Who We Are

Pursuant to California Board Accountancy Regulation: Regs. Tit. 16, §50.1. Notice of ownership. 
Paul S. Joo, CPA, an Accountancy Corporation is wholly owned by Paul S. Joo, CPA. 
Currently, no owner is authorized to sign reports on attest engagements pursuant to Business and Professional Code Section 5095.
Currently, all attest engagements are supervised by Frank N. Rawson, CPA who is an officer of the Corporation and is authorized to sign attestation reports. 

Our Philosophy

Our Motto

Our motto is C.A.R.E - "Clients Are Really Everything." ™

Over the years of serving our clients, we realized that the foremost challenge we face as your CPA / financial advisor is learning how to properly take "C.A.R.E" of our clients. Our clients are the single most important reason why we practice the accounting profession today.

Our Goals

  1. To be THE CPA firm which our clients are proud of for our accurate, timely and quality work, and
  2. To be known as THE PLACE to go for CPA services as our firm remains highly recognized by the business world at large.

How We're Different

This unique combination of business experience and our top-notch professionals offers individual services that are different in many ways from the traditional CPA offices:

  1. Experienced consulting "outside box" approach
    Our advice has proven effective in assisting many of our clients expand their business due to our extensive consulting and management background outside the accounting profession.
  2. Problems solution approach
    We take a positive and aggressive approach to problems with focus on innovative thinking and positive attitude that considers problems to be opportunities.
  3. Purpose driven approach
    Our motto is C.A.R.E. - "Clients Are Really Everything."™
    Our clients are the single most important reason why we practice the accounting profession today.

Our Team

Paul Joo, CPA

President

Paul Joo

PJoo@PJooCPA.com

Mr. Paul S. Joo, CPA, is the owner and general manager of the firm. He studied accounting at UCLA graduating in 1988. After graduation, he spent several years working as a Senior Auditor at various accounting firms including PriceWaterhouse Coopers, one of the world's largest professional accounting firms, where he acquired invaluable consulting skills working with many successful corporate owners. As part of these engagements, he witnessed the positive influence of his services on his clients as their businesses prospered. This hands-on business experience prepared him to be a successful entrepreneur in his own accounting firm, Paul S. Joo, CPA Accountancy Corporation which he established in December, 2005 in Garden Grove, California.

As a result of his expert knowledge and prudent character, the firm has experienced tremendous growth since opening. In November 2010, the practice expanded through the opening of a second branch office in Brea, CA. This enabled the firm to service a broader client base including clients located in Northern Orange County. The firm services a wide range of clients from many different industries, domestic and foreign, including but not limited to manufacturers, labor union chapters, non-profit entities, wholesalers and retailers and for profit schools.

Mr. Joo has been frequently invited to speak on various tax topics including Gift and Estate planning and Real Estate taxes in seminars and local attorneys' BAR associations meetings. Mr. Joo is also pursuing a Masters' degree in Taxation at Golden Gate University. Mr. Joo has been a CPA since 1996.

Frank Rawson, CPA

Vice President

Frank

Frank@PJooCPA.com

Mr. Rawson obtained his CPA license in 1983. He started in public accounting with Kenneth Leventhal & Company, a national CPA firm specializing in real estate related activities, working in both the auditing and tax departments as well as on consulting engagements. He has also held controllership and financial management positions for several medium sized businesses included a real estate syndicator and construction contractor. He previously has his own practice for ten years in Orange County working with small and medium sized businesses. This background provides him with a broad prospective from which to advise on auditing, accounting and tax matters. Mr. Rawson joined our firm in 2007.

HyunJoo Kim

Manager

Hyunjoo@PJooCPA.com

Joining this firm on November 2017 was Ms. HyunJoo Kim, who had worked for an international logistic company as the accounting manager for six years. She was in charge of comprehensive accounting duties including international tax report, fund management, MIS and other accounting matters.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea, and also received second Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management while she had worked as an accounting programmer for Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives.

She passed the all CPA exams and holds license of CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) and CIA (Certified Internal Auditor).

HyunJoo says the numbers show everything about a company and how well accountants manage their company finances. As a prudent accountant, she feels great about her important responsibility and her daily challenging work makes her fascinated.

Jessica Kim

Manager

Jessica@PJooCPA.com

Ms. Jessica Kim is a California State University, Long Beach graduate with a Bachelor of Science, Accountancy in August 2016. She joined the Paul S. Joo, CPA firm in July 2018 to obtain a wide range of accounting experience which enables her to provide relevant advice and assistance to business owners with internal accounting, periodic reporting, forecasting and implementation of succession plans. Jessica continues to further her knowledge by preparing for the CPA exam.

Jessica Says, “Accounting is not boring, recording transaction, analyzing them, and looking for legal ways of cutting tax expenditures. I want to help my clients and community identify cost-cutting measures they hadn’t previously discovered, and developing tax strategies.”

Youngseo Chi, CPA (MT)

Manager

Youngseo@PJooCPA.com

Ms. YoungSeo Chi graduated with a bachelor's degree in Statistics, from Sookmyung University in 2016. She started to work for CPA firm in 2018 and has 4years of experience in the accounting field. She has been preparing corporate, partnership, non-profit organization income tax returns including other states and individual income tax returns as well. She obtained her Montana State CPA license in 2020 and joined the Paul S. Joo, CPA firm in January 2023.

Esther Reu

Senior Accountant

Esther@PJooCPA.com

Ms. Esther Reu graduated from the University of California Irvine with a bachelor's degree in Economics. After graduation, she ran her own business at Amazon while studying accounting, eventually passing the CPA exam. In 2024, she joined Paul Joo CPA Firm to gain more experience. She is building her accounting skills to help many people through accounting. Driven by her passion for helping others and fueled by her thirst for knowledge, she chose to embark on a new chapter by joining Paul Joo CPA Firm. Amidst a community of like-minded professionals, she seeks to further hone her accounting expertise, not merely for personal gain, but with a noble intention to make a meaningful impact on the lives of many.

David Le

Accountant

David@PJooCPA.com

Mr. David Le is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting at California State University, Fullerton. He is expected to graduate in Spring 2027 and plans to continue his education with a Master's in Taxation, becoming CPA-eligible by 2028. In June 2025, David joined the firm of Paul S. Joo, CPA, with a focus on expanding his expertise in the field of taxation. With the firm's comprehensive range of services, he looks forward to gaining practical, hands-on experience across various areas of accounting, laying a strong foundation for a successful and well-rounded career in the profession.

Misun Kang

Accountant

Misun@PJooCPA.com

Ms. Misun Kang graduated with a Master’s degree in Accountancy in May 2025 from Cal Poly Pomona, and is currently preparing for the CPA exam.  Joining our firm  on August, 2025, Ms. Misun Kang is building her expertise in accounting and auditing through both academic training and practical experience.  With a strong sense of responsibility and commitment, she aims to contribute to clients and the firm.

 

Ktalk