by Dr. William Sen
For Germans living in San Diego and the United States, taxes can quickly become more complicated than filing a standard U.S. tax return.
Many German-speaking residents still maintain financial connections to Germany. This may include German bank accounts, investments, pensions, rental property, business interests, inheritance matters, or income from both countries. At the same time, U.S. reporting requirements such as FBAR and FATCA may apply.
The difficult part is often not recognizing that professional help is needed. It is finding the right professional.
We recently asked members of the German-speaking community for recommendations for CPAs, tax advisors, and tax attorneys who have experience with German-American tax matters. We received numerous responses and personal recommendations.
To protect the privacy of our community members, we are not publishing the names of the individuals who submitted recommendations. However, we are sharing the professionals and firms they recommended so that the information can benefit the wider German-speaking community.
One point came up repeatedly in the responses: finding one person who can fully handle both German and U.S. taxation is not always easy.
A U.S. CPA may understand U.S. federal and state taxation but may not be qualified to provide German tax advice. A German Steuerberater may understand German taxation but may not be licensed or experienced in preparing U.S. tax returns.
For more complicated situations, the solution may therefore involve two professionals working together:
This distinction is especially important when dealing with foreign assets, business ownership, inheritance, pensions, real estate, or tax residency questions.
Rödl was one of the most relevant recommendations for people specifically looking for German-American tax expertise.
The firm originated in Germany and operates numerous offices throughout the United States. Its U.S. practice focuses heavily on internationally active and foreign-owned businesses, and several of its professionals hold both German and U.S. professional qualifications.
This makes Rödl particularly interesting for complicated situations involving both countries.
Website: roedl.us
Joerg Kemkes was recommended for German-American tax matters, particularly when professional assistance is required on the German side.
Kemkes is a German Steuerberater and works with Rueter Partner, which has a presence in both Germany and San Francisco. For German-speaking residents in California, this may be particularly useful when German tax expertise is required alongside U.S. advice.
Joerg Kemkes
Rueter Partner Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH
San Francisco / Munich
j.kemkes@rueterpartner.de
Hannes Rieker was personally recommended by a member of the community.
The feedback was particularly positive regarding professional knowledge and the overall experience working with him.
For someone looking specifically for a CPA, this may be a useful first contact to determine whether the particular German-American tax situation falls within the firm’s area of expertise.
Website: riekercpa.com
Monique Luegger in Berlin was another personally recommended contact for U.S. tax matters involving people with connections to Germany.
Americans’ Income Tax Service focuses on American taxation from Germany. This can make the service particularly relevant for Americans in Germany as well as people dealing with U.S. tax obligations while maintaining connections to Germany.
Monique Luegger
Americans’ Income Tax Service
Berlin, Germany
office@usataxberlin.com
Not every cross-border tax issue requires a CPA.
Bret Gregory Hamelin is a San Diego attorney whose practice includes tax law. He was recommended as a possible resource for the U.S. side of German-American tax matters.
For situations involving legal tax questions rather than only tax-return preparation, a tax attorney may be more appropriate than a CPA.
Bret Gregory Hamelin, A.P.L.C.
San Diego, California
bhamelin@cox.net
Hutchinson and Bloodgood, commonly known as H&B, is a California CPA and consulting firm with international tax capabilities.
The firm provides international tax compliance and planning services and works with individuals and businesses on international taxation.
For German-American clients, it would be important to ask specifically whether the appropriate professional has experience with Germany, as international taxation covers many different countries.
Website: hb.cpa/services/international
Another community response provided the contact information for Arif Hamid as a potential tax resource.
Arif Hamid
taxhelp@gmx.net
+49 6221 7140886
The recommendation did not include enough information to determine the exact professional qualification or the extent of specific German-American tax expertise.
Anyone contacting this provider should therefore first explain their circumstances and confirm whether the required U.S. and German tax issues can be handled.
Bill O’Connor of Applied Finance was recommended based on long-term positive personal experience.
Bill O’Connor
Applied Finance
949-380-1210
appliedfinance.com
The recommendation itself was positive, but it did not establish the extent to which German taxation is part of the practice.
If your situation involves both countries, ask specifically about experience coordinating U.S. tax reporting with German tax obligations.
Peter Tabert and Tax & Ledgers Professionals were also recommended by a community member based on long-term personal experience.
The recommendation mentioned experience with international clients.
Peter Tabert
Tax & Ledgers Professionals
760-480-1040
As with several of the recommendations on this list, anyone with specifically German-American tax issues should confirm the firm’s experience with Germany before engaging its services.
Grewe & Partners LLP in Rye, New York was another firm mentioned by the community.
Grewe & Partners LLP
11 Elm Place
Rye, NY 10580
Anyone considering the firm for German-American tax matters should confirm its current areas of practice and experience with cross-border cases involving Germany.
For people who need professionals in more than one country, the German Professional Services Alliance, or GPSA, may provide another starting point.
GPSA is an international alliance of independent accounting, tax, legal, audit, and consulting firms. Rather than being one CPA firm, it can be useful for identifying professionals who operate within an international network.
Website: gpsa-international.com/country/usa
Several additional firms and professionals were mentioned during the community research.
Numerical LLC was recommended as an international accounting option. Anyone considering the firm should verify its current locations, services, and experience with German-American tax matters before engaging it.
HEUKING in Germany was also mentioned. HEUKING is primarily a law firm rather than a U.S. CPA firm, so its role may be more relevant where German legal or tax-law issues require specialized legal advice.
JRT International / Jost Rhodius received a positive recommendation based on previous experience. However, the information provided to us indicated that new clients were no longer being accepted, so this may not currently be a practical option.
A recommendation is a useful starting point, but German-American taxation can involve very different issues depending on the individual situation.
Before engaging a professional, it is useful to ask:
The answers can quickly determine whether a particular advisor is appropriate for your situation.
These terms are not interchangeable.
A CPA is a U.S. Certified Public Accountant. CPAs commonly provide accounting, tax preparation, tax planning, and related financial services.
A Steuerberater is a regulated German tax professional authorized to provide tax advice under German law.
A U.S. tax attorney is a lawyer who practices in tax law and may become particularly important when a matter involves legal interpretation, disputes, tax controversies, business structures, estate planning, or other legal questions.
For straightforward situations, one professional may be sufficient. For more complicated German-American matters, cooperation between professionals in both countries may be necessary.
The professionals and firms listed here were suggested to SD Germans through responses from members of the German-speaking community.
SD Germans does not receive compensation for listing these professionals, and inclusion should not be interpreted as a professional endorsement or guarantee. We have also intentionally not identified the community members who provided individual recommendations because those conversations were private.
Professional qualifications, areas of practice, availability, fees, and experience can change. Before hiring anyone, verify that the advisor is appropriately licensed and experienced for your particular circumstances.
Nevertheless, personal recommendations can be extremely valuable when navigating an unfamiliar professional system in another country. By making these community suggestions available in one place, we hope to give German-speaking residents of San Diego and beyond a practical starting point for finding the right tax assistance.