I'm on the fence about this CPA service. It was recommended by my girlfriend, who's had her…read morepersonal and business taxes done by Nick. For 2023, I decided to give them a try since they're local, and I had doubts about the reliability of my previous CPA, who was a friend of my ex-wife's.
I submitted all the requested information to their front desk in February. However, in April, I received a notice from the FTB (Form 5071C) regarding a tax return filed under my SSN. I confirmed I hadn't filed a return and informed the CPA's office, but I never heard back from either the FTB or the CPA.
In August, things got even more frustrating when I hand-delivered my girlfriend's personal taxes and our business taxes. They later claimed I hadn't submitted them. I provided the date, time, and her name, but nearly a week later, they said I had given the wrong last name for my girlfriend. This caused additional delays in processing.
Then, in September, I learned their software couldn't file my taxes electronically--a problem that should've been addressed months earlier. They'd been waiting on my Schedule K-1, but once it was ready, I had to file my taxes by mail in early November.
By October, my taxes were finally submitted, but after eight weeks, I noticed no refund was deposited into my account. When I called, they directed me to the IRS website, where I discovered my federal refund had been applied to an outstanding balance.
The FTB later sent a letter saying my return had been changed, and I owed thousands. I contacted the CPA, and they investigated, but now my state return is stuck in limbo. To make matters worse, their emails have been condescending, suggesting I may have forgotten filing a return earlier in the year. I hadn't--it was their office's delays and errors causing the issues.
Now, it's late December, and I still haven't heard anything from the FTB, nor has the CPA provided meaningful help in resolving the matter or tracking down my state refund.
Will I continue using their services? Probably, since my girlfriend has been with them for a while, and I hoped using the same CPA would simplify things. That said, I'm cautiously optimistic they'll clear up this mess and improve the process next year--especially when it comes to filing electronically for 2025.