Several year ago we had a tricky tax issue and no idea how to handle it. I found Mr. Israelsen on Google but at the time there wasn't a great deal of feedback regarding his services. We made an appointment to meet with him at his home, which is tucked away on some small back roads off Del Dios Highway in Escondido. I nagged my husband a handful of times in a short five minutes insisting we couldn't possibly be in the right place. If you think you need to turn around and go back you probably have arrived at your destination. Because we were satisfied with the turnout of our tax filing years ago Mr. Israelsen was the first person we thought of this year. I was stressed out and panicking regarding the sad circumstances we were facing for 2016 and he was able to fit us in the same day we called. Fantastically welcoming, he offered us snacks and drinks while looking over our papers and calmly listening while I had my meltdown. Even though the news wasn't all I had hoped Mr. Israelsen knowledgeably answered our questions, suggested ideas to meet our needs, and filed for us (at a discount because the IRS was nailing us for an uncomfortable amount of money and the majority of our happiness). Kurt A. Israelsen is kind, soft spoken, and helpfully pleasant to deal with. He set my mind at ease by letting us know what steps we would have to make on our own and when we would have to follow up with the IRS regarding our payments. We spent no more than thirty minutes with him and left with our taxes filed and a plan going forward. We won't go to anyone else for our tax questions and preparation. read more

Kurt Israelsen has done my taxes for the last three years and I couldn't be happier. My husband and I are complicated when it comes to taxes because we are performers and move often. Kurt is incredible at asking us the right questions to get the largest refund. I was really impressed at how easy it was for him to help me long distance too. He was always available via phone or email to answer questions and really put me at ease. I also appreciate knowing that my taxes are always prepared by Kurt himself or a CPA assistant. I have recommended Kurt to friends and family and the response is always positive! You'll be in great hand with Kurt and I guarantee that you'll be thrilled with the result. read more

My husband and I recently used Kurt to prepare our 2013 California and Federal taxes. We had purchased a home and had a few tax related intricacies, so this was the first year we hired someone to prepare our taxes. I sent Kurt all of our financial information, as requested. We moved to Iowa a few months ago, so all of our communication was done over the phone. I feel like this contributed to some miscommunication. Once our return was prepared, we reviewed it and noticed an error in one form and an entire form omitted. We made the issue known and he added the missing form, but corrected the other issue incorrectly. After another review, we noticed the error and again brought it to his attention. He made the revisions and then proceeded with filing our return. Kurt did offer a $30 refund due to the errors. I was not thrilled with this experience and feel as though we could have prepared our taxes more efficiently and with more attention to detail. I would have expected a professional to know the tax laws expertly. read more

May 2nd and I still hadn't filed my taxes! I know!! Crazy! I found Kurt Israelsen on yelp and decided to give him a call to see if he'd be able to help me out. I do not like using chain tax places, very impersonal and just the lack of going over and beyond for the customer. I left a message for Kurt to call me, within a few hours I received a call back, made an appointment for a couple days later. Kurt was knowledgable, friendly, and got my taxes filed quicker than I expected. He answered all my questions and didn't make me feel like I was horrible for being late on filing my taxes. He gave me a couple of tips to help me for next year, his pricing was very reasonable, I was pleasantly surprised. Kurt Israelsen, Thank you! read more

I have never, in my life had such a large tax return. I am still in shock! It is all thanks to Kurt! He refiled my taxes from last year because my previous tax guy did not add my credits for school. That mistake cost me 2,500$! I am so thankful to all of the reviews on Yelp that swayed me to call him. I know who will be doing my taxes next year... Kurt is efficient, knowledgeable and nice. He is well worth his fee. My husband and I have very simple taxes, two w-2s and two 10-40s. He was able to find us money that I never would have got had I done my taxes myself. I pay enough in taxes, I am looking forward to getting some of that money back! read more

This is the first time I went to someone for my taxes. I have always used TurboTax and thought I was doing fine filing taxes myself. But there have been quite a few life changes including my first home, moving, work expenses, and school fees. So I decided to go ahead and pay someone to do my taxes this year. I found Kurt through Yelp and he gave me the best return and even offered tips on what to keep track of for next year's taxes. I am not sure if I would see him every year to do my taxes since in the big picture of things, I don't have too many special circumstances (I don't have rental property or stocks, or whatever complications there are). I do think however that in my situation it would be a better idea to see him perhaps every other year or every 3 years just so I can update myself on things I need to keep track of and think about for filing taxes. His rate is also reasonable, I was expecting to pay way more for someone to file for me. And he was able to tell me how much of a refund I would get that same day I brought my documents to him. read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. He walked through the process like a pro and was able to figure things out for me that I would have had no idea where to begin. From his experience and knowledge, he helped me find the absolute best solution for my financial situation. He's very communicative and reliable. Let him help you, it will be worth every penny, really. read more

I tried doing turbotax myself, and then I had Kurt prepare my taxes, and he was able to get me a refund, instead of me owing money! Definite win. This is my 3rd year in a row using him to prepare my taxes, and the stress, and money he saves me is well worth the value! I highly recommend him for tax season, and other accouting needs you may have! Thanks again Kurt! read more

I have been doing my taxes with Kurt since 2013, I had read reviews about him and I can honestly say he does wonderful and makes sure you are 100% aware of everything that is going on before you leave! I have brought my boyfriend, family, and friends! They all have would agree about how organized and quick he is. Anytime you have a question, all takes is an email and he will get back to you asap! Thank you Kurt for being so organized, professional, friendly, and super easy to work with! definitely thumbs up! Make your appointment now!!! read more

Kurt is great, I have been doing my taxes with him for the past 2 years. Very professional, fast, and reliable. He is very quick to respond if you have any questions, that is hard to find. He only charges a fraction of what everybody else charges. My refund shows in my account a few weeks later. Love this guy. read more

I have been operating a small business for roughly 4-5 years now and I went to kurt to prepare my taxes for the 2009 and 2010. He gathered all the necessary info and prepared my tax return promptly each time. His understanding of eligible write offs, etc. saved me thousands of dollars and really makes operating a small business less stressful. I HIGHLY recommend Kurt to anyone if you want the best return possible. read more

Kurt is professional, personable, very knowledgeable and just GREAT to work with!! This will be our 3rd year working with him and we will continual for as long as he is in business!! Whether for personal or business he will make the best scenario for you!! Wish we could give him more stars!! read more

I have been using Kurt for the past 2 years and he has always gotten me the best return! he is knowledgeable and always asks the right questions to help you get the most money out of your taxes. i was even working out of state last year and he was able to do an excellent job. i recommend him to all my friends and family. read more

Kurt is professional, quick and thorough. My husband and I had complicated taxes in multiple states, among other things. We met with Kurt, answered his questions, did a little follow-up info by phone and ...taxes done! painless! His prices are fair and you get way better service than those temporary offices that pop up only at tax time. Thanks Kurt- see you soon. read more

Kurt was not only professional, he was efficent! He was able to find me the max on my return. Kurt came to my home, and despite my 2 year old running around while I was trying to prepare dinner Kurt managed to finish my business taxes in less than one hour. I was very satisfied with his service. I would reccomend him to any and everyone! read more

Really pleased with my tax experience this year! I was stressed out and attempting to do my own taxes on turbo tax as I had the previous year, having trouble I found Kurt and had him to do my taxes. It was quick, painless, and pleasant (and took less than 48 hours to schedule, complete, and file). He saved me a ton of money that I would have never seen again otherwise; his reviews live up to my expectations as a first time client. I would highly recommend to anyone, I could not ask for a more professional and stress free experience. Thank you. :) read more

Caveat emptor. If you use this guy, better hope he doesn't make a (very human) mistake and submit your e-file with an incorrect bank routing/account number. If he does, he won't 'man up' to his mistake. In fact, he'll stop returning your calls or responding to your e-mails. Took me three hours of my own time - not to mention shelling out almost $750.00 to the IRS and State of CA - to rectify the situation. And...still no response from Isrealsen. Totally unprofessional, unethical, and downright cowardly. Going to try and sue the guy, if I can, to recoup my money. Wouldn't touch him with a '1040-ft' pole. You've been warned. read more

The last 2 years I've just paid my dad's accountant to do my tax return. This year I filed with Kurt and he got me a bigger return and charged less than half of what I paid my dad's accountant. It was a very fast turn around and he did a great job. read more

I agree with the reviewer who wrote "If there were '6 stars' Kurt would get that rating." The hardest thing about composing this review is making believable. For the 2015 tax year I was expecting a great return in the $1500 to $2200 range. I had real estate interests that had come into play and knew I would get a larger refund than usual, but had no idea. The amount my family & I got back was in the $20,000 range and was enough to purchase a lightly used vehicle! I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Kurt and - while, like the rest of us, hate tax season - am looking forward to working with him again. read more

This year I decided to check yelps reviews on local tax preparers before getting mine done. I am highly pleased that I did. Kurt was very well informed and expertly helped me through my extremely complex tax situation. It involved multiple years, states and countries with a nice mix of W-2s, 10-99s, mortgage interest, real estate transactions etc etc. He was much more personable and as it turns out affordable than the big chain preparers I had used in the past. I highly recommend Kurt for all your accounting needs. It is well worth the scenic drive around Lake Hodges or through Rancho Sante Fe to meet with him. read more

I have been using Kurt Israelsen Accounting's services for like 3 years now and I'm very satisfied, great service, easy to talk to, very helpful. I recommend. read more

I turned to Kurt to prepare my taxes in 2011. He did a fine job, but I thought to myself, "I can do this on my own!" I did 2012 sole, filed it, felt I might have done something wrong, so sent it off to Kurt to check. He saved me more than $1000! That said, I turned to Kurt to take care of 2013 and, you can be sure, he'll be preparing my taxes year in and year out. Plus, he's very reasonable! read more

This was my first time filing my taxes with Kurt and I was not disappointed. He is very professional as well as friendly. He is very knowledgable efficient. I would recommend him to anybody. I will definitely be going back for all my tax needs. read more

I was in a real jam this year as my old tax accountant dropped the ball. I came to Kurt real late and not only did he complete my taxes in a short amount of time, they were accurate and he picked up some errors from my filing last year. Great job and great service!!!! read more

Kurt is awesome, been going to H&R block years and been getting ripped off. DONT GO ANYWHERE ELSE! My taxes were done easy, hassle free, accurate and fast. Thanks Kurt for my huge return. read more

Kurt was great to work with and walked me through the process as it was my first time not doing taxes myself. He was able to save me at least 16% on deductibles and write offs that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. I also received a letter from the IRS for an issue of selling some stock 2 years ago and he took the time to look into that and helped me resolve the issue. His work was done efficiently, quickly, and professionally. I would recommend him to any of my friends. read more

This was my first time filing with Kurt; He was fantastic! He was more than willing to accommodate my busy schedule and even set aside his own plans to meet with me. He made the whole process simple and easy. I was in and out with no problem at all! He is always quick to respond to any questions or inquiries you have, which is an excellent trait to find in your tax man. His rate is more than reasonable for his exceptional service and I would highly recommend him over H&R Block or any other accounting company. I will definitely continue going to Kurt in the years to come! read more

I wish I could give him zero stars. I came to Kurt in February 2015 to do my taxes. I wasn't expecting much because I only worked a short amount of time in 2014 & also because my mom claims me as a dependent. I was a full time student in 2014 & I know I get $1,000 back on my tax return for that, but my mom gets it every year since she claims me. When I mentioned this to Kurt he said he would actually be able to get me $2,500 instead of $1,000. He told me to let my mom know that if we go through him he can get us much more than what previous tax preparers have told us. My mom was fine with me filing an amended tax return & claiming myself since I would get much more back than her. When I called Kurt to set up another appointment he told me he was busy the whole month & to email him in a few weeks. When I finally came back to do an amended tax return Kurt looked at me funny when I mentioned the $2,500 I was expecting to get back. He looked over my paperwork & said that the max I would get is $1,000. I told him that anyone could get me $1,000 back on my tax return & that the only reason I came back to him & was paying to redo my taxes is because he promised he would back $2,500. He didn't even apologize for this HUGE mistake. He said "Well ....IF I told you that, it's because I assumed you made more than a certain amount in 2014 & that would be the only way I could get you $2,500 but you only made _____ amount." Why would you assume how much money I make when literally all the numbers are in front of you?!!! We had the conversation about how he could get me $2,500 towards the end of the appointment on my first visit AFTER he did my taxes & knew exactly how much I made in 2014. When I mentioned this, he said "Oh, well most of my clients make a lot more, so I'm usually able to get $2,500 back". I was furious & stayed quiet the rest of the appointment ....until the end when he tried to charged me $80 for filing an amended tax return. He told me $40 over the phone!!! I told him the price we negotiated was $40, & he laughed & said that his regular price is $80 & he forgets when he offers clients discounts. He shouldn't have charged me at all after lying to me! As if all this wasn't bad enough, he told me he needed to put the form together for me to sign & that I can hang around for about an hour while he does that or he can email me the form & I can sign it, scan it, & email it back to him. I told him to email me because I needed to get to work. I receive the email later in the day & do exactly what he said. He said I would be receiving a check in the mail in 8-10 weeks. 10 weeks later there is an envelope from the IRS in my mailbox. Is it my check? NO ....it's a letter saying that they need my ORIGINAL signature ....NOT one that has been photocopied. I signed the form & sent it back to the IRS & finally received my check yesterday (13 weeks after the date we filed the amended tax return) Kurt, you really need to get your shit together read more

If there were '6 stars' Kurt would get that rating. Very professional, thorough, timely and courteous in all aspects of the tax preparation service he provides. This is the 2nd year I have used Kurt and would highly recommend him to anyone requiring his services! John D. read more

Kurt has been doing my taxes for the last two years and I could not be happier and more grateful for his services. He is kind, professional, efficient, available, and knowledgeable. This year I also had him do my daughter's taxes. We both got a bigger return than ever. I am generally anxious and nervous when it comes to tax season but with Kurt's great service and expertise, I am no longer stressed out. I am so happy to have him on my team. Don't hesitate to call him, he will do a great job for you too. read more