For 92 years, C+M has delivered exceptional certified public accounting and tax advisory services to high-net-worth individuals and companies in the greater San Francisco area. Our long-lasting client and employee relationships are made possible by the firm’s unique collaborative culture, forward-thinking strategies, and deep well of technical expertise. Grounded in human connection, real-world authenticity, mutual respect, and empathy, we help our clients enjoy the here and now and look forward to a promising future.
To get our clients off to a great start, we help them make basic decisions like choosing the optimal entity structure (partnership, LLP, LLC, C-corporation, or S-corporation) and accounting method. These initial choices play a critical role in the success of tax management and planning for years to come. Once an entity is up and running, we work with our clients to identify areas that might affect profits and develop technically sound growth strategies.
Our clients receive sound counsel on cash requirements, collection of receivables, borrowing requirements, review of deferred compensation agreements, ownership transition, and financial acquisitions. With our proactive approach to tax planning, we develop reliable projections and identify key opportunities to minimize current and future tax liabilities.
Frequently, our clients ask us to prepare and review financial statements for their owners, creditors, bankers, and other business partners. In collaboration with our clients, we ensure these engagements are managed efficiently and thoroughly integrated with our tax planning and compliance strategies. This unique way of coordinating our accounting and tax services enables the same experienced team members who provide tax planning to also execute the accounting.
Our clients receive seamless, highly efficient services from a streamlined engagement team that is always up to speed. Our thorough review and compilation procedures meet our clients’ financial reporting needs and eliminate the expense and administrative burden of an audit.
C+M provides broad expertise and solid advice for estate, gift, and trust tax planning and compliance. Our skilled team prepares tax returns, distributes estate assets, handles fiduciary accounting and related issues, compiles trust accounting reports, and assists in the selection of qualifying fund assets. We also coordinate IRS estate and gift tax audits. Working in tandem with attorneys, executors/trustees, and other advisors, we aim to speedily resolve estate planning and gifting issues for our clients.
C+M also has extensive experience in providing tax planning and compliance services to private foundations. As part of this service, we help clients determine whether establishing a private foundation is the wisest option based on the family’s estate plan. We also assist foundation managers with charitable distribution planning, ensuring that the organization meets its minimum distribution requirements and minimizes excise tax.
C+M is familiar with every stage of business, including the transitional periods when there is a change in ownership. We advise clients through the purchase or sale of their business and address sensitive issues like cash flow analysis and taxes. Our team also helps design and review buy/sell agreements and compensation and benefits packages, including retirement planning and partnership agreements for owners and their employees.
With more than 70 years of successfully handling the unique issues of transition for closely held and family-owned businesses, we understand the importance of a comprehensive plan for succession. We work with clients to thoroughly address the complex phases of business transition and the challenges they bring. Many of our clients are third-generation owners.
Our forward-looking, hands-on personal tax planning and compliance practice is highly regarded. Our proactive, collaborative team takes expert care of high-net-worth individuals, family groups, owners of closely held businesses, and younger individuals anticipating success. We listen, analyze, and strategize for the client. Our high employee retention rate of 99% ensures families can look forward to seeing a friendly, familiar team member who is up to speed on their accounts.
Free of charge, our clients have access to our network of proven professionals, including attorneys, investment managers, and retirement experts. By vetting and collaborating with these experts, we ensure our clients receive the best possible guidance. Independent and objective, C+M collaborates with the extended team in support of the overall wealth management strategy.
Bay Area companies in commercial industries have been highly valued by our firm since our founding in 1932. We know that the business environment of these industries reflects the ever-evolving economy of the greater San Francisco area as a whole. Today, we execute the accounting of many commercial businesses, most of whom are mid-sized and privately owned with revenues ranging from $5 million to $50 million or more.
We apply the expertise gained in all our practice areas to help enterprise clients meet their goals. Because the commercial industries represent such a broad cross-section of the economy, we are constantly gaining a new understanding of the best business practices. We share these ideas with our clients in other industries and leverage them in innovative ways. We aim to be our clients’ key business advisors, providing proactive solutions to help you gain and maintain a competitive edge in your industry.
Agribusiness, auto parts wholesalers, beverage distributors, construction contractors, distributors, electrical contractors, furniture design, growers, health and beauty products, hotels, investment bankers, manufacturing companies, masonry and plastering contractors, moving and storage, reinsurance groups, restaurants, retailers, trucking, wholesale florists, wholesalers, and vineyards.
As a native San Francisco firm, we appreciate that one of our strongest categories is one for which our city is best known—creative businesses that lead the way in innovation. With more relevant experience in this area than any other accounting firm in the city, C+M helps our creative clients establish a solid financial footing that gives them an advantage over the competition.
Using proactive solutions and collaboration with a team of financial and business advisors, we help clients increase revenues and achieve their personal and business goals. We often recommend and work closely with the city’s best attorneys, consultants, bankers, pension administrators, real estate brokers, and other key advisors. Because our team understands the challenges of using creative talent to generate revenue, we excel at putting our formidable talents to work for you.
Advertising, architecture, artists, design, engineering, environmental, film labs, geotechnical, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, magazine publishers, photographers, special effects producers, structural design, and web design.
We’re pleased to offer fellow San Francisco professionals tax planning, consulting, and compliance services. As a key business advisor, we provide our clients with proactive accounting, tax services, tax research, planning, and up-to-date insights designed to limit tax liabilities and increase revenues.
Clients receive our best counsel on cash requirements, collection of receivables, borrowing requirements, review of deferred compensation agreements, ownership transition, and financial acquisitions. By approaching tax planning proactively, we develop projections and identify key tax planning opportunities that can minimize current and future tax liabilities.
Clinics, doctors, economic consultants, financial consultants, law firms, medical groups, public relations, regulated industry consultants, and third-party administrators.
Our real estate specialists employ years of experience in assisting clients with complex transactions involving development, investment, acquisition, and disposition. Our clients benefit from proactive solutions that help them maintain and grow investor confidence and stay ahead of the competition. We tailor our services to support developers, syndicators, property owners, and managers with creative strategies that reduce taxes and improve cash flow.
Our experience ranges from investors diversifying their holdings to developers divesting their business holdings to family groups—including those with family limited partnerships and/or a multiple trust structure who wish to maintain their portfolios or execute lifetime gifting. Whether buying, selling, or exchanging, we offer expertise in deal structure, multi-state taxation, property tax, and transfer tax. As a key business advisor, we provide our clients with proactive planning and outside-the-box solutions.
Family groups, family limited partnerships, developers, holding companies, owner operators, and syndicators.
