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Keeping Your Balance
Category: Professional Services Accountants Accountants [Edit]
582 Market StSte 1700
(between 2nd St & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94104
Neighborhood: Financial District
(415) 399-9844
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Fri 9 am - 5 pm
Tue 8 am - 5 pm
Michael S. said: "I have used Michael as our accountant for quite a few years, and he is the most straight forward and competent CPA I have been associated with. I have referred him to many, and everyone loves him." read more »
40 reviews for Keeping Your Balance
40 reviews in English
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Review from Diane K.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2011
I cant say enough about this company! Use them! I came to them a few months ago with a small business that had grown way out of my control. I handed them a mess of too many bank accts, money flying all over the place, a boe that was due in days and no systems in place but a check ledger. Well worth the money!
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Review from Andrea L.
San Francisco, CA
2/28/2011
I filed an extension last year and didn't get around to actually doing my 2009 taxes until October of 2010.
KYB was matter of fact and to the point, but pleasantly so. They told me the facts about filing late and what to expect.
This year I am trying to stay ahead of the game and have already contacted them to do my 2010 taxes, and on-time this time. Yay me. -
Review from Rebecca B.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2010
Keeping Your Balance is a fantastic bookkeeping company. I recently recommended them to my brother for some tax prep. He was really stressed and the team at KYB alleviated his stress, worked quickly, and completed the work at a fraction of the cost (about 25%) of a CPA firm.
They also work with a reliable payroll company that has much lower fees than ADP or PayChex. Thinking you normally get what you pay for, I asked, and learned this is because the payroll company doesn't have a sales staff to pay for and works directly with bookkeeping and CPA firms, so they are able to offer much better rates.
All told, Keeping Your Balance saves a lot of time, angst, and the team is excellent at what they do. -
Review from Nick R.
San Francisco, CA
3/11/2008
Oh Yelp, I knew it would happen eventually. I mean, I go to Yelp for recommendations on everything, so why not for a book keeper for my business? KYB was very highly rated and I thought I had found my solution. Boy was I wrong....
Maybe it's because I used Becky and KYB for book keeping rather than tax prep, but my experience here was most certainly NOT 5 star.
Becky seemed great when I met for my initial consult, but from then on, my books were handled by an assistant, rather than Becky herself. First mistake.
Then aformentioned assistant racks up huge amounts of hours without warning me and when I confronted her about it, she BLAMED ME. Now, I have been in customer service for many, many years and rule numero uno is that you never blame the freaking customer!!! Especially when I was politely asking her why my bill had quadruped with no notice.
She explains that the extra time has come from me not giving her certain info that she has had to manually figure out, hence the extra time. Fair enough. From that point on, I get her the info she asks for - organize it beautifully and send it to her on time. And yet, nothing changes. She continues to bill me the maximum amount of hours she can on my account despite my efforts to make things more efficient. When I asked her and Becky about it, the response was basically that I should just get over it and expect to keep paying that amount, though there was absolutely NO evidence of her assistant doing the amount of work those bills required.
There were also mistakes with them sending me other clients invoices, lost packets of my own info that never turned up and I never received ONE financial report for my business!
Do yourself a favor - if you are a small biz owner like me, STAY AWAY. There are plenty of other options out there. I have a great book keeper now if you need a referral......
UPDATE: So mysteriously after my post there are several new reviews extolling the virtues of how great this place is.....all from new users with only ONE review: on KYB Bookeeping! How ironic. Look, no matter how many cheesy great reviews their friends may post, it still not going to keep them from sucking. San Francisco has TONS more bookeepers that will do a WAY better job - trust.
UPDATE 2: Due to the overwhelming response by other Yelpers asking for a reference, my new book keeper is booked solid! If you want a reference, I'll see what I can do....... -
Review from Jeff W.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2010
I run a small business in San Francisco and KYB was doing my personal taxes, which I was happy with purely because I didn't have to do them, and I asked them to do the business taxes. The first year was fine because we needed very little tax advice. The second year we made considerably more money and it was a disaster. We met with them several times for advice on tax planning and strategy. Being a startup and doing R&D work I thought we were paying way too much. They gave us NO advice. I finally found a good CPA to take over and look over their work. He found $21,000 in missed deductions. That's not a typo, $21,000. That is either pure laziness or negligence.
Do yourself a favor if you have a small business and hire a good CPA and a good bookkeeper. They will more than pay for themselves. -
Review from Broke-Ass Stuart S.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2008
Yes, even broke-asses need help with their accounting.
Believe it or not, my finances are pretty screwy considering my long periods without income and my strange travel expenditures (can "experiencing" the Red Light District in Amsterdam be considered a tax write-off?). Luckily I found Keeping Your Balance a long time ago and ever since then Becky & Co. have been making sure that I get the biggest tax refund legally possible, thus allowing me to continue this odd lifestyle I've become accustomed to.
Definitely go to them, you'll be glad you did! -
Review from Geoff D.
6/5/2008
I was on the hunt for some accounting help late last year and found my way to KYB via Yelp.
Since then they have helped me out twice: once with a few year-end tax assessment suggestions and then again in April to prepare my return.
In the past I've worked with some pretty experienced/impressive accountants, and I would probably try a different firm if my situation were particularly complicated (e.g., lots of different asset classes or what-not), as they did not overwhelm me with detailed knowledge on a few of my more niche questions.
But where the KYT team really shone was customer service: they were always extremely friendly and accommodating, handled questions via email within a matter of hours, and prepared my return in one day even though it was April 14!
So if your financial/tax situation is middle range or even simpler, I would highly recommend giving these guys a try for sheer convenience and friendliness.Listed in: Found it on Yelp
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Review from Heidi C.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2009
A cheesey radio/TV commercial would say...
"Tired of trying to figure out your own taxes? Are you getting frusturated? Are you looking for someone to do your taxes? Well, look no further...!! Go to KYB for all your tax needs!"
I had my dad's friend do my taxes and in the end, I ended up owing money. Really??? NO WAY. I had an inkling feeling that this was uber wrong. I took my taxes to get rechecked at KYB and low and behold, I didn't owe money. Woohoo!
Some might debate between going to a bigger company like H&R Block to get taxes done but I prefer a smaller, more homey feeling company. Let me compare it to getting your eye brows done. Would you go to a big company that does it quick, fast and standard? Or go to more of a mom and pop shop to have one worker sit down with you, talk to you while they do your brows? I prefer the latter -- I would feel more comfortable.
All the workers of KYB are very personable and definitely professional. -
Review from Lauren S.
West Hollywood, CA
3/7/2007
I just had Keeping Your Balance do my bookkeeping for our business for the first time, and I have to say, they are the friendliest, most helpful bunch out there. First of all, when my partner Jeremy and I went to them, we had been in business for 6 months, and had not done a bit of bookkeeping. We had receipts and invioces, and whatnot, but no structure to any of it. They waded through it in no time, got us set up on QB online and walked us through how to do the basic entries. We'll be sticking with them as our CPA's from now on.
Oh, as a side note: they have several rubber duckies on a shelf in the office (one with devil horns) - how can we not love them??? -
Review from Doc H.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2010
I thought this company was just bookkeeping but they actually do most of the accounting work for your taxes too.
PAYROLL is the hottest selling point for me here. For a business, their payroll fees are a lot lower than ADP and the other top names. The services included are greater and better too. I definitely recommend them. -
Review from SB S.
Concord, CA
2/8/2007
Keeping Your Balance make doing my taxes annually such a breeze!
Each year, Becky Shahvar and her staff's incredible knowledge of, and familiarity with, the complexities of accounting, bookkeeping and U.S. tax law converge to make my tax filings quick, painless, and easy to understand.
Keeping Your Balance has been doing my accounting for over three years and I tell everyone I can about how great Becky and her staff are!
For businesses or individuals, Keeping Your Balance is a great choice. Calm, friendly and knowledgeable staff are there to meet your needs, and at truly reasonable prices! -
Review from Adam G.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2008
About a week ago I was freaking out since I hadn't yet paid any estimated taxes this year but had income from 4 different companies (three of which I own/co-own). In short, I felt things were a mess. After checking out reviews and other online info for a ton of accountants/tax-preparers etc.. my personal assistant had KYB on the top of the list.
I called Monday, got an appt. Friday, and sat down with Katie Summers (who is awesome) for 3 hours! to review all of the stuff I had going on. She was extremely patient and helped me sort through all of my expenses and opportunities for tax savings.
Also, since she's a tax-preparer (which is mostly what I needed) and not a CPA she explicitly told me which questions she couldn't answer and directed me to a different firm.
Katie said they have grown 4x in the past 1.5 years (but are still small, at 8-9 employees, and personal) - it's no wonder. -
Review from Howard M.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2007
Becky and her team of experts will expertly take care of all your bookkeeping services. She has helped me put a system into place which saves me time to promote my own business and gives me confidence my finances are in top notch order!
I recommend Keeping Your Balance to every entreprenuer who wants to focus on growing their business and leave the financial details to the experts! -
Review from Jeremy A.
San Francisco, CA
3/7/2007
Becky, Robin and the whole team are just awesome. Finding a good bookkeeper we could feel comfortable with was one of the hardest things, when we started our business.
From the first conversation over the phone, Becky had my confidence. She invited us in to meet the whole team and they quickly got our books in order.
I may not be able to walk a straight line, but my books sure can. Cheers to that! -
Review from Judy L.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2007
The impeding tax season returns! Among all of that confusion with receipts, W-2s, tax write offs... who can keep all of this information straight? My solution is KYB, Keeping Your Balance. Let them do your taxes, like I do, and your life will be happier. You'll save time and you'll end up richer with a better tax return than expected.
Don't be fooled by bitter complaints! The entire team at KYB not only helps out businesses of all shapes and structures, but they can help out individuals- like you and me! So if you are looking for a SF local alternative, I would HIGHLY recommend KYB! -
Review from baduncadon... k.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2007
I won't bore you with rehashes of how awesome Becky is (it's all true!). Instead, I would like to mention that as Keeping Your Balance has grown over the past year, Becky has added really great staff. I worried KYB might lose the personal touch as it grew, but, if anything, I get even more personalized service now. Dealing with KYB is always very easy and stress-free. In particular, Erin Beber is fantastic and a joy to deal with!
I hate to crowd the office over there with new clients, but KYB deserves your business! -
Review from AmanDave H.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2009
Amanda says:
Ugh taxes. A few years back the hubs and I decided that a copywriter with a tendency to freelance (moi) and a self-employed guy with an online store (hubs) were going to stop giving gobs of money to questionable H&R Block employees who rushed through our relatively complicated paperwork.
Enter the lovely and talented Brandee Murphy of Keeping Your Balance. This woman is unflappable, smart as a whip, and so freaking nice. She is incredibly attentive and has helped us immensely come tax time.
Bonus: we get to tell people we have an "accountant" which makes us look like we have our act seriously together.
relationship status:
still going strong -
Review from noel c.
San Francisco, CA
8/14/2008
I'd definitely recommend KYB to anyone running a small business. My other company has an in-house accounting manager so I was a bit hesitant to outsource bookkeeping, but they've done a great job, are on top of things and everyone over there is very nice.
The invoices are always fair and we are able to trust them with an important part of our business that we don't have expertise in.
Thumbs up!
:) -
Review from Cassidy P.
Chicago, IL
2/21/2007
Picking an accountant/bookeeper is sort of like dating. No, really. A couple years ago I had my taxes prepped by a small company that helped me find all sorts of things I could write off and then put it all together in this pretty lil' package. Seriously, I was in love. But when I tried to go back, they disappeared off the face of the earth. Wha? Was it me? Wasn't I a devoted client? Didn't I shower them with compliments? Then, I went through a series of "rebound" relationships with a number of tax companies, but nothing quite worked out. Well, let me tell you, Becky and her team are awesome and will never let you down (unlike others who shall not be named). Forget about dating, go ahead and get the ring. This one's a keeper!
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Review from Jake N.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2007
I had just heard of yelp from friends when I said I was looking for someone to due my taxes for me. Keeping Your Balance caught my eye while browsing...and I was ecstatic with their level of service and professionalism. They answered all my questions and filed my taxes in no time at all. In addition, their office is so easy to get to from MUNI. I couldn't ask for anything more. I will definitely be coming back next year. They blow the doors off all those other Tax Prep places I've been over the years.
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Review from Rachel F.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2007
If an accountant could be equated with a super hero than my vote goes for Becky at Keeping Your Balance. I had been totally screwed over by an evil accountant which i had sent in all of my tax info into about two months before it was due. I found Becky last minute and was very pleasantly surprised at how calm and professional she was in dealing with my situation. I plan on now using her services to help keep my business account all ticked and tied. If you like amazing customer service and some one you can depend on and trust that this is the place for you.
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Review from A L.
Los Angeles, CA
3/21/2007
Ohmygod Becky at Keeping Your Balance is a life saver! She helped with my extremely confusing taxes, got me a kick ass deduction, and her prices were super fair. She also keeps the books for a business associates of mine and he has had nothing but positive things to say about her and her company!!!!
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Review from V C.
San Francisco, CA
4/21/2010
I've had my taxes done here for the past few years and I highly recommend it. They work pretty quickly, everyone is very friendly and nice to deal with, and they are very organized. My taxes were a little complicated the first time I used them as I had all sorts of addendums that needed to be refiled and I moved across country. The last couple years were much more straightforward. They have been consistently great and the accountant that I've been working with (Brandee Murphy) is really great, laid back, and easy to work with. But I get the feeling that all their accountants are good so you should be fine no matter which accountant is assigned to you. They were able to send me PDF's of all my tax info for easy storage and record-keeping as well as showing me how to pay my taxes online. Their fees are reasonable as well.
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Review from K. E.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2009
An excerpt from an email I received from them, before my appointment:
"Below is a link to download your Electronic Tax Organizer, which will help us gather your current tax year information. We will use this information to prepare your 2008 Individual income tax return. Click on the link below and save the EXE when the File Download dialog appears. Run the EXE and enter your password without dashes. Enter your current tax year information on the Electronic Tax Organizer screens..."
Really? REALLY? A .EXE file that I'm supposed to put my personal financial information into? Do they realize how horrible and insecure and awful this is? And how much it makes them look like they're spreading malware? After some Googling, I found that the same software is used by CPAs all over the country, and has been in use since at least the early 2000's. Wow, wow, and wow. Have they not heard of web forms, or at least something that lets you upload?
This is San Francisco, people - we are a tech-savvy crowd. I'm extremely surprised nobody has commented on this so far; all of my friends (who, granted, are mostly software engineers) were as shocked by this as I am. They mention that it's "password protected," but the password is your birth year and last 4 digits of social. I found a message board post with the same email from 2003, describing the password access in the same way. Who makes you download a .EXE from an email to enter your personal information into?
At least they don't *require* you to fill it out in full. I'm sorry that I can't get over the shock of this enough to write an actual review of their services. I'm considering taking my tax preparation needs elsewhere next year because this, to me, is an indicator that these guys don't have a clue. -
Review from insipidphishie P.
San Francisco, CA
3/30/2006
This small accounting & tax preparation outfit specializes in small businesses and individuals. In my years of working alongside Becky Shahvar (the founder) as both a customer and consultant, I have seen her company's attention to detail and vast knowledge base pay dividends to all involved.
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Review from Matthew K.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2010
COSTLY MISTAKES WERE MADE
If you do risk using KYB, check their work. Doing so saved me over $5K. Two "final" versions of my tax return each had errors which together increased my taxes due by over $5K. I found the errors and they did correct the mistakes but it was a poor overall customer experience. They did waive the fees after emails and phone calls but I would not use them again. -
Review from Joe P.
San Ramon, CA
8/28/2009
4.5 Stars for being complete, thorough and conscientious.
3.5 Stars for not being as proactive in helping me plan for the future.
Update:
5 Stars for being extremely prompt with emailed questions even a year after working with Becky. -
Review from Nicolas H.
San Francisco, CA
3/7/2011
I hired Keeping your Balance to take care of my payroll. From the very beginning they have provided an outstanding service. Alyson has provided at all steps of our collaboration great advices and services, replying to any request within the hour (and most of the time within 10 mn). They clearly exceed my expectations. I highly recommend them. Outstanding provider.
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Review from Luna R.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 6/27/2009
Can u believe it?! It's June 2009, and I am still discovering how badly Keeping Your Balance messed up my books last year! I thought I had finally gotten through everything when I did my own taxes in April and got a full refund - but no! there is more crap.
These entered/reconciled stamps on every statement are just pure comedy.
Statements found in wrong folders are such a delight.
And the wrong balances, those are the best!
seriously. seriously lame.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/12/2008
I want to share my exceptionally sad experience with keeping your balance that left my books… Read more »
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Review from Danny D.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2007
I have met Becky a few times but just recently got to know her on a personal/professional level. She is an amazing person and the way to handles her business and clientale is second to none. What is great about how KYB does business is that they don't just focus on your finances; they leverage their resources and contacts to make your life more managable while continuing to find creative ways to save you time and money.
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Review from tina r.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2008
Keeping Your Balance is the best place to get your taxes done. Becky has done my taxes for the past few years and she is always fast, friendly and professional! Not to mention she always manages to get me a large refund!
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Review from Paul H.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2009
Keeping Your Balance is a smart and reliable service which deserves the growth and success it has enjoyed over the years. They did my taxes for me for a number of years, and assisted in consulting with one of my clients. I recommend this team for small businesses; what you pay for KYB services is worth it for the valuable time you save.
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Review from Tulip F.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/6/2009
they've raised their prices, and lowered their service since last year.
Took my '07 & '08 taxes in to be prepared. Did not get a refund either year that Keeping Your Balance did them. Yet, every year previous, I did.
Obviously, I'm just a layman, and have therefore sought their expertise. However, I find a lot of their materials and processes particularly confusing.
The agent has been very responsive via email. And I'm sure she's more than competent. However, our 5-minute office visit seemed inadequate.
The overall experience doesn't make me feel confident or secure that my taxes have been prepared "professionally". I don't feel the service merits a $385 charge. I'm left feeling uncertain that I was quoted the right amount, disappointed in the lack of clarity, and care.
- their office is more cramped
- there isn't any privacy
- price increase to $385
- service has suffered
- NO TAX REFUNDS 2 years in a row!!!1 Previous Review:
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11/24/2008
Do not let them prepare your taxes, if you want a refund!
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Review from Nancy M.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2007
Becky and her team at Keeping Your Balance are amazing!
Smooth, easy, accurate. If I ever have questions, they get back to me immediately with the answer and always give us sound advice.
Becky has offered our I.C.s workshops like bookkepping 101 and done many of their taxes, all satisfied customers.
We love KYB at EHS! -
Review from Stephen W.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2009
The company is professional, accurate and not very expensive. I own a small company and I called for help. The location is in the Financial district which is just a cross my work place. So far so good....
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Review from Danny M.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2007
A good bookkeeper is harder to find than a trustworthy auto mechanic. I am one of KYB's first clients. I've seen Becky's company grow from a home office (Baltic Avenue), to 3 great employees and an office in the Financial District (Park Place). My bookkeeping needs are very specific and more demanding than most businesses. From day one KYB has shown me that they care about my finances, look out for my best interests and always conduct business in a professional manner, Brandee is proving that my books are also very important to her. She is going above and beyond my original expectations. I've also met Robin and I can already tell that he is not far behind Brandee in becoming a valuable asset to team. Erin is now my account manager but they all have worked on my account at some point or another. When I call during business hours, they answer the phone, when I need a report it's done promptly, and I am never made to feel like I am unimportant. I consider myself very lucky to have found Keeping Your Balance and recommend them to anybody in search of bookkeeping services.
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Review from Alison C.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2007
Here's another review for the pile of already excellent reviews of KYB bookkeeping services - KYB is awesome! The entire staff really is wonderful and I highly recommend their Quickbooks Training for any other small business owner who would rather do ANYTHING besides think about finances. Brandee was extremely patient with my naivete and I actually look forward to balancing my books now!
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Review from wendy H.
New York, NY
3/23/2007
I just moved her from out of the State and with Tax's from two different states i was concerned i would have problems - Becky has helped me enormously.....Professional, and worry free. TWO THUMBS UP
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Review from Jason M.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2009
I used the KYB service this year based on the 5 star reviews. In the past I've used H&R Block online, a great service if your tax situation is simple.... My taxes have gotten more and more complicated through the years, it was time for professional help. I thought the services were outstanding. Had a one-on-one hour meeting with my tax advisor to go through my situation, then dropped off all the paperwork. I'm not sure what the other review is talking about (.xls doc). They did send me a link to a secure site to enter my info, but I just put in my name and address... My tax advisor put in all the personal stuff - SS number, etc. I'm overly sensitive with online security - I've been in the online biz for 10 years and am very careful when it comes to keeping my identity safe online and off - I did not feel a threat, and would recommend them for anyone not wanting to deal with the headache of filing taxes. Thought the services were affordable, secure, and most important, easy and painless.
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Review from John M.
San Francisco, CA
8/14/2007
In my line of work, I have the pleasure of working with a variety of Keeping Your Balance's clients. I must say that I have never spoken with a more satisfied group of clients. The combination of KYB's youthful energy and dedication to a job well done is a must for your business.
