the law and John immediately emailed us the change. I would highly recommend John Mao. He was extremely professional and knowledgeable. We will definitely be going to back to John for all future tax help. read more

Met with John today. I have difficult return for this year. John took the time to explain my options.He's a terrific CPA that knows his stuff. For tax time, John Mao is the man. read more

It takes a lot for me to actually write a Yelp review, but John Mao of Argus CPA did such an amazing job, here I am! I needed a CPA-certified Profit and Loss statement for a loan and of course, needed it fast, because the underwriters needed it ASAP. Oh, and did I mention it was a holiday week?!? I thought this was going to be an impossible and horrific task. Not only did Mr. Mao call me back right away, but he was super efficient and got it done in 3 days. He was knowledgeable, thorough and explained everything really clearly, and even gave great advice about how to start the new year with some different book keeping strategies. Highly recommend! read more

I had John complete my 2010 tax return this year due to the fact that certain things came up that I have never had to deal with before. I contacted John and was very impressed with the way he explained things to me. There was no pressure to retain his services. After our meeting, I told John that I would like him to prepare my taxes for me. John returned my e-mails very promptly and communicated with me during the process. Due to John's hard work, he saved me money on my return. I would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone requiring the services of a CPA. read more

I have been doing my own taxes for some years now. In 2009, I converted some IRA to Roth IRA and then recharacterized when the switch didn't go my way in the same year. The IRS somehow claimed I owed them thousands of dollars in back taxes. I was unable to manage it myself and turned to John for help. He was excellent in his help to get me back even with the IRS owing only a few hundred dollars. He is honest, prompt with his work and always upbeat and helpful. I think I found a new accountant for my future. I would not hesitate to consult him for tax issues. read more

John Mao is the only person we trust to handle all our personal/business accounting and book keeping. John has a lot of integrety and won't do anything he feels is unethical. Saying John Mao gives 100% is an understatement. He goes the extra mile. He has gone above and beyond with helping my husband and I get our business started and has helped us avoid financial pit falls. I would recommend him to any and everyone looking for an honest and thorough CPA. read more

John is wonderful. I went into his office and he spent a great amount of time with me going through the details of my situation. He does the right thing. I highly recommend John. read more

This write up cannot possibly reveal how important John Mao has become to both my family and East Bay Pool Service. He rescued us from a terribly complicated tax audit, and a very messed up company quick book. He also has become a very close friend. First we were referred to John by someone who had told us that our case was too complicated and that we might find help with John. After our first meeting with John there was no doubt that John was very qualified as well as very willing to help us straighten the mess we found ourselves in. In our case time was limited as he was coming in in the middle of an IRS tax audit of 6 years of business. John worked so hard for us, late nights included. We chipped away at all the items the IRS requested, until eventually we John stood in for us in a face to face negotiation with a small business IRS agent. He represented us with well-prepared knowledge and integrity. John has saved us a great deal of money. Secondly, John straightened out our business QuickBooks. We had for years been trying to keep our book with little knowledge of accounting and this became such a difficult mess to repair. Again John spent so many hours making our business book correct. Now John services our company payroll as well as does a monthly bank and business financial statement. Through countless hours of work, excellent and ongoing communication with me, and dedication, John has become what I would consider a very close friend. He is loyal, trustworthy, hardworking, and really cares about the well-being of his clients. read more

Had a rough start with John but he came through with flying colors and he provided excellent service to complete our tax return before the October 15 deadline.He was diligent and very proffesional and I highly recommend him to my friends and family. read more

I have not used John's services, but he was so helpful and quick to reply via email and phone! Very nice and super helpful. My husband and I will be in touch with him in the future with any further financial needs. read more

I have been working with John Mao since I was audited by the IRS. I had another CPA that totally made a terrible mess of the audit. I then hired an attorney that all he did was charge me money and not help with what the IRS said I owed them. I then found John and he has been the best help ever. He got all my business books in order and has done my taxes since. He has taken a BIG load off my shoulders and helped me live a much more relaxed life, especially around tax time. He also helped me with another issue I had with the IRS and I went from owing them thousands to owing them $ 0 (nothing). He is a very professional, honest and thorough person. I recommend him highly and I am soooo happy I found him. He is a very hard working person that will always be there for you. read more

Melody Chorus Society, a nonprofit organization in the Bay area is extremely fortunate to have the support of Mr. John Mao in preparing our 2012 990 EZ. He turns out to be a capable, responsible , efficient, and reliable CPA we have ever met. He attended the minor details and explained with great patience as to the procedure of the filing. We are grateful to him. Now that we are relieved of the burden of tax matter, we can sing with ease mind. Aiqing Tan read more

John is very thorough in his work and very reasonable with his fees. He has helped us a few times with inquiries from the IRS. Each time we were pleased with the outcome. John takes the time to explain the details. He is honest and has a great sense of humor. We would recommend his services to everyone. read more

John Mao is not only knowledgeable and professional, but he works hard for you as though he were entrusted by a dear friend. Over a number of years I had made a mess of my accounting books and was in desperate need of help. I tried someone else first, but after a few hundred dollars, they still had more questions than answers. Other accountants I talked to didn't give me any better sense that they could fix my books without bleeding me financially. John grasped the situation and articulated a plan - and then methodically and efficiently corrected my books. He's done a great job for me, and I can honestly say that whenever I get John's bill, I always feel like I'm getting the better deal. I'm sure the other accountants I talked to were fine if your needs are simple and straightforward. But if you need accounting and/or tax work with any degree of complication, I would highly, highly recommend John Mao. He'll be honest, he'll be fair, and he will get the job done. read more