You know the old adage, “We know you have many choices when you fly… but we’re so thankful you chose (fill in the blank) airline?” We’ve already heard it, along with (at landing), “We’d like to be the first to welcome you to San Francisco.” It’s a bit mechanistic, and yet there is some rationale behind it. You DO have many choices when you fly and they ARE thankful that the plane actually landed safely at SFO, and they WOULD like to welcome you to San Francisco.
Well, the same thing applies when it comes to accountants and tax accountants. You have many choices not just here in San Francisco but throughout the entire San Francisco Bay Area when it comes to accountants and accounting firms. There are a lot of accountants in San Francisco! You have a lot of choices! We get that. But when you’re looking for the best San Francisco tax accountant, you need to look for the one that will work hardest for you. And that’s more than just lip service about working hard for you. It’s a commitment.
Putting Your Tax Safety First
Back to our airplane analogy, you want an airline in which the captain takes his or her job seriously – putting safety first, and then after all the safety checks, works hard to give you the best airline experience, going from an on-time departure to an on-time arrival and smoothing things out when there is a bump. And you want an airline crew that also puts safety first, and then after the safety checks, works hard to give you the best flight experience. The crew and the captain need to “work together” as it’s a team sport. Well, guess what? The same goes for finding a San Francisco tax accountant who will work hard for you.
First of all, you need a tax accountant who listens. You are an individual and your tax needs are individual and unique. Perhaps you own a business. Perhaps you don’t. Perhaps you are married, and perhaps you are not. Perhaps you have kids, or perhaps you don’t. Perhaps you work at a startup and have a lot of stock options, or perhaps you work at a San Francisco Mom and Pop business. You’re unique, and you need a tax accountant that can listen to your unique situation and needs. Second, you need a tax accountant that knows the tax laws. This would be a person (and an accounting firm) that stays current on the tax laws, and really digs deep into them. We at Safe Harbor LLP work hard to pay attention to taxes, and we work hard to stay up-to-date. It’s not easy, what with changes in both California and federal tax law. The Trump tax changes, to be specific, haven’t made anyone’s life any easier. So you need a tax accountant that knows tax and stays up-to-date, just as you’d need a pilot who knows how to fly and airplane but stays up-to-date with technological advances and issues. Third, you need a tax accountant that works for you. That puts your needs first and works hard to minimize taxes. Many accountants fall into the trap of seeing themselves as IRS enforcers, when the reality is yes of course they need to work within the law, but their job is to get you to pay the absolutely legal minimum.
Finally, as you look to find the best San Francisco tax accountant for your needs, check their references, and read their online reviews. We’re justifiably proud of our online reviews and reputation. But don’t take that for an answer. Come in and speak with us face-to-face. A private, confidential consultation is a good way to get a feel for whether you’ll like working with. We’re known as the #1 boutique accounting firm in San Francisco, and each and every one of our accountants works hard to please our clients.
You Have Many Choices When it Comes to Tax Accountants
We know, in summary, that you have many choices when you choose an accountant and we’d like the opportunity for you to “fly with us” as we minimize the bumps and find the shortest route between your situation and the lowest legal taxes possible.
