Your Tax Accountant in Culver City

Individual tax return preparation in the Los Angeles area typically ranges from $300 to $1,500 depending on complexity. At Arc & Ledger, individual returns start at $525 for a basic Form 1040 with standard deductions. Sole proprietor and single-member LLC returns start at $850, and S-Corp or partnership returns at $1,595. Returns involving foreign accounts, rental income, or multi-state filings are priced based on the specific forms and schedules required. We provide a clear fee estimate after reviewing your documents.

An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a federally authorized tax practitioner credentialed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. EAs have unlimited practice rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS on any tax matter, the same as CPAs and attorneys. The key difference is specialization: EAs focus exclusively on taxation, while CPAs cover broader financial services including auditing and financial reporting. Our founder holds both the EA credential and a Master of Science in Taxation.

Yes. Our office is located at 5183 Overland Avenue in Culver City, but we serve clients throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, Century City, Brentwood, Venice, and the South Bay. We also work with clients remotely across all 50 states and internationally.

We offer monthly bookkeeping in four tiers based on your transaction volume: Essentials (0-100 txns, $295/mo) which runs in your own QuickBooks or Xero, Growth (101-250 txns, $495/mo) which adds a managed cloud-accounting subscription and receipt management, Scale (251-500 txns, $795/mo), and Enterprise (501+ txns or multi-entity, $1,195/mo). All tiers include bank reconciliation, transaction categorization, and monthly financial statements (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet), and annual clients get their first Form 1099 filed free.

Yes. Enrolled Agents are enrolled to practice before the IRS and hold unlimited representation rights, so an EA can represent you in audits, collections, appeals, and any other matter before the IRS, in any state. You do not need to be present during IRS communications when an EA is representing you.

Yes. Cross-border and international tax compliance is one of our core specialties. We handle FBAR (foreign bank account reporting), FATCA (Form 8938), Form 5471 (foreign corporations), FIRPTA withholding, tax treaty positions, and the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures for taxpayers who need to catch up on missed international filings.

Look for credentials (Enrolled Agent, CPA, or tax attorney), check IRS verification at irs.treasury.gov, read Google reviews, and ask about their experience with your specific tax situation. Be cautious of preparers who guarantee specific refund amounts or charge fees based on your refund size. A qualified preparer should provide a clear scope of work and fee estimate before beginning any preparation.

For your initial consultation, bring your prior year tax return (if available), all W-2s and 1099 forms, records of any other income, documentation for deductions you plan to claim, and statements for any foreign accounts or assets. If you are a business owner, bring your year-end financial statements or access to your accounting software. We also accept documents securely through our Client Portal.