Tax questions become harder when the language used to explain them is not the language you use to make important financial decisions. A W-2, K-1, brokerage statement, property deed, or IRS notice can contain terms that do not translate cleanly. San Jose families with financial ties to China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong also face reporting questions that ordinary tax preparation may not address. Our team helps Mandarin-speaking clients understand the US tax rules, organize the documents, and make decisions with a clear view of the consequences.
Silicon Valley Tax serves individuals, founders, investors, and closely held businesses throughout San Jose and the Bay Area. Our team includes Mandarin-speaking CPAs and Enrolled Agents. We can work in Mandarin, English, or both, depending on the client and the subject. Call (408) 383-9870 or book a complimentary consultation at our San Jose office.
Who This Service Is For
Clients commonly come to us after moving to the United States, starting a business, receiving an inheritance, or discovering that a foreign account may create a US filing obligation. We help:
- H-1B and L-1 employees with stock compensation, rental income, and accounts retained overseas.
- Green card holders and US citizens with family property, remittances, or inherited assets in China.
- Business owners who need monthly bookkeeping, entity returns, payroll, and owner tax planning.
- Families supporting parents or relatives whose US residency depends on the substantial presence test.
- Taxpayers responding to IRS or California FTB notices and looking for representation in a language they trust.
Individual and Family Tax Preparation
We prepare federal and California returns for W-2 employees, self-employed professionals, investors, landlords, and families with multiple sources of income. The work may include RSUs and stock options, partnership K-1s, rental property, cryptocurrency, foreign pensions, gifts, or transfers between family members. We explain what information is needed, why it matters, and what the finished return says before it is filed.
For clients who split time between the United States and China, residency is an early question. Visa status, days present, treaty positions, and the substantial presence test can change the return and the information forms that accompany it. We evaluate the facts rather than assuming that a person is or is not a US resident based on a single document.
Business Tax and Bookkeeping
We work with restaurants, professional practices, import businesses, real estate owners, technology consultants, and other closely held companies. Services may include entity selection, 1120-S, 1065, and 1120 returns, K-1 preparation, payroll coordination, quarterly estimates, and owner compensation planning. Monthly bookkeeping keeps bank and credit-card activity reconciled so the business owner can see cash flow and taxable income before filing season.
Good bookkeeping is also a communication tool. When the books are organized, a Mandarin-speaking owner can ask better questions about margins, distributions, inventory, payroll, and estimated tax payments. We do not treat bookkeeping as a once-a-year cleanup project.
Foreign Accounts, FBAR, and Form 8938
A US person generally must file an FBAR when the aggregate maximum value of foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any point during the calendar year. The rule can apply to bank accounts, securities accounts, and accounts over which a person has signature authority. Whether the account earned income does not determine whether it is reportable. The FBAR is filed with FinCEN, separately from the federal tax return.
Form 8938 is separate. It is attached to the federal return and uses different thresholds and asset definitions. Some clients need both forms. Others have facts that require a closer analysis of foreign pensions, insurance, trusts, real estate held through an entity, or family accounts. We coordinate the forms and keep the reporting consistent with the tax return.
中文服务
我们为圣何塞和湾区的华人客户提供中文报税和税务规划服务。无论您是持H-1B签证的科技员工、绿卡持有者、企业主、投资者,还是在中美两地有家庭和资产联系的居民,我们都可以用中文、英文或两种语言结合的方式沟通。
服务包括个人报税、企业报税、QuickBooks簿记、工资和季度预缴税、IRS和加州税务局通知代理,以及海外账户申报。美国税务居民如果在中国或其他海外金融账户的总额在一年中的任何时间超过一万美元,通常需要提交FBAR。Form 8938是另一项申报,门槛和资产定义不同。我们会根据您的具体情况判断需要哪些表格,而不是只看单个账户的余额。
我们也会审核中文银行流水、证券账户资料、房产文件、继承文件和汇款记录。语言沟通的目标不是简单翻译,而是让您了解申报内容、风险和下一步选择。
Our Process
We begin with the question that brought you to us. That might be a notice, a new business, a move from China, a property sale, or uncertainty about an account. We sort the facts into income, assets, residency, and reporting history so the first meeting stays practical.
For an ongoing engagement, we review prior returns and identify differences between the prior year and the current year. We compare brokerage forms with reported basis, compare K-1s with entity records, and ask about new accounts or changes in family ownership. When a document is missing, we identify the exact statement or confirmation needed rather than treating an estimate as final.
Bring the most recent federal and California returns, wage and investment forms, business records, foreign account statements, property records, and IRS or FTB correspondence. If documents are in Chinese, keep the original files. A working translation can help, but the original is part of the support for the tax position.
Questions That Deserve Early Attention
Do not wait for filing season to ask about a new US residence, a family property sale, a large transfer, a business interest, or an account opened for a parent. Early review gives time to obtain statements, establish basis, model estimated tax, and coordinate with an attorney or adviser when needed. It also makes it easier to correct a misunderstanding before it becomes a filing position.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you review a prior return prepared elsewhere?
Yes. A review can identify missed foreign-account forms, inconsistent basis information, residency issues, or notices that need a response. We explain what is confirmed and what requires additional documents.
Do you prepare returns for businesses?
Yes. We support closely held entities and their owners, including bookkeeping, entity returns, K-1s, payroll coordination, and planning.
How do I start?
Call (408) 383-9870 or schedule a complimentary consultation. Bring the question that is causing the most uncertainty; we can identify the rest of the document list from there.
General information only. Tax law is fact-specific and changes frequently. This page does not create an accountant-client relationship. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.