ACCOUNTING SERVICES · MALIBU
Household and entertainment-principal accounting services for Malibu.
A packaged monthly service for Malibu households — coastal-property ops, loan-out entity books, household staff payroll, trust filings, and casualty-loss basis documentation ready when the return needs it.
GET A SCOPING CALL →Service menu
- Household bookkeeping — one consolidated QBO file with subsidiary ledgers by property, entity, and trust.
- Loan-out entity books — monthly close for the entertainment principal's operating entity.
- Bill pay via Bill.com — role-based approval, audit log, vendor management.
- Household staff payroll integration — house managers, chefs, security, groundskeepers, drivers — via HomePay, GTM, or Paychex with year-end W-2 and Schedule H prep.
- Property-level financial reporting — one property, one P&L; useful when multiple homes are held across entities.
- Casualty-loss basis documentation — running cost-basis file for each property so §165 or §1033 work is ready when needed, not reconstructed under pressure.
- Fine art and collectibles insurance reconciliation — scheduled personal property, appraisal timing, and coordination with the insurance broker.
- Trust 1041 preparation — annual returns for revocable and irrevocable trusts.
- 1099 compliance — vendors at both household and entity level.
- Multi-state coordination — for principals with New York, Nevada, or other domiciles in play.
Who this fits
Malibu households from the Colony to Trancas. Entertainment principals with a loan-out and a property portfolio. Multi-generational families with a Point Dume or Serra Retreat compound plus additional coastal or non-California residences. Business founders whose Malibu house is one of three homes and one of nine entities. The connective tissue: a scale where the household needs monthly attention, not annual tax prep.
Onboarding — four steps, roughly 45 days
1. Discovery. A 30-minute call with the principal and — if the household prefers — the household's attorney or wealth advisor.
2. Data migration. QBO consolidation, property-level chart of accounts, Bill.com role setup, and household-staff payroll transition.
3. 30-day parallel run. One month of dual-books during the transition so nothing goes dark.
4. Ongoing cadence. Day-15 close on entities. Property-level reporting monthly. Trust filings annually. Basis file kept current in real time.
Pricing signal
Recurring packages start in the high four-figures per month for Malibu-scale households. Property count, entity count, and household staff volume drive the top of the range. Specific scoping after discovery.
Frequently asked
Q: Can you handle a household with staff in multiple states or countries?
A: US household staff, yes — multi-state payroll and Schedule H are standard. Foreign household staff or international properties get run through specialist coordination on a case-by-case basis.
Q: How do you handle a wildfire-affected property mid-year?
A: Basis file is already running, so casualty-loss substantiation is ready. Insurance-proceeds netting, §165(i) prior-year election analysis, and §1033 involuntary-conversion planning happen in the same conversation.
Q: Do you coordinate with our wealth advisor and attorney?
A: Yes — coordination is the point. We do not sell securities and do not manage investments, so we work with your existing advisors, not against them.
Q: Data security?
A: Egnyte (SOC 2, encrypted at rest and in transit) for document exchange. Bill.com for audit-logged bill pay. All staff US-based. We never send client data to foreign countries.
One monthly engagement for the coast household.
Serving Malibu households and entertainment principals since 2013. Discreet, senior, US-staffed. Thirty-minute scoping call.
GET A SCOPING CALL →CALL (866) 222-6060
Frequently Asked
Malibu — questions we hear.
What accounting services do Malibu residents need most?
In Malibu, the most-requested accounting services are HNW tax planning and preparation, business management, real estate investment planning, trust and estate tax work, and wildfire casualty loss support. Multi-entity coordination for families with vacation properties and rental portfolios is standard. Given property values and coastal exposure, insurance and disaster planning coordination frequently accompany the annual tax work.
How much do accounting services cost in Malibu?
Accounting service fees in Malibu reflect HNW complexity. Tax return preparation typically runs $2,000-$8,000 for individuals and $1,500-$5,000 per trust. Business management engagements often range from $5,000-$25,000 per month depending on entities and personal bill pay volume. Real estate investment planning projects — cost segregation studies, 1031 exchange coordination — typically add $5,000-$20,000 in one-off fees.
Can Malibu accounting services be delivered remotely?
Yes. Most Malibu accounting work runs through cloud platforms and secure portals, so remote delivery is standard. In-person meetings remain valuable for HNW planning sessions, coordination with attorneys and wealth managers, and post-disaster casualty loss documentation. Local Malibu firms tend to respond faster and understand region-specific issues like wildfire recovery, coastal property complexities, and California PTE elections.
Do Malibu accounting services include real estate investment planning?
Yes. Given Malibu's real estate concentration, local accounting firms regularly handle rental property depreciation, cost segregation studies, 1031 like-kind exchanges, passive activity loss planning, and real estate professional status analysis. California adds specific rules on passive losses and short-term rentals that often trip up generalist preparers. Getting a CPA involved before acquisition or exchange usually captures more tax benefit than post-transaction review.
Do Malibu accounting services help with wildfire casualty loss deductions?
Yes. Malibu accounting services regularly include casualty loss support given the area's recurring wildfire exposure. This includes documenting adjusted basis, offsetting insurance reimbursements, filing on the current or prior year for optimal cash flow, and coordinating Section 1033 involuntary conversion elections when replacement property is purchased. Proper documentation is critical — casualty loss deductions are frequently audited and require detailed contemporaneous records.