ACCOUNTING FIRM · SANTA MONICA
The Santa Monica accounting firm founders and Westside families use to grow up out of a bookkeeper.
A boutique CPA firm for Silicon Beach startups, VC-backed founders, wellness and hospitality operators, and Westside families with layered tax pictures. Tax, books, advisory, and business management — one firm, one partner. Since 2013.
SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CONVERSATION →Why founders and family principals bring us in
Two things typically prompt the call. A startup's monthly close has stopped being reliable and the board wants CFO-quality reporting. Or a family has enough moving parts — entity income, K-1s, equity, a trust or two, a home purchase — that the year-end fire drill is no longer working. Either way, the client is done with piecemeal help and wants one firm to own the picture.
Laléa & Black, LLP is set up for exactly that transition. A CPA partner on every file, MBA-holding leads on every engagement, and a practice that runs tax, accounting, business management, and advisory as one continuous conversation instead of four separate ones.
Credentials on your engagement
Founder Daniel Litvin. Partner David Meyer, CPA. Every engagement lead is an MBA-holding CPA. In practice since 2013. All staff US-based. We cap the book per partner intentionally — the firm exists to give founders and families the kind of attention that stops being possible once a firm ships work overseas or scales past a certain size.
Practice areas
- Founder and startup tax — QSBS §1202 tracking, 83(b) elections, equity comp modeling, dual-class founder structures, and R&D credit studies.
- Entity and personal tax — federal, California, and multi-state returns for founders with cap-table complexity and layered pass-through income.
- CFO advisory and monthly reporting — board-ready close, budget-vs-actual, and VC reporting cadence for pre- and post-Series companies.
- Business management for Westside principals — bill pay, cash-flow oversight, and coordination with attorneys and wealth advisors.
- Payroll and compliance — Santa Monica business license renewals, sales tax, and payroll integration.
- Court & trust accounting — probate, conservatorship, and trust accountings for LA County Superior Court.
Santa Monica — the client mix we know
Our Santa Monica book stretches from Silicon Beach founders in the Wilshire and Colorado corridors, up through wellness studios and boutique hospitality on Montana and Main Street, and out to family principals living north of Montana or in the canyons. Ocean Ave and Third Street Promenade retail. A handful of aviation-adjacent clients out of SMO. The connective tissue is complexity — most of our Santa Monica clients have more than one entity, more than one state, and more than one advisor to coordinate with.
What clients say
"The team at Laléa & Black handles our bookkeeping with clarity and reliability. Their responsiveness and professional approach make them a trusted partner in managing our finances."
— Joe Liebke, CEO @ Villaway
Frequently asked
Q: Do you take founders pre-Seed?
A: Yes, when the founder is preparing for a priced round and needs the books and QSBS position clean before diligence. We also decline politely when the situation is better served by a fractional bookkeeper at pre-Seed scale.
Q: Can you sit in on board and investor conversations?
A: Yes, on request. The partner on the account can join a board meeting or an investor Q&A on the financials.
Q: We already have a bookkeeper we like. Can they stay?
A: Often yes. We can act as the CPA firm above a bookkeeper, or take on the full engagement. We say which structure we recommend during discovery and why.
Q: R&D credit and QSBS — do you do those in-house?
A: Yes. R&D credit studies are run by our team, not fee-split with a third-party study house. QSBS §1202 tracking begins the day the engagement starts.
The path to engagement
A 30-minute discovery call with a named partner. If we are the fit, we send a written engagement with scope and fixed monthly fee. If your situation is better served by a specialist we know, we say so.
Santa Monica accounting firm. One partner, one firm, one picture.
Founder tax, CFO advisory, family principal work, and business management — under one boutique roof. MBA-holding CPAs. Thirty-minute discovery conversation.
SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CONVERSATION →CALL (866) 222-6060
Frequently Asked
Santa Monica — questions we hear.
What services does an accounting firm in Santa Monica offer to startups?
A Santa Monica accounting firm typically offers startup-focused services: entity formation guidance, R&D credit studies, QSBS tracking, monthly close, investor-ready financials, payroll setup, sales tax nexus analysis, and tax return preparation. Given Silicon Beach concentration, many Santa Monica firms also handle SAFE and convertible note accounting, 409A coordination, and stock option pool tracking as part of the standard startup package.
What's the difference between a solo CPA and an accounting firm in Santa Monica?
A solo CPA in Santa Monica works well for simple returns and light advisory. An accounting firm brings a team — bookkeepers, tax preparers, and CPAs — plus system-level quality control. For Santa Monica startups navigating funding rounds, R&D credits, and multi-state payroll, a firm can absorb the workload without a single-person bottleneck. Firms also handle audit support and investor due diligence more capably than solo practitioners.
When should a Santa Monica business move from bookkeeping software to an accounting firm?
The common triggers in Santa Monica are raising a priced round, crossing $500K-$1M in revenue, adding W-2 employees, expanding into multiple states, or preparing for an acquisition. Once financials need to withstand investor or acquirer scrutiny, DIY QuickBooks usually isn't enough. A Santa Monica firm cleans up historical books, sets proper chart of accounts, and produces GAAP-aligned reports ready for diligence.
How do accounting firms in Santa Monica charge?
Most Santa Monica accounting firms use fixed monthly retainers for ongoing work, with tax return preparation billed separately at a flat fee. Hourly billing is typically reserved for one-off projects, R&D credit studies, and cleanup engagements. Startups often start with a lighter monthly retainer that scales as headcount, revenue, and complexity grow. Expect transparent scope documents rather than open-ended hourly meters.
Can a Santa Monica accounting firm handle multi-state payroll for remote teams?
Yes. Multi-state payroll is standard work for Santa Monica firms given how many startups here employ remote workers across the country. This includes state registration, unemployment insurance setup, sales tax nexus tracking, and coordination with payroll providers like Gusto, Rippling, or ADP. Getting nexus right early avoids surprise state tax liabilities and penalties during due diligence for the next round or an exit.