Ted Chen is knowledgeable, efficient, and helpful in preparing taxes. Have used him for many years and am very happy with my interactions and experience with Ted. read more

Ted Chen was my CPA for a few years before we moved out of state in 2019. I am STILL receiving notices from the IRS regarding forms and returns which were improperly filed for my APS in California. Needless to say, this is causing a continual headache and a lot of work for my current (more scrupuous) CPA. Find another CPA if you live in California and have a professional corportation. read more

Mike doesn't need good Yelp reviews 'cause he's so good that people stand in line for him. I just wanted to say thank you to him here. I am a small business bookkeeper with nine regular clients and he is, hands down, the best accountant you could work with - personable, professional, down-to-Earth, smart, skilled, efficient. I feel very fortunate to get to work alongside him. I have learned so much from his expertise - he has made me a better bookkeeper and I'm super grateful. My clients are all happy with him and that's everything to me. read more

We have worked with Mike for about 10 years, and he is a consumate professional who knows his stuff. Very professional and highly recommended. read more

Mike & Katrina have been nothing but helpful to our firm. Through a series of unfortunate events we switched firms twice before finally finding The Tax Pros, and we are staying for good! They have been helpful, communicative, and responsive from day 1. Mike found errors in our previous year tax filing within 30 minutes during our first meeting. Our previous CPA had made mistakes costing us over $6,000... I run a small business and couldn't recommend their services enough. read more

Disclaimer: I did NOT use The Tax Pros' services to file my taxes. What I DID do; emailed their contact form on the site with a question regarding my 1040X Amendment forms from 2015 tax season. Within 10 minutes I received a call and they quickly walked me through some issues I was struggling with. They helped me pro bono with some questions and I was on my way. There is something to be said about a company spending time on a question - without payment - that warrants a great review. I will suggest the Tax Pros simply based on their quick outreach and great customer service. Well done. read more

The Tax Pros is great! Ted has been helping us with our taxes for the past couple of years. As we have gotten older and our W2 and 1099s have gotten more complicated, we realized that we couldn't do our taxes on our own anymore. Ted has been very organized, communicative, responsive, and helpful! Highly recommend! read more

I called and asked to speak with Mike based on the previous reviews. A woman answered, friendly, and said "I just want to let you know Mikes starting rate is $750". Seriously. Wtf!!?? Not in a million years would I allow someone to rape me like without meeting me first or knowing my situation. What if I only had a 1040EZ. This guy must think he is a god. Huge red flag. These guys fill out computer programs which take 20 minutes. Please. $750 for an eval. You have to be kidding. read more

I have been working with Mike and Katrina at The Tax Pro's for years now and every year they manage exceed my expectations. They are both extremely knowledgeable, very timely in their communications, fast with finishing my tax return and use an easy online system system (which was very helpful especially last year in lieu of COVID and not having in office visits). Would highly recommend! read more

Ok, I chose these guys because of yelp reviews, but was pretty disappointed. 1. When I walked into the office I became privy to an entire convo about some rich guys taxes, no privacy. It was awkward. I mentioned that they should at least close doors and get some white noise but they didn't know what that was. 2. During my taxes I could hear an argument in the office in the other side of the wall. Not from their firm but still awkward. 3. The meeting involved a lot of talking, notes on paper (not directly into a tax program), advice about my life (no thanks to getting a full time job just to make my taxes easier, I'll stick to freelance). 4. Some good but not actionable (at the time) advice about a SEP IRA and an HSA. 5. When we were done my taxes were not done. Not even close. I was expecting to walk away and be done. 6. Weeks later my taxes were finally done and I got the $500 bill. I would be getting a refund so, expensive but I was happy to be done. 7. Then, on OCTOBER 15th, the very last minute. I get a call from their office saying they need a signature form in order file. What?!? Ridiculous. Never again. read more

I called, spoke to one of the tax professionals (a woman, forgot her name) VERY VERY briefly. I inquired about tax service, she said, "we can't help with that" and then hung up while I was in mid-sentence of a follow-up question. It's ok to not be able to offer a service but it's never cool to hang up on anyone. read more

Running a business is not an easy job. Doing or even thinking about doing your own taxes is a real nightmare. At least for me it is. I contacted Mike over 6 months ago to discuss our taxes and he responded quickly. We met for a consultation and I explained the mess with our taxes. He basically helped me out to get my crap together and was very pleasant to talk about such unpleasant subject (taxes)! I felt relieved from the first meeting. He gave me great advice about dos and don't in business as well as helpful recommendation and referrals for matters that he doesn't deal with. He doesn't make you feel annoyed about all the nonsense legal stuff and explains how things work. Their pricing is fair. You're paying for someone's expertise and time, and let's face it, crap that you don't wanna deal with! I'll be doing business with them again for sure. read more

Top-notch customer service. I was helped by Mike over the phone in filling out the tax-related forms for my new job. Mike listened to my needs and took time out of his Friday afternoon to guide me through the process. All free of charge. Needless to say, service like this is rare these days. Mike and the Tax Pros are going to be my go-to experts when it comes to tax-related work in the future. read more

I received a confusing letter from the state about a previous tax return and Ted helped me clarify the issue and figure out who to contact about it. Recommended. :) read more

I have been having Mike Harrar do my taxes for over five years. He and The Tax Pros are truly a best-in-class operation that continually exceed my expectations. How he manages to be so gifted in all things IRS & personal financial management, and be so nice and never judgmental, is beyond me. He worked for the IRS for several years, and has such a keen and instinctual understanding of the way it all works, and can describe it in language that makes sense. He is a patient listener, takes into consideration personal and professional factors, and also sees how this all fits together both through time and where you are in life, but also zeros in like a laser on the current tax year at hand. I sense that he gives equal attention to every client, no matter what their personal financial situation is. Everyone I've come into contact with at The Tax Pros has radiated a kindness and professionalism that is so welcome when you're dealing with your taxes! I echo the many other voices who can't say enough good things about The Tax Pros and Mike Harrar in particular. Highly recommend. read more

I called Mike with an urgent personal tax question. I got his voicemail, left a message, and received a call back in just 1 hour, which was amazing considering that I was a brand-new client. His actual advice was very sharp and spot-on -- I did a lot of reading on the Internet and he was very accurate and concise in his guidance. Because my question was especially specific and rare, he advised me to talk to a subject expert, and didn't charge me anything for the consultation, which was already very helpful. Very impressive, and someone I will definitely talk to if I need help in future. read more

I went Mike Harrar because of all these five star reviews on his yelp and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm new to the country and new to the USA Tax laws. Mike went out of his way and took the extra time to help me understand the system and filed my tax return, thus saving me alot of money on mistakes I would have made by myself. He also offered me fantastic advice on setting up a business in my new country. On a personal level, Mike is very professional with a great sense of humour, A positive asset to have in this area of finance. Highly Recommended! read more

This is the second year in a row we've had Mike Harrar do our taxes. This year we were bad and didn't get our stuff to him until less than a week before the fifteenth. He still managed to get it done in time in spite of being swamped. We're very happy with the work and happy that the price was the same as last year. Mike can be a little brusque, but don't let that throw you. He's thorough and efficient and easy to work with. Also, I've really appreciated how easy it has been to get follow-up questions about our taxes answered. Just shoot Mike an email and he responds within one business day, often within a couple of hours. Also, they don't charge for little bits of follow-up advice. In the process of refinancing our mortgage last year, the loan company had a nutty requirement for a letter from our tax preparer certifying that I've been self-employed for two years. We sent Mike an email asking what it would cost for them to prepare a letter like that and by return email they simply sent a PDF of the letter we'd asked for, no charge. read more

As a small business owner whom has worked with three different tax professionals, the importance of finding someone whom will follow up and keep open communication is crucial. Two of those three were awful experiences. I am basing this review on just reaching out to Tax Pros and seeing if they could squeeze me in on a short notice as my new accountant was not getting back to me, and I was getting a bit worried after a week. Tax Pros were very professional in explaining their services and Mike was currently at the IRS and would get back to me later that day, he was held up there, but the follow up was great and I truly believe that communication in customer service is a solid indicator of professionalism, and Tax Pros definitely has this. It turned out that my accountant had to be away due to a family emergency and that is understandable so I explained this to Tax Pros and did not go through with an interview with them (let them know ahead of time), so I did not get to work with them, but would not hesitate to recommend this firm to any small business. read more

I reached out to Ted and co for a tax question regarding my dad's estate. Though it was out of his field of expertise, he promptly referred me to someone else who did a great job. It says a lot when a business doesn't just ignore your inquiry but helps you get it resolved regardless of whether they know they answer. Thanks, Tax Pros! read more

Mike Harrar is the man! I've been going to Mike for several years. Having had a bad experience with a different Tax Professional in the past, I was referred to Mike from a colleague, and I have to say it's been one of the best referrals I have ever received. I have found that Mike and the staff at The Tax Pros are professional and courteous whenever your dealing with them. Mike takes the time to explain to you where you're breaks could be coming in at, points out deductions you may have missed, and puts together everything for you for a very reasonable fee. No matter the amount of Forms and Schedules you need, Mike prepares everything so that it's easy to understand, and every year by request sends out a Tax Preparation guide with the previous years numbers so you can compare on your own how the current years taxes will look. Mike gets very buys during tax season, and it's no question why. Mike is truly an amazing professional when it comes to tax preparation and advise. I recommend Mike to all my family, friends, and clients who are in need of a professional, reliable, and down to earth Tax Professional. It doesn't matter who you are, Mike takes care of you no questions asked and does so in a timely manner. read more

I had very good experience with Ted. He's knowlegeable and flexable. Thanks! read more

Mike is AWESOME. I can't tell you how many times he's saved us $$. We recently left out a HUGE 1098 and he caught it. We get huge returns cuz of him and it's all legimate! If you have an accountant, drop him/her and call up Mike. For real. read more

I cannot say enough about the professional tax preparation and financial services provided by Mike and the team at The Tax Pro. I have been a client for more than 10-years, and The Tax Pro has always taken great care of our financial and accounting needs. This year was particularly wonderful thanks to Mike, The Tax Pro! read more

Mike Harrar is a cool hombre -- he knows his business inside and out. It's a really good feeling for us to leave our tax returns in the hands of a true pro. I think this was our third year with The Tax Pros. We never experience any problems or any drama with The Tax Pros. And the other staff that work there are uniformly helpful and calm, even as the madness of April 15 is approaching. I felt bad this year that we dilly-dallied and waited until just 10 days or so prior to 4/15 to turn in our tax returns. But -- no problem. The first time I went in, Mike sat down with me, and went over my wife's and my whole financial situation. TTPs has the combo of a personal touch and efficiency down to a T. It's really awesome to watch. One more thing -- there have been a couple of times where I've had questions about financial decisions with tax implications. I've offered to pay Mike for his time and expertise, but he just gave me the answer via a phone call the following day, and wouldn't charge me anything. The Tax Pros is just a fantastic operation in every way. My opinion with tax preparation is that 1) it's pennywise and pound-foolish to prepare your own taxes (unless your taxes are as simple as can be and 2) if you're going to hire a tax preparer, get the best. That's the Tax Pros. We are lucky to have them just down the street. read more

This year I was faced with the most complex tax return I've ever been challenged with. I bungled into something that generated the dreaded K-1 tax form. Well Ted quickly and efficiently filed my return for me and within a week both my state and federal refunds had been authorized!! Gr8 Work!! I highly recommend Ted and The Tax Pros!! read more

I have used Ted twice over the last few years for different tax situations. He was professional, prompt, and very helpful; I'd highly recommend him. read more

As the tax deadline comes close, I decided to get a copy of TurboTax to file my taxes. After putting all my numbers through TurboTax, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing any deductions that can save me money. Therefore, I decided to seek the help of a tax professional. After looking through the reviews on Yelp, I decided to go with Mike H. from The Tax Pros. I called and scheduled an appointment for the following day. The office is in a nice upscale neighborhood in the Piedmont area with a parking lot in the back. My brother came along with me to Mike's office since he knows a little bit about how taxes work. As soon as we got in, Mike took us into his office and got to work. He took a look at my previous year's tax return, and also this year's pending tax return which I did with TurboTax. At first, I was a bit nervous as I don't know what to expect. However, after talking with Mike for only 5 minutes, I noticed that he was very easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor, and that helped make a stressful tax situation less stressful. As he went through the forms, he would give me suggestions on the different ways I can take deductions and how I can save money. It's priceless knowledge that I can take with me and use to maximize my deductions and minimize my tax liability year after year. All in all, it was truly a great experience being able to talk to a patient, knowledgeable, and experienced tax professional like Mike. I would definitely recommend The Tax Pros to anyone who needs help with his/her taxes. read more

The Tax Pros, particularly Ted Chen, was incredibly prompt and helpful in resolving a tax issue I was really stressing out about. 10/10!!

Ted Chen just emailed me that unfortunately they do not specialize in real estate 1031s - to look elsewhere.

I contacted Tax Pros to help me work through an unusual tax question. Ted was helpful, efficient and quickly provided the information I needed. Very happy with the experience. read more

I am so grateful for Ted at the Tax Pros. For a few years now, he has handled my taxes swiftly, clearly, accurately, and with so much kindness toward me when i'm confused about something. I feel very taken care of, and I have no idea what i'd do without him, or this company (everyone in the office who I've met is lovely). Thank you, Tax Pros!! read more

I called the Tax Pros this year because I was getting ready to sell a property. I figured out through my own research, that the accountant I had been working with gave me a lot of bad advice. I was facing a huge capital gains tax payment that could have actually been avoided if I had been given sound advice a few years prior. I ended up speaking to Ted over the phone, and within about 15 minutes he had assessed my situation and fully understood the problems that I was facing. The price ($700-800 I believe for a married filing status) was nearly double what I had been paying for the past few years. I decided to take a chance anyway because of the great Yelp reviews, and how well the phone conversation went. Well, Ted helped me get everything filed away. I still had a big tax payment, but I felt confident that it was handled properly and wasn't worried about the IRS coming after me due to an incompetent accountant. A month or so after I paid, I received a notification from the county. There was some retroactive property tax that I needed to pay. I talked to Ted about this payment and it turns out that my old accountant had been using the wrong number for calculating the value of the home. Ted filed an amendment to my taxes at no charge, and ended up saving me a very serious amount of money. Pros: - Exceptionally responsive via email. I don't think I ever waited more than 3 business hours for a reply. - Quick to assess a situation. Ted knows which questions to ask you. - Doesn't need to "research" and get back to you every time you have a question, even for complex issues. Cons: - Not a lot of face-to-face interaction I'll be coming back to The Tax Pros and recommending them to every person I know, for a very long time. read more

Figuring out our crazy tax system can really be a pain. Not all tax preparers are created equal. A few years ago we went to a big chain tax company. I wont mention any names but it rhymes with H&R Clock. They told use we owed the IRS $4000 in taxes. We wanted to get a second opinion and so I asked around and got a glowing recommendation for the Tax Pros. After an awesome consultation with Mike, we ended up getting a $3000 refund! That's a $7000 difference! Needless to say, we never looked back. Since then Mike has been key in not only helping with our taxes but making smart choices which has really made a huge difference in our lives. I really owe this guy a lot. The only way to maximize your your tax return or reduce what you owe is to have a deep and accurate knowledge of the tax laws. Mike really knows his stuff and I have recommended him to all of my family and friends. read more

I've had a small apartment building for over 40 years and sold it in 2019. The IRS forms describing the sale and determining the taxes owed were impossible for me to understand. The Tax Pros Mike Harrar, took my work and produced the Federal and State tax reports needed and the tax payments required. This was all done in an extremely short time. My stress level went to zero when I received the tax reports needed. I highly recommend the Tax Pros and Mike Harrar. read more

Mike Harrar is a smarty pants and I mean that in the nicest possible way. He is friendly, brainiated and way too nice to really be an ex-IRS dude, but he is. read more

Mike has been doing my taxes for more than ten years and I always look forward to it. That alone says a lot about how great he is. Mike knows his stuff and his people skills are beyond compare. I've recommended him to others who have also raved about him. He's a gem! read more

I have had to consult with Mike a couple of times for various tax issues. On each occasion, I found him to be extremely knowledgeable, helpful and patient. As another reviewer wrote, the level of service Mike provides is rare these days and I feel fortunate to have him as a resource here in Oakland. read more

Ted is a Rockstar! I found the Tax Pros on Yelp and the great ratings are true! We originally went to Ted for help with calculating tax on stocks. He was super knowledgeable and helpful. Shortly after we got a HUGE bill from the IRS because we didn't do our 2012 taxes correctly (we weren't working with the Tax Pros then). Ted fixed everything and now we are getting a refund instead of owing a fortune! I highly recommend them, but hope they don't get so busy they no longer have room for me. read more

Mike Harrar has been doing our taxes for many years and we trust him immensely. He is very knowledgeable (and we've had some complicated multi-state real estate issues.) Beyond his knowledge, he is efficient, responsive, direct, honest and actually cares! An enjoyable tax guy? Go figure! read more