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THE PRINCIPAL
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA
Principal of Natalie C. Papagni, CPA — Tax, Planning & Advisory Services serving professionals and high-income earners, executives with equity compensation, physicians and privately held businesses in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California.
or call (858) 754-8277
A UNIQUE CPA PRACTICE
High-trust relationships, built on an unwavering commitment to quality, integrity, service excellence and results.
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services was founded to provide clients the technical depth found at leading firms coupled with the direct access, responsiveness and unhurried attention found at boutique firms - without the expensive and uncertain hourly fees.
Natalie's career includes tax, planning & advisory leadership roles with leading public accounting, tax and advisory firms, including CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Armanino & SingerLewak LP and UBS.
At Natalie C. Papagni, CPA — Tax, Planning & Advisory Services, clients work directly with Natalie to define their plans and intentions and to architect their current-year and multi-year tax strategy. Their personal, business and trust returns, prepared and signed by Natalie, are the final step of a year planned with intention. There are no delays in communication, no hand-offs to a rotating pool of junior staff and no fee surprises.
Just the technical expertise you need, the service you deserve from a partner you can trust.
CREDENTIALS
Credentials & Recognition
BEYOND THE OFFICE, WHAT NATALIE ENJOYS
LICENSE
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
California Board of Accountancy
RECOGNITION
Gold Winner, Best of La Jolla, 2026 - Accounting Category
Times of San Diego - La Jolla Village News
EXPERIENCE
Leadership roles with leading CPA firms including CLA · Armanino · SingerLewak
Wealth Manager, Vice President, Investments, UBS
MEMBERSHIP
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
EDUCATION
B.A. Economics
University of California, Irvine
Ocean swimming, running, hiking, traveling, reading and enjoying the outdoors.
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services was built for clients who expect and deserve more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Natalie C. Papagni, CPA different from other CPAs in La Jolla and greater San Diego?
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA — Tax, Planning & Advisory Services is a forward-focused practice that helps clients make smart, timely, and intentional decisions to minimize current- and future-year tax liabilities, file accurate returns, and increase financial efficiency. Most CPAs spend the majority of their time working with historical figures to prepare reports. Here, clients work directly with the principal — not junior or mid-level staff — and the firm specializes in advanced tax planning and individual, business, trust, and estate tax preparation for high-income earners, professionals, physicians and healthcare professionals, and owner-entrepreneurs, rather than serving the general population as a generalist.
How is your work different from a traditional CPA relationship?
Many CPAs view client relationships as transactional and retrospective. This firm is forward-focused and invests in a high-trust relationship, ensuring clients have the information they need to make smart, timely decisions for optimal tax outcomes year after year. For most clients, preparing the year-end federal and state returns is the final step of the year's tax-planning initiative — not the primary service.
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA — Tax, Planning & Advisory Services commonly performs coordinated advanced tax planning and tax preparation for an owner-entrepreneur and the business or businesses they own and control, in La Jolla, greater San Diego, and throughout California.
What issues do individuals and business owners often have when they first come to you?
Many first-time clients previously worked with small, mid-sized, or large CPA firms whose approach was compliance-driven, historically focused, high-volume, and reactive rather than proactive and strategic. They became frustrated by impersonal service — multiple staff members, inconsistent communication, limited responsiveness, high fees, avoidable errors, and generic one-size-fits-all advice — often having stayed for years without meaningful guidance on the issues most important to them.
Can I work with the firm if I'm not currently a high-income earner but expect to be?
Often yes. The firm currently works with residents in the final year of their residency, professionals with vesting equity compensation (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, restricted stock), and new business owners who will benefit from advanced tax planning to prepare for the future.
What should I look for when searching for a CPA near me in La Jolla, greater San Diego, and California?
Look for a CPA with deep expertise in the areas relevant to your financial and tax structure, who emphasizes building a relationship, understanding what matters most to you and how you prefer to communicate, and who holds an unwavering commitment to quality, integrity, transparency, upholding tax laws, and service excellence.
What is the best way to contact Natalie C. Papagni, CPA?
The best first step is to schedule a consultation or call (858) 754-8277. If Natalie is in a meeting and unable to answer, she follows up within 24 hours. After the conversation, she will let you know whether there is a strong fit between your situation, interests, and objectives and the firm's model.
Are you available to meet in the early evenings and on weekends?
Yes. The firm frequently schedules early evening, Saturday, and Sunday appointments (by appointment only) for busy professionals via phone, Zoom, or in person — and often prefers those times over business hours when a business-hours meeting would feel rushed or distracted.