Paula did my tax return in 2023 and gave me advice on contributing to an IRA that proved to be…read moreincorrect, forcing me into hours of work and headaches to reverse and document. She charged me over $2000 and did no better than TurboTax. And to make matters worse, she never took responsibility for her work. I wasn't able to give her a review before because she disappeared online. Now she's apparently back. Oh and she was working from Hawaii at the time, although advertising as if living in Sausalito.

AVOID This INCOMPETENT CROOK. Paula refused to respond to me until after I posted my initial Yelp…read morereview with screenshots proving her wrongdoing & filed a complaint with the California Board of Accountancy. I would've preferred to resolve this privately, but some behavior is so egregious that it cannot be ignored. On October 14th, she tried extorting an additional $250 from me ahead of the October 16th CA tax deadline on top of the $3,247 I had already paid her for a rejected return that had to be corrected and re-filed hours before the deadline due to her mistakes (screenshot below). Paula refused to respond to my emails & calls, yet somehow found time to respond to my Yelp review when she should've been focused on accurately re-filing my return. She can't even refute my post because the truth speaks for itself. Instead, she resorts to gaslighting & falsely claiming that I gave her inaccurate information. Rather than apologize and make things right, she attempted to publicly blame me for her error which demonstrates her complete lack of accountability. The only thing chaotic and disorganized is her manual client intake system. (See screenshots of her 42 page "tax organizer" that you have to manually fill out unless you purchase an Adobe subscription). She thrives in chaos because it enables her to charge additional fees for exchanging back and forth emails instead of replacing her inefficient document management system. I sent Paula multiple filing status clarification emails BEFORE the tax deadline (screenshots below). She didn't "donate" any time. It's an insult to anyone's intelligence to claim such nonsense after she received $3,247 for a rejected individual tax return. To add insult to injury, she brazenly demanded another $250 to correct HER mistake. When I refused to be extorted, she backed down and made the correction she should've made all along (an admission of guilt, although someone like this never explicitly admits when they are wrong (screenshots below). The updated return was half the length of the original, and since she refused to explain the discrepancy & has forbidden me to call for clarification, I hope the new return is accurate (screenshot below of me requesting clarification & her non-response). It never should have come to this, but bullies and con artists like Paula should never be acquiesced to. Beware of this wolf in sheep's clothing who seems pleasant and polite on the surface. Charm is deceitful. When people show you who they are, believe them.

If you want someone smart, personable, conscientious, look to Melanie Shaw! She is all…read moreof those things and more.

I had been doing our taxes on my own for the past several years and always ended up paying assessed…read moretaxes. I scheduled an appointment with Melanie to review my prior year taxes as well as prepare our taxes for this year. After reviewing my taxes, Melanie was able to pinpoint what was causing us to owe taxes every year, saving us a large chunk for next year! On top of that, Melanie refused to charge me for the consultation, and further advised me that it's not worth the money she would charge me to prepare our taxes this time. Amazing! Melanie charges the same as H&R Block, but has a passion for the complex and ever-changing tax rules as well as a CPA background, which you may not usually find at an H&R Block (I was an H&R customer for a few years). Melanie also explains the complexities of tax rules clearly and patiently. If our tax situation ever becomes more complex, I would use Melanie and no one else! Thanks again Melanie!

Zero response to multiple phone calls and emails. I don't think this business actually exists.read more

Lee is phenomenal. He has taken so much of the worry out of our tax preparation each year and…read morealways goes above and beyond to help us have the best tax filing experience each year. Our taxes are a bit complicated including personal and business and I fully trust him to handle both with excellence! Thank you for being great at what you do Lee!

We have been using Abacus Tax Services for about ten years now and are extremely happy and have…read morereally loved working with them over the years. Both Rich and Sona have been really great to deal with. Our tax situation has gotten more complicated over the years with our S-Corp and Real Estate and they have always been there to support us and help us figure things out. We have worked with a number of different accountants over the years in our business and they are by far are my favorite. No drama, very easy to deal, very helpful and straightforward. I also find that their pricing is much more reasonable than all the other accountants I have worked with in the past. We highly recommend them!

Abacus Tax Service is amazing. They are quick, personable and easy to work with, not to mention…read morethat they get you amazing returns. In the rare event that they make a mistake, they take ownership of the interest. Also, my taxes are not cut and dried at all and they help me easily organize the right information for them to get a high return. Thanks again Abacus!

Akemi claims efficiency, but what really defines her approach is an unforgiving attention to every…read moredetail that too many so-called professionals miss. I don't praise easily, but she tore through our tangled financial mess like it was nothing, giving us clarity where there was chaos. Her speed is not a breath of fresh air; it's the baseline anyone should expect. If you want someone who will treat your financials like a personal challenge rather than a routine task, Akemi is who you call.

Akemi has helped me from the moment I incorporated my company in 2014 and has been an amazing…read morepartner throughout all those years. She is extremely capable, delivers very quickly and is just a joy to work with. On top of that, she is also incredibly thorough and doesn't make any mistakes. Akemi is always able to answer questions and take the time to explain things. I cannot rate her highly enough! Give her a call, you'll be happy you did!

A lack of customer service . And Timely follow through and completion of jobs as promised.read more

From the owner: We are a boutique accounting and tax firm focused on bringing the financial management skills of…read morethe big companies to Bay Area businesses and clarity to individuals wanting to understand how our complicated tax laws affect them. Located in Sausalito, California, we serve individuals and businesses in the Marin County and surrounding areas. Our services include income tax preparation (individual and business), CFO consulting services and general accounting services. For more information about our services, feel free to visit our website.

Working with Chris at Flex Tax was an outstanding experience. From start to finish, he kept us in…read moreconsistent communication, never leaving us guessing about where things stood. No matter how detailed our questions got, Chris had thoughtful answers and took the time to explain things every time. Chris genuinely made the process feel easy and stress-free. Highly recommend Flex Tax to anyone looking for top-notch service that is efficient and affordable!

Chris at FlexTax has been my tax advisor for about three years now, and I can't recommend him…read morehighly enough. He's incredibly thorough and detail-oriented - he double and even triple checks everything to make sure your return is accurate and that he has all the right information. He's also very responsive and flexible with scheduling, which has made it easy to fit tax meetings around a busy workday. Chris really shines with more complex situations. He specializes in startups and equity compensation (ISOs, RSUs, etc.), as well as investment portfolios, so if you work at a startup or have a more complicated tax situation, you're in great hands. He takes the time to walk through everything, explains complex issues clearly, and makes the whole process feel much less stressful. He goes above and beyond by looking at prior years and making amendments if necessary to put you in a better position for future tax years. I originally started working with Chris based on a friend's recommendation, and after three years as a client, I'm very glad I did. If you're a startup employee or founder, or anyone dealing with equity and investments, I highly recommend Chris at FlexTax.

Michael is an excellent CPA. We have a small business, and his knowledge of emerging tax law has…read moreassisted us greatly when completing our taxes each year. Michael is extremely honest, accurate, efficient, and personable. We trust him completely, and he has always done a great job for us on our personal as wella s business taxes.

My interactions with Michael were highly negative, as I found him to be highly rude and…read moreunprofessional. I had asked if he could handle a highly time-sensitive and important tax amendment, but he mentioned he was too busy due to the impending tax deadline. He then called me back and explained he might have time - and that he would call me back in a few days to confirm availability. I held off on looking for other accountants during this time. When I called back, Michael's voice mail indicated he was out of the country. He lacked the decency to alert me of this fact prior to leaving. I lost 3 days in my search for an accountant, but also respect for Michael. When I asked if he was going to let me know of his departure, his response was rude, condescending, and unapologetic in my opinion - that he needed to leave the country and hopefully this was an adequate response. I received no response when I responded that his email was highly unprofessional and really shocking given this is a regulated industry. I would never expect such rudeness from other licensed professionals, such as a doctor or lawyer. I do not recommend in the slightest, and hope "professionals" such as Michael are not supported with further business.