I contacted Brian through Yelp a couple weeks ago and made it VERY clear from the beginning I was looking for a quote for tax filing/preparation only for this year. My initial message: "Hi Brian, I am just looking for a quote for 2023 tax filing, not to actually start it yet. We will be needing help on a couple of tax situations this year." His exact response: "Understood. I will provide a quote for 2023 during our call. I just sent the questionnaire." He then emailed me the questionnaire; I put I was interested in "Individual taxes" and sent it back to him, I NEVER put I was interested in Investment management or any other kind of financial services. So he knew this whole time I only wanted tax preparation. He still proceeded to call me today and asked a few questions related to our tax situation. Then at the end of the call he asked if I was looking for someone to manage our investments, I said not at this point...we are only looking for tax preparation now. His tone completely changed and he abruptly told me in a condescending manner we are not a good fit because they are saturated with tax preparation clients and he's looking for clients who want investment management. I was pretty shocked at the change in his tone and his annoyance once I told him I didn't need someone to manage our investments. Again, I made it VERY clear from the start I was looking for tax preparation services only from my initial message AND the questionnaire he had me fill out. I honestly don't know why he still called and was rude when he knew he couldn't take on any more clients who only wanted tax filing. read more

I hired Brian a few years ago when when I neede to navigate the complexities of selling our company and managing stock investments in the new parent company. Since then, Brian and his team have been preparing my tax returns each year and providing ohter financial consulting as needed. He also helped me establish a family trust and is helping my wife establish an intestment portfolio. Brian is extremely proficient and knowledgeable, and his team is super helpful and responsive. I sleep well at night knowing we have Brian and his team in our corner. read more

Brian and his business are AMAZING. I initially needed Brian's services when I received a large tax bill from the IRS. I made the mistake of doing my taxes on turbo tax and 2 years later owned the IRS a significant amount of money. I contacted Brian on a Saturday morning and he had responded within the hour to have a plan to fix my problem. Brian indeed saved me thousands of dollars and most important a ton of unneeded stress. This year I used him to file my 2018 taxes and it was worth every penny. Very easy online portal to upload information and necessary documents. Brian had my return completed within 2 weeks with very prompt and thorough work. I highly recommend Brian and his services. Never again will I use a cheap tax service such as turbo tax... don't make the mistake I did by using turbo tax.. rather use Brian and his services. A+ all around! read more

I just moved to San Diego after living in Mexico and before that, New York City. All that moving around complicates personal taxes, yes, but the reason I sought Brian out was because I am starting my own business. While I'm good at what my business does, I don't know anything about accounting, much less California state tax law. After meeting with several other CPAs that were recommended online and getting rather brusque responses in my initial consult-- perhaps because it's tax season, they're too busy, or (the REAL reason) because my business is too small to be of interest to them-- I felt frustrated, lost, and extremely concerned. How would I find a good accountant in a new city who would be willing to deal with a tiny startup during tax season? After much Googling, searching, cold calling and emailing, I sent Brian a message through his website that essentially said, "I'm desperate, I'm a small startup trying to do the right thing, and I need help." He himself called me a few moments later on my cell phone and scheduled an appointment that week. He was open about his billing practices, even before I walked in the door, and emphasized that if I chose to do business with him, I would receive sizable bundle discounts for using a combo of his accounting/consulting/payroll/etc. services. I just got an estimate today for what I requested (last night!!!) and the discount is impressive. So far, Brian has been nothing but straightforward, warm, and most important, responsive. Let's be honest: the difference between a good CPA and a great CPA, other than a fine grasp on the minutiae of tax law, is a willingness to cultivate a relationship with a client rather than cherry-picking clients sure to do a high volume of business right away. By that standard, I think I've picked the right person! read more

Brian is a steed among mules. He's helpful and knowledgeable in the area of taxes and book keeping. His company handles my book keeping, payroll, and tax prep. I would refer him without hesitating. Great work Brian & team! read more

After having my taxes done by H&R Block last year, I decided to go another route with my tax preparation for this season. H&R simply charged a lot, and lacked that important personal touch. I came across Brian Grigg as a result of other Yelp reviews. And just like those who have worked with Brian before, I must agree that his work is top-notch. From the very beginning he was honest, professional and kept me informed. Right off the bat, he explained his process and any claims he made when it came to the preparation, timeliness, price, etc., he kept his word. He also, made some helpful suggestions regarding my finances. He did this in a manner which was not pushy at all. Overall I was extremely happy with my experience. I paid less than I expected for my tax preparation, and I got a higher tax return than I expected. If you are in need of a knowledgeable and professional CPA who can assist/educate you regarding your tax needs, and who will be with you throughout the year to provide that personal touch, I recommend contacting Brian ASAP. FYI, if you visit his office, and try to search for him on the 1st floor directory, you may have a hard time finding him. He shares his office space. Just remember he's in suite #100. read more

I have been doing my own taxes the past couple of years and have been making some mistakes so I decided to use YELP to find a tax accountant. I have to tell you that all the great reviews Brian Grigg is getting are well deserved! I emailed him over the weekend and got a response right away. He then called me Monday morning to set up an appointment immediately. He did my taxes in a couple of hours and also showed me what to expect on my taxes for the following year. I am also having him manage my IRA/stock accounts-he is very professional, very pleasant, and thorough. I will definantly be using his services in the future and I recommend him to anybody who needs help with personal/corp taxes as well! read more

I used to use Farmers Insurance for Car Insurance, but I recently switched over to Mr. Grigg's Insurance company. I could not be more please with their service: friendly, efficient, and cost-effective. Not only did they save me a ton of money on car insurance, but helped me get an Umbrella Policy for a great deal to further protect me. I am also using them for my Home Insurance as well! They are always available via phone, person or email and the staff goes out of its way to make sure you are getting the best service possible! I would recommend his company to family, friends and strangers! read more

Our tax situation has become more complex over the years and Brian's work and professionalism gives us peace of mind that we are filing correctly. He and his staff are responsive, professional and ethical. We love the online portal to submit all our documents. His prices are fair for the detailed work he provides. read more

As a practitioner in the tax world, I am very conservative about who I work with who I recommend to existing clients. Brian and his staff at PFS is always knowledgeable, friendly, and reliable. The true measure of any professional is what he or she does when things don't go as planned, and I have always found Brian and his staff ready, willing and able to work hard, work late and work in a reasonably priced manner to help me complete items that are on short order timelines. Lastly, who do you know in San Diego that actually wears 3 piece suits regularly? read more

I am a business owner and my tax situation is def. more complex than a single W-2. My first couple years in business I used another CPA who charged and arm and a leg, didn't care adn didn't educate me. He def. lived up to his slogan and has my year less taxing + I actually understand my taxes and have developed a strategy. We have been impressed with his experience, knowledge, follow through, open lines of communication, professionalism and close personal attention to our needs. These qualities are the cornerstone of any successful CPA. read more

Awesome work. I am very impressed with Brian's work ethic, knowledgability and promptness. He saved me some serious cash and protected me from some nasty tax liability. Can't say enough good things about him. AS far as CPA's go, Brian is a keeper. read more

Let's face it, who loves paying taxes? In the past I have always just done my own taxes online so this was my first experience with a CPA. I opened an LLC in 2011, and figured with the business it was a little more than I wanted to tackle on my own. Brian was great! He was very kind and patient helping me go through my folder of nonsense. He also offered great advice to help me in the future. I felt for filing personal and my business taxes his price was very fair. See you again next year! read more

Been using Brian for taxes for two years now. Easy to work with. Simple digital web portal. My taxes have never been easier.

I hate writing bad reviews, but I used Yelp to find a CPA. My experience was definitely different than his current rating. I've had good luck with Yelp thus far, so I figured working with Brian would be no different. I wish I had asked my colleagues for CPA advice vs Yelp. Never again! I just moved to San Diego in August 2016 so I couldn't go with my previous CPA. One of the worst experiences I have ever had filing my taxes. Save your heartache, time and money and go elsewhere. I have 0 confidence in his skills. I had to check his work and google articles for deductions, because I felt that I wasn't getting the most out of my tax preparation. When I received my digital tax forms, I didn't agree with his work, and wanted to go elsewhere, and he threatened to go after me for his fee. I was short for time and didn't really want to have to go through filing an extension and deal with the stress, so I decided to continue working with him, and googled articles to help myself (pay less to the IRS). Then he sent me an invoice, which was more than the agreed upon fee. I find that completely unacceptable - when you agree to an amount, you should be charged as such. Then when I had my fiancé go to pick up our tax documents, they mixed my tax docs with his, and they didn't even provide an organized folder with my tax prep and my docs. Completely a mess! Do yourself a favor, and don't file taxes with Brian. Oh and he doesn't even work on them himself. He has other people work on them, and he just finalizes them. If I could give 0 stars, I would! read more

Brian Grigg has been my CPA for 2 years. He has done my taxes flawlessly and helped me through the piles of paperwork involved with Chapter 7 Bankruptcy last year. He is always prompt, thorough, professional and very reasonably priced. read more

I appreciate Brian and his team. Not only do they prepare and file my returns responsibly, but they adhere to the schedule promised for an agreed upon price. And they are very patient with reminding me about what information I still owe them. ;-) We all need to file taxes and we want to find someone that not only handles the process in a professional manner, but also helps maximize our opportunity to save $$ within the current tax code. As a lay person, I will not (nor do I want to) understand the complexities of the law. I'm happy to have found Brian and store my trust in him to handle my relationship with the taxing authorities in an expected manner. I hope others that use Brian's services find that same kind of peace. Oh...and the fact that he offers investment services as well - an extra bonus! read more

As first time business owners we were unsure on where to go or who we should take our taxes to. We went in and discussed our situation with Brian and he took his time to explain the entire process and how to take care of what needed to be done. Brian and his staff are tremendous and lead us through filing for an extension, getting our books straightened out and completing everything expediently. One of the great parts about his service was he explained everything so we understood why our filing was a certain way and what to expect for the next year. He has also continually answered questions regarding employee taxes and other services we can use with our business. His help has taken a lot of the stress out of being new business owners and we look forward to using his firm this year. read more

Brian and his staff did a great job handling my business books and subsequent business and personal taxes. It is such a relief not to have to deal with that headache myself! read more

This review is a long time coming, too long. My family was hit by an IRS audit and you can imagine the panic. Brian was calm, cool, collected and VERY VERY knowledgeable about our complicated taxes and what could happen to us *the good and really bad*. He never put pressure on us but keep the momentum going to ensure we were ready. When the audit came he was more than prepared for any deviation that was thrown at him. In fact, he ended up helping the auditor figure out the numbers. I suspect that his professionalism and skill in the tax world, contributed to the IRS cutting us a break, a VERY BIG BREAK. We still had to pay but it was cut by 50%, which was a small miracle. If one can enjoy having to work with someone under these circumstances, I can say, Brian relived my stress and took care of business. He wasn't overly expensive, a fair cost when you compare it to how many thousands we saved by hiring him. We will continue to use Brian in the future as we have no desire to dance with the IRS again. Brian has a dry sense of humor and is all business (ex military) and its best if you are organised on your end, with your paperwork and numbers. Also want to add we picked him over a highly recommended tax attorney who was the price of a small car and in hindsight I am glad. I think that would have pissed the IRS off more and she wouldn't have been able to help the IRS crunch numbers the day of the audit. His advice was more ethical and honest, which was the right way to go in the end. read more

Very very pleased with Brian Griggs and his company. Very knowledgeable, pleasant, efficient and honest. Searching for a new CPA after 40 years after the only one who ever took care of us passed away....it was challenging. The minute we sat down to talk to Brian....we knew he was the one. He takes time with you, explains things to you and his staff is wonderful. So thanks Brian for all you do for so many all year long. Great Financial Planner too! Highly recommend Brian Griggs, CPA, PFS!!! They are amazing and quick and affordable! read more

Brian helped my fiance with his parents taxes. He was incredibly helpful, and very much on it! Even with the complex communication he stayed positive and was a pleasure to work with. We will definitely go to him for all accounting endeavors in the future :) !! read more

For this year's tax preparation (2011), I was referred to Brian Grigg of Professional Financial Services and could not be more pleased! For one thing I've never needed to use an external source to complete my tax return, so I didn't know what to expect or how much time I'd need to set aside for meetings to get the task completed. The reason I wanted to get my personal taxes done professionally is because I had some extenuating circumstances (short sale, divorce) during the year. This was not a normal, simple tax return year for me! My apprehension was quickly put to rest. I was very pleased with the time given, patience, and professionalism from Brian Grigg. Not only did he explain everything thoroughly, but did so in a way that a common person (someone who is not familiar with tax laws, codes or filing parameters regarding short sale, divorce, company shares) can understand. The tax preparation cost was very reasonable as well, which was important to me because I owe money on my taxes too! I recognize that the firm has multiple roles (and goals) with their clients, beyond tax preparation. He offered the services of financial management, investment, and tax planning, but was not a salesman about this, nor did he push these other options. I will go through Brian again next time around, which is the best indicator for me - because I don't stick with the same company if the experience was in any way not pleasant or difficult. read more

This will be the second year that Brian will provide both CPA and Tax Preparation services for Marcella June's Coffee Lounge. Fortunately we didn't have to look any further than across the street from the coffee shop to secure these services. I have Brian to be extremely easy to work with, have a through command of his skill sets as well as make the process understandable to our staff so we understand why certain bills are paid and in which categories. Brian has an incredible staff that leaves NO stones unturned. I always feel confident and legal when Brian's team finishes our CPA and Tax Preparation. Please feel free to contact us at Marcella June's Coffee Lounge if you have any specific questions. I recommend this group a one of the few "blue chip" experiences in the San Diego area. read more

Upgraded to a five, as Brian remains excellent since first review.

Brian not only did a great job with our current year taxes, he helped us with a much-needed review of the previous year and found substantial deductions our previous preparer hadn't even asked about. He and Lenice were on the ball, professional, and lovely people. Wish I got to do business with them more than once a year! read more

I had been looking for an experienced and professional CPA for some time now for direction in both personal finances and long term investments. After meeting Brian, my husband and I were so relieved to have found someone who could explain accounting to us in "English" and not sound condescending. Brian was friendly, knowledgable, and eager to help us plan for the future. I would highly recommend Brian - he's a "down to earth" guy who gave us great financial advice -- even wrote down steps for us to follow to make it easier for us! Before we left, he handed us a business card with his personal cell number on it. Wow, who does that? Talk about personal dedication! read more

Brian Grigg is a fabulous CPA! He cleaned up a really messy situation leftover from two previous accountants on both our personal return and a partnership return. He also explained everything in a clear and concise manner. I now have a much better understanding of my tax situation than in the previous 20 years. Brian - we are sooo glad we found you! read more

These guys are phenomenal! We will definitely use them moving forward to file our taxes or any other related issues.

I've referred ppl to Brian Grigg and they we're super satisfied! I recommend Him!

Thank you, Brian, for a great outcome! Never in our dreams did we hope for such a favorable outcome from the audit. From the beginning he took control and explained to us what we were up against. He educated us and gave us all the tools that we needed to prepare for the audit so that there were no un-answered questions. Having him personally meet the auditor proved to be the right and only way to go. We are very thankful to have met him. No doubt we have a CPA for life! read more

Brian was a great help to me . .. he's help made my life easier, and saved me a lot of time and energy. look forward to working with Brian in the future. read more

I've been going to this one CPA in Mission Valley for years. He was always hard to get a hold of but last year was horrible. I ended up filing for an extension as I couldn't get a hold of him, then after calling and leaving 6 messages to the receptionist and 4 emails later I almost didn't make the second deadline. I had enough. I found Brian via Yelp and like other reviews said he called me right back and scheduled me right away. He is knowledgeable and very kind. He will patiently explain what he will be doing. He doesn't mind educating you. He ended up having to review my past taxes as my previous CPA did something that needed to be clarified and possibly amended. He spent fair amount of time de-coding what my previous CPA did. It turned out fine but he didn't even charge me for the time checking my previous taxes. I know it was a complicated one.... He's great and he's very upfront about the fee. He will let you know in advance and I know it is very reasonable (trust me I used to pay $600 for the same service). Oh, and I'm telling you, he is very timely about getting back to you with any questions you may have whether it's by email or phone. Give him a chance and I'm sure you will be one happy customer like I am. Update: 9/5/12 When I saw him last year and this year for my taxes, I got a different impression of him from my original review. I didn't want to be fair and write this review last year so I waited till I saw him again. I cannot explain but everything I liked about him at the first visit wasn't really there. I really liked that he was so humble and willing to help out to build clientele. Now, he comes across almost cocky. He would lean back into his chair when he's talking to you. He also tried to sell me other services which always makes me uncomfortable. But he does his job well, and that's why I'm only taking one star off. I'm always searching for that one "perfect" CPA. Next year, I'm going to try out this one guy my friend strongly recommended. read more

My husband and I were referred to Brian to help us file several years of back taxes. In addition to those, he also helped us to file our business taxes. Brian was friendly, professional and courteous. He told us an estimated cost up front which was right on by the end, helped us with writing a letter to the tax bureau, answered all my emails In a timely fashion, and didn't seem to mind the ridiculous number of questions I had or my lack of knowledge. I went to our first meeting feeling embarrassed by our situation, but Brian always treated us with respect and courtesy. I can't recommend him highly enough. read more

Brian has done our taxes for 2 years now. My husband and I were so impressed we also trust them with our other financial services like life insurance. Brian's team especially Lennice is really great. We highly recommend them. They are always available to answer questions and give up front and honest advice. Very easy, trustworthy and quick responses on everything. read more

again, knowledgeable, flexible, and just plain nice. again this year my friends in the food service industry write off many things, brian told me listen, unless you have a.b.c. and d. it is not suggested. and with the audits the government are doing these days, i sleep soundly doing the filing the way i did with brian's help. he is not rushing you when you meet, he is a library of information, and is just really nice to speak with. this is my go to tax guy, and i live in hillcrest, so to go to la mesa is not a short distance, but VERY well worth it. read more

Brian was night and day from the last tax person I called to get a quote. He actually asked me what it is I wanted and what I would be filing. He even offered to look at my previous tax returns to see if he can help me his year. Depending if I really need him or not, the initial service he provided was amazing. I know exactly who I will be going to when I buy my house and taxes get a little more complex. read more

This year was the first year my wife and I decided to hire someone professionally to do our taxes. Having bought a house in La Mesa a year earlier, along with having our first child, I wanted to find someone in the area that could help us with our new tax situations. After looking on Social Media along with Yelp I ran across Brian's profile and yelp reviews. I sent him and email and he called me back and asked me some initial questions about our tax history. We had an initial meeting at his office and gave him all our tax documents. My wife peppered Brian with a lot of questions, and to my surprise he answered all of them with ease. His knowledge was astounding, and the comfort he gave us in handling our taxes was validated. Brian was very attentive to email me when he needed something and get back to me ASAP when I had questions. Overall our return turned out great, and we had a second meeting to go over our return. Our refund was deposited to our account within a week, and my wife and I were very satisfied with Brian's tax services. Looking forward to next year and working with Brian again. If you are looking for a tax person and have no clue who to pick, call up Brian! read more

Brian was recommended to me by a very close friend and he more than exceeded my expectations. He provided valuable advice and listened to my concerns. Every step of the way, I felt like my voice was heard and the whole process was simple and efficient. I look forward to having his support for years to come. read more

A couple of months ago, I met with Brian about getting a quote for my home, auto, and umbrella policies. I had previously been working with another well-known insurance company. Brian and his staff made it incredibly easy to get a quote. Not only were the fast and efficient with getting me the quote, he was able to save me a substantial amount of money on all three policies. Once the quote came in, I went in to sit down with Brian and go over everything. He made it very easy for me to understand all of the policies which in turn made me feel very comfortable with using him as my insurance agent. On top of saving money, the customer service is outstanding. Anytime I have a question, I call, someone answers the phone and is able to give me answers immediately. I highly recommend using Brian for your insurance needs. read more