San Francisco
CPA Managed firm.
Expert tax services for SF startups, tech workers, and individuals. Licensed California CPAs & EAs serving SoMa, the Bay Area, and Silicon Valley.
San Francisco's CPA Managed Firm.
San Francisco combines California's 13.3% top income tax rate with a unique city gross receipts tax and one of the world's densest concentrations of startup equity compensation. Pre-IPO planning, 83(b) elections, and QSBS structuring are core to what we do here.
handled right.
San Francisco tax,
Combined federal, state, and city taxes can top 55% for high earners — we know every layer of the SF tax stack.
$3.5M+
Saved for SF clients last year
1,050+
Active SF clients
Pre-IPO & startup tax.
QSBS, 83(b), ISOs.
QSBS, 83(b) elections, ISO planning, and secondary sales — we specialize in the startup equity lifecycle from formation to exit.
CA rate: 13.3%.
Highest in the nation.
Equity planning matters.
SF's combination of CA income tax and city gross receipts tax demands proactive year-round planning, not just annual filing.
Services in
San Francisco
Why an SF CPA matters.
- QSBS (Section 1202) can exclude up to $15M in gains for stock acquired after July 4, 2025 ($10M for earlier stock) — but structuring must be done correctly from day one
- ISO exercises trigger Alternative Minimum Tax — planning the exercise timing around AMT is critical and often missed
- 83(b) elections on restricted stock must be filed within 30 days — missing the window is permanent and costly
- San Francisco imposes a gross receipts tax on businesses with SF nexus — rates vary by industry
- CA treats capital gains as ordinary income at 13.3% — exit planning well before a liquidity event is essential
San Francisco-area tax rates
37%
13.3%
0.1–1.0%
0.175–0.69%
1.3%
15.3%
San Francisco
clients.
San Francisco
tax questions.
The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is a parallel tax system that disallows certain deductions. ISO exercises create an AMT preference item equal to the spread between the exercise price and fair market value — even though you haven't sold the shares or received cash. For SF employees exercising valuable ISOs, this can create a six-figure AMT bill. We model your optimal exercise amount annually.
Section 1202 lets founders and early investors in qualifying C-corps exclude capital gains on Qualified Small Business Stock at exit. For stock acquired after July 4, 2025, the per-issuer cap is the greater of $15M or 10x your basis, with a tiered exclusion by holding period — 50% at 3 years, 75% at 4 years, and 100% at 5 or more. Stock acquired on or before July 4, 2025 keeps the prior rules: a $10M (or 10x basis) cap with a 100% exclusion after 5 years. The company must also meet revenue, asset, and active-business tests. We ensure startups structure correctly from formation and advise investors on which regime applies to their shares.
SF imposes a gross receipts tax on businesses with SF revenue nexus. Rates range from 0.1% to 1.0% depending on industry and revenue tier. High-revenue tech companies also owe the SF homelessness surtax of 0.175% to 0.69% on gross receipts above $50M. We calculate and file all SF city returns.
To avoid California taxing your exit, you must break CA domicile before the liquidity event and ensure the gain isn't "sourced" to California. CA looks at where the business was built, where key decisions were made, and where you lived during value-creation periods. Timing and documentation are everything. We guide founders through the exit planning process well before the transaction.
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