What planning looks like in practice
For most clients, planning is a quarterly conversation. We project the year's income, model a specific decision (Roth conversion, equipment purchase, retirement contribution, S-corp salary adjustment), and quantify the federal and state tax impact.
Decisions that move the tax bill
Small-dollar decisions don't meaningfully change a return. These do:
- Retirement contributions (401k, SEP, Solo 401k, IRA, HSA)
- Roth conversion timing in low-income years
- Tax-loss harvesting in taxable brokerage accounts
- Bunching charitable gifts into every other year
- S-corp reasonable salary analysis
- Section 179 and bonus depreciation on equipment
- Timing of installment-sale income recognition
- Multi-state residency planning for retirees and executives
Have a specific situation?
Call the office and a human answers.
Common questions
- When should I start working with you on planning?
- Ideally by mid-year. Decisions made in December have limited lever arm; decisions made in June have twelve months to compound.
- How is this different from just preparing my return?
- Preparation is backward-looking: we report what already happened. Planning is forward-looking: we change what happens.
- Do I need to be a high earner to benefit from planning?
- No. The dollars are smaller at lower income levels, but the planning levers (retirement contributions, Saver's Credit, Roth conversion timing) are often proportionally larger.