Born in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Elvia T. Benitez completed her college degree at the Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology before moving to the United States in 1966. She began her career in the tax industry not long after when her uncle, Raul Enriquez, asked her if she wanted to work as his secretary at his tax preparation business. Needing a job, she accepted and subsequently fell in love with the field. In 1970, Ms. Benitez achieved a degree in accounting from Los Angeles Pierce College in California and established The Tax Experts that same year, where she continues to excel as an accountant.
Today, Ms. Benitez is an accomplished accountant and entrepreneur with expertise encompassing tax preparation, payroll and bookkeeping. Her day-to-day duties include tax preparation and paperwork, administrative tasks and client correspondence, and she also previously provided her expertise to immigration cases between 1966 and 2004. During tax season from January to April, The Tax Experts is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. For the remainder of the year, the hours drop down to Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As she looks toward the future, Ms. Benitez hopes to continue doing tax work for as long as she is able and has no plans to slow down. She hopes to leave a legacy as someone who was skilled in making people feel comfortable and that they were in good hands. While she has accomplished much over the course of her career, she attributes much of her success to her love of her job, treating her clients like family and ensuring that they receive the best service, and her passion for helping others. To young and aspiring professionals, Ms. Benitz would advise that “You need to like what you do, so you get that passion. You need to like people.”
Living her life by the motto, “You got to do things right,” Ms. Benitez has been the recipient of a number of honors and accolades over the course of her career. She has received accolades from both the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce. Her expertise has also earned her the Latino Professional Award from the Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce. Above everything, Ms. Benitez is most proud of having a job that she loves and that allows her to help others by providing them with careful, skilled and trustworthy service.
When she is not working, Ms. Benitez is an active member of her community and has been closely involved with her local church for many years, where she has been recognized for her service. She is also the proud mother of three children, Karla Epps, Elvia Monique Smith and Mark Anthony Benitez, and the doting grandmother to two grandchildren, Susani and Cristian. For her more than 50 years of excellence, Ms. Benitez has been inducted into Marquis Who’s Who for her skill in entrepreneurship and finance and named a Marquis Who’s Who Top Professional.
