CPA · SANTA MONICA
CPA in Santa Monica — a boutique Westside firm for HNW, tech founders, and entertainment.
Since 2013. MBA-holding CPAs on every engagement. Tax, accounting, business management, and court & trust. You're never left in the dark. We never send your private data to foreign countries.
BOOK A CONSULTATION →What we do
We are a boutique CPA firm serving Santa Monica from our office at 256 South Robertson Blvd, Suite 206 — a short run up the 10 from Ocean Ave, Wilshire, Third Street Promenade, and the Silicon Beach corridor. MBA-holding CPAs. Named partners on every engagement. Boutique by design. Trusted advisor, not a mere client.
Our Santa Monica practice covers what a Westside individual, founder, or business actually needs:
- Taxation — federal, California, and multi-state returns for individuals, entities, trusts, and foundations, with year-round planning between filings. - Startup and founder taxation — QSBS §1202 planning, R&D credits, equity comp, 83(b) elections, dual-class founder structures, and cross-border considerations for Silicon Beach companies with international revenue or investors. - Business management — fully-managed bill pay, cash flow, CFO oversight, and coordination with agents, managers, and entertainment attorneys for Santa Monica-based principals. - Outsourced accounting — monthly close on QuickBooks Online for Santa Monica startups, agencies, creative studios, restaurants, and professional-service firms. - Court & trust accounting — court-ready trust, probate, conservatorship, and guardianship accountings for LA County Superior Court. - Aviation and specialty holdings — tax and accounting coordination for aircraft-owning individuals and entities operating out of Santa Monica Airport. - Strategy — coordination across the client's attorneys, wealth advisors, bankers, and insurance advisors.
We do not sell securities. We do not manage investments. We do not accept referral commissions from other advisors. Our advice runs one direction — from us to the client.
Who this is for
- Silicon Beach tech and startup founders with equity, QSBS, R&D, and multi-state exposure.
- Santa Monica HNW individuals and families with complex tax and financial pictures.
- Entertainment principals with loan-outs, production entities, and residual streams based on the Westside.
- Santa Monica professional-service firms (law, wealth advisory, medical, agencies) needing a CPA firm for their partners and the firm itself.
- Santa Monica business owners — restaurants, retail, agencies, and hospitality along Wilshire, Montana, Main Street, and Third Street Promenade.
- Trustees, executors, and fiduciaries administering Santa Monica estates.
Deliverables
- Individual and entity tax returns — federal, California, and multi-state, prepared and reviewed by named partners.
- Founder tax planning — QSBS §1202 tracking, R&D credit studies, equity comp, and 83(b) coordination.
- Year-round tax planning — quarterly touch-points and structural analysis.
- Business management back office — bill pay, payroll, cash management, and reporting.
- Monthly bookkeeping on QuickBooks Online, CPA-reviewed.
- Court and trust accountings — Probate Code §1060-1064 and §16063 compliant.
- Strategic coordination with attorneys, wealth advisors, and other advisors.
Frequently asked
Q: Where is your office in relation to Santa Monica?
A: 256 South Robertson Blvd, Suite 206 — a short drive east on the 10 from Ocean Ave, Wilshire, and the Third Street Promenade. Easy reach from Silicon Beach, Santa Monica Airport, and the Montana Avenue corridor. In-person meetings welcome by appointment.
Q: Do you actually work with Silicon Beach tech founders and startups?
A: Yes. Founder and startup tax is a core part of the practice — QSBS §1202 planning and tracking, R&D credits, equity comp, 83(b) elections, multi-state nexus for remote-work companies, and coordination with startup counsel and wealth advisors on the Westside. We do the work in-house and we do it partner-reviewed.
Q: What sets a boutique Santa Monica CPA firm apart from a national branch office?
A: Named partners on every engagement. MBA-holding CPAs doing the work. No offshoring. No 1,000-clients-per-partner ratio. Practical differences: partner-reviewed returns, direct partner-to-client access when it matters, and consistent staffing year over year.
Q: What areas do you cover from your Westside-adjacent office?
A: California is the primary state — every county for tax and every county with a probate department for court accountings. Federal work extends nationwide. We regularly handle multi-state returns for clients with income in New York, Nevada, Texas, Washington, and other states — common for Silicon Beach founders and remote-workforce companies.
Q: Are you a full-service CPA firm?
A: Yes. Tax, accounting, business management, court and trust accounting, and strategic coordination — all in-house, all coordinated. One monthly price on recurring business-management work. Fixed-fee on court accounting. Quoted per return on tax-only engagements.
Q: How secure is client data?
A: Enterprise-grade. Egnyte (SOC 2, encrypted at rest and in transit) for document exchange. Bill.com for audit-logged bill pay. Role-based access on every system. All staff are U.S.-based. We never send your private data to foreign countries.
Q: How do we start?
A: A 30-minute consultation with a named partner. Free, no obligation. We review your situation and provide a written engagement letter with scope and fee before any work begins.
Santa Monica CPA firm. Boutique. Partner-led.
Tax, accounting, business management, and court & trust — all under one roof, a short run east on the 10. MBA-holding CPAs. Thirty-minute consultation.
BOOK A CONSULTATION →CALL (866) 222-6060
Frequently Asked
Santa Monica — questions we hear.
What does a CPA in Santa Monica do for tech founders and small business owners?
A CPA in Santa Monica handles tax prep, entity structuring, R&D credit analysis, QSBS (Section 1202) planning, and equity compensation strategy for tech founders, plus tax planning and bookkeeping for local small businesses. Santa Monica's mix of Silicon Beach startups and real estate holdings means many CPAs here spend significant time on stock option planning, 83(b) elections, and multi-state remote-worker payroll issues.
How much does a CPA cost in Santa Monica?
In Santa Monica, individual tax returns typically run $500-$2,500 depending on complexity, with founder returns involving RSUs, ISOs, and QSBS often reaching $2,500-$5,000. Business returns usually price at $1,500-$8,000. Monthly bookkeeping and CFO advisory for early-stage startups commonly falls between $1,000-$5,000 per month. Fee ranges shift with equity events, funding rounds, and multi-state activity.
Can a Santa Monica CPA help with startup equity and stock options?
Yes. Santa Monica CPAs frequently advise on 83(b) elections, ISO exercise timing and AMT exposure, RSU vesting planning, and Section 1202 QSBS qualification. Given Santa Monica's Silicon Beach concentration, most local CPAs have handled equity events for engineers, founders, and executives at companies like Snap, Riot, and Headspace. Timing and documentation matter — the wrong move around exercise can create six-figure AMT bills.
Do Santa Monica CPAs work with real estate investors?
Yes. Real estate is a major asset class in Santa Monica given property values, and CPAs here regularly handle rental property depreciation, cost segregation studies, 1031 exchanges, short-term rental (Airbnb) tax treatment, and passive activity loss rules. California's tight rules on short-term rental income and Santa Monica's own STR ordinance add local wrinkles that generalist tax preparers frequently mishandle.
How do I choose a CPA in Santa Monica?
Start by matching the CPA's client base to your situation — Santa Monica has strong niches in tech founders, real estate investors, and creative professionals. Ask about direct partner access, response times, and how they handle California PTE elections and FTB notices. Confirm they'll do proactive planning, not just April tax prep. Fee transparency and clear engagement scope are the biggest predictors of a good long-term fit.