James Stiles

James Stiles

831.624.5333

James Stiles, CPA

Director

Jim is enjoying a distinguished accounting career that started while he was still in college. Just after his freshman year, he began working with a national CPA firm through a college co-op program. In the years following college, he worked as a sole practitioner, and then co-founded a firm that ultimately became part of Hayashi Wayland in January of 2011.

Jim specializes in:
Trusts, estates and wealth transfer.

He is known for:
Dry humor and bad jokes!

He works with:
Individuals and trustees.

His best capabilities are:
“At my age, it’s gotta be getting up in the morning.”

What Jim likes most about his job:
Jim has a knack for educating people, and enjoys helping staff members and clients understand the nuances of estate, trust taxation and professional responsibilities.

Community-minded:
When he’s not helping clients or colleagues, Jim enjoys helping others by volunteering for the Forest Theatre Guild and the American Cancer Society.

He’s a published author:
Transferring Family Wealth in a Changing Tax Environment, Coastal Grower, Winter 2016 (pdf)

Professional Affiliations and Credentials
Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
California Education Foundation Estate Planning Certificate Program

Education
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What you may not know about Jim…
Outside of work, Jim’s life is a mix of interests online, on land ─ and on couch. Online, he enjoys the treasure-hunt discovery and “thrill of the bid” of eBay shopping, plus conducting online technical research. On land, you can find him digging into garden activities, and “on couch,” you can find him relaxing and watching sports, drama mysteries and reality show