Introducing OREM Southern California – Los Angeles

Hi everybody, thank you all for your patience and your nice emails and notes; I appreciate every single one of them. Today I want to introduce my OREM Southern California team members for Los Angeles and surrounding areas.  I’m also proud to announce all our new services for this 2012 tax season.


OREM Southern California website

Services for 2012:

Electronic filing: The easiest and fastest way to file your federal and state income taxes.

Rapid refund services: Your tax refund in just 3 to 10 days instead of 4-8 weeks available for Federal and State.

Rapid refund with check: You'll get your tax refund in just 3 to 10 business days. No more waiting for weeks or months to get your refund money. For popular demand we have rapid refund services for all of our loyal and also for our new clients

Rapid refund with debit card: You'll get your tax refund in just 3 to 10 business days. This product service is specially designed for those individuals who rather not to have a bank account (due to Tax liens, unpaid debt, collections, unpaid credit cards, unpaid child support, etc) Whatever is your financial situation, we can help with your income tax refund needs

Rapid refund with direct deposit in checking account: You'll get your tax refund in just 3 to 10 business days. We offer rapid refund with direct deposit in to your personal or business checking account. This product service is really helpful for those individuals with busy schedules that travel a lot, or just do not want to come back to their tax accountant office to pick up a check. For whatever reason you have, direct deposit in your checking account can be the tax refund product you are looking for.

Business Solutions for small businesses: Here we’ll help you with: How do I start a business? What do I need to start a business? Do I need a website? Could you build my website? How do I analyze my target market? And much more…

OREM Business solutions website

I am also proud to introduce my OREM team members. All our team members are licensed by CTEC (the state of California) and the IRS.  Feel free to inquire about our services to any of our team members.

Harold Morris CTEC A239149 (Glassell Park-Silverlake-Encino-Burbank): Hal has 15+ years preparing taxes and also 20+ years of customers service, He also had worked in administrative and management for multiple major companies in Sacramento, San Francisco and now in Los Angeles. Hal has prepared taxes for the past years helping multiple individuals and small businesses to flourish and realize their dreams. Hal has a great sense of humor, he’ll have you pretty entertained when doing your taxes, all about the celebrities he’d interacted while working in LA. You can reach Harold or “Hal” at 818-518-6081

Harold Morris video introduction

Angela Martinez CTEC A239294 (South Gate-LAX areas): Angela habla espanol, Angela worked in customer’s service for the past 30+ years, she is proud to have helped people in the Latino community. Angela can help you with your income taxes questions, business needs, and any accounting inquiry. Angela is a new team member and she is thrilled to help all our new and old clients. You can contact her at 310-415-6987

Robert Ziemlak CTEC A239061 (West Hollywood-Beverly Hills-West Los Angeles): Robert is a friendly and nice guy who has worked preparing taxes for 2+ years. He also worked with computers and website development in the past few years, he also has experience in property management and customer’s service, he is currently going to Real Estate school and he also had a certification in business management from the West Los Angeles College.  Robert also works a personal assistant in West Los Angeles. He has a great personality and he will tell you all about the West Hollywood scene, he definitely will have you laughing all the time. Robert can be reach at 310-630-7268

Robert Ziemlak video introduction

Yinyi Otarola - CTEC A239013 (Santa Monica-Venice Beach-Culver City): Yes you guessed it, she is my baby sister. Yinyi “Gen Gee” is currently working and going to school to become a teacher. She had worked in accounting at different property management companies and now after getting certified and licensed by the state of California, she will be helping us in the indicated areas, you can reach Yinyi at 818-669-5508 (also habla espanol)

Yinyi Otarola video introduction

Antonio Chinen CTEC A177197 (Pasadena-South Pasadena-Eagle Rock): Antonio has 5+ years preparing taxes and he also had worked in the automobile industries for the past 15+ years. He has plenty of experience in the administrative and management areas. He has a very likeable personality and he definitely can help you with all your tax needs. Antonio can be reached at 626-487-4190 (also habla espanol)

Margot Odar CTEC A239012 (Panorama City): I know Margot for the past 20+ years; she has plenty of experience with business administration and management. Margot has plenty of experience with business and business deductions, so if you have a business or if you are thinking on starting one, she is definitely the person to talk to. She not only has a great personality but also she is fun and friendly. She can be reached at 818-892-1655 (also habla espanol)

Margot Odar video introduction

Jerome Richardson CTEC A239286 (North Hollywood- Studio City-Toluca Lake-Hollywood): Jerome has experience preparing taxes for 3+ years. He has worked in the administrative area for the entertainment business helping multiple individuals to make it in the business “biz” in Los Angeles. As you may have heard entertainers have different tax breaks than average people, Jerome is definitely familiar with all of those. He has a great personality and he not only can help you with specific entertainer’s tax situations but also with common tax needs.  Jerome can be reached at 818-357-0485

Jerome Richardson video introduction

Luis Ramirez CTEC A239718 (Hollywood-East Hollywood-Studio City): Luis had prepared taxes for the past year; he had worked in customer’s service for the last4+ years. Luis plays with this band on his spare time, you guessed! He is really familiar with all the entertainers business expenses that other entertainers (like you) may be missing for not having the right tax preparer. He is a really fun and cool guy. Luis can be reached at 323-316-0167 (also habla espanol)

Luis Ramirez video introduction

Leticia Paine CTEC A239715 (South Los Angeles-LAX): Leticia “Leti” had worked preparing taxes for the past 2+ years, she has plenty of experience in customer’s service and she is really sharp when it relates to small business. Leticia is the most positive, happy and friendly person I ever met, she will definitely take good care of you business and tax needs, whatever is your tax situation definitely Leti will do the best of her. If you want to start your own business and need some ideas then Leti is the girl to call. Leti can be reached at 323-822-8499 (also habla espanol)

Leticia Paine video introduction

               *** If you are interested to join our team, send us an email tell us about yourself and why you want to be part of our team. Free training available for individuals outside California ***

How did I become a tax advisor ?...

Long, long time ago when I was totally lost about my taxes (like you), I basically just waked into the first place I spotted as “tax preparation," and sat down, made myself comfortable and gave all my W-2 forms to that girl inside that little cashier's check place at Slauson Ave in that nasty area of Los Angeles. I just wanted my forms to be filled up (just like you), sign them, mail them and be done with it. All of us think that’s all we have to do to be cool with the “devil” (the IRS).

Within  the years I became aware of stuff that can be done in order to pay less taxes “the loopholes” some call it, so my refund check will get fatter and fatter every year. But to get to that point wasn’t easy at all, it took me a few painful lessons through the years (money lost forever), a few letters from the devil himself, literally stressful moments, tears, and some blood too.

Everything started when I had a few simple questions that weren’t answered to my satisfaction, and then those questions became red flags, then concerns, then hell letters from the devil himself "notifications from the IRS". And all of that just because I trusted the wrong tax preparer, I thought he was competent ( next year I moved to the valley and keep a new guy for years). I’ve always noticed other people talking about their doctor’s bill deductions, commute expenses, mortgage interests, rent, auto, insurance, etc. and seemed like I was the only one not getting these deductions!

I’m the type of guy who saves all his receipts for everything, so, with that in my “DNA”, keeping records was never a difficult thing to do. I remember keeping all of my receipts  in a long line, stick one by one together in a long line IN THE WALL, yes I was a little weird back then, it just made it easier for me to add them up.

Anyway, every time I used to get pissed off at that incompetent tax preparer thinking  of the money I could  have had claimed, but I didn’t for my own ignorance, for that incompetent, unprofessional, ignorant, not up-to-date, but specially not-willing-to-explain-things-to-me tax preparer. I must say now (from the other side of the desk) the reason a tax preparer would not explain a thing to you is because he DOESN’T KNOW.

Get to the point! Ok, one day I found myself playing with the tax software at this real estate company I used to work for (horrible experience by the way), and I decided to redo my own taxes, for some reason I did not get the same refund, I got more, way more than I really got that year. Then, I started playing with the personal deductions area,but I learn that you needed more than a certain amount to really kick in (to make any difference) but when I went and play with the “business expenses," that was a sweet refund I was supposed to get, but business expense would be an entire new blog by itself.

That got me thinking “would it be possible to claim that money back?” I didn’t know better and decided to get enrolled in a four month tax class. During this time my due date to file my tax amendment elapsed. Yes I lost that money forever.

After my tax class was over and I got my tax license then I decided to file my first tax amendment, I got almost 3K back, and just because my old tax preparer didn’t know how to allocate my business expenses, this happened down the road, and this was my 3^rd tax preparer!. For me it was just insane to think why in the hell the IRS won’t let me claim things so simple like phone expenses, rent, auto expenses, etc.

My First tax preparer, a girl who just imputed all my W-2’s information into the software, just like anyone can enter by  him/herself over the IRS website, and unless you know what you are really doing, then claim some of your deductions, even for me, a tax preparer with years of experience some times is difficult to find the drop down menus and navigate those tax software’s, because they change every single year. I know from experience!

My Second tax preparer, a guy who was just lazy, I remember bringing all of my receipts for him to do his work, just like I saw on those commercials, but now, I’ll never forget him telling me “I won’t be organizing and adding up those invoices," later after a few of my questioning of his job he basically told me if I was to use those invoices he would have to charge me more, then he said that it would make no difference to my tax filing. I should have report him to CTEC and to the IRS, that what I should have done! Next thing I knew I was walking away with all of my invoices in search of my next tax preparer.

Firing you tax preparer is a good thing to do, for the right reasons. In my “finding the right tax preparer journey” I’ve learned that you may have a lot of reason to do so, so far you can see I had plenty!

My Third tax preparer was another girl, she didn’t know the heck she was doing about my business expenses, and god knows I got plenty that year! A hint for me was when this girl put major business expenses on the “miscellaneous expenses” and writing on those blanc lines items like “office expense, cell phone expense, rent expense” these items have their own place at the main Schedule-C form, they didn’t need to be place all the way at the end, but I found out about it later, after the taxes were filed.

As you can imagine, when I got my CTEC license by mail, I was ready for better and bigger things. I started by amending my own taxes, fixing all these stuff that didn’t look, sound or just didn’t make me feel comfortable enough to leave it alone. Then, I told a friend about my experience, then he asked me a few questions, then he wanted me to do his taxes, and he kept coming for more every year; then he told to a friend, then his friend told to another friend, then all of a sudden I had five whole true clients! Although I always felt too embarrassed to charge them anything other than a lunch or dinner, with the years those lunches and dinners became small fees, then standard fees. That alone can be another whole blog by itself.

Well, I could be writing all day and night about taxes, tax advice, bad tax preparers, etc. However, I don't think I can keep you interested enough on the item to continue your reading of the topic.

The lesson learned for me? Regarding taxes “just trust you” ALWAYS, or call me. I'll be more than happy to help you achieve  short or long-term goals.

I hope and you enjoyed reading my very first blog, almost as much and I enjoyed writing it.