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Best Accountants in Santa Barbara

2023

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Website
650 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93111

Why choose this provider?

Santa Barbara Tax & Accounting Services is located in Santa Barbara, CA. The company provides small business services, individual tax services, budgeting, bookkeeping, and help with business plans. Small business services include accounting and paperwork for partnerships, Schedule C, LLCs, and S-Corps. The company was founded by C. Jeff Restivo, a certified public accountant. Jeff graduated with honors from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Business Economics, then worked for two of the leading CPA firms in Santa Barbara as well as an investment company before opening Santa Barbara Tax & Accounting Services. Customers describe him as fast, efficient, and willing to answer customer questions.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.6
Google
4.7 / 5 (26)
Facebook
4.0 / 5 (4)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
200 East Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Why choose this provider?

Damitz, Brooks, Nightingale, Turner & Morrisset is a full-service accounting firm operating in Santa Barbara. It offers a wide range of accounting services for tax, assurance, and private clients. These can include business management for family groups, employee benefit plan audit, and bookkeeping. Its team also specializes in producing reports for litigation, forensic, and fiduciary cases. One of its managing partners, Monico R. Casillas, is Santa Barbara County Flower & Nursery Growers Association's treasurer. He is an American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, IT Section member.

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
104 West Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Why choose this provider?

Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP is a certified public accountant service located in Santa Barbara, CA. The company offers tax preparation, litigation support, auditing, attestation, estate planning, business consulting, and more. The company was founded in 1976 by Bill Nasif and has taken on several other partners over the years as well as more than two dozen certified public accountants. Their goal is to act in place of a Chief Financial Officer for their business clients. Managing partner Bill Nasif is affiliated with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Accountants.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.6
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (7)
Google
5.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
3.8
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
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Website
PO Box 22135, Santa Barbara, CA 93121

Why choose this provider?

Josh K. Nyholt, Certified Public Accountant is located in Santa Barbara, CA. Josh Nyholt provides tax preparation and tax projections for both individuals and businesses including LLCs, trusts, estates, S-corps, partnerships, and corporations. He also offers business consulting, start-up consulting, bookkeeping consulting, QuickBooks consulting, and audit representation. Josh K. Nyholt is a member of the California CPA Society. He has more than fourteen years of experience as a professional accountant, and holds a degree in Business Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He specializes in providing accounting services for doctors and dentists. His goal in business is to help his customers handle complex tax situations while minimizing their liability.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.3
Google
5.0 / 5 (3)
Yelp
3.5 / 5 (3)

Website
923 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Why choose this provider?

Ballew & Fuhrman, CPAs is located in Santa Barbara, CA. Services provided by Ballew & Fuhrman, CPAs include bookkeeping, accounting, tax planning, tax preparation, audit representation, and assistance with real estate transactions. The company is owned by Jeremy Ballew, CPA and Michael Fuhrman, CPA, MBA. Jeremy Ballew has been a CPA since 2009 and Michael Fuhrman has held a Master’s degree in Business Administration since 2013. While both partners are highly experienced in many different areas of the accounting business, they specialize in tax, audit, and real estate issues. They maintain Ballew & Fuhrman, CPAs as a green business, using environmentally friendly equipment and paperless processes.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.8
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (13)
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (10)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Introduction

    Four main types of accountants are available to serve the accounting needs of individuals, large organizations, small businesses, and government agencies. These types of accounting include corporate, forensic, government, and public.

    • Corporate accountants maintain and file financial information for corporations. The focus is on keeping the corporation in legal compliance with tax laws and financial reporting requirements.
    • Forensic accountants gather and recreate financial data that isn’t readily available. These accountants might do that as part of a criminal investigation or if key financial information has been lost and needs to be recovered for legal reasons.
    • Government accountants work for government agencies, such as the IRS or a state tax department. They might also be found working in government offices in positions such as city treasurer or county auditor.
    • Public accountants are the accountants most likely to work with individuals or smaller businesses. These accountants manage financial statements, file tax returns, and record financial transactions. Preparing and filing tax returns are tasks these accountants might do for individuals. For companies, these accountants might handle payroll or bookkeeping besides preparing tax information for reporting purposes.

  • What does an accountant do?

    Accountants maintain financial records and interpret financial information. An accountant at one firm might maintain financial ledgers, while another might take on payroll management duties. Accountants can also specialize in specific areas, such as tax codes.

  • What is the difference between an accountant and a CPA?

    Accountants and CPAs handle many of the same accounting tasks. However, a CPA is an accountant who has passed a state exam to become a certified public accountant. A CPA is typically more trusted in an advisory position when in a business setting.

  • Does everyone need an accountant?

    Most individuals don’t need to hire an accountant, except for when tax season arrives. A small business owner is more likely to need an accountant than an individual because business owners have more complex record-keeping requirements.

  • What does a forensic accountant do?

    Forensic accountants use generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to investigate and solve financial mysteries that are typically related to uncovering or resolving suspected criminal activity, such as embezzling. These accountants may work for individuals, businesses, and government agencies.

  • What does a payroll accountant do?

    Processing payroll and employee benefits are key roles of payroll accountants. Some other duties performed by payroll accountants include using software and handling financial statements. These professionals might also analyze financial ledgers, prepare and present reports to management, and advise regarding investment opportunities.

  • Do I need an accounting major to become an accountant?

    You can work as an accountant without majoring in it. However, earning a degree and becoming a CPA offers more earning potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certified public accountants who have received at least a bachelor’s degree earn a median annual wage of $73,560.