Matthew Martin, CPA – 2021 40 Under 40 Honoree

I have over fifteen years of professional tax and accounting experience, including tax planning and compliance, financial management, and technology. Over the past six years, I focused on clients in the cannabis industry, assisting them with navigating the maze of regulations and taxes in this sector.

Some highlights from my career:

• Being promoted to Manager and passing the CPA Exam in the first three years of my career
• Being nominated to the CalCPA Board of Directors
• Becoming President of the LA Chapter of CalCPA
• Being asked to join the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Commission at CalCPA
• Being featured on the cover of CalCPA Magazine and writing an article on servicing the cannabis industry
• Helping to develop a new practice group in Cannabis Advisory Services
• Routinely invited to speak at the Cannabis Industry Symposium

What are you doing to make a difference in the profession, your community, the world?

From the time I passed my CPA exam, I knew I wanted to give back to the profession. My goal has always been to make things better for the next generation. Early on in my career, I was advised that in order to be promoted I would need to train my replacement; as such, this has led me to always prioritize staff development. My work with CalCPA has always been focused on helping the local community of young accounting professionals grow and develop.

Favorite books/websites/podcasts/speakers/bloggers that you find influential:

• Ron Baker & Verasage Institute https://www.verasage.com/
• Darren Root & E-Myth Accountant
• Gay Hendricks The Big Leap
• Simon Sinek
• Amber Setter

What do you like best about the accounting profession?

I love the fact that you can be industry agnostic and work with a variety of different industries. It makes the work exciting because you can move on to something new and no two days are alike. Now that I am focusing on a niche industry, it allows me to take a more specialized approach to client service. I still work with many different personalities, but I can get deeper and more meaningful with the discussions and move away from being purely compliance. This has also allowed me to touch on other facets of work such as accounting, structuring, M&A, planning, forecasting, and general consulting.

See all of the 2021 “40 Under 40” honorees.