How can Moontree Tax Service help my San Jose business minimize its tax liability?

We perform proactive tax strategy identifying missed deductions, optimizing owner compensation ratios, and deploying legal entity structures to lower federal and California state liabilities.

I receive RSUs, ISOs, or NSOs in Silicon Valley. How do you help manage the tax implications?

We reconcile brokerage Form 1099-B data to correct adjusted cost basis figures and model exercise scenarios to mitigate Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exposure.

Do you handle California Pass-Through Entity (PTE / AB 150) Tax elections?

Yes. We manage elective PTE tax payments for qualifying S-Corps and Partnerships to bypass the federal $10,000 SALT cap.

Academic Innovation & Climate Tech CPA

Berkeley CPA & Tech Business Tax Accountant

High-touch tax preparation, R&D tax credit optimization, and business entity strategy for UC Berkeley founders, climate tech entrepreneurs, academic consultants, and East Bay real estate investors. Protect your venture equity and corporate profits.

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Bespoke CPA Advisory for Berkeley’s Intellectual & Tech Ecosystem

Berkeley stands at the intersection of world-class academic research, VC-backed biotech and climate startups, and high-income tech commuters. From UC Berkeley laboratory spin-offs navigating early SBIR grants and Section 174 R&D capitalization rules to senior engineers living in the Berkeley Hills, managing taxes requires a tailored tax roadmap.

From converting sole proprietorships via our LLC to S-Corp tax conversion hub to deploying the California AB 150 PTE tax election, we help Berkeley entrepreneurs slash state tax liabilities. We also optimize equity compensation for tech employees at major employers like Google, Meta, and Apple using RSU cost basis adjustments across the Bay Area.

The Moontree Founder Entity Matrix (Berkeley Case Study)

The Income Event: A UC Berkeley professor and founder earns $360,000 in academic consulting and corporate licensing profit while simultaneously holding early C-Corp founder stock in a new climate tech spin-off.
The Tax Challenge: Without proactive structuring, they face federal 35% rates, high California self-employment taxes on the consulting income, and are capped at the $10,000 SALT deduction limit.
The Framework Execution: Using our Founder Entity Matrix, we execute an S-Corp conversion for the consulting practice with an optimized reasonable salary split. We then file the CA AB 150 PTE election to bypass the SALT cap, while independently verifying Section 1202 QSBS qualification on the startup equity.
The Result: The strategy saves the founder ~$12,500 in self-employment taxes and an additional ~$10,800 via the SALT workaround annually, while preserving 100% tax-free capital gains eligibility on their future startup exit.

Full-Service CPA Tax Solutions for Berkeley

Comprehensive startup tax planning, corporate compliance, and real estate wealth strategies.

Founder Business & S-Corp Advisory

For Berkeley startup founders and consultants, we manage corporate filings (1120-S, 1065), optimize officer compensation, and deploy California AB 150 PTE elections.

Individual Tax Prep & Equity Strategy

We handle complex 1040 returns, overriding brokerage 1099-B $0 basis errors, modeling ISO AMT credits, and managing ESPP dispositions during individual tax preparation.

Real Estate Rental & REPS Strategy

Investing in East Bay real estate? We pair rental property with Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) and cost segregation studies to generate paper tax losses that offset active income.

Property Transfers & 1031 Exchanges

Protecting family property holdings? We coordinate California Prop 19 reassessment exemptions and structure tax-deferred 1031 property exchanges.

Our Northern California Footprint

From our headquarters in the South Bay, Moontree Tax manages integrated wealth strategies for founders, academics, and executives across California’s primary economic corridors.

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Specialized East Bay locations:

Silicon Valley Core Hub →

Core South Bay locations:

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San Francisco & mid-Peninsula hubs:

Frequently Asked Questions for Berkeley Taxpayers

How does Section 1202 QSBS benefit Berkeley startup founders?

Under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code, founders and early investors in eligible C-Corporations can exclude up to 100% of federal capital gains tax (up to $10M or 10x basis) on stock held for at least 5 years. We verify corporate asset tests and stock issuance dates to ensure qualification.

How can Berkeley business owners bypass the federal SALT deduction cap?

By making the California AB 150 Pass-Through Entity (PTE) tax election, S-Corporations and LLCs pay an elective 9.3% state tax at the business level. This transforms state tax payments into an above-the-line federal business deduction, completely bypassing the personal $10,000 SALT limit.

Optimize Your Berkeley Tax Strategy Today

Schedule a 1-on-1 strategy session with Brandy Phuong, CPA to review your startup entity, tech equity, or real estate portfolio and protect your wealth.

Schedule Your Berkeley CPA Strategy Session →