Nghi Huynh, CPA

Bio

Nghi has more than 16 years of experience in transfer pricing, tax planning projects, research and audit. She assists clients in managing their transfer pricing processes and works to develop and defend their transfer pricing arrangements. She is adept at designing and implementing transfer pricing structures, performing and documenting intangible property valuations, and preparing transfer pricing documentation to ensure compliance with global documentation requirements.

A member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, she earned her master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Q&A

I had an accidental journey into accounting. I went to UC Berkeley wanting to have a career in marketing, but I made a lot of friends who studied accounting and I joined the school’s accounting fraternity. I quickly got into it and had my internship at KPMG. There I saw that accounting gave me a solid foundation of knowledge about businesses and their operations. Public accounting also afforded me exposure into various other practices, such as audit and consulting.

I’ve been practicing transfer pricing in the Bay Area for quite some time and had come across Armanino several times during my engagements. I knew the firm had a sound reputation in the market, and a lot of my clients liked Armanino. I worked with Jon Davies (tax partner) on a mutual client and we had a great time working together. I knew that by joining Armanino, I would be able to spend more time with my clients and get to understand their business and act as their advisor, rather than just somebody checking off boxes for compliance. So I decided to explore an opportunity at Armanino, and here I am today.

I predict that we will see a rise in companies that reconsider transferring their intellectual property back to the U.S. Between current events and the potential for tax reform, we could see a lot of IP coming back. Helping companies perform that restructuring provides opportunities, and I think it could be a very interesting environment after decades of companies moving IP offshore.

My favorite clients are the ones that seek me out for advice on every financial matter going on at their business. Whether it’s a large company or a small company, it makes me feel great when a client sees me as a trusted advisor who they can turn to when they hit a fork in the road. Once you develop that level of rapport with a client, it becomes a much more fun relationship.

My work style is very relationship based. I like to understand both my clients and my staff in order to learn how to best work with them. To begin an engagement, I’ll be very hands on while we create a foundation. Then I’ll let staff take on a bigger role, while still being on top of everything that’s happening. My style is tailored to individuals, based on their strengths and areas of improvement. The best managers are ones who can identify staff capabilities and provide appropriate guidance to help them grow.

My father has always been supportive of what I want to do. He pushed me to achieve more and strive for better. He always taught me to shoot for the stars and never gave me the sense that I couldn’t do something. He gave me the courage to pursue my goals and instilled diligence, hard work and perseverance in me. These traits have carried me throughout my career and personal life.