QuickBooks Online bookkeeping, help with business decisions, and year-round tax planning stay connected here. The same financial context carries from the books to the questions that come up during the year.
Reliable books in QuickBooks Online, reconciled each month and organized so the reports are useful. The goal is a file that stays current and is ready when questions come up.
The point is simple: give you better information when you have a decision to make. Current QuickBooks data is used to help you think through hiring, pricing, major purchases, owner pay, and other choices, with the tradeoffs explained plainly.
Tax planning takes place in Q2 and Q3 and is updated as actual results appear in QuickBooks Online. Depending on the business, planning may include cost segregation, retirement plan setup, S-Corp optimization, accountable plans, and Section 179 timing.
| This approach | Bookkeeping | Tax Preparation | Fractional CFO Support | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works in your QuickBooks file | ● | ● | — | — |
| Year-round tax strategy | ● | — | — | — |
| Files your federal & California returns | ● | — | ● | — |
| Help with business decisions & reporting | ● | — | — | ● |
| Cost seg / pension / entity planning | ● | — | Sometimes | — |
| Local Santa Barbara knowledge | ● | Varies | Varies | — |
| Books, guidance, and tax share one context | ● | — | — | — |
General and specialty contractors, builders, and trades operating across Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, and the surrounding area. Job costing, retainage, contractor 1099s, and CA license renewals built in.
Santa Barbara real estate operators, short-term rental owners, and owners of owner-occupied buildings. Cost segregation studies, depreciation strategy, and 1031 exchange planning.
Santa Barbara law firms, dental and medical practices, therapists, and consultants. Reasonable comp, S-Corp optimization, retirement plan design, and accountable plans.
Custom home builders, remodel contractors, and small developers serving Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Hope Ranch. Work-in-progress tracking, project cash flow, and developer entity structuring.
Santa Barbara restaurants, hotels, vacation rentals, and tasting rooms. Daily sales reconciliation, food cost tracking, tip pool compliance, and Transient Occupancy Tax filings.
Santa Barbara families with multiple operating entities, real estate holdings, and complex personal returns. Consolidated reporting, intercompany clean-up, and estate-aligned tax planning.
Our practice is Santa Barbara–based and most clients are within Santa Barbara County, but we also serve owner-operated businesses in Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, Summerland, and the immediately surrounding area. The work is mostly remote inside QuickBooks Online, with quarterly in-person sessions for clients who want them.
Yes. QuickBooks Online is the core bookkeeping system used in the practice, backed by Intuit ProAdvisor training and daily hands-on experience. If your business is on QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, Wave, or spreadsheets, it can be converted and cleaned as part of onboarding.
Monthly bookkeeping, business guidance, tax planning, and tax preparation use the same financial context instead of starting over with each question.
Yes. All of our tax work is California-aware: FTB filings, LLC fee, S-Corp franchise tax, sales/use tax, and locality issues specific to the Santa Barbara area. Your federal and California returns are filed together.
Engagements are scoped to the work involved. Most clients choose either focused monthly bookkeeping or a broader ongoing plan that also includes CFO support and tax work. Specifics are shared on a discovery call once the situation is understood.
Availability depends on the scope and timing. The quickest way to check is to send the inquiry form; you’ll receive a response within one business day.