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 ***

Interview with the tax preparer

Tax season is coming to an end, and for all of you that likes the rush of waiting for the last minute, I say… DO NOT WAIT THE LAST MINUTE. The more you delay it, the more difficult it is for your tax professional to do a proper allocation of your tax breaks.

For me, it’s been a good year, I can’t complaint, the vast majority of my clients came back for more, and I also got a whole lot of new clients as well.

What makes me enjoy this Tax Preparation Business is the fact that I can help a lot of people with their income taxes, I also like the fact that I can help my clients with their tax planning, achieve their dreams, start their own businesses, etc.

I always just hate when some people use sleazy quotes like “ I enjoy helping people”, “I like making a difference”, etc., but in my case I truly can say “I do”, and I don’t  want any guy (or girl) somewhere is thinking the same way about me.

I know also that I’ve delayed this mid-month issue a little bit, this is the best tax season for me, which is a really good reason for the delay, and I have a surprise for you. I hope you like it as much and I enjoyed doing it.

I have a good friend, Isaias Castaneda attending filming school at LMU in “Marina del Rey”, he asked me to help him with a project for the college cable channel…. So here you have it.

You can watch the full interview by clicking here

Tax planning & achieving your dreams

We are getting close to the middle of the 2010 Tax season and I can say I’ve been so busy with tax preparations.

Sometimes is exhausting, hours and hours of information research, old clients to meet, situation updates, job changes, questions to be asked, places to go, appointments to make, new clients to meet, etc.

After, I always get the great satisfaction of able to help so many people, in so many different places in life.

I can tell so many success histories, I'm not going to mention any names, but I can mention some different past situations and some current situations of the same people.

I met this lady who had two dependant children. She told me she got a refund of just about $ 2,000 for the past two years. Based on her particular information and all the expenses she had for the current year she was entitled to get a refund of more less $ 6,000

After that, I asked if the expenses and income were about the same during those past two years and the client said: "yes".

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This client had sitting an extra (about) $4,000 in the previous years that were not claimed, and I advised to let me take a look into them before the three year window overpass and then that becomes an "expired claim" in the eyes of old uncle Sam.

I have this other client who came across my path a few years ago, this client started a business and the only expense this client was writing off was "rent" and "automobile expenses". I asked him "why just those two main expenses?" and he said because his tax accountant told him those were the only ones he was entitled for the nature of his business, I was like WHAT?

To make the story short, I reviewed his previous tax returns, point the mistakes out, and offered him to claim the extra $3,000 that were sitting on each return.... And if he wanted more money he could take his last tax preparer to court too, my new client had a good laugh and took the first advice, but declined the second one... I was a little bit disappointed, "he took the fun part away"
Then there are always these cases with the new clients with no social securities, or any kind of ..... Anyway, that's solved with a simple form that allows people to get a number from the IRS that helps people to file taxes and it works kinds of a social security, but not quite.

Then there are the clients that want to save money for different goals in life like: house down payment, a new car, a wedding, a nice vacation, an exotic trip, new equipment for your work, shopping, etc. there you can always spend your nice big fat refund in whatever you want. My advice? Don't spend it, put it in a retirement account or a high yield interest account and forget about it, in just a few years I guaranteed you will have saved for yourself an interesting amount of money you can "invest", use for something income producing like: a career, a business, property, etc.


If you decide to invest your money in a retirement account, you have the option of fund your IRA or Roth IRA until the due date of the current tax season, meaning that you can use part or the total of your tax refund to fund your retirement account.

I have some clients that invest the maximun allowed for a single individual which is $5,000 per year. It seems to me this is a real smart move if you want to set aside money for the future, usually this will be money that will remain untouched until you decide otherwise (in a case of a Roth IRA) or simple IRA. The main difference with Roth is the fact that this account is funded with after tax money (earned money after taxes).


Using your retirement account to fund money for the down payment of property is also a smart move. This is a high interest savings account that has the flexibility that future property owners want.

I could be talking for hours and hours of the endless possibilities of how to invest your tax refund money, but I rather to tell you in person or by email, so do not waste any more time and contact me, you won't regret it.

Dealing with unemployment - Part II

If you're desperate, DO NOT SHOW IT !

I know that second parts never overcome the first ones but I will try.

I left a few loose ends on my first Unemployment issue last time. I’ve also received a few supportive emails, thank you all for the congrats.... and for the nasty ones too.

The main issue I would like to tell you this time is about been flexible when you want to overcome unemployment, and please, please pay your taxes as you go when receiving your unemployment checks.

This next coming week, one of my dearest friend is moving out of the city of Angels and this reminded me of the hardship a lot of our friends, family members, neighbors, or just people we know are going through.

I am also a property manager in Mar Vista for a 50 unit building, so this last 2 years I’ve witnessed how almost half of my tenants just had moved out for different reasons.

Some time it is hard for me to witness things. I wish I did not but the nature of my job forces me to face it, deal with it and worse… tell people how to deal with things.

Like I mentioned on my first issue of Dealing with unemployment, I remind all my readers to remain “positive” but not only positive but be a “realistic positive” person.

Try to out pass your competitors, always !

I remember a couple of years ago the hardship of dealing unemployment myself… try to picture this… imagine yourself living at a friend house temporarily, trying so hard to get a job that just did not happened, been denied employment for having low credit score due to identity theft, not been eligible for unemployment… hard right? Oh, lets not forget having problems on both of my knees and needing surgery, and yes you guessed it, no health insurance neither.

I am a true believer of “things happen for a reason”, but lets go by parts.

And I also want to share this personnel experiences with you, so you see that if I was able to overcome that, so will you!!

I remember working on and off at accounting department of different property management companies for a few years (and choosing to overpay my taxes, ALWAYS), I have the most unbelievable stories on each place, but that will be “an entire different blog issue”. 

Prepare the best you can, and the world will be yours

I can say, that working at so different management companies gave me such a good outlook of this business, they all have so different management approaches, I think that was the good thing to rescue.

I was working in a real estate company at the time and entertaining the idea of going into construction management school, but for some reason I always have to delay it, reasons such as: one of my ex-roommates became literally crazy, not having enough time, working too much, not enough money, you name it.

Then the whole real estate crash happened, so no job, few months later, no savings, no housing, cero, and nada.

By then I have a pretty good understanding of the dos and not to do in that business.

Lesson #1: for me was “if a company wants to hire the best candidate” then “you better act, sound, look, walk, talk and smell like one”. At all the interviews I had attended, I noticed the interviewers were not well prepared, it was a quite rare the occasion that the interviewer was the person who will be my next boss, and usually the decision maker is the owner or the main manager of a company, not your future boss.

Be positive, do not despair, the sky is the limit

A friend once asked me “how do you manage to get all these jobs?”. When the economy started to go south, I had realized they were dozens and maybe hundreds hunting the same jobs I was looking for. So, not only you need to look, walk talk and smell like the best candidate, you need to have a little extra “something something” to bring to the table, and that is…

Lesson #2, “if you want to out due your competitors you better be FLEXIBLE”. If you not only look, walk, talk and smell like the best candidate, you will overpass all your competitors “by be willing to take a little less than what you expected”, and believe me, its much better get less, than nothing at all. And this not only applies to wages but everything else like benefits, job title, duties, larger commute, schedule, etc. I remember a couple of years ago having a friend who did not want to flex her job conditions… she is still looking.

There are work fields in the low right now, its not necessary to mention them, its not polite, well I’m not a polite guy anyway.

So, if you want to increase your chances to be employed you have to develop other ways to make money. I am telling you just the proven ways to escape unemployment, the ones that had worked with me. If you want to increase your chances then this is my next best suggestion…

Just me, cute am I ?

Lesson #3: “develop a second career”, another “source of income". I found all these extension classes at the local community college so helpful. You can find classes that could take your employability to new highs, and if you take classes in your current career it’ll definitely will make you look, talk, walk and smell like the best candidate any company wants.

This kind of boost not only works for the ones with an established career, but also for the ones looking to develop a new one. Here is my real life example… “a few years ago when I was in the low, I saw this ad at the local community college, this class cost was $ 95.00 + $25.00 for the book. And as of today the return of this class in a little more than three years for me is…. $40,150.00” the best $120.00 I EVER INVEST !!!

Pertaining to flexibility is willing to take more in your plate. I am not sure how to explain this one, but I think you get the idea.

Lesson #4:  "When you're right, you are right" if you are positive something good is going on, KEEP IT. Could you believe I had a few friends making fun of me when I mentioned I want to become a property manager? well just let me tell you they turn green of envy every time I mention how wonderful this second career turned out to be.. you meet new interesting people, you learn something new every day literally, you learn on how to multitask, I got a personal assistant, the nice people in the main office, etc ...  and the rent savings are just amazing    ;)

Well my friends, these are the main lessons that had gotten me rapid results. I hope and you find them helpful too.

And I apologize again for the delay on this issue, but as you may know I've been just drilled with tax preparations all day, every day and the weekends too.

I hope and this issue was more helpful than the first one. Feel free to email me and ask all the questions you want, I'll make sure you get the information you need.

Dealing with Unemployment...

This is a big issue. Just last year I have helped a lot more than usual new (and old) clients file their income tax returns who are dealing with unemployment. It is not a secret that unemployment had raised to a record high since the great depression. Some states have it harder than others.

As long and taxes were paid by your last employer then you should qualify for unemployment for six months, then you can extend it "if you qualify," and later get the federal extension "if you qualify again". Up to now, nothing new.

But with anything in life, I do suggest you plan for this "unsuspected events". I'm not saying you have to plan to be unemployed, no, what I'm saying is that "you want to have a plan B ready just in case anything happens".

With this troubled times, is best to have a plan A, plan B, plan C, plan D, plan E. and stick to it, meaning hope (and work hard, very hard) for plan A to happen, but in the mean time put in place plan B until you are certain plan A can take place.

People who know me can say: "Enrique is a very pragmatical person," and I'm not going to give you that "hope crap" that a lot of people bought a few years ago. "Things in life do not happen just because your desire for them, or just because you want them, no, things in life do happen when you work for it and make it happen".

Since I don't want to give you real examples from people I know "I do not want to get face a lawsuit," I can tell you what happened to me instead.

I planned for my plan A for about six years, but when things seemed to "ignite" my plan A, then the whole real estate crash began. Back then, I did not have a plan B. plan B came to me just as another choice, whether I was unemployed and I "hope" for plan A to happen, or I take plan B, stick with it until times get better and plan A is in the "cooler" for now

I can also tell you by experience "if you are going to have a plan B, it better be something that you enjoy almost, or "at least you like" as much as you enjoy/like plan A". Some people have called it a second career, and yes I would say that too, but I like the word plan B better. "It's all about choices."

It is not a secret that this whole thing about the record unemployment started with the collapse of real estate and construction, we all know that quite well, and coming from someone who use to work in those two fields at the same time, just when all these started “not fun” let me tell ya.

I have a lot of friends in the construction field, real estate as well, seems to me that the ones in real estate are dealing better with this mess. But not only these two had been affected, but also whole economy. Everywhere you go somebody you know had been touched by a sudden pay cut, personnel reduction, been fired (employers like to call it "laid off") is the same thing!

It is very common to find people who had been laid off. I had changed jobs (my day time stable one) a few times myself. Companies tend to hire over qualified people nowadays just because it is cheaper and because they can (just like purchasing real estate deal) but that itself can be "another blog."

Going to the point. While unemployed I would say the most important thing to do is "choose" to have your taxes taking out of your weekly pay checks; Why? Simple: because you don't want to have "another bill to worry" when the time comes. And chances are "you will be short of money". Who wants to owe money when you have no funds to pay for it? So, ALWAYS pay as you go.

Just keep in mind that Taxes are not (it won't be) wiped out by Bankruptcy.

My second suggestion is to develop another source of income while unemployed, how? I would say start your own business when your unemployment just kicks in, why? Because chances are "you will have a lot of time in your hands while receiving a secure pay check at the end of the week," they're just "2 best things you can do with that time" first choice is "develop an extra income" or "study something that will lead you to what?... another income".

You will get your money back anyways... whether with your business losses (lowers your tax liability and makes you get a bigger refund) "nobody is expected to make a great income when you started a business," or you will get an "education tax break" that should be up to $ 4,000 for 2011 if it stays the same as 2010. Don't wait until the last unemployment extension to make a "realistic decision" PLEASE!

Another choice is to gain experience in something you want to pursue while unemployed. In my case I'm "volunteering" in a job field I want to develop for the near future, but in my specific case I'm doing it while I'm fully employed, "secured pay check at the end of my week," but in my case this is "income: "money earned," unemployment is not income, but still fully taxable.

I'm don't want to be rude, but I have to let it out: "BE REALISTIC ALWAYS". I've seen some people just going deep into some financial mess by just living in "La la land". Some waited until the last minute to make a realistic decision "usually when it is way too late. Or worse by just wasting it".

A piece of advice for you: do not waste this money! Wasting my unemployment money? How? Taking trips, eating out, going shopping, taking pottery classes, etc. I know we all deal with problems in a different way, but just wasting this little money just to keep your mind away of the problem will just make matters worse at the end of the rode.

I've seen people just wasting their secure pay checks while pursuing "nonsense dreams," do you want me to mention some examples? Even though you are dying to hear it and I'm dying to say it, I rather not.

I would like to tell you several more options, but probably it won't make any sense to you, different tax breaks applies differently to different people, and to different situations too.

As a tax person I would say: “as long and you pay your taxes with every pay check, you should be fine.” and ofcourse, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE, "a realistic hope", I think that alone is the most important.

I wonder, if they are millions of undocumented wokers working "and paying taxes", if they could find a job, kept it, and made a living out of it, SO DO YOU! you have all your papers in order, so go for it!

http://www.bookkeepingcertified.com/

http://www.facebook.com/enrique.otarola

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=64498459&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro

http://twitter.com/#!/enrique25may

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.