Admittedly, I have a complex tax situation; I have an employer, I own a business, have a rental…read moreproperty. Ray is a very kind man. I'm really hesitant to ever write poor reviews...but I will give the SPECIFICS of why I am writing this poor review. One year he filed an extension for me and vastly underestimated the taxes owed, and when filed, I ended up paying $1800 in penalties, with NO acceptance of responsibility on his part. By the third year of preparation, he seemed "over it" and essentially quit on me without any advance notice. Then, here we are in tax year 2024 and I receive notifications from tax year 2021 of improperly calculated and unpaid taxes, with an imminent lein notice forthcoming if I don't pay in two weeks. If you have a complex tax situation, The Werner Group may not be a wise choice.

I couldn't even get through their client screening software. I wanted to file an amended return,…read morebut because I had previously used Turbo tax, I was not compatible with them. I was told to use a CPA by someone else in my family who'd had to file the same paperwork I needed to add (said that the process was too complicated to entrust to a "tax prep person." I guess this is on way to do business. It definitely keeps it simple for the CPA and their support staff, but it's not very customer friendly for someone willing to pay a reasonable fee ($1000 say) just to get the darn thing done and settled. This group is probably fully competent -- other reviews say as much. Just thought others might want to be aware of this caveat.

I am in the middle of a purchasing an existing business and got to a point during my business…read moretransaction where I had to submit an Allocation Form that was time sensitive. I needed direction from my CPA but he was out of town doing a business seminar. My situation was unique as the seller usually does the allocation in a business purchase but in my case, the broker/seller was pushing me to do it. I called several CPAs in the San Ramon/Danville/Dublin area to see if we could have a "filler" CPA go over numbers with us for this transaction. I must have called 25 CPA's in a day. Some answered and we're quick to tell me that I should push back, and make the seller do it. They made it seem like what I was looking for couldn't be done and they just didn't want to deal with it. Like many of the CPA's I called, Ken was busy when i first reached out. But his assistant or front desk person, Reese(if that's how you spell it) was very attentive with his responses. Ken is the only accountant that called back and only accountant that actually asked me the details/numbers of my transaction. He took time to understand the unique-ness of my situation and made sense of it. In a 25 minute call he educated me more than the 7 or 8 other CPAs with higher review ratings. After talking to him, I felt like I was given "survival tools" and "little nuggets" for my bigger, future entrepreneurial endeavors. He was so pleasant and easy to talk to. To be in the generation of customer service being taken over by robots and people treating everyone like numbers. Both Ken and Reese were so authentic and human in their responses. No overselling, no fake politeness. I have been with my CPA in Hayward for 10 years and Ken really has me thinking about switching over.

I'm a big fan of Ken's as he has done great work for me and my extended family through the years,…read morehelping us navigate many life events and tax law changes. From the start of working together years ago, I've appreciated Ken's energy, expertise, and how he asks questions to see if there is any way he can help us do our taxes in the most efficient manner possible! I always appreciate his insights, his responsiveness, and his understanding of the tax laws and changes. As a business owner, he does a great job of looking at how I can take advantage of the tax laws (while being conservative enough not to trigger red flags!). I've recommended him to my clients for years so I figured I'd recommend him wholeheartedly here on Yelp as well!

I think Armstrong has been preparing our tax returns for over 10 years and now does my kid's…read morereturns! He is fast and efficient and his cost is always very reasonable. This past year, he asked about interest forms for previous institutions, and it reminded me that I left off a few forms when I submitted my info to him. He really saved me there and also asked about an option netted a larger refund. He has provided some advice over the years about things like charitable donations and capital gains taxes and how to avoid penalties.

Approached him last year at the end of tax season. He filed the taxes on time and submitted them. I…read moreprovided incorrect account number to pay my taxes. Noticed that amount was not debited from my account and followed with him persistently. said he is travelling and no replies from him for next 4 months. I had to consult IRS myself, hired another tax professional and finally ended up paying huge penalty due to late payment. I would not recommend him to anyone. He has no accountability

I am sorry to say I have never had a worse experience. My family and I had been using a local Tax…read morecompany since 2001. This company was outstanding. Unfortunately he retired and sold his book of business to Hunter. My family and I should have switched yet we trusted the new company. This was a very poor decision on our part. In my 45 years of doing my yearly taxes this was the worst experience ever! Their personal touch, lack of communication and overall professionalism was unacceptable. My wife and I have never been more disappointed. Needless to say we will never use them again and would encourage anyone looking to use their services to re think that decsion.

Amazing! they are truly first class and will take amazing care of you and even your friends.read more

I requested a quote from Shawn for tax preparations. He returned my call within an hour after I…read moreleft a message. I ended up not working with him for my tax services and I'm very thankful for his honesty. When we spoke he explained to me that my situation was more simple than his usual clientele and advised me that I don't need a CPA for the type of small business I have. CPAs have different rates/levels of service and charge more than tax preparers. (For obvious reasons) I appreciate the fact that he called me back when he didnt have to. Since he didnt really intend on winning over my business. I also appreciate that he didnt try to charge me his normal rates for a task that would have been child's play for him. I shopped around and many other CPA's tried to charge me between $700-1k with financial planning when I'm doing fine with my plans and just need help with filing my taxes.

Shawn has been my accountant for my corporation and personal for over 5 years now and I have been…read moreextremely happy with his services. He is professional, honest, friendly, and makes tax time uncomplicated. He has always gone above and beyond to answer my many questions throughout the year. I strongly recommend him for any tax or accounting needs and look forward to working with him for a long time to come. Sha

I can't say enough good things about John Mao at Argus CPA. When our CPA unexpectedly retired and…read moreour corporate return was due on March 15, John came to the rescue. He was calm, detail-oriented, and genuinely caring about getting it right. He turned a stressful moment into a relief. I wish I could give him more than five stars!

John, you are just amazing! Our business has income tax…read moreissues and John helped us resolve them. Not only is he very knowledgeable (and you can tell from others who cannot answer your questions; they just keep on talking.), he is very kind, considerate of what our challenges are. (again; others including our recent tax attorney just reciting the tax laws that do not even apply to our conditions.) He listens, focuses on the issues, and able to answer the tax questions we have. Terrific!

I was with Tim Brophy for a number of years for my tax purposes and he not only got the job done…read morebut was a sincere pleasure to work and always focused on helping me. He recently retired and I am certain many of his long time clients are sad to see him move on, but he certainly deserves it! Thank you for all of your efforts over the years! JSP

My husband and I highly recommend Tim Brophy for tax assistance. He is professional, patient,…read moreknowledgeable, and a good communicator. With tax issues, you may not always get the answers you want, but Tim will be sure you get the information you need. Tim, Thank you for the important help you gave our family!

I do not recommend this firm. We are a two income household with w-2 only work. I'm 2020 Jason…read moreHooker charged us $600. This year he invoiced us $835 for our 2021 tax filing. He did not notify us of any increase in price. We filed federal and CA taxes just like in 2020. The 39% increase in fees (not including filing fees) is unacceptable and shows an incredible lack of communication and transparency in business practices.

They have been our CPAs for over 30 years for both my business and personal finances. Good advice…read moreand thorough timely accurate work. Very responsive to us even during the busiest times.