About Us
Our Individual Approach
WHO WE ARE
At The Guardian CPA, we believe that a tax return is more than just a stack of forms—it’s a financial fingerprint. No two lives, businesses, or investment portfolios are identical, so we refuse to treat them as such. While many firms focus solely on the "how" of filing, we start with the "who." We take the time to sit down with you and learn the story behind the numbers. Are you looking to scale a local Santa Barbara startup? Are you transitioning into retirement or managing a multi-state real estate portfolio? By understanding your specific obstacles and long-term aspirations, we can apply the tax code in a way that actually serves your life's work.
What makes us different?
Our Expertise
We're most familiar with California tax laws, but luckily most other states have less complicated laws-- so we can cover a lot of territory. Whether you have a property in the Mid-West or a business in California, we can very likely help you. We know how to file returns for just about anybody, from simple personal returns to growing businesses running payroll for hundreds of employees.
Our Philosphy
One size does NOT fit all. No two people, businesses, or investors are the same, so why assume that their goals will be? No matter how simple or complex your tax return is, you deserve someone who understands the ins-and-outs of your situation. We can help you achieve your goals, whatever they are.
Our Commitment
It's very important to us to have a relationship with our clients. We want to know about you-- your situation, obstacles, and goals. We want to ensure that you're getting what you need out of your CPA. If you're unsure whether we're a good fit for you, just give us a call-- we can at least answer some of your questions.
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Do I need a CPA?
If you have a complex tax situation, likely yes. The real question is which CPA do you need as the CPA license indicates general competency at accounting but it’s via the work experience that they differentiate their skill sets. At the Guardian CPA with small to mid sized businesses and real estate investors.
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Is The Guardian CPA the right fit for me?
We primarily serve small to mid-sized business owners and real estate investors. If your return is associated with business income, rental properties, or investment activities, we likely can help. We're not the best fit for simple W-2 returns without business or investment complexity.
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How does billing work?
We bill on a fixed fee system based on an approximation of our hours to complete a project. For select clients we will hourly rate projects but for the most part we strive to give people clear and transparent pricing.
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Do you work with individual tax returns?
We do work on individual returns which are associated with businesses or rentals. We're not the best fit for simple W-2 returns without business or investment complexity.
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I'm just starting my first rental property. Are you too advanced for me?
We have worked with a variety of real estate investors small single property owners two large operators. The limiting factor would be our minimum price which is currently 1k.
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Do you handle bookkeeping?
As part of every tax engagement, we review financial statements and provide feedback. For the bookkeeping itself we have a very limited number of clients that we do the bookkeeping for in-house we have been partnering with The Ballast Bookkeepers to provide comprehensive support for financials.
