Joe Zhao, CPA

Joe Zhao brings over a decade of public accounting experience to Haskell & White. He works primarily with real estate organizations that are structured as passthrough entities. Joe seeks to understand his clients’ long-range goals, and with that information, he can assist in developing a strategy to achieve the desired outcome.

He began his career as an auditor at a top 50 accounting firm in Los Angeles, which built a strong foundation in accounting principles enabling him to advise his clients on their financial statements. From there, he moved into the tax side of public accounting. He served as a tax manager for Ernst & Young (EY) in the real estate practice for four years, solidifying his focus on helping real estate businesses. Joining Haskell & White has provided him the environment to expand his knowledge of real estate and various entity and transaction structuring strategies unique to the real estate industry. He has developed a passion for solving complex issues for real estate clients and their owners.

Joe has experience providing consulting, compliance, and advisory services for commercial and residential real estate developers, home builders, land developers, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), and privately funded real estate funds. He consults on real estate property and entity acquisitions and assists in formulating organizational structures. He is also well versed in multi-state compliance and is an accomplished researcher.

Joe enjoys coaching and providing expert guidance to his clients and the professionals in the firm who are growing their careers. He encourages frequent communication from his clients, as tax strategy is not something you can build in arrears. As a Tax Principal with Haskell & White, his clients appreciate his straightforward approach and direct and timely communication to ensure the tax planning and compliance run smoothly from start to filing.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife.