Jay E Reiner, CPA PLLC

My husband and I met with Jay today and loved meeting him. He is honest, comprehensive and direct. He made sure we did not leave until we had all the information and all questions were answered. He helped us understand what to expect in the upcoming tax year, Plus he is fun! If you dread going to talk to an accountant, talk to Jay. He makes it simple and understandable.

I reached out to Jay with a question about an early 401K withdrawal and how it might affect my tax return this year. He responded to my inquiry the same day and we were able to set up a meeting the following week. In a 1 hour session we worked through my estimated taxable income and how I should adjust withholdings based on the 401K withdrawal. His advice was sound and to the point. I really appreciate the quick and helpful service. You have my recommendation as a first rate CPA. Thanks again Jay.

My husband and I had an unusual tax year recently so we decided to hire an accountant. We found Jay on Unilocal and are quite happy with his work. Jay worked quickly, is smart, experienced, and very efficient. With him, you’re paying for quality. Jay is also extremely organized and it helped us to be organized, as well.

I contacted Jay with a question. He was very prompt with his response to me and answered my question within the hour. That is outstanding customer service. He was honest, gave me feedback, and was timely. Impressed with his attention to detail and ability to clearly communicate over email. Definitely recommend him for accounting and tax questions.

After years of a simple tax situation, I am suddenly faced with an extremely complex one with multiple decisions to make. I emailed Jay, based on the recommendations I saw here — giving him just a quick overview of my situation and questions. He replied promptly and suggested a one hour consultation at a set fee. I agreed, and we met. When I arrived, it was clear that Jay had researched my situation. He even had several relevant web pages open and ready to go over with me. He reviewed all of my options — covering my questions along the way. When we finished, I had a clear understanding of the risks and benefits of my options, and I have confidence that the plan we arrived at will serve me well. I plan to use Jay again.

My home burned down in 2014, and I needed help figuring out if it was possible to account for the loss on my tax return and exactly how to do it. Before hiring Jay, I contacted 2 other Unilocal-​rated tax services asking them the same questions. Jay was the only person who wrote back to me with compassion, honesty, and information. For example, he was up front about not having direct experience filing this type of loss (though he had done some related to car accidents) and did not think it fair to charge me for the time it would take for him to learn how to do it. He also sent me IRS bulletins with detailed information on the process for filing casualty loss to make sure I was an informed consumer before making the decision to hire any tax professional. In the end, I chose Jay for his professionalism and honesty. He’s also fiercely dedicated to his clients. Specifically, my former tax preparer was unable to produce copies of my previous tax returns callously claiming that his copies also «burned up». Jay not only contacted my former preparer when I was blown off but also tore him a new one citing chapter and version of the IRS circular stating that IRS-​recognized tax professionals are obligated to keep copies of past client returns. Jay has even offered to help me file a formal complaint against my former tax preparer, which demonstrates his high ethical standards and commitment to his clients. I am so glad to have met Jay, and I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for professional and personalized service. To top it all off, he got me back a return that was more than what I expected or could’ve gotten on my own. Jay is the best.

I recently reached out to Jay for a consultation to help me restructure my life for a more favorable tax situation. As we are planning to move over the border to MD later this year, Jay’s response to me was that, while he has a bunch of expertise with all of the things I wanted advisement on, he felt that it would be a better use of my time and money to establish a relationship with somebody in MD. He went on to explain that the last thing he would want is to be a disservice to his clients.
I would have been easy money for Jay; so, while I did not actually get to work with him on tax stuff, he gets my vote for just being an honest guy.

Despite reviewing some of the negative reviews here, I decided to contact Mr. Reiner for possible tax services. His response was nothing short of rude and condescending. Clearly he is doing well since he has been doing this for 30+ years. But the negative attitude and constant talking down to folks is completely unnecessary (just read some of the negative reviews here)
So we asked if we could chat with him on the phone to see if he can help us. He said, there is no such thing as a free consultation and he did not want to be «interviewed». So I sent a polite reply saying I value your time, and we just want to get an idea of what your fees are approximately. To which his response was, «we’re not going to make a good working team, as you’re looking to be economical with your tax prep costs, and I’m not „selling myself“ as that type of tax preparer.» He continued by saying, he only works with those folks who are not «watching the clock». As in, if you want to work with him, you better be willing to send a blank check.
He deduced all of this from one simple question, «we want to get an idea of what your fees are». Pretty incredible leap of faith from Mr. Reiner that my wife and I were not wealthy enough to be his «typical clients». He never even asked about our financial situation when he came to that conclusion. But per his email, «we are not going to make a good working team» and that was the end of that. Sure, you can state that you don’t advertise your rates but based on two emails to jump to these conclusions? To me, that is incredible rude and I hope people keep that in mind before doing business with Mr. Reiner.
Sure, if you are a small business owner or have a blank check to hand out, he perhaps is great. But if you want someone to judge you with zero background information and get a few condescending emails, please do contact Mr. Reiner.
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Quick response to the reply Mr. Reiner posted to my original review:
I am not here to post my business. So sure I have a screen-​name, as do many others on Unilocal.No one in Unilocal knows who I am, so I don’t understand why that is even a point. What matters is whether I write something truthful or not. And every thing I wrote is the truth. But thank you for calling me pathetic. Shows your true character.
Anonymous review? Every review on Unilocal is anonymous. Again I fail to see your point. I also never claimed to have worked with you. I even said in my original review, it appears you do good work for those that pass your initial screening. But to others, you are very condescending.
And to poke a hole in your analogy, actually when you call a doctor’s office, you ask if they are in your network. And you also ask what the co-​pay is. So actually yes, you DO decide whether to go to that doctor based on those facts. And no one here is expecting you to give your business away from free. I am not even sure how you came to that conclusion.
People can read this response and see the tone in your response, «I have never professed to be looking for the same clients as TurboTax or H&R Block, so for the „shoppers“ out there who are just looking for cheap tax prep».
Again, he made an assumption that my wife and I were looking for a «cheap tax prep»! Which could not be farther from the truth! I actually waited to post this reply because we just found a great CPA who is doing our taxes at a much higher cost than any «turbo tax client». The difference between them and Mr. Reiner? Being treated with respect.

This was my third year with Jay doing my tax preparation. All of my earlier comments still apply. I’ll just add that he’s consistent, reliable, and responds to questions quickly. Also, since my initial review he has added the ability to upload/​download documents to/​from a secure site, which is much nicer than having to deal with paper.

I hired Jay when I worked for a local non profit. We were in need of someone to help clean up a mess left behind. He was being fantastic. As someone who is not an counting but had to assist in financials he truly helped explain items to me when I had questions and was so professional dealing with some difficult personalities. I can’t speak highly enough of Jay and rest assured would hire him in a heartbeat when I need to. I genuinely miss dealing with him on a daily basis. He also has a great sense of humor!

This was our first time working with Jay, and I must say it was an Awesome experience! We’ve done our taxes on our own in the past, however, this year was particularly complex — a couple of moves, getting married, stocks… you get the picture.
Our first meeting with Jay went very smoothly, we had a great conversation and developed a good repor. Afterwards, we uploaded all the necessary documents to a secure site, next thing we knew our taxes were done and our refund was larger than the TurboTax estimate!
Jay is an amazing CPA and I would trust him with our taxes again in the future. Of course if you’re asking for a 24 hour turn around in early april, you’re probably going to be disappointed with anyone. However, if you’re looking for an fantastic CPA who is fun, knowledgeable, and professional, Jay is your man!
Now, go get your taxes done right!

I emailed Jay today inquiring about his services, and the man is simply delightful. Even though it was made clear that he might not be the best professional for my situation, he was honest and accommodating. Great customer service without ever even meeting him!

In just a few words, it was clear to me what I needed to do, and where my money could better serve me. A CPA is not the answer right now, but it will be for next tax season, and I know exactly who is getting my business-​Jay Reiner.

Jay was a fantastic resource for my tax questions. We handled everything over email, and his responses were timely, informative, and articulate. I have tried others in the past, and Jay is by far the most attentive and professional. I’ll be contacting him again when tax season rolls around.

Jay is the best!!! I met Jay through the Arlington Chamber. I got burned by my last CPA and was weary of going through the same issues again with a new CPA. Jay was slightly more expensive but in the end he was SOOOOO much less expensive. (Note: It’s worth it to pay a higher hourly rate for someone who is smarter and sharper and can do it in less time) The guy knows taxes in and out and was able to answer all my questions in easy to understand responses. My taxes this year were more complicated than they have ever been in the past, but this year felt like a breeze getting through them thanks to Jay. I feel like my husband and I have finally found a CPA who is our trusted advisor. I feel a huge weight lifted from our shoulders after finding a CPA who has our back! It’s a rough world out there and it’s a little easier with a great CPA.

Our experience with Jay was wonderful!
Being newlyweds, my wife and I were hit with a large tax bill, and the reason we sought professional help was to learn what we could do to prevent this next year. In our initial meeting, Jay told us everything we needed to know, and how he works best with his clients. I have to say that Jay was refreshingly open about his expectations of what he needed from us, and most importantly what we should expect from him.
Jay was very responsive to any and all questions, and gave really helpful advice for our future taxes. I strongly recommend Jay’s services, especially for newlyweds with tax questions.

Jay is a great accountant. Very friendly, very responsive, very smart accountant. His instructions and process are very clear. His secure file uploading system means you can get materials to him lickety-​split. He’s helped us a lot with figuring out our rental property deductions and retirement contributions. His rates are very fair for the level of service he provides. I’ve paid lots of cash to HR Block and gotten much less service (i.e., me and the internet could have filed my taxes that year…). So, if you have any complications, it pays to hire a professional. I’m confident he’s saved us more money than we’ve likely paid him. And, it’s nice to keep my money in Arlington rather than at taxes-​r-​us.

Jay has really turned my books around. I owe him a huge debt of thanks. I met Jay several times at an Arlington Chamber events. He was such a nice guy and my fiancé (and business partner) decided to set up a meeting to learn about his services. I was having some troubles with the CPA I was working with (I just didn’t know how much trouble until I met with Jay) and my fiancé wanted to go meet with Jay to see if he could help me.
After she persuaded me to meet with him, I did. He made me feel very comfortabhile and he knew Quickbooks Online (my other CPA did not) I was concerned because his prices were slightly higher but in the end he was much less expensive (It took him half the time that it took my previous CPA.
I am so glad that I met Jay and I have him on my team. It makes me wonder how many other service providers I’m using that there is a much better option… that costs me less in the longer run.
I highly recommend him and my fiancé will also be using him for her taxes this year.

I found Mr. Reiner on Unilocal.Despite a negative review about dealing with questions, most were positive. I have always done my returns and this was the first time I looked into hiring an accountant because I am now married, have a rental property, etc. Not knowing how the industry works outside of Turbo Tax and Tax Act Online, I asked Mr. Reiner how to get started. He sent me the instructions in which I accidentally misread. After a couple of emails back and forth, Mr. Reiner declined to work with me. I find this unsettling, especially for a service industry such as this. Here is his reply to me:
«I’m sorry, but I don’t think this is going to work out with us. I’m absolutely slammed at the moment, and I don’t have time to repeat myself three times to people. I was very clear in my initial note below about what I needed for an engagement letter. You didn’t read my note, and didn’t mention about the engagement letter in your first reply below. I repeated that you needed to read my original note, and give me the information that I need for the engagement letter, and your next reply directly below still didn’t give me the information that I need. I can’t keep chasing after you for this, and in my head it sets the tone for how the return prep is going to go, and I don’t have the time or the heart to chase after people this late in tax season. I’m sorry.»
Take this for what it is worth, but I would not recommend Mr. Reiner’s services.

I wrote to ask about his rates, and all I got was a condescending reply about how asking about rates was for all intents and purposes, beneath him.
It seems most ironic that someone who, I assume, talks about money all day, won”t openly discuss his rates.
Transparency is something to be valued, not scoffed at.
Would *really* not recommend.

We had just launched a small-​business and we were looking for someone to provide professional accounting services. Jay was very patient with us and provided a lot of personal care and attention that you probably wouldn’t be able to get from a bigger accounting firm. He gets my vote.