212-470-5630
OPTIMAL TAX SOLUTIONS INC
About
OPTIMAL TAX SOLUTIONS INC is a bilingual (Spanish and English) team of accountants and business analysts with over a decade of experience, led by Araceli Santa Cruz. Araceli founded OTS in 2020 after beginning her career with the prestigious KPMG International, and continuing to expand her knowledge from there. Eventually, she felt the most motivated to have a more personal touch with her clients; and truly give them the tax, accounting, and business support they need. Her team is aligned with the mission of OTS: to nurture empowerment and peace of mind to all their clients, regardless of their circumstances; and to offer the most optimal tax solutions possible.
Araceli Santa Cruz
Founder and Lead Accountant
Hola, Hello, Salut!
Let me help you with the language of taxes and money. My intention is to give you peace of mind and guidance about it. My goal is to demystify the fear around the taxation process while keeping you in compliance with the government agencies. You can outsource your taxation and accounting needs to me and my team, so you can focus on what you do best.
Filing tax returns is exciting to me because they tell me a story: the story of your life, financial growth, successes and failures. They tell me the story of the business ventures that you embark on, the amount of risk you take, who you choose as a partner, what your passions are (or at least what interest moves you), what you spend your money on, and much more! So, what is your story?
I love my profession and serving my clients. Working for small, medium and large firms gave me the insights on how to serve you better. After graduating from college in 2010, I had what I thought was my dream job. I worked for KPMG in their international tax compliance team. While working there, I was happy for a very brief period of time; until the flashiness of the high glass ceilings, black tie dinners and power suits wore off. I was missing the human interaction and the fulfillment that I get by working with
individuals and entrepreneurs like you.
I grew up in Lima, Peru in the 1980's during the turbulent times of terrorism, while my father was attending law school. Resilience, faith, ambition, and love for knowledge are ingrained in who I am. I moved to the USA on my own when I was 18 years old. I am first generation Peruvian-American. I wanted
to study overseas and I always dreamed of traveling the world. Now, I can say that my passport runs out of pages all the time, and I'm realizing that dream, thanks to my true dream job: the business that I have with my wonderful clients, just like you. So, thank you for your interest in my services! I look forward to connecting with you.
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Sergio Trujillo
Tax Accountant
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Sergio is originally from Colombia, where he earned his degree as a Public Accountant from Corporacion Universitaria UNICENCIA in Bogota. He held extensive experience as an accountant in Columbia and opened his own practice before moving to the United States. His experience includes providing financial services to corporations as well as individuals. As a corporate accountant he oversaw all the financials, not only the taxes, of companies across industries, from insurance to event-planning. He also acted as a fiscal liason between corporations and the government, keeping his clients in good legal financial standing; and was a teacher at Politecnico Internacional in Bogota.
He has enjoyed working next to Araceli and watching OTS grow since its inception. Clients appreciate his patience, knowledge, and welcoming energy.
He greatly looks forward to all that's in store for the empowerment of OTS clients!
Julia Firajdonova
Tax Accountant
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After a successful career as Operations Manager for Global Spirits, managing multiple high end liquor brands, Julia earned her Master's Degree in Accounting from Brooklyn College.
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She met Araceli while working for another accounting firm in New York City and has enjoyed her time with OTS. When asked why she loves working here, she says: I love that here, at Optimal Tax Solutions, Araceli and the team know about all the creative ways to save our clients money!
Gerley Laserna Angarita
Business Analyst
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Gerley is originally from Colombia, where he led a successful career as an Engineer before moving to the United States. He is now our main business analyst and expert in profit & loss statements.
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His shrewd eye for cash flow spreadsheets assists our clients in having as clear a picture of their business operations as possible, so they can always put their best foot forward on paper, and in the meeting room.
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Mara Lee Gilbert
Communications Strategist
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Mara earned her Master's Degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She worked for over a decade with New York City's more violent populations, before making a career move to help train the New York City Police Department in communication skills related to mental health crises.
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She continues to teach communication skills, while also enjoying helping companies align their voices with their brand, and maintain smooth communications with their clients.
Dream Martinez
Community/Social Media Manager
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Dream was born and raised in New York CIty, and attended school specializing in the performance arts.
She's been priviledged to explore various fields of work and attributes this early curiosity to her Grandmother, who always stressed that the best way to build character is to put one's self in challenging scenarios and step outside of our comfort zones.
Dream loves learning and providing new ways for people to express themselves and get connected.
Her favorite thing about working at Optimal Tax Solutions would have to be working with Araceli and the team who always provide a fun and insightful experience.
Now Certified by Main Street Tax Pro!
Mark J. Koher, CPA & Tax Attorney
Mat Sorensen, Tax Attorney
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Araceli is now a Certified Tax Advisor with Main Street Tax Pro and partnered with a wide network of experts in the tax field.
AND, she is listed as One of Only Three Spanish Speaking Certified Tax Advisor Firms in New York!
Get ahead of your game by receiving year-round advice on how to prepare properly for tax season.
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With connections to her network of high-level professionals, there is no question that Araceli cannot answer for you. And she may have you hop on a three-way call with a tax attorney from your jurisdiction or for your specific tax matter: such as real estate, crypto, and gift taxes; to make sure you're getting the support you need.
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Additional Questions?
email us at info@optimaltaxsolutions.net
Ready to Get Started Working With Our Team?