Cathy Root is a highly skilled, experienced and responsive Oakland-based CPA and tax advisor…read more Definitely 5 Stars.

Cathy and her team are friendly, responsive, easy to work with, and efficient. Highly recommend.read more

UPDATE (July 2026): After posting my original review, the…read morefirm reached out to discuss my experience in detail. We had several conversations, and I appreciated that they took the time to listen to my concerns and work toward a resolution that I felt was fair. My original review still reflects my experience during the engagement, and I stand by the concerns I raised regarding communication, continuity, and quality control. However, I also believe it's important that my review reflects the complete experience. Because the firm took my concerns seriously and made a genuine effort to address them, I'm updating both my written review and my star rating. I've also agreed to a future tax planning consultation and will evaluate whether to continue working with the firm next year. If I do, I requested that my engagement be handled by the tax professional who ultimately finalized my return after it was escalated, or someone with a similar level of experience, and the firm agreed to honor that request. I'll update this review again after that experience so future clients can see how it compares. ORIGINAL (June 2026): I hired Dimov because I wanted more than tax preparation, I wanted a long-term CPA relationship for my growing business. During my initial consultation, I clearly explained my two priorities: evaluating our R&D expenses and discussing an inventory write-off strategy. Those were the primary reasons I hired the firm. George was very responsive before payment. After I became a client, however, I was handed off repeatedly. Over the course of my engagement, I worked with EIGHT different team members and had to continually re-explain my business, priorities, and previously submitted information. It felt like no one truly owned my engagement from beginning to end. The process took over three months to complete. Just to name a few issues: - My return was placed on extension without anyone proactively informing me that the original filing deadline would not be met. - The two primary issues I hired the firm to evaluate, R&D and inventory, were both initially overlooked. - I paid separately for an R&D consultation, yet the R&D analysis was not included in my draft return. - After I questioned why the R&D was missing, it was added to the return. However, when I reviewed the revised return, I questioned the analysis itself. The preparer assigned to it acknowledged he wasn't experienced with the R&D credit, and the matter had to be escalated to someone with more expertise before it was completed correctly. - A California LLC tax payment I had already made, and previously notified the firm about, was omitted until I caught it. - I spent weeks following up for updates and often received little or no meaningful response. When communication broke down, I copied George on multiple emails and also reached out to him directly. I never received a response, which was disappointing since he was the person I initially engaged with and who understood my goals. To the firm's credit, every issue I raised was eventually corrected. However, those corrections came only after I identified the problems myself. Had I simply signed the original drafts, several important items would have been omitted or reflected incorrectly. If you're looking for basic tax preparation and are comfortable reviewing every detail yourself, your experience may be different. I was looking for proactive tax planning, guidance, and confidence that my return had been thoroughly reviewed. Unfortunately, I didn't receive that experience.

Dave did an outstanding job on our return!…read more We used them for several years. Dimov tax did great work.

We've been having Vivian file our taxes for the past three years including this year. They are…read moreknowledgeable, responsive and helpful and we are very happy with their service and no issues with our taxes each year despite we have complicated issues, but her and her team always provide good guidance and support. We will continue to use them again.

I've been going to Vivian to file my personal taxes two years in a row now and she has been very…read moreprofessional and helpful. I was nervous to do my own taxes after my tax situation got more complicated with a house purchase and filing jointly with my wife but she expertly handled all my questions and saved me much more money than if I did the standard deductions. I don't dread the tax season anymore (as much) and it is thanks to Vivian. I went to two other CPAs for quotes when I first started looking and she charged the cheapest and fairest amount.

Dude does great work. There's really not a lot to say, he's been working with my in laws for 30…read moreyears, and now he helps me and my wife out. Super nice easy going dude and does great work.

I love Kevin Kearney! He always makes me feel so comfortable, even when I do stupid stuff! He is…read morepatient, makes me feel normal when it comes to taxes I know I am not, and is never judging! He is the best! I used him in Alameda and using him from San Diego! He is great. I highly recommend him!

We have been coming here for a few years now. Great service and a friendly environment. Highly…read morerecommended!

Really bad service làm việc không có trách nhiệm, làm sai không chịu sửa , trôn khách hàng gọi…read morekhông bắt PHONE.

Chris at FlexTax has been my tax advisor for about three years now, and I can't recommend him…read morehighly enough. He's incredibly thorough and detail-oriented - he double and even triple checks everything to make sure your return is accurate and that he has all the right information. He's also very responsive and flexible with scheduling, which has made it easy to fit tax meetings around a busy workday. Chris really shines with more complex situations. He specializes in startups and equity compensation (ISOs, RSUs, etc.), as well as investment portfolios, so if you work at a startup or have a more complicated tax situation, you're in great hands. He takes the time to walk through everything, explains complex issues clearly, and makes the whole process feel much less stressful. He goes above and beyond by looking at prior years and making amendments if necessary to put you in a better position for future tax years. I originally started working with Chris based on a friend's recommendation, and after three years as a client, I'm very glad I did. If you're a startup employee or founder, or anyone dealing with equity and investments, I highly recommend Chris at FlexTax.

This firm went from exceptional to completely unprofessional overnight…read more I stayed with them for years solely because of Sam, who provided outstanding service. After the ownership change, it's clear that level of care is gone. What replaced it is a rigid, impersonal system that treats clients like transactions rather than relationships. They failed to notify clients of a major policy change regarding tax extensions until just days before the deadline--putting me at risk of non-compliance. When I raised concerns, their response was essentially: "This is our policy now, and if you don't like it, go somewhere else." No accountability. No attempt to fix the situation. No access to leadership. Just scripted responses from a support team. For a firm that benefited from years of loyalty and referrals, this is an incredibly poor way to treat clients. Avoid. UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO OWNER : Your response proves my point. After years of automatically handling my extensions, you changed the process right before a deadline, offered no real support, and told me to pay $240 or figure it out myself. Had I not followed up, I could have been penalized -- and now you're trying to turn it around and frame it as my fault by calling me "not engaged." After years of loyalty and referrals, this wasn't a transition -- it was a downgrade to a transactional model.

We dropped off tax documents on March 18, 2020. Lloyd Phraner agreed to assist with a fairly…read moresimple tax preparation. We provided additional information a few weeks later. It is now June 6, 2020. We have left several messages to check on the status or completion. No response, no return of our original documents. Very unprofessional. I have never had such a poor experience. Still calling and trying to get my documents returned.

Make it easy on yourself and take your taxes to Andrew (and Lloyd!)…read moreThey make the process effortless and are easily worth the trip to Alameda but they can also conduct the whole show electronically. Taxes? Done!

Akemi claims efficiency, but what really defines her approach is an unforgiving attention to every…read moredetail that too many so-called professionals miss. I don't praise easily, but she tore through our tangled financial mess like it was nothing, giving us clarity where there was chaos. Her speed is not a breath of fresh air; it's the baseline anyone should expect. If you want someone who will treat your financials like a personal challenge rather than a routine task, Akemi is who you call.

Akemi has helped me from the moment I incorporated my company in 2014 and has been an amazing…read morepartner throughout all those years. She is extremely capable, delivers very quickly and is just a joy to work with. On top of that, she is also incredibly thorough and doesn't make any mistakes. Akemi is always able to answer questions and take the time to explain things. I cannot rate her highly enough! Give her a call, you'll be happy you did!