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4275 Executive Square Suite 200
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 754-8277

Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services
4275 Executive Square Suite 200 La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 754-8277
A Different Kind of CPA Firm.
For Professionals, High-Income Earners, Physicians, Owners & Businesses That Expect More.

We've Been Nominated
Best of La Jolla 2026 * Accounting Category

Thank you to our clients and the community
for your continued support!

The Expertise You Need.
The Service You Deserve. A Partner You Can Trust.
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA – Tax, Planning & Advisory is a modern, proactive CPA firm built on strong communication, genuine client engagement and a commitment to adding high-impact value to our clients.
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​Recognized as one of the best CPA firms in La Jolla, we provide the technical expertise of leading CPA, tax and advisory firms with the personalized service, responsiveness and unhurried attention of boutique firms - without the elevated fees.
We assist professionals and high-income earners, executives with equity compensation, physicians and healthcare professionals, business owners, s-corps, partnerships and successful sole proprietorships in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California make smart, timely decisions to minimize tax liabilities, file timely and accurate tax returns, plan for the future and live their best lives. ​
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Our clients value strong communications, a genuine relationship, a proactive approach, grounded conversations, quiet confidence and a steady hand.
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We understand how overwhelming taxes can be for high-income earners, physicians, business owners and businesses and the discomfort uncertainty can create. ​Our services were designed with you in mind.
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We invite you to let us assist you transform complexity and uncertainty into financial clarity - and confidence.​
Why Choose Natalie C. Papagni, CPA
Most CPA practices are built for volume: compliance-driven, historically focused, offer a decades-old culture, rigid guidance and view clients as a transaction. Our firm was built for clients that expect and deserve more.
With 15+ year of experience, we are proactive, lead with a forward-focused, disciplined mindset and quiet confidence you can rely on year-after-year. Responsiveness is prompt, service is personalized and efficient, attention is unhurried, fees are fixed and quoted in advance.
We expect, welcome and encourage our clients to call anytime they have a question or information to share, or we can be of service in anyway. Strong communications with our clients enhance our ability to add high-impact value and enhances tax outcomes - year-after-year.
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Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services thrives on building genuine long-term, high-trust relationships, transforming complexity into clarity, peace of mind and confidence. Custom-tailored, client-specific planning comes first, incorporating expertise in areas that matter to you most, followed by expert-level tax preparation in compliance with tax laws designed to assist you maximize tax efficiency.​​
Clients We Serve
Individuals & High Income Earners
Professionals and high-income earners with household incomes typically ranging from $250k to $2,000,000+.
Tax, planning & advisory for professionals and high-income earners with multiple income streams that may include wages, equity compensation (ISOs, RSUs, NSOs, ESPPs, founders stock) bonuses, investments, K-1s, rental real estate and/or or business income.
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Advanced Tax Planning
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Federal and State Tax Preparation
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Financial and Retirement Planning​​​​​​
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Tax Consulting
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Planning, structuring, timing and coordination essential to make smart decisions and optimize tax saving and efficiency.
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Its time to transform financial complexity into clarity, minimize tax liabilities and effective tax rates, gain control of your financial future, eliminate year-end surprises and financial anxiety, increase financial efficiency, confidence and live your best life.​
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Physicians & Healthcare Professionals
Physicians and healthcare professionals frequently have multi-layered income streams, including W-2 wages, 1099 compensation, private practice income, complex investments, K-1s, rental income, practice income, and a unique financial trajectory. Each layer of income introduces unique tax implications.
A CPA specializing in working with physicians and healthcare professionals from residency-to-retirement is essential to align and refine income coordination, financial structures, the timing of decisions, multi-layered retirement plans, withholdings and estimated tax payments, tax preparation and custom advisory in areas that matter to you most.
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Advanced Tax Planning
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Federal and State Tax Preparation
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Financial and Retirement Planning​​​​​​
Practice Advisory -
S-corp Optimization
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Business Tax Preparation
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Accounting
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Tax Consulting
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Its time to transform financial complexity into clarity, minimize tax liabilities and effective tax rates, target and achieve your financial goals - from residency-to-retirement, plan for and achieve financial independence, and make work optional. ​
Business Owners - Entrepreneurs
& S-Corps, LLCs, Partnerships &
Successful Sole Proprietorships
Business owners navigate multi-layered tax obligations, including entity-level filings, pass-through income, reasonable compensation requirements, self-employment tax exposure, basis tracking and a constantly shifting regulatory landscape.
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Entity Selection & S-corp Optimization
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Advanced Tax Planning
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Compensation, Benefits & Mult-layered Retirement Plans
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QBI & PTET Optimization
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Individual & Business Tax Preparation
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Tax Consulting
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Learn how we can assist you transform entity complexity into clarity, optimize decisions and the benefits of business ownership, minimize personal and business tax liabilities, align your entity structure with your financial intentions​​
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you work primarily with high-income earners?​
Yes. Clients we typically serve are high income earners ($250,000 - $2 Mil+/-) with growing financial structures, including professionals with and without equity compensation, physicians and healthcare professionals - from residency to retirement, business owners - entrepreneurs and businesses. Our business is built on relationships, strong communications and assisting our clients target and intentionally and strategically achieve their tax liability and effective tax rate minimization goals.
What is the best way to contact Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services?
The best first-step is to schedule a complimentary consultation with Natalie following the link on this website, call (858) 754-8277 or send an email to npapagni@lajollataxcpa.com.
Which La Jolla CPA firm can handle my personal and business tax planning and tax preparation needs?
Located in La Jolla, CA Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services serves clients in La Jolla, greater San Diego and throughout California, and specializes in coordinating the personal and business tax planning initiatives, tax preparation and financial planning activities for our business owner clients at levels providing them the best opportunity to target and achieve optimal outcomes.
What issues do individuals you meet for the first time often have?
Most clients who come to us previously worked with CPA firms — small, mid-sized, or large — whose approach was compliance-driven, high-volume, and reactive rather than strategic. They grew frustrated with impersonal service models: rotating staff, inconsistent communication, slow responsiveness, high fees, avoidable errors, and mediocre results. Often, they had stayed with those firms for years without ever receiving meaningful guidance on the tax and financial issues that mattered most to them. They received generic, one-size-fits-all planning instead of strategy tailored to their circumstances and goals. As a result, they were left unclear about what actually drives their tax liability, which planning opportunities apply to them, and how major financial decisions affect their long-term outcomes. Instead of making informed decisions in advance, they found themselves reacting after the fact.
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Compounding the problem, many were receiving fragmented advice from professionals working in isolation — their CPA, financial advisor, and attorney rarely coordinating. The result: conflicting strategies, missed opportunities, and no cohesive long-term plan.
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Natalie C. Papagni, CPA was specifically built to overcome these obstacles.
How is working with a CPA specializing in tax planning different from a traditional CPA relationship?
Many CPAs view their client relationships as transactional and retrospective. At Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services, we value and respect every client we serve and invest the time to build a productive, high-trust relationship. Unlike most CPAs, we are forward-focused, act as your tax strategist and ensure our clients have the information they need to make smart, timely and effective decisions to achieve optimal tax outcomes - year after year. We excel in building financial and tax projections factoring in scenario analysis, tax strategies, applicable tax laws and explicit decision frameworks to guide actions throughout the year. For most of our clients, the preparation of year-end federal and state tax returns is the final step of the year's tax planning initiative - not the primary service we provide.
What should I look for when searching for a CPA near me in La Jolla, greater San Diego and California?
You will want to definitely look for a CPA with deep expertise in areas relevant to your financial and tax structures that places a strong emphasis on building a relationship, understanding what matters to you most, and how you like to communicate, and has an unwavering commitment to quality, integrity, transparency, upholding tax laws and service excellence.
What is the value of tax planning? Will it pay for itself?
For most clients with a business entity or complex income, yes — often several times over. Prior to beginning an engagement, Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services works on fixed, flat fee agreements. If additional information is provided during an engagement increasing engagement complexity or scope, we will discuss the additional work effort required and agree upon any additional fees.
Do I need to be in La Jolla or San Diego to work with you?
No. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services serves professionals & high-income earners, physicians & healthcare professionals, business owners - entrepreneurs and businesses throughout California. We generally travel to Northern California multiple times a year for client meetings. Our full encrypted file sharing portal, state of the art technology, responsiveness, and availability for Zoom meetings and phone calls make location irrelevant.
What is the company's culture?
Our company is rooted in four key values– quality, compassion, integrity, and always striving to add high-impact value and results. We are committed to building authentic and genuine relationships, deliver excellence, exceed expectations and supporting the clients and communities we serve.
Can I work with Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services if I'm not currently a high-income earner however that is my future?
Yes. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA- Tax, Planning & Advisory Services is, in fact, currently working with a number of Residents in the last year of their Residency, professionals with vesting RSUs and new business owners that are not currently high-income earners, however benefit from our financial and multi-year strategic tax planning guidance as their financial growth trajectory is strong.
I have a busy schedule, making it difficult to schedule a meeting business hours. Are you available to meet early evenings and on Saturdays?
Yes. Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services frequently schedules early evening, Saturday and Sunday appointments (by appointment only) for busy professionals via phone, Zoom and/or in-person. In fact, we prefer to schedule meetings in the early evening, on Saturday or on Sunday vs during business hours if a meeting during business hours would be inconvenient for our client, our meeting would be rushed, our client would be distracted and or frequently interrupted making it difficult to have a focused, high-value-add meeting. Having a high-quality meeting is important to us.
What is your fee structure?
Natalie C. Papagni, CPA - Tax, Planning & Advisory Services offers fixed fee tax, planning & advisory engagements with fees quoted and agreed-upon in advance. After discussing your situation, interests and goals and reviewing prior-year tax returns we'll provide a fixed, flat fee for the engagement — whether that's tax preparation, a focused planning project, or year-round advisory with quarterly meetings — so you know exactly what the work costs before it begins. And the fee always includes your questions: clients are encouraged to call or email anytime, because a question you hesitate to ask is often the one that costs the most. * If information unknown at the beginning of the arrangement is uncovered and/or the engagement scope expands during our engagement, we will discuss and agree upon the expanded work involved and any additional fees that may result.

Natalie C. Papagni, CPA
Tax, Planning & Advisory Services
4275 Executive Square Suite 200
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 754-8277
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