South Bay & West Los Angeles
The finance function for businesses that have outgrown a bookkeeper
Audit preparation, CFO work and the monthly compliance underneath both, for businesses and nonprofits across Los Angeles.
- Rated 5.0 on Google Read what clients wrote, in their own words, on our Google Business Profile. Read the reviews
- Ready before the auditor arrives Books closed, schedules built and the request list answered before fieldwork starts. Audit preparation
- Work stays in Los Angeles Your records are not sent offshore. How we hold your data
- A reply within one business day We reply to every enquiry within one business day. Book a scoping call
What we do
Five service lines, built to work together. Most clients start with one and grow into two or three.
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Audit Preparation
Books closed and reconciled, schedules and the PBC list built, and support through the engagement with your independent auditor.
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CFO Services
Board-ready reporting, budgets and forecasts, indirect rate structures, and the financial judgement a growing organisation needs before it can justify a full-time hire.
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Accounting
Monthly close, reconciliations and financial statements you can actually make decisions from, not a shoebox reconciled once a year.
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Payroll
Multi-state payroll, EDD registration, worker classification and certified payroll reporting for public works contractors.
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Sales Tax
Registration, filing, nexus analysis, district tax, and representation when the CDTFA opens an audit.
Start with the question, not the service
Most people arrive here because somebody has told them they need something: a lender, a board, a prime contractor, a notice from the CDTFA. So we answer the question first.
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Compilation, review or audit?
Three different levels of service, three very different price tags, which one does your lender or board actually require?
Read the answer -
Does our nonprofit need an audit?
California sets the threshold at $2 million of gross revenue, but government grants are excluded from the count, which surprises most boards.
Read the answer -
Does our 401(k) plan need an audit?
The counting rule changed for plan years beginning in 2023. A very large number of plans dropped out of the requirement.
Read the answer -
Is our accounting system DCAA-adequate?
If you hold or want a cost-type federal contract, the government has a specific view on how your books must be structured.
Read the answer -
Does our lender want a review or an audit?
Loan covenants usually name the level of financial statements required. Read the covenant before anything is commissioned.
Read the answer -
The CDTFA has opened an audit
Sales tax audits reach back three years, sometimes eight. What happens first, and what we can do about it.
Read the answer
The first useful thing is not a quote. It is working out what you actually need, which is frequently less than what you were told.
How we work
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One person who knows your file.
You deal with the person doing the work, not an account manager relaying questions to someone you never meet.
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A fixed scope and a fixed quote.
Before anything begins, you know what is included, what is not, and what it costs. No surprise invoices for a phone call.
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Work stays in Los Angeles.
Your records are not sent offshore. If that ever changes we would tell you first and ask your written consent, because the law requires it.
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We say when you do not need something.
It is a short-term revenue loss and a long-term client. That trade has never been difficult.
Why firms like ours exist
Who we work with
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Nonprofits
Audit preparation, Single Audit support, Form 990 support and board-level reporting for organisations across Los Angeles.
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Restaurants & retail
Sales tax, tip reporting, payroll and the monthly numbers that tell you whether a location is working.
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E-commerce
Multi-state nexus, marketplace facilitator rules, inventory and the sales tax registrations nobody wants to think about.
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Professional services
Agencies, practices and consultancies: entity structure, monthly close and the reporting that supports a real decision.
Where we work
Two clusters, one practice. Audit preparation and CFO work is largely remote with on-site visits where the engagement calls for it, so a little outside the ring is rarely a problem.
South Bay
El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Gardena, Carson, Hawthorne, Lawndale, San Pedro and Inglewood.
South Bay
Manhattan Beach
Home to our office at 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, for clients who would rather meet in person.
Manhattan Beach
West Los Angeles
Mar Vista, Culver City, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey and Playa Vista.
West LA
El Segundo
Growing companies, professional firms and owner-managed businesses, a short drive from our office.
El Segundo
Torrance
Manufacturing, distribution and the sales tax questions that come with both.
Torrance
Mar Vista
Agencies, practices and owner-managed businesses on the Westside.
Mar VistaTake this with you
The California compliance calendar
Every filing a Los Angeles business, nonprofit or association owes in a year, in date order, with the statute beside it. One page, so it can go on a wall.
- Federal, California and Los Angeles County dates in a single sequence
- Entity by entity, so you only read your own rows
- The citation for each date, so you can check it yourself
- Reviewed and dated, and reissued when a date moves
| When | Obligation and authority |
|---|---|
| 15 Mar | S-corporation (1120-S) and partnership (1065) returnsIRS |
| 31 Mar | Audited financial statements publicly availableGov. Code §12586(e) |
| ~30 Apr | HOA financial review distributed to membersCiv. Code §5305 |
| 31 Jul | Form 5500 for a calendar-year retirement planDOL / IRS |
| 15 Nov | Form 990 for a 30 June year endIRS / CA AG |
What clients say
I had a great experience working with WAGOPOP accounting firm. Tom was very professional, listed carefully to understand before working to accommodate my bussiness needs. And was able to Answer all my inquiries. I highly recommend them
I’ve had a great experience with this WAGOPOP. They offer a full range of services, including account controller support, sales tax management, accurate bookkeeping, and reliable payroll services. The team is professional, responsive, and truly understands the needs of small businesses. I highly recommend them for anyone looking for dependable and comprehensive accounting solutions. Thank you Tom
I recommended this place if you at California Manhattan Beach And you’re looking for something special, you have to visit this place. amazing definitely I will come again
Common questions
Not answered here? Ask us directly: we would rather explain it than have you guess.
What areas do you serve?
We work across the South Bay. El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Gardena, Carson, Hawthorne, Lawndale, San Pedro and Inglewood, and the Westside, including Mar Vista, Culver City, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey and Playa Vista. Audit preparation and CFO work is largely done remotely with on-site visits where the engagement calls for it, so being a little outside that ring is rarely a problem. Ask.
Do you perform audits?
No. We prepare you for an audit and support you through it, but the audit itself is performed by an independent auditor you engage. We close and reconcile the books, build the schedules and the PBC list, and help you engage an auditor. We do not perform reviews or compilations, and we issue no audit reports or opinions. More on audit preparation.
Do you do individual tax returns?
Our focus is business and organisational work: audit preparation, CFO support, accounting, payroll and sales tax. We are not a walk-in tax preparation shop, and during filing season that is deliberate, it keeps capacity available for the clients whose year-end work falls in that window. If you need a personal return alongside business work we handle, ask and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it.
How much does this cost?
It depends on real drivers, not a price list: the size and complexity of the organisation, how many funding sources or entities are involved, whether a Single Audit is required, and the condition of the records when we start. What does not vary is that you get a fixed scope and a fixed quote before any work begins, and that we will tell you if what you have been asked for is more than you actually need.
Can you take on work mid-year, or after another firm has started?
Yes, and it is more common than you would think. Firms merge, staff leave, and sometimes a relationship simply stops working. A mid-year handover of accounting or payroll is routine, and if you are changing auditors we can help you engage a new independent auditor and prepare what they will ask for. The main thing that determines difficulty is the state of the records, which we will assess before quoting.
How do we start?
Book a scoping call using the form on this page, or call us. We will ask what you need, who is asking you for it, and what condition your records are in, then tell you what the engagement involves and what it will cost before anything begins.
Book a scoping call
Twenty minutes, no charge. Tell us what you need and we will tell you what it involves, what it will take, and whether we are the right fit for it.
- A short call with the person who would actually do the work.
- A clear scope and a fixed quote before anything begins.
- We reply to every enquiry within one business day.
Prefer to talk now? Call (310) 220-0248
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm PT