Truebooks CPA - Feedback
Ricardo GarciaPro Member
Member since 2021 · 19 posts · 15 votesTruebooks CPA - Feedback
Most Popular Reply
Member since 2019 · 2 posts · 12 votes
3yQuote from @Matt Bontrager:
Hi Everyone!
I’m Matt, the Managing Partner of TrueBooks!
Happy to help with any questions. Quick overview of our firm is three components. Tax Preparation, Tax Advisory, Accounting. All fixed fee with out of scope offerings as well. Such as accounting clean-ups, KPI analysis, etc.
Gianma - happy to hear
Hello @Matt Bontrager I currently have a tax file open with your company. I provided all info by the deadline I was given. I was then informed that my file was in queue to be assigned to a tax preparer on March 12th. After inquiring several times if a tax preparer has been assigned, on April 12th I was notified someone was assigned.
I was then told an extension will be filed.
I asked the tax preparer several times after he was assigned for a status update. Each time the response was "Unfortunately I cannot provide an exact estimate at this time for the date of completion". That message was on May 23rd, it is now nearly 2 months later (July 19th) and I still have heard nothing. If someone has been assigned, why would it take more than 2 months for them to complete the return? I have a pretty straight forward return with a W-2 and a K-1 from an LLC.
I will assume positive intent here that this is not the experience you intend for your customers. My experience so far has made me regret my decision for TrueBooks to file my return. This year will be the most I have paid for my taxes to be prepared, and the only year where I will be filing with an extension (and added stress).
To be fair and objective with my feedback, the upfront consultation process went well. Everyone I spoke with was knowledgeable and pleasant. The communication was prompt. However, once my deposit was paid and I submitted my files, that’s where the experience degraded.
Based on my experience, I would caution others to receive services from TrueBooks.
My question is: When will my taxes be filed? May you please look into this for me? Thanks!
51 Replies
- Rental Property Investor · Member since 2023 · 26 posts · 15 votes2y
Quote from @Joe Vang:
I was really excited to use Truebooks when we first hear of them. They sounded very promising and seem like they was right for the job, so we hired them to do our 2022 tax and to help do our tax planning for 2023. Soon after the start of the new year of 2022 and when tax season started getting busy, their quality of communication and response time start to degraded extremely bad. Also I was very disappointing that even thought we provided our tax information to our CPA a month before the tax deadline we still had file an extension for our tax. We worked so hard to provide that all the information the CPA need and wanted and at the end it was wasted of our time and effort. On top of the extension, we had to continuously ask over and over, and over for updates. It was extremely painful. Worst part, we missed many opportunity during this time.
I paid thousand of dollars to do tax planning and I got two meeting so far with not tax planning, just chatting. I would not recommend them.
Got it, thanks - Matt! Will do.
Joe Vang - I want to hear more about what happened to make sure it's resolved before I sign-up. I'll DM you
- Member since 2023 · 2 posts · 0 votes2yHi Matt - I appreciate all your engagement in this thread. I just had a great meeting with Justin (he’ll have my email) last week and would appreciate an opportunity to learn how systems to avoid situations like the above have been applied. I’ll continue to explore a couple other options in the meantime.
Quote from @Matt Bontrager:
Quote from @Hanon Hines:
Whew! I'm so glad I came across this thread. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
Hi Hanon,
For what it's worth we've taken great steps to give our clients a better experience going forward. If you ever have any questions regarding our firm I'm always here.
Happy Monday,
Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you. - 2yMatt BontragerBusiness MemberCPA · Henderson, NV · Member since 2016 · 75 posts · 13 votes
Quote from @Wyatt Hoover:
Hi Matt - I appreciate all your engagement in this thread. I just had a great meeting with Justin (he’ll have my email) last week and would appreciate an opportunity to learn how systems to avoid situations like the above have been applied. I’ll continue to explore a couple other options in the meantime.Quote from @Matt Bontrager:
Quote from @Hanon Hines:
Whew! I'm so glad I came across this thread. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
Hi Hanon,
For what it's worth we've taken great steps to give our clients a better experience going forward. If you ever have any questions regarding our firm I'm always here.
Happy Monday,
Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you.Hi Wyatt!
I appreciate you taking the time to read these prior posts and allowing me to provide more clarity.
We’ve taken a few measures to help avoid what happened previously.
First, increase staff size. This alone was most effective. Finding talented preparers was difficult and took longer than expected. We’ve beefed up the management team to ensure both speed and quality while not having to sacrifice one at the expense of the other. We now have enough manpower to provide more attention to our clients if they have questions, concerns, or issues along the way.
Second, we’ve refined our screening process for the clients we bring on. Previously we accepted clients who were not a fit. This increased the time required which ended up costing others clients promptness. Now we only bring on high income W2, business owners, and investors who are specifically involved in real estate. Narrowing our focus on ideal clients has made us more efficient overall.
Third, we open ourselves to honest and transparent feedback without judgment to our clients so that we can continually improve. This week alone we reached out to roughly 40 clients to get their feedback on the process and how we can better serve them and their specific needs moving forward.
I take it personally for each client we bring on. I want to ensure their experience is excellent in all areas. We’re not perfect, but we’re willing to improve and make things right as we strive to be better.
After discussing with Justin, I am certain that we can help you in your scenario as you and your wife transition from one industry into more real estate.
I’ll reach out to you personally if you have anymore questions or concerns.
Happy Tuesday! - Investor · San Francisco Bay Area · Member since 2020 · 5 posts · 9 votes2y
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck! - 2yMatt BontragerBusiness MemberCPA · Henderson, NV · Member since 2016 · 75 posts · 13 votes
Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck!Hi Gianma,
Thank you for the honest review and comments, truly.
I went back through our emails and correspondence to get caught up to speed. I want to first say I'm sorry. Specifically for the missed items during the review prior to the initial call, as well as the piece on no action plan. I'm currently looking further into this and will review the information provided to you.
I do see from our email communication I was under the impression you guys were looking for investment strategy, which as you know we cannot provide. But now understand from rereading this comment above, as well as the advisory review you provided, this was not so much the case. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. In the email I did ask for you to share anything you found on YouTube that you felt should have been caught by us, and would still love to hear so we can make note for future engagements.
Having a subpar experience always sucks, and I'm sorry this happened to you guys. I respect and understand your choice to find a new provider. But please know we would love a second chance to help you if the time ever comes.
Since this occurred, we've taken great measures firm and department wide to help smooth this process out and provide a better client experience.
I appreciate you being honest, and will be reaching out to help clarify how we could have done better and to help remedy the situation.
- Rental Property Investor · Member since 2023 · 26 posts · 15 votes2yThanks for sharing your experience - I'm also looking for new CPA right now and was considering them ...
Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck! - Investor · San Francisco Bay Area · Member since 2020 · 5 posts · 9 votes2y
Quote from @Matt Bontrager:
Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck!Hi Gianma,
Thank you for the honest review and comments, truly.
I went back through our emails and correspondence to get caught up to speed. I want to first say I'm sorry. Specifically for the missed items during the review prior to the initial call, as well as the piece on no action plan. I'm currently looking further into this and will review the information provided to you.
I do see from our email communication I was under the impression you guys were looking for investment strategy, which as you know we cannot provide. But now understand from rereading this comment above, as well as the advisory review you provided, this was not so much the case. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. In the email I did ask for you to share anything you found on YouTube that you felt should have been caught by us, and would still love to hear so we can make note for future engagements.
Having a subpar experience always sucks, and I'm sorry this happened to you guys. I respect and understand your choice to find a new provider. But please know we would love a second chance to help you if the time ever comes.
Since this occurred, we've taken great measures firm and department wide to help smooth this process out and provide a better client experience.
I appreciate you being honest, and will be reaching out to help clarify how we could have done better and to help remedy the situation.
Hi Matt,
I want to start by saying that not many CEOs out there are able to be as apologetic and honest as you are. I want to thank you for calling me and being open to help further with my tax related questions. It truly shows your commitment to provide your current and future clients a better experience.
I know that online reviews can take the best of one's head space and it can take a toll on the business. But I see you embracing this opportunity to improve your services. I do hope this is just a bump on the road to success.
I am looking forward to keep the communication open and honest. - Member since 2023 · 15 posts · 7 votes2yYikes!
Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck! - Developer · Kansas City · Member since 2024 · 20 posts · 11 votes1y
So glad I'm not going with them. Thank you everyone!
- Member since 2024 · 20 posts · 8 votes1yJust watch webinar of Matt and was considering them ... so glad I saw this.
Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck!
Now I'm questioning my judgement / research. Anyone have suggestions of other Real Estate CPA to consider? Referral might be the best option to avoid getting into this situation. - Accountant · Palm Springs, CA · Member since 2024 · 8 posts · 8 votes1y
Quote from @Sabrina Marie:
Just watch webinar of Matt and was considering them ... so glad I saw this.Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck!
Now I'm questioning my judgement / research. Anyone have suggestions of other Real Estate CPA to consider? Referral might be the best option to avoid getting into this situation.Hey Sabrina - it would help to know what state you're in. Although our license doesn't place restrictions on where we can practice, there is nuance to know within every state. I would highly recommend you work with someone that is either located in the same state as you, or explicitly says they have experience with your state.
- Member since 2024 · 2 posts · 2 votes1y
Quote from @Laura Newton:
Thanks for sharing your experience - I'm also looking for new CPA right now and was considering them ...Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck!Responding to follow any accountant recommendations you get :D
- Member since 2024 · 2 posts · 2 votes1y
Quote from @Sabrina Marie:
Just watch webinar of Matt and was considering them ... so glad I saw this.Quote from @Gianma Vanzo:
My wife and I are HI W2 and business owners. We have a primary home, short-term rentals as well as paper investments. Early last year we started looking for our first tax planning partner.
In March 2023 we started conversations with True Books. In April we closed the tax planning combo with them. There was an onboarding phase, which was mostly about uploading our financial docs and answering questions. About a month later we had our meeting with our sponsor CPA. From the start we could tell she hadn't read any of the questions we carefully answered nor reviewed any of the sensitive documents we uploaded during onboarding. The CPA was clearly knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She also provided further information - after the meeting, via email - about aspects of points we discussed. All of them boilerplate emails.
The meeting was mostly passive. It was probably the most expensive Q&A we have ever paid for. After the meeting there was no action plan other than doing a cost segregation study on the properties we had. That was it! Any YT vid gives you that. There was no tailored strategy on the best way to save taxes by investing in real estate or otherwise. There was no scheduling for further calls. All and any of our questions moving forward were addressed via email. Sometimes with a significant delay.
In July we were prompted to answer a feedback survey. We were thoughtful about every word we wanted to send, so that we wouldn't be unfair to what they had promised to offer. We review the text 4 times before shipping. Weeks later we received an answer from their CEO. The email was short and challenged us by implying we were looking for investing planning and not tax planning. We felt gaslighted. And $5,000 poorer.
Over the course of our relationship, we barely used 10 hours of their time, including the onboarding, the meetings and email communication. My wife thinks we used not even 5. But who's counting?
I wanted to drop this review so that future clients are aware of what they are getting into. Make sure you are going to get your money's worth.
One more thing: Matt claims they have now fixed their staffing issue and fine tuned the business. Good for them! We are not coming back. Neither is our investment. We can only hope future clients get their expected return. Good luck!
Now I'm questioning my judgement / research. Anyone have suggestions of other Real Estate CPA to consider? Referral might be the best option to avoid getting into this situation.Responding to follow any accountant recommendations you get :D
- 1yMatt BontragerBusiness MemberCPA · Henderson, NV · Member since 2016 · 75 posts · 13 votes
Hi Everyone,
I'm Matt the Managing Partner here at TrueBooks. Since the internet lives on forever, I think it's time I refresh this thread. First, we started the firm in 2020 and have definitely ran into our rough patches as a fast growing company (we were recognized by Inc. 5,000 in 2024 as #105). Each year we've gotten better, and 2024 was a great for us with our main focus being the client experience.
If any of you have questions regarding the firm, please send me a message directly and I will email you or set up a call. I tried to post my email here, and it told me I can't (only in the marketplace) and made me rewrite this twice.
I take client reviews and comments very seriously, and have a lot of pride in what we're building here at TrueBooks. We are very grateful for the clients we have, and the people we've gotten to work with. And I hope that is more future readers of this post, and on BP.
Cheers to a successful 2025!
- Member since 2025 · 9 posts · 7 votes1y
Looks like the comments have been consistent for the past 2 years, most recent was 6 months ago. I was about to call truebooks today to sign up. Now, I am fully in doubt of their service. It is not cheap to hire them, I was quoted 4k and I am really new in the business. Glad I came across all the honest reviews. To all who found a tax strategist that you could recommend pls comment it here. Thank You!
- 1yMatt BontragerBusiness MemberCPA · Henderson, NV · Member since 2016 · 75 posts · 13 votes
Quote from @John Cezar Dimaano:
Looks like the comments have been consistent for the past 2 years, most recent was 6 months ago. I was about to call truebooks today to sign up. Now, I am fully in doubt of their service. It is not cheap to hire them, I was quoted 4k and I am really new in the business. Glad I came across all the honest reviews. To all who found a tax strategist that you could recommend pls comment it here. Thank You!
Hi John, reaching out quickly to say it might be helpful to check some of our recent Google reviews too. So much has changed since the origination of this thread, and we’re proud of the work put in to make things better.
Given you’re newer to the business, we may not be a fit for what you need either. I’m always open to have a conversation directly with you (or anyone in the future who reads this) to address any concerns you have.
Cheers to successful investing!
@Matt Bontrager kudos to you for the extreme ownership regarding the situation(s).
- 1yMatt BontragerBusiness MemberCPA · Henderson, NV · Member since 2016 · 75 posts · 13 votesJosh, thank you so very much man. Immediately when I see this thread hit my inbox I assume it’s someone kicking us again.
Quote from @Josh L.:
@Matt Bontrager kudos to you for the extreme ownership regarding the situation(s).
Made my day to see your kind comment, thank you brother.
- 1yJason MalabuteBusiness MemberAccountant · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 907 votes
Hey Ricardo, thanks for sharing!
I can’t personally give feedback on Truebooks, but I’d encourage you to look beyond just the marketing and ask a few key questions when evaluating any tax advisory firm—especially one focused on real estate. Since they do specialize in real estate, I’d ask: do the advisors themselves actually invest in real estate? That real-world experience can make a big difference in the quality of advice.
Also consider:
• Will they do proactive tax planning, or are they just handling tax prep?
• Do they have a clear implementation process with timelines and accountability?
• Do they offer audit support or stand behind their advice?
Malabute & Company CPAs525 Reviews
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