Linda Catalina, CPA

Business owners who are buying, selling or handing over a company can get help from this San Diego accounting practice, which also covers bookkeeping, tax compliance, international tax and consulting for small and mid-sized businesses and for individuals.

Buying, selling or handing over a business

Owners weighing the purchase of an existing company, the sale of their own, or a gift of a business to others can use the firm's transition work. It coordinates with business attorneys so that each decision fits the client's income tax position and aims to maximize savings for the owner, their partners and their family. The firm also helps set up buy-sell plans in advance, covering events such as death, divorce, incapacity or a sale, so that the people involved are protected.

Bookkeeping on-site or in the cloud

The accountants have at least fifteen years of full-service accounting experience, and the firm describes its staff as QuickBooks experts. They serve clients across San Diego County both on-site and electronically, and they can work in the cloud for clients elsewhere, including overseas. Bookkeepers record business and personal transactions, prepare trial balances, and reconcile accounts monthly or quarterly. The team also advises on choosing accounting software, trains and manages accounting staff, and gives guidance on sales tax, internal controls and payroll.

Tax planning for companies, trusts and individuals

The firm's tax practice covers corporate, partnership, trust and individual planning and preparation. It works alongside the client's attorneys, estate planners, insurance agents and financial or retirement planners, so that tax decisions fit the wider plan. It says it is updated continuously on changes to tax law, and it offers projections for decisions about property sales, charitable gifts, business buyouts and year-end planning. The site warns that even tax software can mishandle a deduction shared between parents and children, and that many deductions and credits are easy to miss.

When a tax authority writes to a client

When the IRS or a state tax authority sends a letter, the firm responds on the client's behalf. The letter may only ask for more information, or the authority may have made an error that needs correcting. If an examination is requested, the firm can represent the client in full, so the client does not have to speak to the tax agent directly. The site says most matters are settled quickly and for less than was first claimed.

A smaller firm with close client relationships

The firm says its size allows close and open relationships with clients. It combines hands-on private industry experience, ongoing education and a commitment to helping future CPA students, and it aims to offer modern service within a traditional business atmosphere. It has offices in Mission Valley in San Diego and in San Marcos, California, and has operated since 1993.

Linda Catalina, CPA is an accounting firm that has advised clients in San Diego County since 1993. It works with small and medium-sized businesses as well as individuals and has offices in San Diego and San Marcos, California.

What Linda Catalina, CPA does

• Accounting and bookkeeping: accountants with at least fifteen years of experience, working on-site or electronically and using QuickBooks.
• Tax compliance: corporate, partnership, trust and individual tax planning and preparation.
• International tax: services for clients with cross-border matters.
• Business transitions: help with buying, selling or gifting a business, working alongside clients' attorneys on buy/sell plans.
• Consulting: support choosing accounting software, training staff and reviewing internal controls, sales tax and payroll.

Who it works with

Small and mid-sized businesses and individuals, including some clients overseas served through cloud-based bookkeeping.

Key facts

• Based in: San Diego and San Marcos, California
• Founded: 1993
• Software: QuickBooks