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Find a Tax Accountant in San Francisco

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We’ll help you find qualified Tax Accountants in San Francisco. Whether you're navigating tech industry stock options (ISOs, RSUs), managing rental properties, or launching a startup, tell us your requirements and we’ll contact top-rated professionals in your area.

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You’ll receive free, no-obligation quotes from licensed CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and CTEC-registered preparers serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Get quick notifications via our website or app. We make sure we do the legwork for you!

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Pick from some of the best tax experts in your San Francisco community. With easy access to reviews from fellow Bay Area residents and direct contact with tax accountants, you can be confident with your choice.

Discover tax accountants near you in San Francisco

Hiring a professional for tax preparation can help you navigate San Francisco's and California's complex tax laws, avoid costly mistakes, and maximize your return. The price depends on the complexity of your tax situation and the type of professional you hire.

What is a financial planner?

A financial planner helps you create a comprehensive strategy to achieve your long-term financial goals, such as retirement, investments, and debt management.

While an accountant is looking backwards and at a snapshot of the present, a financial planner is looking forward to the future.

A financial planner uses the data provided by your accountant, along with your personal goals, to build a long-term strategy. Their focus is forward-looking: growing your wealth and ensuring you are financially secure in the future.

In summary, you need an accountant for tax, compliance, and historical reporting. You need a financial planner for future wealth growth, investment strategy, and long-term goal planning. Using both ensures that your financial present is managed efficiently and your financial future is strategically planned.

What is the difference between a bookkeeper, an accountant and a CPA?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between a bookkeeper, an accountant, and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in terms of their roles, qualifications, and scope of work.

A bookkeeper is responsible for the day-to-day recording of a company's financial transactions, such as sales, purchases, and payments. They maintain the general ledger, ensuring records are accurate and up-to-date. An accountant then uses this data to analyze the bigger financial picture, preparing financial statements, performing audits, and offering insights into the company's financial health. Essentially, bookkeeping is about recording data, while accounting is about interpreting and reporting it.

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is an accountant licensed by the California Board of Accountancy (CBA). To earn this designation, they must meet rigorous state requirements, including advanced education, extensive experience, and passing both the demanding Uniform CPA Examination and the California Professional Ethics Exam (PETH). This license grants them legal authority that other accountants and bookkeepers do not have, such as the ability to audit public companies and represent clients before tax authorities. The CPA designation signifies the highest standard of competence and ethical practice in the accounting profession, positioning them as trusted financial advisors capable of handling complex financial and tax matters.

Understanding the cost of tax professionals in San Francisco

The cost of hiring an accountant, tax preparer, or financial planner can vary significantly based on the professional's credentials, your location, and the complexity of your financial situation. To get an accurate price, it is always best to request quotes from several qualified professionals.

How much does a tax accountant cost in San Francisco?

Based on recent data, the typical cost for individual tax preparation in San Francisco ranges from $250 to $475, with an average of around $275.

Some tax accountants work on an hourly rate, which on average in the Bay Area can range from $100 to $200+.
Like any professional service, the cost of an accountant is based on a variety of factors. The complexity of your tax return is one of the biggest contributing factors, especially in a market like San Francisco. Here are some sample price points you might find:

  • Simple Return: A basic W-2 and state filing may cost around $150 - $225.
  • Standard Return: A W-2 with additional common forms (e.g., 1099-INT for interest, 1098-E for student loan interest) might cost approximately $300 - $450.
  • Complex Return: For taxpayers with stock options/RSUs, rental properties, K-1 income, or a simple small business, the cost could be around $550 - $800.
  • Highly Complex Return: Taxpayers with multiple rental properties, startups, and significant investment transactions can expect to pay $850 or more.

It’s also worth remembering that the overall cost will be influenced by the preparer's qualifications. In California, tax attorneys and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) generally charge the most, followed by Enrolled Agents (EAs). Non-credentialed preparers must be registered with the California Tax Education Council (CTEC) and have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from the IRS.

For more information read our cost of tax preparation guide.

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Brian Alan Lang EA profile image
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Brian Alan Lang EA

San Francisco

With over seven years of full-time tax preparation experience and more than 15 years in the financial industry, my focus is providing personal, prompt attention to my clients. As an accredited Enrolled Agent (EA), I am licensed by the Internal Revenue Service to represent individuals, partnerships, and corporations before the IRS and all state tax authorities. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University, a Master’s of Science from the University of London and I am currently a candidate for a Master’s of Business Taxation from the University of Southern California. My expertise includes: Individuals, including those living overseas or earning foreign income Foreign Nationals living in the US or with US sourced income Partnerships, Limited Liability Corporations and S and C corporations IRS audits and inquiries, including delinquent filings In addition to working as an independent tax professional, I also prepare returns for Greenback Tax Services, TurboTax Personal Pro and Attorneys Tax Relief.

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What do you love most about your job?

I love interacting with my clients, helping them find new credits and missed deductions and then hearing what they did with the money they saved! US taxes are especially complicated for small businesses and people with international issues. I want to help people by managing their taxes, so they can focus on the more important things.

What inspired you to start your own business?

Prior to my career in taxation, I was a derivative trader with Morgan Stanley and Mitsui in New York, Royal Bank of Canada and Dresdner in London and Fortis in Paris as well as a FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) consultant for Credit Suisse in Zürich. Having lived and worked overseas, I immediately realized how complicated taxes can be for expats, and began helping friends prepare their returns, and it quickly evolved into my focus. I recently received a Master of Business Taxation from the University of Southern California. I specialize in international tax issues and working with small businesses.

Why should our clients choose you?

I combine experience from many varied aspects of tax preparation to give my clients a well-rounded perspective and a one-stop tax service. I've worked with a tax-relief law firm, as a FACTA consultant for Credit Suisse, as a derivatives trader, and am currently getting a Masters in Business Tax. So I can answer almost any question or quickly find the answer.

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Reviews

4.96/5.00

based on 308 reviews

The average rating for Bark Tax Accountants in San Francisco is 4.96, based on 308 reviews.

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