If San Francisco isn’t the most expensive city in America, it comes close. Apartments that would run $500 elsewhere can easily top $2,000 in the city by the bay, depending on neighborhood. A nice dinner for two can cost $100, sometimes more. Even fast food seems more expensive on Market Street.

The trade off of course is getting to live in San Francisco, perhaps the most beautiful city in America, a place famed local newspaper columnist Herb Caen once referred to as Baghdad by the Bay. But with all the costs associated with living by the Golden Gate, locals need every way they can to save money. This in turn means that when tax season arrives early each year, it helps to have a good San Francisco tax preparer.

These are the folks, often veterans of accounting firms in San Francisco, who prepare error-free returns that maximize deductions and exploit every loophole for lowering ones tax threshold. With a current median family income of about $81,000 in San Francisco, the amount of money saved can be substantial. If it doesn’t equate to a week’s pay, it might come close, and while that might not buy a month’s worth of Starbucks in the Marina District, it’s good for something.

So where are good tax professionals to be found? Besides individuals who can be found online, via personal referral or elsewhere, there are also plenty of CPA firms in San Francisco. For the budget-conscious tax filer, cheap national firms are also available, though the level of expertise may not be as high.