I had a very good tax-preparation experience with Debra Simmons. I was a new customer this year, having my 2015 taxes done by her. Things happened very promptly, and as promised. I had a fairly complicated tax situation this year, and Debra spent time on the phone with me and we communicated through email getting things squared away and helping me get prepared and organized. She spent time making sure I understood my situation and how she planned to file my return. She had good follow-up and answers questions promptly via email. If you are a person who prefers a face to face meeting with your tax preparer, Debra may not be your person. I never met her in person, and worked with her through email, telephone, and by dropping off and picking up paperwork at her mailbox location. She did things promptly and efficiently, and I got a favorable result. I would recommend her if you're OK with dropping off forms and working without face-to-face contact. read more

Debbie is the only reason I have survived the last seven tax years with my sanity intact! She takes the time to explain the intricacies of my business returns every year, makes good suggestions on how to best prepare, and helps us prep for the year to come with confidence. Having her as my CPA has been nothing short of a blessing. Thank you Debbie! read more

I sent nice message to Debra to see if she can help me. The reply I got was a short, stale, closed-ended, and she turned me away coldly. From her attitude alone I would recommend staying away. read more

Update: Debra has now put in more effort to salvage her Yelp perception than she had spent on my entire case. "If a client needs assistance in gathering documentation, I work with them to facilitate the process." If by facilitating the process you mean explaining that hourly is $150+ and you weren't interested in taking work, then yes, you have facilitated nicely. Debbie was a non starter and she left me hanging. I provided signed contracts, retainer as per her instructions the SAME DAY in order to allow her to secure power of attorney quickly -- etc and she is still going to try to say 'service hadn't started'. LOL Lady, if you hadn't screwed me I wouldn't be here giving you a 1 star review. Had you DONE your JOB and taken care of your client who signed contracts and provided payment the SAME DAY you asked for it, then you would have a 5 star review. Sadly, the Yelp definition of a 1 star review is accurate as it pertains to my experience with Debbie. "Eek! Methinks not." Debbie cares more about her Yelp profile than developing long term relationships with South Bay clients. read more

Debbie, Debbie, Debbie! In 2006 I started investing heavily in real estate. In 2009, I formed an investment/property management company. From 2006 until 2013, I used Jackson Hewitt (an H&R Block competitor) to do my taxes. Though I'm pretty anal retentive and producing documentation has never been a problem for me, my organization was not aligned with the incompetence of Jackson Hewitt. Their incompetence led to IRS audits for tax years 2012 and 2013. Though the experience was not as bad as I thought it would be, it still vacuumed an ungodly amount of time out of my life and truly left me yearning for a far more turnkey solution. After I cut a check to Uncle Sam I found Debbie. After filing extensions for 2014 to allow myself more time to get reinvented on how taxes for a real estate investor should REALLY be prepared, Debbie got me fixed! Debbie got me right! Some people are anointed to do a certain thing in life. She is anointed to do taxes. I can pluck out the following words to describe my experience with Debbie: turnkey, organized, modern, timely, constant communication, digs deep, thorough, polite, courteous, totally professional, diligent, and reliant. I could go on, but you get the idea. She was able to get my properties filed with the correct schedules and correct Jackson Hewitt's past errors with depreciation. Ultimately, Debbie was able to get me a very accurate and respectable return. The end product [return] was delivered to me electronically, which is so with the times! You'll love her style. My taxes have found a new home. read more

Debbie is just the kind of person I was looking for to help with my taxes and small business financial strategy. I can certainly see why she has such a high rating on Yelp! Debbie helped me file my 2014 taxes and I was amazed at how efficient she was. We worked everything over email and a couple phone calls. Normally, I like to meet in person, but Debbie was so responsive that we had everything squared away in just a couple days. She saved me an astonishing amount on my 2015 return and advised against a few deductions which might be IRS red flags. She also gave me an estimate for what I'll owe for 2015 based on my business growth. Also looking forward to working with Debbie on financial strategy as my business continues to increase. Can't recommend her enough! read more

I feel so lucky to have found Debbie (via YELP), just a week before my already late taxes were due this past October. She proved to be incredibly smart, experienced and (thankfully) efficient. It immediately became clear in our first conversation that she was extremely smart and incredibly experienced in accounting and tax issues, and she very quickly grasped my particular needs and issues. Most remarkable was how she found an issue with a tax form that had been completed by representatives of my ex-husband. She quickly emailed me the tax code addressing the particulars and made it all very understandable. Furthermore, she crafted an email for me to send to these representatives which made them amend this "mistake", all of which will save me nearly $15,000. I am extremely grateful to have found someone of her quality who I can trust. I will definitely be relying on her for accounting and tax help for many years to come, and I highly recommend her to others. read more

I can't recommend Debbie enough. This has been my best tax experience ever. If you want a no hassle, smart, accountant - who is so warm and personable - please do yourself a favor and call Debbie. She will make your life easier. I'm not a good tax filer. I found Debbie on Yelp - and our first call - she walked me through the process in a personable, polite, warm and informed way. She sent me packet to fill out. It took me a couple months. When I finally finished - I called Debbie again - and she remembered everything about me. Debbie was available each step of the way to get my taxes done. She remembers everything - she stays on top of you - she looks for things that might be questionable - and double checks everything. She helped me in so many ways - calling me immediately with any problems or questions. She talks to you - not just about the year you are filing - but what you need to be doing in the future - and how you can do things better and differently next year. Did I mention that her rates are AMAZING? Debbie is not some faceless accounting group where the front man talks to you in the first meeting and then passes your info on to some underling. Debbie does it all - and walks you through the process. She's wonderful - and regardless how delinquent you are in your filing - she will make the process a breeze. There is a reason she is the highest rated accountant on here. Call Debbie. You won't regret it. read more

I am so thankful to have found Debbie through the referral of a good friend. Debbie was extremely thorough, talking through the pros and cons of different tax strategies for my business and provided a level of service I've never experienced from a CPA. Even as a new client, she was happy to accommodate the fact that I was out of the country until late March, creating a time crunch on her end. Once I was back, she completed my taxes quickly, asking great questions and giving me guidance for the coming tax year--all at a very reasonable rate. I highly recommend Debbie and her services! read more

I've now been working with Debbie for a few years and she is consistently prompt, excellent at communication, easy to get a hold of, thorough, fast and efficient. She makes filing taxes a breeze year after year. read more

I totally agree with many of the other reviews. Debbie is awesome. Our household typically uses Turbo Tax for its filings but this year, with the added element of 1099-C/ forgiven credit card debt, I knew I was over my head and needed help. Debbie walked me through all the forms I would need to show insolvency at the time of our forgiven debt and saved us a tax burden in excess of $5k. We went from a tax obligation of $6k plus to a refund by having Debbie do our taxes! Thank you Debbie! This was money well spent. read more

All of the positives things that have been said about Debbie are all 100% accurate. I'm amazed that she's able to do everything that she does. I've never met an accountant who is so enjoyable to talk to, even about something as aggravating to the rest of us as taxes! Debbie knows it all like the back of her hand, but never makes you feel bad about asking basic questions. What I enjoy most about Debbie, is that she takes the time to make sure that YOU feel comfortable, instead of just acting as if you should trust her because she's a CPA. This sets her apart from both the big box budget services like H&R Block as well as the large firms where you don't matter until there are 7 digits in your AGI. The relief that my wife and I felt after talking to her is worth far more than the asking price. You really can't put a number on the piece of mind that comes from knowing you have a well-educated FRIEND in your corner. My advice to anyone reading this... call Debbie and become a client while you still can. This level of personal service may require her to stop taking new clients, and you don't want to miss out. read more

I've been working with Debra Simmons for several years and recommend Debra for complicated tax filings.

I want to say thank you to Debbie! Saving me $8,000 and made my day! IRS tried to collect $8,000 tax off my 2011 tax return. I found Debbie through Yelp and contacted her right away. Debbie was extremely thorough! she is quick at replying email and providing guidance of how to file tax the right way! i will diffidently recommend her to those of you that needs help! read more

Debbie is absolutely the best CPA in the southbay area. If you are looking for a great CPA , Debbie is the answer. I'm so glad she's on my side! read more

Most years my taxes are fairly straightforward, so I had been relying on Turbo Tax without much compliant. However, last year I moved to a new state halfway thru the year, plus had relocation costs and other things I didn't have much experience with. I knew I would have greater peace of mind with a professional this time around, and I started my mad research to find someone. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers, I found Debbie and contacted her based on the great reviews. Debbie did not disappoint - she responded very quickly, and once she got my paperwork, she was efficient, extremely detailed and completely accurate. She was very patient with my questions and had great advice overall about how to approach tax planning etc. She has many years of experience and knows it all. And talk about fast - I've already started getting my returns, and it's only early February! Debbie is fantastic; I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her. If you're looking for a great CPA, give her a shout! read more

It couldn't get much easier....After filling out the basics the first year we worked together, Debbie kept all my info and applied it to worksheets I can easily follow each time Uncle Sam comes knocking. Her tactics minimize time spent doing taxes, and she clearly talks you through each step, so you can maximize savings. Huge fan! read more

Another year and another great job by Debbie. Her new online tool makes it even easier, if that's even possible. She makes the tax filing process fun, fast, easy, and educational. I wouldn't hesitate to refer her for anyone's personal or corporate tax work. And I heard she also does great with bookkeeping services. --------- Debbie is my tax solution. She makes it easy and saves me significant money every tax season. Her process is simple and fast. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a reliable, accurate, professional and highly effective tax solution. read more

Debbie Simmons is an all-star accountant you can trust. I have been using her for a few tax years now after some questionable experiences with some accountants who were supposed to have been "experienced". I run my own small business and while I know a lot about my field, my knowledge of tax law and business common sense was lacking. Debbie's tenacity and patience were a godsend to me! Now I feel like I am in control of my taxes and have one less thing to worry about in my business. I couldn't recommend her more. read more

Previous years my taxes have been super easy and I was capable of completing them myself. Well, this past year I had numerous changes, I got married, had a child and my husband legally changed his last name to his step-fathers last name. With that said, I knew our taxes were going to be complex since I had never filed taxes married and claimed a dependent. So I turned to yelp and came across Debbie because her star rating was perfect and all the reviews were positive and great. There is a reason why all her reviews are perfect, because she is quick, efficient, and breaks everything down for you and truly enjoys what she does and wants to help out as much as possible. In the end of it all she filed for us extremely fast and gave us some great suggestions about my husbands with holdings for the near future. I HIGHLY recommend Debbie and her fantastic services! THANKS DEBBIE!! read more

Debra is so great! Me and my fiance needed someone to help us in filing our taxes. From the first phone call/email in she was so prompt and professional in her response. She is very knowledgeable and helpful even after our taxes were done being filed she stilled called with recommendations for what we should do in the future! I loved using her so much...that when my brother ran into a filing discrepancy we called her immediately. Within hours she was handling everything and completely rectified the problem with the IRS. I highly recommend Debra and will continue to use her services and recommend her to friends and family! read more

My wife contacted Debra to shop for a new accountant after we fired our previous one for having a big mouth. All of this was explained to Debra up front, and we were just as careful as can be to be as nice as possible to Debra given the bad experience with the previous accountant. We spend about 20 minutes on the phone with Debra attempting to get an idea of how we might work with her, but Debra interrupted me just about every time I spoke. She kept touting how wonderful she was and how much experience she had. Clearly she lacks one essential quality. She can't shut her mouth and listen. No sale. read more

First time using CPA services from Debbie (July 2016) and I couldn't be happier with the responsiveness and thoroughness of her tax evaluation. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly she responded to my email. Thank you. In response to my question, "Are you accepting new clients?", she quickly responded, "my present workload does not allow me to accept new clients between now and April 15th.", which is 100% understandable. I guess I expected something a little more like, "if after this time, I can be of service, I would like to work with you; OR "I can submit extension request on your behalf and schedule an appt. for later in month." read more

I hardly ever write a review!! I YELP ALL THE TIME. Thank you Yelp for helping me locate such a wonderful woman that has overwhelm me with comfort in the very first phone call. I am a small business owner that have gotten so careless and messy that i have not even filed my taxes for last year, not to mention do payroll appropriately. I didn't know where to start, Ive made attempt to contact other CPAs and have been scheduled for 2 weeks later due to the busy quarter. Debbie called me back within the hour left me a message to call her before she stepped out. I gave her a call right back and she spent nearly an hour on the phone with me responding to a lot of concerns i had and answering questions that i totally forgot to mention. She alleviated a lot of my stress that has been bothering me. Her spunk and enthusiasm had assured me theres nothing that she cannot tackle, i got off the phone with her thinking man..... She's my Idol! She gave me clear instructions on where to start and ways to contact her and its official I'm sticking with Debbie. She's like a secret weapon to a successful business If you are looking for a CPA don't just look at her reviews, call her and see for yourself what all the hype is about. She is no joke, the person thats going to get it done. read more

Just wanted to quickly provide an update to my previous review. Debbie continues to provide amazing tax services for me and my wife!! Despite my best attempts to screw it up (submitting docs late, missing info, etc), she expeditiously completed our return and once again got us a return that far exceeded our expectations!! As a recently retired Air Force officer with over 21 years of service, I can honestly say Debra Simmons is the best CPA around, and my decision to have her file our taxes is one of the best ones I've made (want more proof, read my previous review). No matter where I am living or what my situation is, Debbie has secured a client for life - thank you!! read more

While we're not yet done with my tax situation, I have to give Debbie her props for taking control of my nightmare and organizing it in a timely and affordable manner, all of which allowed me to get my mind back into living (which is so much better when you get the right professional to do what they're good at). Thanks Debbie read more

I've been called a lot of things but organized is not one of them! Debbie has done my taxes two years in a row now and thank heavens for her! She is fast, efficient and extremely organized. I left everything until the very last moment possible but she didn't buckle under stress, she walked me through the whole process and put my mind at ease. I highly recommend her services to you and anyone you know! read more

I was a new 2015 Tax client this year. Debbie is very responsive to calls and questions, and completed my return quicker than I anticipated. My situation was a little more complicated because I filed an amended return in 2014, so she had to do some forensic work to understand what I had paid, refunds etc. I definitely intend to work with her again next year. read more

As an estate planning attorney, former auditor, and tax specialist, I've worked with many CPAs over the years. Debbie is not only outgoing and caring, but she's one of the most knowledgeable CPAs I've ever worked with over my past 25 year career in law and taxation. Debbie's also efficient, meticulous, and ensures no stone if left uncovered. She's also very accommodating and will work with you to ensure your returns are timely filed with maximum results. I've referred many of my clients to Debbie over the years, and would recommend everyone I know to consider retaining her services. She's definitely one of the great ones, and I consider myself fortunate to have found her when I did. read more

Deb is organized, efficient, and professional. She is also kind and will really listen to you and work with you on your tax issues. I will definitely work with her again in the future. read more

Debbie is great, she knows that tax stuff inside and out!

I used Debbie for the first time this year and i can't believe the difference in service! She is very knowledgeable, professional and responsive. She is very easy to work with in a collaborative way and takes time to explain the issues and ramifications of difference choices related to tax laws. She is saving me a ton of money and makes me feel comfortable that my taxes returns are in good hands . I will not hesitate to recommend her to all my friends. read more

Debra Simmons rock! I needed an accountant to complete my personal taxes within a short period of time since I am going to be out of the country. Not only did she complete my taxes in a timely manner, but she also took the time to explain everything to me and to make things simple for me! E-mails and phone calls were responded swiftly and will respond to your questions even after your taxes are filed! I highly recommend Debra to any of my friends! read more

I haven't met many accountants, but I imagine Debbie is about the friendliest around. She's super informative as well, and answered all my questions before I even committed to having her do my taxes. She gave plenty of advice as she went through it, and made the process quite easy. Affordable as well. read more

Debra is highly recommended. She is a CPA with over 20 years of exceptional experience and will expertly guide your tax preparation. With Debra you know you are getting the very best advice possible for your situation. read more

Another great year with Debbie! I work for a company that has me based out of my house so there are deductions she makes so easy. I also have an income property where I own 50%. Turbo tax is confusing for these deductions but Debbie makes quick work of it! See you next year Debbie. read more

I love Debbie! If you need a top-notch accountant at a reasonable price, then look no further. She knows the tax rules and how to work within them and get you into compliance and also to use them to your business's advantage. She is my "tax hero". No overexageration, but she has saved me literally thousands of dollars year over year! Just recently, I saved over $1200 by following her advice. She has helped me to feel confident that my business is "in compliance" and she has corrected so many potential mistakes and saved me so much money that she is definatly worth double the price (but don't her that!). I would definately recommend Debbie to any business person or individual. read more

We've continued using Debbie's services, and she has been a great asset to our company. I've learned so much thanks to her, and getting everything together for tax season this year was much less painful! As someone who didn't know much about taxes and numbers more than a year ago, I'm much more knowledgable now thanks to Debbie. read more

I have used Debra Simmons' accounting services for several years now. She is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. She is an amazing accountant and I feel so lucky to have her. read more