Death and taxes. Two certainties in life. That and the knowledge that beer and pho are two ways to make that said life better before you die. Charmaine K. Dean, EA, ATA., has been doing our taxes for the last 15 years. She is Yoda in disguise. When we first went to her we were lost, clueless and always paying taxes every April, since then, not once. Of course, I can't promise that for you, that is just how she has helped us. She knows State and Federal tax laws and the IRS with a confidence that only comes from experience and education. She told me what to keep, how to keep track of it, and I have done it that way for 15 years. Darth Vader would keep receipts if Charmaine Dean told him to. If anyone is ever audited, she will go before the IRS on their behalf. There is always a Chihuahua underfoot and hard candies available for nervous munching. Kleenex too, but thankfully we haven't had to use those. Go see Charmaine Dean (for some reason we always refer to her with both names), she is funny, disarmingly sweet, and trustworthy. She is also smart as hell, which helps when you are dealing with money and the dreaded IRS. read more

After doing business with Charmaine for over 26 years we unfortunately will no longer be using her services for our taxes. We drive 2.5hrs every year to get to her office and hadn't had issues until this year. We made an appointment two weeks in advance for both of my kids and my husband/myself to get our taxes done on a Saturday. When we got there (after driving 3 hrs due to heavy traffic) she states that she booked a nail appointment so she would only be available for an hour. I told her that I had specifically booked our tax appointments weeks prior To accommodate all three of us. Her reply, "sorry, my nail broke". We we're almost through the paperwork when she announced she had to go and she would finish filing and mail our fIle information to us because she had Monday and Tuesday off each week. (Let me add that she hadn't even started either of my kids paperwork before she ended our appointments). By Friday of the next week we hadn't received anything via mail so we called to check status, she stated she hadn't finished filing or mailed anything to us because she "had a bad day" At this point I'm like wtf! We asked that she please send out information and mail proof of filing to us asap. two more weeks, still nothing but excuses. Our original appointment was on the 11th, by the 4th of the next month we had to make the 2.5 hr trip back to her office to get the paperwork she promised several times to mail 3.5 weeks prior Yet had not. after signing off paperwork and picking up our tax files from her my husband tells her that it was just to far to drive to have issues with our taxes and we won't be returning next year and her reply..."I'm glad". I was so surprised that someone that is supposed to be a professional would make such a comment. After this entire situation I've come to the conclusion that she is not professionally stable enough to continue doing business With. she seemed to be confused by the questions we were asking her about dates of filing and about why her fees had increased. She simply stated she got new stuff for her office. we left bewildered because we had had many years of good service from her and we were surprised with her unprofessional behavior. I'm not sure if she age has finally caught up to her or if she's just ready to retire and doesn't put the same attention into her work that she had in the past, but after our disappointing experience I WOULD NOT recommend Charmaine's office to anyone that is wanting their taxes filed promptly and professionally. I'm giving one star only because a rating is required. read more

I *really* don't like writing negative reviews, especially when the person is nice like Charmaine, but I feel the duty to be honest here. I got in contact with Charmaine because she was close to my house and had a five star review on Yelp. I run a Sole Proprietorship business and had lots of questions. Here are my experiences: - Her office is in a run-down mostly abandoned building in a seedy part of Colfax. The office is a tiny wooden box that looks like it was out of a 1960's magazine. If she was a really good accountant I'd be willing to overlook this, but instead it kind of fits in with the whole picture. - Charmaine is nice and hospitable, but there is something awkward about her communication style. While she explains some things well, she doesn't seem to communicate the big picture well. For example, she couldn't answer: "So what exactly do I need to provide YOU so you can file my return?" She seemed to have trouble wrapping her head around some very basic questions. She seemed overwhelmed by what I was asking of her. - Her receptionist (Husband?) is an elderly guy who really isn't all that friendly on the phone. He never helps you when you have a question and he doesn't add anything or go out of his way to help. Often times when I couldn't reach Charmaine I felt kind of abandoned. - I ended up going with some else and paid her $100 for her work which was largely a waste of time. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend Charmaine as a tax accountant. read more

Charmaine is complete, and is not afraid to "tell you like it is". I respect this quality because when it comes to taxes and tax reporting, there is no other way to present the situation. She has been filing my parents taxes for years. Now, after having her file for my own family, I know why. Charmaine gets full marks. She is patient, to the point, and does solid work! read more

I give very little credence to RubberSoul L.'s review. We have gone to Charmaine for years and have found her to be very knowledgeable and helpful. Even "Rubber" admits she is nice and hospitable. Yes, her office is not as nice as many others. So what? She is probably saving money vs. renting a nicer office. Guess what? She is good at saving you money too! A seedy part of Colfax? Well, she is close to "Rubber's" house, so apparently he doesn't mind living near this "seedy" part of Colfax. Something ackward about her communication style? Obviously Rubber was too impatient judging her office, her "run down" building, and her husband, to get to know her. Again, the building is older, but not run down. Actually it is kept up quite well. About her communication, Charmaine has many clients she is helping, and many things on her mind to take care of all of them. I'm sure that each time she sees a new client, she has to "turn off" all the facts and figures from her previous client, and start fresh with all the facts and figures of this new client. As the tax deadline draws closer, the stress intensifies, but she handles it well. This is her job and she has done it for years. It seems that Rubber wanted a quick response to his question, even though that answer probably required a lot of questions on her part, regarding his specific tax situation, that he did not have the patience to wait for. Her husband apparently is not knowledgeable about taxes, so he has to refer your questions to his wife. But if she is busy, he can't just walk in while she is helping another client. Try that at a doctor's office. Rubber felt abandoned because he couldn't reach Charmaine? I have the solution. There's this thing called "making an appointment" which her "unhelpful" husband is always happy to do! Rubber says Charmaine's work was a waste of time. I doubt it. He sounds SO IMPATIENT that I doubt if he spent much time there at all! read more