KEN E BARACKMAN CPA

This is the third year I've had Ken prepare my taxes for me following my negative experiences with my previous CPA.  I'd continued to see the former CPA hoping that it was only a fluke, but his quality of service never did pick up.

Fortunately, I decided to research tax preparers in my area before making the decision to switch to Ken three years ago.

Ken has always spent a good deal oft time going over my taxes with me during our appointments, and he's been able to give me a good idea of how I'll come out before I leave his office.  I've never felt rushed, and his staff are warm and friendly.

Ken may be a little on the pricey side, but his service is well worth it.

It went well.

My wife and I are more proactive in managing our finances. We moved to CA this year and sold our home in IL. We had enough things change that we wanted to get an estimated WH for 2013 and moving forward for 2014. Ken seemed like a knowledgeable cpa but my biggest complaint was he never responded to 3 emails I emailed him to his yahoo address (which should have been my first red flag).
For someone needing taxes done once per year that doesn't really need anything special, i'm sure he's fine.
We expressed our need to have someone guide us and actually do tax planning vs tax reacting. I can't say that he falls in the former category if I can't get a response via email. Everyone else from Angie's List that we've used has been great and Ken's reviews were good, too. That's why I just wanted to throw this feedback out there...

Simple to schedule appointment. Consultation was relatively quick and straight forward. I was notified when my taxes were ready to sign and pick up.

SEE ABOVE

I initially received an advertisement in the mail offering $50 off our tax services. The advertisement appeared to be sent to recent home buyers. I have had less than stellar experiences using one of those chain tax service places, so I figured why not give Ken a try, and if we didn't like our experience we didn't have to go back next time. When I called to set up our appointment, Christie answered the phone. She was very nice and set us up and appointment for the following week. She emailed me some information to help us get organized and more prepared for our appointment. When we arrived at the office for our appointment, Christie greeted us and had us take a seat while we waited for Ken to finish up his previous appointment. We made small talk for a few moments, and then Ken was right on time to take us for our appointment. He appeared to be a very friendly guy, and we were at ease pretty quickly. His desk was a little cluttered, but I guess that's to be expected during busy tax season. We were in his office for probably a little under an hour. I was sure it was going to take a lot longer, but he easily maneuvered his was through our pile of confusing paperwork. While he worked, he also answered all of our questions, and was very friendly throughout the entire appointment. They said they would call us in a few days to come sign the tax forms once everything was prepared. Unfortunately over a week later and still no word, I had to call to ask about the status. Christie said they had just been placed on her desk that day and they were ready to go. We went in a few days later to put our signatures on and pay the bill. Christie walked us through the final steps and to provide us with our copy of the prepared statement and some originals they were holding on to. The prepared statement looks professional. They only take cash or check. Something I never knew until just then. And I never knew what the estimated cost would be until just then. I'm not sure that is something you can get up front anyways but it probably wouldn't hurt to ask. Anyways, the bill wasn't that bad at all, especially with the coupon. We definitely plan on going back next year. Everyone was helpful and nice.