Our CPA experts provide strategic accounting, tax planning, and fractional CFO support to California solar installers navigating equipment commitments, project pipelines, financing structures, and changing project margins.
A cash sale, a lease, and a PPA all look like “a solar deal” on the surface, but each hits your books differently. Our fractional CFO, accounting, and tax strategy practice specializes in solar companies across California, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who need those differences handled correctly.
We work closely with residential and commercial solar companies to navigate revenue recognition across cash, lease, and PPA deals, stack federal and California incentives correctly, and manage commission-heavy sales structures.
The numbers we review together:
Solar projects can look profitable while putting real pressure on cash flow. Equipment purchases, payroll, permitting delays, inspection schedules, and slow customer or financing payments can leave a lot of money tied up before a project is fully collected.
Our team of CPAs and accountants helps solar installers get a clearer view of cash flow, project margins, and upcoming obligations, so they can plan ahead, avoid overextending, and grow without constantly chasing the next payment.
For California solar installers, profitability can shift quickly from one project to the next. Equipment costs, labor, permitting delays, change orders, and uneven payment schedules can all put pressure on margins and cash flow. The right financial partner helps you see those issues earlier, understand which jobs are performing well, and make better decisions before small problems become expensive ones.
A cash sale, a lease, and a power purchase agreement (PPA) aren’t the same revenue event, and treating them the same way distorts your real financial picture. We build accounting that reflects each model correctly.
The federal Investment Tax Credit works differently depending on how the deal is structured. Layering California-specific incentives on top of whichever path applies is where it's easy to leave real money unclaimed or misapply it. We handle this as part of proactive tax planning.
Solar sales teams are often commission-heavy, and unaccrued commission liability can quietly understate what you actually owe. We make sure it’s tracked as it’s earned, not just when it’s paid.
Changes to California’s net energy metering rules directly affect what a deal is worth to the customer and to you. We help you understand the financial impact as policy shifts.
Most California solar installers underuse MACRS depreciation and full ITC eligibility on the deals that still qualify — and many don't realize California doesn't conform to federal bonus depreciation, so a system your company owns and leases is deducted very differently on the state return than on the federal one. We build a proactive strategy instead of a reactive one.
This is built for California solar companies that:
We help solar contractors across the Bay Area and California understand what each project is really earning, plan for taxes more strategically, and build the financial systems needed to grow without losing control of margins or cash flow.
Companies selling a mix of cash, lease, and PPA deals to homeowners.
Firms managing larger commercial installations with different financing and incentive structures.
Installers layering battery storage incentives and depreciation on top of standard solar accounting.
Companies with large commission-based sales teams needing accurate accrual tracking.
Businesses managing the full install pipeline from design through construction.
The right financial strategy doesn’t just organize your books. It increases resilience and confidence.
Your financial setup should work the way you do — not the other way around. That’s when things finally make sense
Our clients gain:
Solar companies can scale quickly, but growth often adds financial complexity just as fast. Larger project pipelines, equipment purchases, installation labor, financing structures, and changing margins all require stronger reporting and financial oversight. The right systems help California solar companies understand profitability, manage cash flow, and make better decisions as the business expands.
Senior financial leadership on a part-time basis. Strategy, forecasting, and financial decision-making, without the full-time salary.
Books structured to reflect revenue correctly across cash, lease, and PPA deals.
Plan around financing partner payment timing and sales cycles.
See which deal types and installation categories are driving margin.
Proactive California tax planning — not just filing. We build a strategy that reduces your bill legally.
Planning a hire, a purchase, or an expansion? We model the impact before you commit.
See which deal types and installation categories are driving margin.
Proactive California tax planning — not just filing. We build a strategy that reduces your bill legally.
Planning a hire, a purchase, or an expansion? We model the impact before you commit.
Senior financial leadership on a part-time basis. Strategy, forecasting, and financial decision-making. Without the full-time salary.
Books structured to reflect revenue correctly across cash, lease, and PPA deals.
Plan around financing partner payment timing and sales cycles.
Sharon Ching
SLM Architecture and Design
What a great surprise! We were expecting to pay IRS over $10,000 in additional taxes but we ended up with $4,000 tax credits and paid nothing! Samy is amazing! He knows all the recent tax reforms and patiently explains them to us and applies the relevant tax deductible tools and strategies for our business and personal taxes.
Elmira Esmaeili
As a new client I’m delighted to report that my interactions with Basta & Company have been excellent. I’m grateful for the invaluable assistance I’ve so far received from Basta & Company, and staff!
John Meloy
I cannot recommend Samy enough! He helped us with a very challenging 1031 exchange which allowed us to defer our capital gains taxes and purchase a new property. He returns e-mails and phone messages promptly and the best part is that he talks non CPA language to you in order to make sure you understand everything. If I could, I would give him 6 stars!
Michael Berke
No. We’re based in the Bay Area serving the built environment (construction and construction trades, engineering and design-firms, and property managers) across California.
Yes. We build accounting that reflects each financing model’s actual revenue timing correctly.
Yes. Depreciation planning is a core part of tax strategy for solar installation businesses.
Yes. We help you accrue commission as it’s earned so your numbers reflect real liability, not just cash paid out.
We help you understand how shifts in net metering rules affect deal economics so you can adjust pricing and forecasts accordingly.
We help with ITC planning, depreciation, entity structure, deductions, and year-end tax strategy.
Fill out our contact form to share your business details and biggest financial challenges. We’ll review everything, and if it looks like a good fit, we’ll invite you for a call to dive deeper. No obligation.
Still Have A Question ?
We’re here to help. Reach out to our team and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Basta & Company guides San Francisco businesses through every financial milestone — from business structure and accounting systems to tax strategy and scaling with confidence.
With over 25 years of experience, Basta & Company has become a trusted partner for growing businesses across San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties, as well as throughout California. Led by Samy Basta, CPA, our team provides fractional CFO services, accounting, and tax strategy.
© Copyright Basta & Company | San Francisco CPA | Fractional CFO and Tax Strategy in Bay Area | All Right Reserved 2026
