About Us:

Background: Before becoming an Enrolled Agent (EA) I worked as a Senior Analyst for several high-tech companies mostly in the Operations and Logistics Divisions over many years. I did a lot of work with databases and populations and came up with solutions to questions that no one else was asking. I'm fond to remember that a couple of my bosses (on different jobs) called me, “Doctor” because I could create customized Excel spreadsheet tools that provided practical, “where-the-rubber-meets-the-road” type solutions.

For example, I once created one tool that solved two company problems simultaneously:

  • Problem #1: Our Sales Executives had no idea on how much delivery charges to include when bidding for customer orders that sometimes weighed over 100,000 pounds. We needed to quote accurate delivery costs on all bids.
  • Problem #2: When manually auditing our freight bills we found that one of our carriers was overcharging on some but not all of our invoices. We needed to check the accuracy of every bill we had ever received from this carrier.

This tool immediately resolved both problems and was directly credited with recouping over $98,000 in freight-billing overcharges. (It's hard to admit and it sounds prehistoric to me but I created this tool before the computer mouse and viruses existed.)

Another tool I created makes it easy for home-buyers to calculate their monthly housing cost when considering that next home and was particularly useful to corporations and employees involved in relocation transfers. The inputs for this tool include up to four loans (amortized or interest-only), home-owner dues, insurance, property taxes, etc., and provides loan payments and the overall total monthly cost needed. Excel will ask you to Enable Macros (answer Yes).

I am currently working on another Excel tool that will enable a Small Business or Self Employed service business to easily track Income, Expenses and Deductible Mileage (Work-Related, Charity, Medical and Moving). I have been providing this tool to my Child Care clients all along but need to make it a little more “bullett-proof” before releasing it to the public.

This new tool will be called the “SBSE Tool” but Individual Taxpayers will also be able to track all of their deductible expenses, mileage, Cash and Non-Cash Charity Contributions, Child Care Expenses and other deductions I have not yet thought of to include. I guarantee if you use this tool correctly and give it to your current Tax Firm at tax time, you will immediately become a more valuable client to them. I will make this Excel tool available SOON for FREE downloading to any and all not already having a better recording and tracking method.

Overall, as you can see I have created many problem-solving tools and have been providing simple and practical solutions all my life. And as I look back on my high-tech career I realize that I was “pearl-diving” many years before the expression was coined. Additionally I hold a B.S. degree (Business major) from the University of Santa Clara and am an Armed Services Veteran.

Enrolled Agent Societies:

The Enrolled Agent societies that I belong to include the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and I am on the Board of Directors for the California Society of Enrolled Agents(CSEA). I also served as 2006-2007 Treasurer for the Mission Society of Enrolled Agents (MSEA) where I am still a Director. The IRS, FTB and MSEA have given me several Partnership and Instructor Awards and Certificates of Appreciation.

It is also worth noting that EAs belonging to these societies pursue more and better tax knowledge, more vigorously than the IRS requires because these societies require that members take 30 units of Continuing Professional Education each year instead of the IRS required 24 units.

About our Client Information Integrity and Privacy Policy:

As an EA I am required to have working physical, procedural and electronic safeguards and standards in place to protect my client information. These safeguards and standards must be incorporated into a stated Privacy Policy that must be distributed to clients at least once per year. In short, this office is 1-paperless (no filing cabinets) 2-all computers are password-protected and 3-no one sees any client information without my authorization.

Free Tax Services:

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) provides FREE tax services for low-to-moderate income taxpayers (generally under $39,000) by IRS certified volunteer tax return preparers. (Each year I help train as many as 250 of these certified volunteers.) For more on VITA and to find the nearest VITA site you can also call 1.800.829.1040.

Also, if you are aged 60 or above you can get FREE tax help with the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (TCE). And as part of this program AARP offers the Tax-Aide Counseling Program at more than 7400 locations nationwide. For more on TCE call 1.800.829.1040. For more on the AARP Tax-Aide Program call 1.888.227.7669 or visit the AARP site.

IRS Instructor:

As you may already know I teach various workshops and training classes several times a year as a volunteer IRS instructor. The workshops are designed specifically for people who own businesses, may have employees and to provide detailed answers to specific questions such as:

  • I am self-employed and need to make estimated tax payments. How much should I pay, how often and to whom?
  • My business is expanding and I need to hire some help. Will I hire Employees or Independent Contractors? How do I know and how do I pay the payroll taxes associated with these workers?
  • What about mileage? When is it deductible, how do I keep the records and for how long?

I teach these workshops because I believe it is very important to make this information available to the people who need it most. Knowledge makes the difference and the more knowledge and information you have, the better chance you have of doing it right the first time and avoiding mistakes that will be noticed by the taxing authorities.

SOLE PROPRIETOR Workshops in SAN JOSE and Class Materials:
Date/Time Address Phone/Website
Thu 08/21/08
9:30am — 12:00pm		 Entrepreneur Center
84 W. Santa Clara Street		 408-494-0211
www.acteva.com/go/ecenter
Thu 12/04/08
9:30am — 12:00pm		 Entrepreneur Center
84 W. Santa Clara Street		 408-494-0211
www.acteva.com/go/ecenter


EMPLOYEE PAYROLL TAX Workshops in SAN JOSE and Class Materials:
Date/Time Address Phone/Website
Tue 09/16/08
9:30am — 3:30pm		 Entrepreneur Center
84 W. Santa Clara Street		 408-494-0211
www.acteva.com/go/ecenter
Tue 11/18/08
9:30am — 3:30pm		 Entrepreneur Center
84 W. Santa Clara Street		 408-494-0211
www.acteva.com/go/ecenter
Tue 12/16/08
9:30am — 3:30pm		 Entrepreneur Center
84 W. Santa Clara Street		 408-494-0211
www.acteva.com/go/ecenter


CHILD CARE PROVIDER Workshops in SAN JOSE and Class Materials
Date/Time Address Phone/Website
Thu 10/09/08
6:30pm — 9:30pm		 Community Child Care Council
111 East Gish Road		 408-487-0747
www.ChildCareNet.com
Thu 03/05/09
6:30pm — 9:30pm		 Community Child Care Council
111 East Gish Road		 408-487-0747
www.ChildCareNet.com