4275 Executive Square Suite 200 La Jolla CA 92037 (858) 754-8277
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services
A Different Kind of CPA Firm
Serving individuals & high-income earners, physicians & healthcare professionals. executives with equity compensation (ISOs, NSOs & RSUs), owner-entrepreneurs & privately held businesses that expect and deserve more.
or Call: (858) 754-8277
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA
Tax, Planning & Advisory Services
Serving Clients in La Jolla, Greater San Diego & throughout California
We Provide Every Client with What They Want, Expect and Deserve:
The technical depth found at leading firms, coupled with the direct access, responsiveness & unhurried attention of boutique firms — without the expensive hourly fees.
Let's get our conversation started today
CLIENTS WE SERVE
Clients Whose Finances Aren't Simple
INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES
Individuals & high-income Earners Multi-year strategic tax planning, quarterly tax management, tax preparation and advisory effective in minimizing tax liabilities and effective tax rates - with confidence & clarity.
Professionals & Executives with Equity Compensation Multi-year tax planning and tax preparation for professionals and executives with RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, ESPP and restricted stock in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
We model federal and California AMT separately, sequence ISO exercises to minimize AMT, and build AMT credit recovery plans. We also plan around a move out of California, where the timing of a sale decides whether California can still tax your options. Projections are updated at least quarterly as fair market values change, so your plan stays reliable
Physicians & Healthcare Professionals Multi-year tax planning, quarterly tax management, tax preparation and advisory for physicians and healthcare professionals with W-2, 1099 locum tenens and private practice income, from residency through retirement, in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
For professional medical corporations with an S-Corporation election: Post-formation setup: Form 2553 filing, EIN, financial set-up, reasonable compensation analysis, accountable reimbursement plan design and year-round guidance on shareholder basis and distributions, QBI, the California PTET election, retirement plan(s) selection, and more. 1020S, 100S and multi-state tax filings (when needed).
Owner-Entrepreneurs Tax planning and tax preparation for business owners in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California, starting with the right entity choice: sole proprietorship, LLC or S-corporation. Services include post-formation S-corporation and LLC setup packages, business financial management, multi-year tax planning, and personal and business tax returns.
PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES
Professional Medical Corporations Integrated strategic tax planning, quarterly tax management, personal and 1120S & 100S tax preparation and advisory for physician shareholders and their practices in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California. Year-round guidance & support in areas including shareholder basis & distribution planning, the PTET election, depreciation strategies and more.
S-Corporations Integrated multi-year strategic tax planning, quarterly tax management, Form 1120S, California 100S and multi-state tax filings and advisory for new and existing S-corporations and their shareholders in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
For new S-corporations, our post-formation set-up package include Form 2553 filing, obtaining an EIN, financial set-up, payroll set-up, reasonable compensation analysis, accountable plan design, and year-round guidance & support in areas including shareholder basis & distribution planning, the PTET election, depreciation strategies and more.
Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) Integrated multi-year strategic tax planning, quarterly tax management tax filings for owners and their single-member and multi-member LLCs (Schedule C, Form 1065 or Form 1120-S, Form 568 and multi-state tax filings for clients in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
For new LLCs, our post-formation set-up package includes tax election selection, comparing default treatment (a disregarded entity for single-member LLCs, a partnership for multi-member LLCs) with an S-corporation election. It also includes obtaining an EIN, Form 2553 or 8832 filing when an election is made, financial set-up, payroll set-up for LLCs electing S-corporation status, and reimbursement plan design. Year-round guidance and support covers areas including self-employment tax planning, QBI, PTET eligibility, the California LLC annual tax and fee, depreciation strategies and more.
Partnerships Integrated multi-year strategic tax planning, quarterly tax management, federal Form 1065, California Form 565 and multi-state tax filings and advisory for new and existing partnerships and their partners in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
We prepare partner K-1s and track partner basis and capital accounts, so every distribution and loss allocation is supported. Guaranteed payments and distributions are planned together with each partner’s personal tax picture. Each year we model whether the California PTET election pays, and we time estimates to keep year-end free of surprises.
Why Clients Choose Natalie C. Papagni, CPA
Gold Winner, Best of La Jolla 2026 - Accounting Category
(Times of San Diego - La Jolla Village News Readers' Choice Awards
Technical Expertise Found at Leading Firms Coupled with the Direct Access, Responsiveness and Unhurried Attention found at Boutique Firms - without the Expensive Hourly Fees
With more than 15 years of experience as a CPA specializing in tax, Natalie C. Papagni architects tax strategy, guides advanced planning, and personally prepares her clients' individual, business and trust tax returns.
A licensed California CPA and AICPA member, Natalie offers the credentials, technical depth and precision found at large firms, with the direct access, personalized attention and responsiveness found at boutique firms and fixed fees.
Most CPA practices are built for volume: compliance-driven, focused on the past, rigid in their guidance, provide limited service, frugal with their time and structured to treat clients as a transaction. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services was built to provide clients who expect and deserve more.
Tax Preparation vs Tax Planning:
Your Equity Comp, Explained:
The ISO AMT Trap:
How Incentive Stock Options Trigger AMT - and How to Plan Around It →
The ISO 100k Rule:
Choosing Your Business Entity:
Should Your Practice Elect S-Corporation Status?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you work primarily with high-income earners?
Yes. Clients we typically serve have household incomes in the $250,000 to $2 million range and have evolving financial structures. Clients include professionals and executives with and without equity compensation (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, founder stock), physicians and healthcare professionals, owner-entrepreneurs, and the S-corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and successful sole proprietorships they own and control. Our business is built on clear and efficient communications, proven processes, and trust.
What is the best way to contact Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services?
You can book a complimentary 30-minute consultation with Natalie C. Papagni, CPA — Tax, Planning & Advisory Services online at lajollataxcpa.com by calling (858) 754-8277 or by emailing npapagni@lajollataxcpa.com. Consultations are available by phone, Zoom or in person at 4275 Executive Square, Suite 200, La Jolla, with evening and weekend times available by appointment. The firm provides tax planning, preparation and advisory services to clients throughout San Diego County and California.
Do you work with clients throughout California, or only in La Jolla and San Diego?
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA serves clients in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California, notably the San Francisco Bay Area. When appropriate, Natalie travels to meet clients outside Southern California. The firm also works regularly with clients in California and out of state through Zoom, phone and email, supported by a secure client portal with bank-level encryption, so location is never a barrier.
What does a proactive CPA firm do differently in California?
A proactive CPA firm plans ahead rather than simply recording what already happened. Instead of meeting once a year to file returns, it builds multi-year projections, reviews them quarterly, and recommends moves before deadlines pass, such as timing stock option exercises, making the California PTET election or funding retirement plans. Clients work directly with the CPA, not a rotating staff, and know their tax picture before year-end. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA in La Jolla works this way for every client, for a fixed fee agreed in advance.
Which La Jolla CPA firm can handle my personal and business tax planning and tax preparation needs?
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA – Tax, Planning & Advisory Services, located in La Jolla, coordinates personal and business tax planning and tax preparation for owner-entrepreneurs and the businesses they own and control, so both are planned together for the best possible outcome. The firm serves clients in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
What is your fee structure?
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA – Tax, Planning & Advisory Services offers fixed-fee arrangements for the majority of engagements.
Can the firm fix mistakes made by a previous tax preparer?
Yes. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA reviews returns prepared by prior CPAs and preparers, and handles remediation directly: amended individual and business returns, corrective filings for retirement plan contribution errors, and penalty abatement requests where reasonable cause exists.
What questions should I ask before hiring a new CPA firm?
Ask these six questions before engaging any CPA firm, and pay attention to how directly they're answered:
(1) Who will actually prepare my return—you, or staff?
(2) Who reviews and signs it?
(3) How long has that person been with the firm?
(4) Will I have direct access to a CPA, or does communication go through staff or admin?
(5) Are fees fixed and quoted in advance, or hourly?
(6) Is any part of the work outsourced? The first three questions expose the leverage model: at many firms, the person selling you the engagement is not the person doing the work. You should leave the initial consultation knowing exactly one name: the person responsible for your work. If you leave with a team org chart instead, the relationship will be diluted from day one.
At Natalie C. Papagni, CPA – Tax, Planning & Advisory Services, you have direct access to Natalie C. Papagni, CPA, the Principal of the firm. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA will work closely with you to architect your tax strategy, guide you through advanced tax planning initiatives, and prepare and sign your individual and business tax returns. You will not be handed off to junior staff or experience rotating staff year after year.
Where can I book tax planning and advisory services in San Diego?
You can book a complimentary 30-minute consultation with Natalie C. Papagni, CPA — Tax, Planning & Advisory Services online at lajollataxcpa.com by calling (858) 754-8277 or by emailing npapagni@lajollataxcpa.com. Consultations are available by phone, Zoom or in person at 4275 Executive Square, Suite 200, La Jolla, with evening and weekend times available by appointment. The firm provides tax planning, preparation and advisory services to clients throughout San Diego County and California.