Sunnie Choi

Sunnie Choi is a San Francisco-based CPA who works with property owners on the tax accounting side of property assessments, including the analysis of assessed values, tracking of supplemental bills, and coordination with appeal professionals when a formal challenge is warranted. Her background is in accounting rather than legal representation, so her value is particularly strong in situations where getting the numbers right is the first challenge. Her client base includes individual homeowners, real estate investors with small portfolios, and small business owners who own their commercial space. Many come to her initially for income tax work and then discover she can also help them understand their property tax situation, identify potential overassessments, and connect them with the right resources to pursue a reduction.

Sunnie Choi's property tax-related services center on assessment analysis and tax accounting rather than formal appeal representation. She reviews property tax bills, assessed values, and supplemental assessments to identify discrepancies and quantify potential overvaluations. She prepares financial documentation that may support an appeal, including income and expense statements for rental properties using appropriate capitalization rates. For clients who've inherited property or received property through family transfers, she works through the Prop 13 implications alongside estate planning considerations, helping them understand what their ongoing tax liability will look like and whether any exclusions may apply. She also advises real estate investors on the tax accounting implications of reassessments, including how changes in assessed value affect depreciation schedules and overall investment returns. When a formal appeal makes sense, she refers clients to licensed appeal representatives or property tax attorneys and continues to provide supporting financial documentation throughout the process. Her services integrate cleanly with her broader tax accounting practice.

Most clients start by bringing Sunnie a tax bill or assessment notice that's caught their attention. She reviews the assessment, pulls relevant market data, and walks through whether the assessed value looks defensible or potentially high relative to the market. If the situation looks like it warrants a formal appeal, she helps prepare the financial documentation and refers the client to an appeal representative or attorney who will handle the administrative process. She stays involved to provide any accounting-side support the appeal requires. For income property owners, she prepares the income and expense analysis that supports an income-approach valuation argument. This is particularly relevant for small apartment buildings and commercial properties where the Assessor's assessment may not reflect actual income performance. Throughout the process, she explains each step clearly and doesn't assume her clients have accounting backgrounds. That accessibility is something her long-term clients consistently mention.

Sunnie Choi works with clients primarily in San Francisco and the broader Bay Area, including the Peninsula and East Bay. Because much of her work involves document review and financial analysis, she's able to work with remote clients outside the Bay Area for situations that don't require local market knowledge. Her property tax-adjacent services are offered alongside her full accounting practice and are most relevant for California property owners.