About Us

Navolio & Tallman LLP is a mid-sized CPA firm headquartered in Walnut Creek and serves the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Our professionals uphold the highest industry standards and offer the sophisticated expertise and advanced knowledge of a “Big Four” accounting firm with the personalized service only a smaller firm provides.

Our passion for delivering awesome client service drives us to provide our clients with attainable, forward-thinking solutions. Whether it’s for tax preparation, income tax planning, wealth transfer or estate planning, retirement or business-succession planning, audit, business advisory, or other accounting-related services, our clients’ goals become our goals, and their desire for excellence becomes our commitment to providing the highest level of client service.

We use the most innovative technology in our profession. We have a secure portal system in place that enables us to seamlessly and securely communicate and exchange confidential documents and tax information with our clients around the globe.

As a proud member of GGI, an international network of elite, like-minded professionals providing similar services in other countries around the world, we have access to and can connect our clients with advisors who are located in and familiar with accounting and tax laws in other countries as needed.


Partners

Our partners have extensive experience providing tax planning and compliance, audit, advisory, and accounting services to a sophisticated clientele. A broad spectrum of securities funds, private equity and venture capital firms, real estate firms, high-net-worth and ultra high-net-worth individuals, and closely-held businesses rely on our specialized tax, advisory, audit, and accounting services.

John C. Navolio, CPA
John C. Navolio, CPA
John C. Navolio, CPA

John C. Navolio, CPA

John is the firm’s Managing Partner and has more than 30 years of public accounting experience serving a diverse clientele. He provides both audit and tax services and possesses a breadth of expertise that allows him to adopt a holistic approach with all clients. John works extensively with alternative investments, high-net-worth and ultra high-net-worth individuals, closely-held businesses, start-up ventures, and other entrepreneurs in various industries including hedge funds, venture capital, real estate, wineries, and a variety of other private businesses. His deep understanding of the interrelationships between businesses and their owners and investors puts him in a unique position to provide innovative tax planning and advisory services in areas such as tax-efficient entity structuring, executive compensation planning with stocks and other equity interests, complex wealth transfer strategies, business consulting and management advisory, and tax minimization techniques.

John began his career with international CPA firm KPMG (formerly Main Hurdman). He then practiced for 20 years at Harb, Levy & Weiland LLP (now EisnerAmper LLP) in San Francisco, where, in addition to serving his clients, his contributions at the manager and partner levels included growing the firm from a staff of 20 to 100; serving on the firm’s Executive Committee; developing and overseeing the human resources function (including recruiting, staff training, and mentoring); and spearheading the development of an overseas operation based in Mumbai, India.

John is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay) and completed graduate-level courses in taxation at Golden Gate University.

Outside of the office, John enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, is an avid golfer and a wine enthusiast, and has traveled extensively through the vineyards of France.

David S. Tallman, CPA
David S. Tallman, CPA
David S. Tallman, CPA

David S. Tallman, CPA

David has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting and specializes in strategic planning to minimize income, gift, and estate tax for high-net-worth and ultra high-net-worth individuals and their families. His in-depth knowledge of income tax and estate planning is drawn from his extensive experience with complex wealth transfer structures including family limited partnerships, charitable remainder trusts, and various forms of grantor trusts. David is also well-versed in the analysis of qualified small business stock (QSBS) and in providing sophisticated planning with respect to executive compensation, incentive stock options (ISO’s), nonqualified stock options (NQSO’s), and restricted stock units (RSU’s). He serves a wide range of clients in the personal services, venture capital, securities trading and dealing, manufacturing and wholesale, and real estate industries.

David began his career with Arthur Andersen LLP working on their private client services and real estate teams. After Arthur Andersen, he practiced for eight years as a tax specialist at the staff and partner levels with Harb, Levy & Weiland LLP (now EisnerAmper LLP) in San Francisco. David is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from The Master’s College and a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University.

In addition to being a tax aficionado, David enjoys golfing and cycling, is a soccer fanatic, and enjoys family time with his wife and children.

Irma-Canyanan-Toal
Irma Cayanan Toal, CPA
Irma-Canyanan-Toal

Irma Cayanan Toal, CPA

Irma is the partner in charge of the firm’s Audit & Accounting and Bill Pay & Family Office practices as well as our Human Resources department.

Irma has more than 15 years of public accounting experience, including nine years in both audit and tax with Harb, Levy & Weiland LLP (now EisnerAmper LLP) in San Francisco. She serves a variety of clients spanning many industries, including real estate, registered investment advisors, investment securities partnerships, private equity firms, hedge funds, fund of funds, broker-dealers, private foundations, and manufacturing. In addition to providing a broad range of audit and accounting, review, compilation, and agreed-upon procedures services to her clients, she provides surprise examination services under the SEC and California custody rules. She also offers peer review services to other AICPA member public accounting firms. Using a practical, entrepreneurial-based approach, Irma works closely with her clients to consult, help identify, and fulfill various business needs to bring added value on all engagements.

Irma is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of San Francisco and completed additional graduate-level coursework in taxation at Golden Gate University.

In her spare time, Irma enjoys traveling, working out to unwind, and spending time with her family and friends.

Jeffrey C. Messerschmidt, CPA
Jeffrey C. Messerschmidt, CPA
Jeffrey C. Messerschmidt, CPA

Jeffrey C. Messerschmidt, CPA

Jeffrey works closely with the firm’s business and individual clients across a range of industries, including real estate, venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, start-up companies, privately-held businesses, and breweries. Within these industries, Jeffrey manages and handles strategic tax planning and consulting as well as all facets of income, trust and estate tax compliance. He has particular emphases in executive compensation, qualified small business stock transactions, taxation of complex financial instruments, wealth transfer, trust accounting and taxation, partnership taxation and allocations, foreign reporting requirements, and tax minimization.

Jeffrey is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a double-concentration in Accounting and Financial Management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

His passions outside of the office include family time with his wife and sons, hiking and traveling, and visiting as many new craft breweries as possible.

Thomas J. Parry, CPA
Thomas J. Parry, CPA
Thomas J. Parry, CPA

Thomas J. Parry, CPA

Tom is the current chair of the AICPA Peer Review Board and member of the Board’s Oversight Task Force and Peer Review Practice Monitoring Task Force for Employee Benefit Plans as well as the California Peer Review Committee. He also serves on the Quality Control Task Force of the Auditing Standards Board. Tom has over 40 years of public accounting experience providing audit and accounting services to investment funds, not-for-profit organizations and foundations, and employee benefit plans and tax and advisory services to businesses and individuals. He specializes in reviewing quality control policies and procedures for other AICPA member firms and acts as the quality control reviewer for audit and accounting services provided by other firms to both public and privately-held clients.

Tom began his career at Benson & Neff, a local firm located in San Francisco, in 1976, became a partner in 1981, and was a director from 1985 until he joined Navolio & Tallman in July 2017. He was responsible for the system of quality control applicable to all accounting and audit services provided by the firm and the engagement partner for all audits performed by the firm. Tom’s experience is broad-based, with the expertise to serve a variety of business enterprises and professionals in different industries. Because audits and reviews provide valuable insight into a business’s operations, he is well-positioned to provide sound advice and recommendations to help his clients streamline their accounting procedures, increase the efficacy of internal accounting controls and internal management reports, and forecast tax consequences of significant business transactions.

In addition to his active involvement as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, he is also a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Santa Clara and an M.B.A. degree with a concentration in Taxation from California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay).

Outside of the office, Tom enjoys attending and watching college football games, vacations and get-aways to the beach and mountains, and just spending time with his wife and grown children and, more recently, grandchildren.

Celia Lau, CPA
Celia Lau, CPA
Celia Lau, CPA

Celia Lau, CPA

Celia is the partner in charge of the firm’s Tax practice. She spent the first 5 years of her career working with high-net-worth individuals and real estate clients at Deloitte Tax LLP in San Francisco before joining Navolio & Tallman LLP as a tax manager in 2010. In that time, Celia has expanded her breadth of experience providing tax planning, compliance, and consulting services across a variety of industries (including venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, start-up companies, and privately-held businesses) while adding depth of experience to and honing her expertise in the taxation of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and real estate partnerships/LLCs. She also has extensive experience researching complex tax issues and representing clients in income tax return audits with the Internal Revenue Service and California Franchise Tax Board.

Celia is currently chair of the tax committee of the San Francisco chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) and serves on the CalCPA’s committee on taxation at the state level. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a board member of the CalCPA San Francisco chapter since 2016. Celia earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Managerial Economics with a minor in Communications from the University of California, Davis and received a Master of Science in Taxation with highest honors from Golden Gate University.

Outside of the office, Celia enjoys spending time with her husband and young daughter, catching up with friends over boba, traveling (Hawaii is an annual destination), and bowling.

Stephanie P. Ringrose, CPA
Stephanie P. Ringrose, CPA
Stephanie P. Ringrose, CPA

Stephanie P. Ringrose, CPA

Stephanie is a CPA with public accounting experience in audit, review, compilation, and accounting services in a variety of industries, including real estate, trusts, alternative investment vehicles, registered investment advisors, broker‐dealers, private foundations, and privately‐owned businesses. She also provides surprise examination services under SEC custody rules. Stephanie’s strong understanding of accounting and internal controls gives her the opportunity to consult with, advise, and add value to clients’ financial reporting processes. In addition to providing audit and accounting services, Stephanie is the partner in charge of the firm’s IT department.

Stephanie is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a double-concentration in Accounting and Information Systems from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Outside of the office, Stephanie enjoys spending quality time with family and friends (especially doting on her young daughters), cooking, fishing, golfing, and vacationing/visiting family in Maui.

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