We have had our taxes done by Robert for quite a few years now. He's always been very professional helpful and quite pleasant to deal with. I would highly recommend his business to anybody that needs their taxes done. read more

We didn't have a good experience with the folks in this location and will never go back But their prices are much lower than some other local tax preparation places. read more

We approached Robert based on a recommendation from a friend, and the first flag was that it took him a month to confirm he'll work with us. That took us into early March, with no additional communication until April 13-14, when he informed us he'd be filing an extension, with a balance due in a couple of days (not unexpected, but to assume that we'd be ok sending a large check on a two-day notice was inconsiderate). This possibility or "strategy" was not discussed or agreed upon. Then little to no updates over the summer, a missed appointment, and we had to re-arrange our work schedules to finally discuss our tax return live and get a sense of the full picture in late August. Filing was close to the extension deadline. I am not sure we identified or achieved any savings with Robert, so this rating is more around his availability and communication, or the lack of. This wasn't a good fit for us. read more

Robert is a great guy and offers personized service. He is always willing to go the extra mile and offers "old school service and hand holding" if necessary. He did a great job with our personal and business taxes and always points out all deductions legally available to make sure we get the "biggest refund" allowable by law. His fees are reasonable compared to other CPA's but you have to be patient and understand he is only 1 person and things don't always happen in your timeframe. read more

I had a very BAD experience at Liberty tax in San Ramon early 2022. My first year using Robert was 2021 and he was good the 1st year... as others have said in their post, he is attentive and made you feel like you were the only client as a first time client. He treated me differently this year. I went to complete my taxes mid February and had an appointment. In 2021 we sat and worked through the entire process "then and there" and submitted into the system early which I do every year. This time when I arrived, he had clients in the waiting room and clients in his office so I was ushered into the spare office where I reviewed my taxes with a young man who was working temp at the office during the tax season. He checked through my well organized envelope of receipts and tax documents. I was told someone would call me to review in the next week. Fast forward 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks. No call. Every time I called I was told it was still in work. Finally at the end of March, I scheduled an appointment in hopes the paperwork would be completed before my appointment. I showed up on time. When I arrived Robert had clients in his office and rushed out as I arrived to say that he was triple booked and asked if I could come back later. I work full-time Monday through Friday which is why I made an appointment. So I said no I could not come back later. Another set of customers came in who also had an appointment at the same time as I did. At this point I could tell he was irritated, frustrated and tense. He was very angry that I would not rearrange my schedule. I sat with him briefly; went through some of my paperwork; was told I would hear back within a week. I was so uncomfortable and upset that I was treated so disrespectfully, I got out of there as fast as I could. My taxes barely made the extended deadline as Robert pushed my paperwork off to one of his colleagues who had to review everything with me again over the phone. I will never go back to Liberty tax in San Ramon again. They did nothing to serve me or my interest. read more

Robert is the best. We found his referrals on next door and all the raves were true. He is very personable and takes his time to explain and go through your taxes with you. So glad we found him! read more

His service quality is great to the first time customers though these are the combination of case 1 and 2 that is exactly what happened to us. We are downgrading him from 5 stars to 1. We are copying and pasting the review of other users, case 1 and 2. We got notified that he wanted to extend the filing only 2 days before the deadline, which gave us no other choice while we submit all the necessary material documents by mid February. Moreover, when we were in town to meet him in June after several times of confirming to have a meeting with him, he missed the appointment and ignored our outcry. When we got literally yelled at, we showed up in his office. He was very confused and could not organize the simple documents and customers appointments while he took care of new customers: (Case 1) I'm very disappointed with Liberty Tax office ran by Robert Downum in San Ramon. He promises a lot but does not deliver. He was extremely late with our taxes (on the day we were to pick up our taxes, he hadn't even started and worked on them while we waited for hours during which he took phone calls from new clients!) Once you pay him, you won't hear from him again, even though he promises to answer your tax-related questions year round. He repeatedly reschedules/misses follow-up appointments, doesn't return phone calls. Overall I've found him to be unprofessional and incompetent. I'm taking my business elsewhere. (Case 2) I had Liberty do my 2018 tax return and spoke to Robert (he is the owner) when I first visited Liberty. I gave him all my information and all went well, although later he asked if we could file my taxes after the April 15 deadline because he was so busy. I went along with that, and as far as I know presently, that return was done correctly as I haven't heard from the IRS telling me otherwise. However, I was led to believe my taxes would be filed sooner than they were, and that is irritating. I met with Robert three times, including the first meeting when I gave him my information, the second when I picked up the return and paid him, and a third meeting that was somewhat by chance. Every time I met with him his phone would ring multiple times during our meeting and he always answered it, which made it frustrating to work with him as our time was limited and was being taken up by his phone calls. He told me when he did my taxes that I could call him with questions after the tax season was over and he had more time. That didn't prove to be true. When I tried to schedule a follow-up meeting with him he would schedule a meeting only to cancel it and re-schedule another meeting. This happened a couple of times but on the third meeting I showed up at his office even though he left a message for me at my home telling me he couldn't meet that day. I never got his message as I was on my way to his office, so when i got there he met with me. This was the "chance" meeting mentioned above. Later, when I called him (at least three, maybe four times) he never responded to my calls. I left detailed messages so he could be clear why I was calling, but no response. A topic of two of the calls was that I was requesting an email (digital) copy of my lengthy tax return that I could forward to the bank as I was planning to refinance my mortgage. This should have been an easy request to fulfill, but there was no response, no explanation. Given the phone interruptions, the cancellations of appointments, the late filing of my taxes, and no response to phone calls, I won't be back to Liberty Tax Service, and I think others should be warned about the phony way things are handled there! Other Yelp evaluations of this service have indicated similar behavior. read more

Thank you fellow yelppers for helping us find Robert! We needed to find someone else to do our taxes on short notice. We went with Robert due to his experience and professionalism. He took the time to ask us specific tax questions which assisted us in reducing the amount we had to pay Uncle Sam. Robert is very friendly and personable. My husband really liked working with him and that is saying a lot. Hubby is very picky about who he interacts with. The office staff was great as well. They made sure we were comfortable while waiting to meet with Robert. He will be our tax preparer going forward!! read more

Robert takes care of this branch on Liberty tax service. We approached him for some tax advice regarding out finances. It was disappointing to hear him sell us services for day care for our kid as well his tax prep courses. When we finally got him back on topic, there weren't any substantative tips he could give us for improving our tax liabilities. He promised to send back a detailed analysis of our tax situation after out meeting. It has been a month since our meeting so far and there has been no analysis sent to use by robert. Disappointed with the service. Do not recommend. read more

This is my second year of having Robert prepare my taxes. At this point I have known Robert for two and a half years, as my accountant as well as a fellow Rotarian and a father who actively volunteers in the community. I cannot say enough good things about his work ethic, his integrity, and how diligently he serves his clients. I recently learned that he is moving his office to Bishop Ranch, so don't be surprised when you see the empty spot at his old location on San Ramon Valley Blvd. read more

Robert was a great Tax Consultant and CPA. I brought in two years worth of State and Federal taxes for him to amend and correct and he did it with a smile. He had the documents ready in a quick amount of time and done to the specifications of my Loan Officer because I was in the process of buying a home. He is willing to work later or change his schedule to accommodate and meet your needs. If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy CPA - Robert is your man. read more

We relocated to the Bay Area 4 years ago and needed a referral for tax service for our personal taxes. We stayed with the referral for 3 years with no personal interaction with the CPA and never had a personal review upon submission to the IRS. This year we decided to search for a professional that would interact with us as we submitted all our documents in check. Our first meeting at Liberty Tax was impressive with a great deal of time asking pertinent questions and we left feeling confident we were in good hands. Today we met for the final tax report and must say we were comforted not only the tax preparer but the time Robert took the time to introduce himself and asked we meet with him after the tax season to review our tax submission and plan plan going forward at No Cost. The entire hour that we spent was rewarding. Thank you Liberty Tax. Bob and Cindy read more

I met Robert several years ago at the SR Chamber of Commerce; and my wife and I switched to his firm to prepare our taxes in 2015. We have been completely satisfied. Robert is a good guy and a great accountant. He is smart, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and a very hard worker. He is a good listener and offers excellent solutions to any issues you may have. Robert doesn't miss a thing. He is serious, but also fun, and his staff is friendly very professional and provides excellent customer service. We recommend him without reservation. read more

Robert and the team at Liberty Tax are great! I am very impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail of this firm. Also, Robert is extremely patient and easy to work with. I was very late in getting them all of my forms (waiting on 3rd parties) and they were still very accommodating and able to finalize my taxes just in time before the deadline. I would highly recommend them to anyone in search of a good accountant. read more

Amazing place to go file your tax!!! If I could give out ten stars I would do so... Robert Downum was fast and easy... He went up and beyond for me and seemed like he actually cared, not like some other places that wants you in and out. Robert your awesome and you'll see me next year!!! read more

Liberty Tax - The best person you should always come see!!!! - Tax Services Near Me - San Ramon, California

So, this is an update to my earlier review of Liberty Tax Service in San Ramon. Liberty did my taxes in 2018 and I reported I was unhappy with the service even though I thought the taxes were done correctly. Boy, was I wrong. For my 2019 tax preparation I went to a CPA and in the process the CPA found several errors on my 2018 tax return. There were at least 3 to 4 mistakes that I would describe as highly significant, which resulted in a variety of miscalculations in the preparation of my 2018 taxes. Long story short, I am waiting for a refund of over-payment on my 2018 taxes in the amount of almost $3700 from Federal and State combined. I had to pay the CPA $750 to do my amended 2018 return so, overall, if Liberty had done it correctly the first time I would be more than $4400 better off now. Because I was lucky enough to find someone who happened to catch the mistakes when filing my 2019 taxes, I'm still more than $2900 better off by changing tax preparers. My obvious conclusion, steer clear of Liberty Tax Service in San Ramon. read more

I found Robert to be incredibly professional & very informative. I'd initially left my taxes to be prepared by H&R Block and after days of difficult communication and no results I took my taxes to Robert and within hours my taxes were prepared and ready to be signed. Thank you, Robert for your awesome customer service! I would absolutely recommend Robert at Liberty Tax. read more

Robert Downum is the best tax professional I have EVER encountered. I discovered Robert in 2012 through San Ramon Chamber of Commerce. He is very knowledgeable, thorough and analytical. I am a lawyer and in having discussions with him I have personally observed how he analyzes a problem. He thinks through each and every issue and takes it to its logical conclusion. With him I finally feel that I am in good hands and that I can trust him with my complicated tax returns. He is patient and takes time to explain the logic behind his responses. He backs up his responses with appropriate authorities. He is very professional, easy to get along with and very friendly. However, he has zero tolerance for any dubious or underhanded practice which can sometimes make people angry at him. read more

There is a point when everyone goes through thoughts that question ones own judgement with taxes and filing. Robert Downum is that person, who can hand hold you through that entire process and make you feel sure.The added benefits of a well trained staff and a free consultation, just make his services stellar. Hands down I recommend and use only Robert for Taxes and planning. read more

Several years ago I purchased equipment for my business that qualified for an Americans with Disabilities Act tax credit of $2400 that we did not qualify to take that year and elected to carry it forward to a future year. We were using turbotax for the last few years and couldn't figure out how to carry it forward and utilize the credit. My husband and I had Robert Downum and his team at Liberty Tax Services prepare our personal and business taxes this year and are very happy with the personalized detail and care we have received. Robert did his research, analyzed our past returns and helped us file amendments to our previous years so we are able to get that credit back this year, which is extremely helpful right now, as you can imagine! Recent events have made things more complicated for all of us, and yes, Robert and his team are extremely busy, but have been on top of all the changes and deadlines and gotten back to us with answers to any questions in a timely manner. We are extremely impressed, highly recommend him, and he is now our go-to "tax guy" for years to come. read more

Very happy with our first experience with Liberty. People were very friendly. Return was done quickly. Most of all the cost was more than half less than what we paid last year with H&R Block. Only reason for not giving 5 stars was the lady who helped us when we picked up our return was extremely confused and almost messed up on a couple of issues. We will go back next year. read more

Robert is an amazing leader and CPA. He understands the value of great customer service, listening to his clients and bringing in expertise to navigate the tax and accounting world. He has been hugely helpful from flexible hours to thinking through other resources and experts to improve my own financial net worth. Robert is truly one of the genuine business leaders who care for his clients. read more

Robert and his team gave me a great experience. Great service. Did everything for me in a timely and efficient manner. Thanks for an other great year. read more

Robert has been doing my taxes for 2 years now and I couldn't be happier. He's personable and knows what he's doing. I bragged so much that my parents are now going to him. He is so patient with them. :) I would highly recommend him to anyone. read more

Highly recommend this business. As most reviewers have mentioned -- expert in tax matters, high integrity, pleasant to work with. Not only that he helped with tax return for the past year, he helped me plan for the current year as I have situations unfolding this year that will have ramifications for next year. In our first meeting he entered all the basic information to the system to give us a rough estimate of what to expect. In the following appointment, he had everything ready in an envelope. He went over everything and the minor changes that he did since the first meeting. Couldn't be happier my taxes are done and done by Robert! read more

Great place to file your returns. Robert who is the owner and Elaine who is the GM were very professional and courteous. They spend time to review all your documents in great detail. The best thing I liked about them is that they explained the entire tax form to me, what and why things are getting deducted, and what I am eligible to claim. The place is highly recommended! Very competitive fees. read more

Mr. Downum helped me prepare a late tax return from a couple years back. He knows what he's doing and he will explain to you exactly what he's doing. Even though he taught me during our two meetings most the basics of tax return preparation that I didn't previously have (which would essentially allow me to do my own taxes in the future!), I know I am still going to rely on this extraordinary tax guru to take care of my annual tax returns. He leaves no stone unturned and will make sure you leave the office with a physical (and electronic) copy of all forms/documents he prepares. Mr. Downum's willingness to help and understand your situation is the type of customer service that you just can't get anywhere else. Plus, the service costs were highly affordable. I highly recommend Mr. Downum to anyone looking for help with any late or current tax returns! Two thumbs up! read more

Robert and his staff are simply the best. I originally brought him three past returns to review and amend. He corrected them, mostly in my favor, and got me back on track. Since then , for the past three years he's done a great job with my taxes and I look forward to seeing him this year at his new location in Bishop Ranch. read more