Anyone use 1800ACCOUNTANT??
Most Popular Reply
Simon W.Business Member
Real Estate Consultant · Lehigh Valley PA & New York City · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 668 votesQuote from @Lisa C.:
We made the move over to 1800ACCOUNTANT this year after being unhappy with our local accounting provider. We were nervous about signing up with a huge national firm as we are a very small home-based service business. Would we be just a number? Non-issue. Enrolling was quick and much more affordable than what were paying locally. We picked ala carte services we needed and then transitioned from QuickBooks to their ClientBooks platform. The syncing of our financial accounts and uploading cash receipts makes our contribution super easy. Two months later, the investment of time and money paid off in a huge way. Thanks goes to our dedicated accountant, Daniel Barakat, who patiently listened and then taught me how to categorize transactions (I am in sales, not boring math for darn sakes). After categorizing all 2023 transactions correctly, I went back to QuickBooks 2022 to compare and was instantly alarmed. Income was categorized in expenses and expenses in income. I found key input errors on two deposits which created over $20K additional income that wasn't caught. My first thought was this was the source for our 2022 tax returns! I messaged Daniel who jumped into gear and assigned us a Superhero service team (Daniel, Paul and Alaina). They asked questions our local firm did not. I re-categorized thousands of transactions and discovered missing items like equipment depreciation, which not only affects 2022 taxes, but will be valuable for years to come. The team worked tirelessly to get this amended quickly and most importantly, accurately for us. Bottomline was a 2022 tax savings (refund) and 2023 quarterly adjustments equaling over $13,000 that we were not expecting. We thought we were working with professionals before. We didn’t know what the real pros can do. Perform MAGIC! We are incredibly grateful and delighted to be working with them. No matter what size your business is, we strongly encourage you to consider this amazing pool of talented professionals.
Why would your bookkeeper add any equipment depreciate, this is your CPA's role unless that person was doing both. $20K additional income? how? it would show up somewhere on your books.
Considering this is your 1st post and it sounds too "positive" of a review
24 Replies
- Financial Advisor · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2017 · 502 posts · 508 votes9y
How does that quote compare to others you have received?
- Real Estate Agent · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 293 posts · 109 votes9y
Any others I have received have been an hourly price or an overall "this is how much it will cost to do your taxes" price. I haven't talked to any CPA's that specialize in real estate or investing per se, just ones that have said they can do taxes for me. I am going to call a few more and see what they have to offer.
The $1490 for the year seems a bit much to me, I can tell you that much. I would prefer to find a local CPA that I can actually meet with face to face if need be, at least for now just getting started.
- 9yLinda WeygantPro MemberInvestor and CPA · Arvada, CO · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
I have never used 1800Accountant, but I have successfully converted their former customers to my practice.
They are incredibly expensive, my clients were never sure about what was going on, and they unnecessarily complicated reporting and transaction in order to (in my opinion) make it seem like the clients were getting value for their money.
You're better off contracting with a CPA for your taxes and seeing if they also offer bookkeeping services or can recommend a reputable bookkeeper as well.
- Real Estate Agent · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 293 posts · 109 votes9y
@Linda Weygant thank you....they seemed to be pricey to me. We have our bookkeeping covered for now through our property management.
- 7yMichael AnsleyPro MemberProfessional · Bronx, NY · Member since 2015 · 24 posts · 5 votes
This is a great topic. I used 1800Account for my business and was happy with them but they are a bit pricey in the long run but, I found their online system very convenient.
Now that I brought my first rental property I was looking to see if they are equipped to maximize returns for real estste investors. When I asked about doing cost segregation for my SFR my accountant at 1800 actually sent me an article from Biggerpockets which was encouraging. I am still looking to see who offers the best value for the money 1-800 or another CPA firm.
- Member since 2020 · 1 post · 2 votes6y
I also set up my new corp and got a call from 1800acct pitch sale was great seemed like I had a great company working for me, after first phone meeting w my accountant I realize i made a big mistake , they tried to charge more for any variables I had , I got the year deal paid in full and they run away with my money they didn't reimburse a penny total ripoff guys!!! Please hire a cpa or even a regular tax service will do way better job than This scammers.
- Tax Strategist| National Tax Educator| Accepting New Clients · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes6y
I JUST signed on a new client who is in a mess due to them.
They got the tax prep for FREE for the services of LLC setup they got with legal zoom.
Legal zoom DIDN'T file the 2553 to make them an S corp- (for rentals, which is a huge no).
But told 1800 accounts they were an S corp.
So 1800 accountants filed the client as an S corp- and an S corp doesn't exist. Didn't review the documents. Didn't check.
Now they're ears deep in IRS notices requesting that 2553 to confirm S corp, but really....they shouldn't be an S corp at all.
- 6yKenneth GarrettPro MemberInvestor · Florida Panhandle/Illinois · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
Did legal zoom prepare your operating agreement as well. If not you will need one as when you apply for any kind of financing or purchase or sell real estate with an LLC they will need your OA. If the OA is nonexistent or done poorly your LLC is not properly prepared and the asset protection you thought you had is meaningless. As far as a CPA find a local one. You won't get charged for questions.
- Real Estate Agent · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 293 posts · 109 votes6y
@Kenneth Garrett
OA is in place as of the original post.
We ended up finding a local CPA who we’ve been with ever since - no yearly fee, no monthly fee, no hourly fee. He charges a flat fee for tax prep and no fee for any questions that may arise. We’ve been super happy with him.
- 6yAlex BekezaBusiness MemberLender · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1 800 Accountant is a real racket. Don't do it. It's a totally faceless experience and customer service is nowhere to be found. Not worth the price. Stick to a local CPA.
Investor Property Loan5306 Reviews - Investor · NY · Member since 2021 · 2 posts · 1 vote5y
Maybe they didn't have an accountant who they could trust. It's unfortunate because getting good advice is most important when you're just starting out.
Moswen James, EA
- Investor · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2021 · 8 posts · 3 votes5y
Agree with most others, JUST SAY NO TO 1800Accountant. They did our business and personal returns and it has been the longest drawn out process ever. Poor communication, long delays, big mistake. At times I felt like I was the one educating them on how taxes worked. We will never use them again and will go back to local CPAs from now on.
- Member since 2019 · 2 posts · 3 votes5y
Such a helpful article. Thank you all for sharing your expierces.
- Member since 2021 · 1 post · 1 vote4y
1800accountant has cost me thousands of dollars! I have requested a cancellation. Where can I start? They "forgot" to add my W-2 into my 2018 taxes because my husband and I had started a business and they just concentrated on that piece. I didn't notice because the return was so complicated and long. But I had sent them our W-2s and they just ignored them. This resulted in a pretty hefty penalty. In 2020 they filed our taxes on a Senior form 1040, even though neither one of us our seniors, or even close to being 65. So, I have to have my taxes redone, again. I sent them a message with a question about transferring my bookkeeping from 1800 to Quick books to weeks ago with no response. DO NOT USE THEM! They switched my personal accountant every few months. Some were competent. Most were not. Good luck!
- Member since 2020 · 1 post · 0 votes4y
If not 1800Acountant, then who are similar firms that offer the same service? I'm just starting; I formed my LLC on May 18, 2022, through Zen business. I'm starting a short-term rental property/ Air BnB albatross business. I wasn't aware until today that I was supposed to file ECE within the IRS in the first 75 days to change my tax classification. What are some recommendations? I am at 83 days; what do I have to do to file my entity classification with the IRS?
- 4yGreg O'BrienBusiness MemberAccountant · Boston, MA · Member since 2019 · 386 posts · 336 votes
@Marc S. Machtemes there are late elections available under IRS regulations that can work after 75 days (not a guarantee)
- Member since 2023 · 1 post · 0 votes2y
We made the move over to 1800ACCOUNTANT this year after being unhappy with our local accounting provider. We were nervous about signing up with a huge national firm as we are a very small home-based service business. Would we be just a number? Non-issue. Enrolling was quick and much more affordable than what were paying locally. We picked ala carte services we needed and then transitioned from QuickBooks to their ClientBooks platform. The syncing of our financial accounts and uploading cash receipts makes our contribution super easy. Two months later, the investment of time and money paid off in a huge way. Thanks goes to our dedicated accountant, Daniel Barakat, who patiently listened and then taught me how to categorize transactions (I am in sales, not boring math for darn sakes). After categorizing all 2023 transactions correctly, I went back to QuickBooks 2022 to compare and was instantly alarmed. Income was categorized in expenses and expenses in income. I found key input errors on two deposits which created over $20K additional income that wasn't caught. My first thought was this was the source for our 2022 tax returns! I messaged Daniel who jumped into gear and assigned us a Superhero service team (Daniel, Paul and Alaina). They asked questions our local firm did not. I re-categorized thousands of transactions and discovered missing items like equipment depreciation, which not only affects 2022 taxes, but will be valuable for years to come. The team worked tirelessly to get this amended quickly and most importantly, accurately for us. Bottomline was a 2022 tax savings (refund) and 2023 quarterly adjustments equaling over $13,000 that we were not expecting. We thought we were working with professionals before. We didn’t know what the real pros can do. Perform MAGIC! We are incredibly grateful and delighted to be working with them. No matter what size your business is, we strongly encourage you to consider this amazing pool of talented professionals.
- 2ySimon W.Business MemberReal Estate Consultant · Lehigh Valley PA & New York City · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 668 votesNo offense but your post sounds very advertisy and no way income and expenses were categorized opposite even so you didn't lose on the income because it would've negated the expenses and vice-versa.
Quote from @Lisa C.:
We made the move over to 1800ACCOUNTANT this year after being unhappy with our local accounting provider. We were nervous about signing up with a huge national firm as we are a very small home-based service business. Would we be just a number? Non-issue. Enrolling was quick and much more affordable than what were paying locally. We picked ala carte services we needed and then transitioned from QuickBooks to their ClientBooks platform. The syncing of our financial accounts and uploading cash receipts makes our contribution super easy. Two months later, the investment of time and money paid off in a huge way. Thanks goes to our dedicated accountant, Daniel Barakat, who patiently listened and then taught me how to categorize transactions (I am in sales, not boring math for darn sakes). After categorizing all 2023 transactions correctly, I went back to QuickBooks 2022 to compare and was instantly alarmed. Income was categorized in expenses and expenses in income. I found key input errors on two deposits which created over $20K additional income that wasn't caught. My first thought was this was the source for our 2022 tax returns! I messaged Daniel who jumped into gear and assigned us a Superhero service team (Daniel, Paul and Alaina). They asked questions our local firm did not. I re-categorized thousands of transactions and discovered missing items like equipment depreciation, which not only affects 2022 taxes, but will be valuable for years to come. The team worked tirelessly to get this amended quickly and most importantly, accurately for us. Bottomline was a 2022 tax savings (refund) and 2023 quarterly adjustments equaling over $13,000 that we were not expecting. We thought we were working with professionals before. We didn’t know what the real pros can do. Perform MAGIC! We are incredibly grateful and delighted to be working with them. No matter what size your business is, we strongly encourage you to consider this amazing pool of talented professionals.
Why would your bookkeeper add any equipment depreciate, this is your CPA's role unless that person was doing both. $20K additional income? how? it would show up somewhere on your books.
Considering this is your 1st post and it sounds too "positive" of a review - Member since 2024 · 1 post · 0 votes2y
I am glad I found this post before I signed up for 1-800 accountant. I too just took an initial call today and they basically want 2800 per year for tax advice and prep. To me that's very reasonable but all the negative reviews are keeping me away.
So how does one find a reasonable CPA or accountant? I have just started a small business for my consulting and have no idea where to even go. Most places I see online are north of 600/m for accounting services. How does a 1 employee small business afford that?
I am just looking to make sure I know what to file and when. Tax prep for me would be preferred but mainly staying in compliance.
- 2yNate MeekerBusiness MemberReal Estate CPA | California · Member since 2020 · 544 posts · 251 votes
@Evan Bell - I personally don't trust any 1-800 providers haha. Not a bad quote though. I would just be worried about being another number on their large list of clients.
The CPA Realtor 570 Reviews - Member since 2021 · 1 post · 0 votes2y
DO NOT HIRE 1-800 Accountant. My tax accountant team left me in the dark when tax season was here and required me to pay the invoice for 2024 just to talk to my tax accounting team to file my business and personal tax return for 2023. They wanted $2,500 for me just to talk to my tax accounting team to get help for 2023 taxes. Do not use this team and if you have an ecommerce business like I do, good luck with them because they have no knowledge about your bookkeeping. I am so disappointed with this team because I paid $2,500 in 2023 for taxes and bookkeeping and It is March, 2024 where the tax deadline is coming up and I can't get ahold of my tax accountant team because I have to pay for another years subscription? This is crazy!! I am looking for another tax accounting team that can help because they want money up front just to get their help especially when taxes are due right around the corner. DO NOT USE 1-800 ACCOUNTANT. THEY HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT E-COMMERCE BUSINESS AND WILL END UP MESSING YOU UP WHEN TAXES ARE DUE AND WILL NOT HELP YOU IF YOU DON'T PAY THEM UPFRONT.
- Member since 2024 · 1 post · 1 vote2y
I had an absolutely horrible experience with them, they're complete scammers.
As a new business, I paid over $2000 for their services, in order to create a schedule c which could be filed as a dependent. I submitted all the information I was asked to and waited. As the tax deadline approached and my independents were getting ready to file, everything became radio silent. No matter how many times I messaged them explaining the urgency of the situation. They then finally turned in the schedule c over a month after the deadline, which I couldn't even utilize as my independents had already filed and would not go through the process of paying extra to their accountant to amend the filed taxes. I ended up paying over $2000 as a start up business with no income and not even receiving a final product which could be utilized. I then contacted them and asked for a refund, which they claimed to not be able to do because of their policy, which covers them and allows them to do whatever they want after the initial 30 days is over. - Accountant · San Diego, CA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 552 votes2y
Quote from @Oge Nwani:
I had an absolutely horrible experience with them, they're complete scammers.
As a new business, I paid over $2000 for their services, in order to create a schedule c which could be filed as a dependent. I submitted all the information I was asked to and waited. As the tax deadline approached and my independents were getting ready to file, everything became radio silent. No matter how many times I messaged them explaining the urgency of the situation. They then finally turned in the schedule c over a month after the deadline, which I couldn't even utilize as my independents had already filed and would not go through the process of paying extra to their accountant to amend the filed taxes. I ended up paying over $2000 as a start up business with no income and not even receiving a final product which could be utilized. I then contacted them and asked for a refund, which they claimed to not be able to do because of their policy, which covers them and allows them to do whatever they want after the initial 30 days is over.This is what I see on reviews of them. Cant beat your ol friendly neighborhood (or in todays world internet neighborhood) accountant
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.