Get up to $500k in Tax Credits

About MyCali.Accountant

We Exist Because
California Startup Founders
Deserve Better
Than a Legacy Local CPA.

Most accounting firms serve everyone - individuals, small businesses, restaurants, retailers. They apply the same generic advice to every client, miss startup-specific credits, and charge by the hour for every question. We built something different.

MyCali.Accountant is a California-focused startup tax and accounting specialist. We serve one type of client, we know their world deeply, and we charge a fixed price for it.

25+ Years

Serving Startups Exclusively

7,500+

Startups Served

$100M+

R&D Credits Claimed for Clients

$2,450/yr

Fixed Corporate Tax Pricing

Why We Exist

Startup Tax Is a Specialty.
We Treat It Like One.

A founder incorporating in Delaware while operating in California, with foreign co-founders, paying contractors on 1099, raising their first round, and trying to figure out whether they qualify for R&D credits - that is not a general accounting client. That is a startup founder with a specific set of problems that require specific expertise.

General CPAs get this wrong constantly. They miss the Delaware Franchise Tax Report. They do not know about the Water's Edge Election. They charge hourly for every question a founder asks between January and April. They have never heard of Form 5472.

We built MyCali.Accountant specifically for California startup founders because the California tax environment is the most complex in the country - and the most consequential to get right. We know every trap, every deadline, every credit, and every filing that a California startup founder will encounter from incorporation through Series C.

Fixed pricing. No hourly billing. Unlimited support. That is the model - because startups should not be afraid to ask their accountant a question.

Our Core Commitments

01
Startup-Exclusive Focus
We do not serve individuals, restaurants, or retail businesses. Every client is a startup founder. Every piece of advice is calibrated for that context.
02
Fixed Pricing, No Exceptions
Every service is priced upfront. No hourly billing, no hidden fees, no billing surprises. You pay after your returns are filed - not before.
03
Direct, Honest Advice
We tell founders what they need to hear - not what is comfortable. If something is a problem, we say so. No hedging, no vague "it depends" without specifics.
04
California Expertise, Nationwide Compliance
We know California's Franchise Tax Board, Delaware's filing requirements, the IRS's startup-specific rules, and the R&D credit landscape better than any general CPA.

Why Founders Choose Us

What Makes MyCali.Accountant Different

There are thousands of CPAs in California.
Here is what separates a startup specialist from a generalist with a startup checkbox on their website.

Fixed Pricing - No Hourly Billing, Ever

Every service has a flat price. Federal income tax is $2,450/year. Bookkeeping starts at $199/month. R&D Study is 0.75% of Qualified Research Expenses. Sales tax is $249/filing. No surprises, no clocks running.

Startup Exclusive - Not a Side Practice

We do not serve individuals or general businesses. Every client is a startup. That means our advice, our processes, and our knowledge base are calibrated entirely for early-stage companies.

No Binding Contracts - Cancel Anytime

We do not lock founders into retainers or long-term agreements. You stay because the service is genuinely useful - not because you are contractually obligated. Pay after filing. Cancel any time.

Foreign Founder and International Expertise

Foreign founders, foreign shareholders, international subsidiaries, Form 5472, Water's Edge Elections - this is our routine work. For most California CPAs, it is an exception they handle poorly. For us, it is a core specialty.

AI-Enabled R&D Study - Lower Cost

Our R&D credit study process uses AI-enabled software to identify and document qualifying expenses at a fraction of the cost of large firm studies. Most firms charge 2-3% of QREs. We charge 0.75% - without cutting corners on documentation quality.

Year-Round Support - Included in the Fee

Questions between filing seasons are included. New hire payroll question in August? Contractor payment threshold in October? Call us. The hourly clock never starts. It is all part of the fixed fee.

Why This Matters

We Serve California Startups
From the Day
They Incorporated
to Series C and Beyond.

Here is what happens when a startup founder hires a general CPA: they get advice designed for established businesses, not early-stage companies. They miss R&D credits they qualified for. They get hit with California Franchise Tax penalties they never saw coming.

They find out six months too late that their Delaware C-Corp had additional filing requirements they ignored. We have seen it hundreds of times.

California is the most complex state in the country for startups. You are dealing with the Franchise Tax Board, Delaware incorporation requirements, potential multi-state nexus issues, and one of the most aggressive state tax authorities in the U.S. - all while trying to build a company

SaaS AI / ML Cleantech Healthtech Fintech Biotech Agtech IoT Hardware Edtech Deep Tech Consumer Tech
Pre-Revenue
First filing, Delaware C-Corp setup, franchise tax, payroll setup
Pre-Seed
Friends and family round, first R&D credit study, bookkeeping setup
Seed
Investor reporting, clean books, sales tax nexus, 409(a) coordination
Series A
Multi-state compliance, R&D credit maximization, foreign subsidiary filings
Series B / C
Complex tax planning, international structures, audit readiness

Embedded In The Startup Ecosystem

We Are Not Just Advisors.
We Are Part of the Startup Community.

Our team is embedded in the startup ecosystem through mentorship programs, accelerator partnerships, and university innovation labs. We know the founders, the investors, and the community - not just the tax code.

University Partnership

Harvard Innovation Labs

CPA mentorship for Harvard-affiliated startups navigating early-stage tax compliance, equity compensation, and U.S. entity formation for international founders.

University Partnership

MIT VMS - CPA Mentorship

Tax and accounting mentorship for MIT Venture Mentoring Service participants - from Delaware C-Corp setup through first fundraise compliance requirements.

University Partnership

Life Lab - UC Santa Cruz

Supporting early-stage biotech and life sciences startups emerging from the UC system with startup-specific tax compliance and R&D credit guidance.

Accelerator Alumni

Y Combinator

Trusted by YC alumni startups across multiple batches for federal and California tax compliance, R&D credit studies, and bookkeeping.

Accelerator Alumni

Techstars

Serving Techstars portfolio companies navigating their first corporate tax filings, investor reporting requirements, and R&D credit opportunities.

California Ecosystems

ExCITE Riverside

Supporting startups from Riverside's city-backed incubator with local California tax compliance, franchise tax guidance, and R&D credit studies.

What Can you Always Expect

Our Commitments to Every Founder We Work With

We File on Time - Every Time

Missing a filing deadline is never acceptable. Late filings cost founders money, jeopardize R&D credits, and create disclosable events for future fundraising. We build our process around deadlines - not around convenience.

We Find The Credits You Are Missing

We proactively look for credits and deductions - especially R&D credits - that founders are leaving on the table. We have helped clients claim a combined $100M+ in R&D credits. We look for yours.

We Handle International Complexity Without Extra Charges

Foreign founders, foreign shareholders, international subsidiaries - these are not edge cases we handle reluctantly. They are core to what we do. No upcharges for complexity that is simply part of the modern startup world.

We Give Straight Answers

No "it depends" without specifics. No hedged advice designed to protect us from being wrong. We tell founders what they need to know, even when the news is not comfortable. That is what a real advisor does.

We Never Surprise You With a Bill

Every service has a published price. Every engagement is quoted before work begins. You will never open an invoice and see a number you were not expecting. Fixed pricing is not a marketing claim - it is how we operate.

We Keep You Audit-Ready at All Times

Every R&D study is documented to IRS standards from day one. Every return is prepared with the possibility of review in mind. You should never be afraid of an IRS inquiry — because we have already prepared for it.

Work With Us

Ready to Work With a Startup Tax Specialist Who Actually Knows Your World?

Schedule a free appointment.
We will review your situation, answer your questions, and tell you exactly what you need -
no commitment, no hourly billing, no surprises.

Schedule a FREE Appointment

No commitment required. We serve California startups from pre-revenue through Series C.