By Sam Skopp
Samuel B. Moses CPA has been a Santa Mon-
ica-based accountant for the past 25 years, han-
dling taxes and accounting for a customer base
as diverse as the wide variety of residents that
make up the Santa Monica community.
“I’ve always been within a couple blocks of
the promenade,” said Moses, who has been lo-
cated at his current office at 100 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1800 for the past 14 years.
Throughout his career as a local accountant,
Moses has seen a steady influx of new business
owners making up his clientele. Nowadays,
many of these businesses are computer or IT-
based, following the prevalence of tech startups
in “Silicon Beach” and elsewhere on the West-
side. However, Moses ultimately handles taxes
and accounting services for a broad range of lo-
cal clients.
“A lot of small businesses. A lot of profession-
als. A lot of entertainers. And a fair bit of foreign
taxes,” said Moses, about who exactly makes up
his customer base. “And then just regular people.
90 percent of the people I see would fall under
there.”
For all of his clients, rather than focus solely
on getting their taxes done, Moses prefers to help
them with the totality of what they’re trying to
accomplish, looking at their goals and contribut-
ing to their success. In the past, some of Moses’s
clients have asked for help on setting up a com-
pany, finding an attorney, getting a mortgage and
even finding a doctor.
“I like to talk to people, find out what’s go-
ing on with them, and how to help them. A lot
of people say the way I work with them is some-
where between a life coach and a business man-
ager,” said Moses. “I try to get your whole life in
order, rather than just help with
your taxes.”
Furthermore, as an accoun-
tant, Moses is results-based. If
a client has a specific need, he’s
committed to finding a path to
reaching their ultimate end goal,
whether it’s straightforward or
takes some creativity.
“In general with clients I don’t
like to tell someone you can’t do
it. I try to find a way to make it
possible,” Moses said. “If you
can’t do A, maybe B or C or a
combination will get you the
same result. Sometimes you can’t make it hap-
pen, but many times there are workarounds.”
Moses frequently handles back taxes as well,
meaning previous years’ taxes that a client may
not have filed for one reason or another. In the
case of back taxes, refunds can only be received
within the past three years, but
debt from unfiled taxes adds up
forever, so Moses recommends
filing any outstanding back taxes
sooner rather than later.
“If you delay the filing, you’re
looking at extra interest, penal-
ties and anxiety!” Moses said.
“I see lots of back taxes. Some-
times one a day. It is surprising
how people just don’t get around
to filing.”
For more information about
filing your taxes with Sam-
uel Moses, contact him at
310.395.9922 or smosescpa@aol.com, or visit
his office on Wilshire Blvd. at Ocean Avenue.
