Recommend CPA in San Jose/South Bay Area

[Jason Clark]

Hi All,

As a new investor it's quite a bit intimidating jumping into the field without knowing much about the business. One of the first things I've been told now that I own rental property and am looking to purchase more is to consult with a CPA. Since I don't have any contacts in the RE world I've been left to find one via Google/Yelp. 

Recently I found Dunham Associates in San Jose and have an appt tomorrow. They are charging for the consult and I read recently here on BP that any good CPA does not charge for a consult. Like most things to a newbie investor conflicting information always makes things more confusing. 

Anyways, I thought I would toss the question out there if anybody could recommend a CPA they trust or use. Otherwise I'll take my chances with the luck of the Google draw and hope things work out well.

Thanks in advance.

[Steve B.]

Hi Jason,

I have not dealt with them personally, but I looked them up with the state board.  Their license is clear and they have not had any enforcement action taken against them.  Here is a link that may be helpful in looking for a CPA:  http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/consumers/slectcpa.shtml

Not sure what your specific questions or concerns may be, but you can find a lot of good information in the IRS tax publication here:  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p527.pdf

There are other publications that may be relevent (ie. Pub 946, How to Depreciate Property) that you can also find online and are listed on page 2 of Pub 527.

Depending on what your tolerance is for numbers and taxes, the info above may tell you what you need to know and save you some money.

Good luck,

Steve