Marlena Weinstein
2024 is Marlena Weinstein's 48th Tax Season.
Marlena has owned both Weinstein and Associates (1977-1984) and Weinstein Associates (1987 to present). In between, she took a small hiatus to be home with her then newborn, and moved to the Boston area. This was after selling her business with a clientele base of over 600 clients and then starting all over again from scratch after a three year covenant not to compete, in 1987 in San Rafael, CA.
Marlena has a BS in elementary education from the University of Bridgeport; a 5th year degree in theater arts and speech communication from California State University, San Francisco; and accreditation in Tax Law from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Marlena has been an Enrolled Agent since 1979.
With a background in education, math and theater arts, Marlena has brought to her tax practice a holistic approach to each of her client's needs. She has done this with understanding and implementing tax law "out of the box," and educating her clients so that they can make decisions mutually. Marlena has an encyclopedic knowledge of individual tax law, but takes a practical approach to making determinations. She also has a fabulous relationship with both the field and office audit division of the IRS in San Rafael. And, best of all, her sense of humor, use of the Yiddish language to make her points, and annual signature humor pieces are free of charge!
Marlena has retained her East Coast upbringing and tells it like it is...no nonsense...whatever...even if it hurts. She welcomes challenges whether she is dealing with the Internal Revenue Service or anyone in the financial industry she has to deal with to get a problem solved.
Turning 76 (egad!) in 2024, Marlena has more energy than ever and her brain can connect the dots even if they are not visible to anyone else. She will continue working in her practice, till she drops...so the word, retirement, only relates to her having been forced to take out her RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) at 70 1/2 (but you youngsters have until age 72 to begin taking yours), because the penalties are just too steep—even for Marlena!
Marlena was awarded Best Of in the general field of Tax Preparation and Consulting by the City of San Rafael Award Program in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, and was inducted into the San Rafael Business Hall of Fame. And in 2022, Marlena became a member of Nationwide Registries Women of Distinction. Her plaque reads, "For she had the will, believed in herself, and made history."
Besides being a tax whiz, Marlena has other creative endeavors, as you can see below.
