Tax Strategy
Proactive planning, not April archaeology.
Entity structuring, quarterly planning, and dispute resolution designed to protect margin before the return is ever filed.
Schedule Discovery CallWhat's included
- Entity and compensation structuring
- Quarterly estimate modeling
- IRS notice and dispute resolution
- Credits and incentive capture
Built for
- S-Corp and LLC owners taking distributions
- Practice owners with rising profit and rising tax
- Multi-entity and real-estate-holding structures
- Anyone facing an IRS or state notice
4x
Planning touchpoints per year
0
Missed filing deadlines
Q4
Latest a strategy still moves the needle
How engagements work — Annual planning retainer with quarterly sessions; return preparation quoted by entity and state count.
The problems we solve
You only hear from your tax person in April.
Quarterly planning sessions with an updated projection and a decision list before the year closes.
Your entity and salary split were never modeled.
Reasonable-compensation analysis and entity comparison showing the tax cost of each structure.
Estimates are guesses, so you over- or under-pay.
Estimate modeling refreshed each quarter off actual books, with safe-harbor coverage.
An IRS notice arrived and you don't know what to do.
We read the notice, reconstruct the period, and prepare the response and supporting documentation.
Full scope of work
Planning
- Entity selection and S-Corp election modeling
- Reasonable compensation and distribution strategy
- Retirement plan design: SEP, Solo 401(k), defined benefit
- Accountable plan, home office, and vehicle documentation
Compliance
- Federal and multi-state business return preparation
- Owner personal return coordination
- Quarterly estimate calculation and payment calendar
- 1099 and information-return compliance
Credits & disputes
- R&D, energy, and hiring credit screening
- Depreciation, Section 179, and bonus planning
- Cost segregation coordination for property owners
- IRS and state notice response, penalty abatement, payment plans
Where the money comes back
Every engagement is scoped against a return: cost removed, margin recovered, cash pulled forward, or exposure closed.
S-Corp reasonable compensation
Structuring reasonable compensation correctly under an S-Corp election shifts remaining profit out of self-employment tax exposure. On $150,000 in net profit, a properly documented split can reduce payroll tax liability by roughly $8,000-$10,000 a year.
Quarterly estimate modeling
Modeling estimated payments against actual quarterly performance, instead of a flat prior-year safe harbor, prevents both underpayment penalties and interest-free loans to the government from overpaying.
Credits and incentive capture
Identifying available credits, such as R&D or work opportunity credits, before the filing deadline captures dollar-for-dollar tax reduction that a generic annual filing often misses entirely.
Accountable plan reimbursements
An accountable plan lets the business reimburse home office, mileage, and business use expenses tax-free to the owner while remaining deductible to the entity, avoiding double taxation on legitimate costs.
What actually lands in your inbox
Entity and comp structuring memo
One-time (week 2)A written recommendation on entity type and reasonable compensation level, with supporting rationale you can reference for the election and for payroll setup.
Quarterly estimate calculation
QuarterlyEstimated federal and Arizona tax payment amounts calculated against year-to-date actual profit, delivered before each quarterly due date.
Accountable plan documentation
One-time, reviewed annuallyA written accountable plan policy covering home office, mileage, and business expense reimbursement, kept current for IRS documentation requirements.
Credits and incentive review
AnnualA review of available federal and Arizona credits against your activity for the year, with a summary of what was claimed and what qualified.
TPT filing and nexus review
QuarterlyArizona transaction privilege tax filings prepared and filed, with a periodic review of nexus exposure as you add locations or online sales channels.
Notice and dispute response file
As neededA documented response to any IRS or Arizona Department of Revenue notice, including the correspondence sent and the resolution reached.
What working with us feels like
Planning meetings, not just filing
Quarterly strategy check-ins happen before decisions are made, not after the fiscal year closes, so tax positions are planned in advance rather than discovered in April.
One advisor across the year
The same advisor who builds your quarterly estimates handles your notice response and entity structuring, so context never has to be re-explained mid-year.
Notice response within 48 hours
An IRS or Arizona Department of Revenue notice is reviewed and a response plan is communicated within two business days of receipt.
One intake session to start
A single structured intake session covers entity structure, prior filings, and current profitability, giving you a documented plan within the first two weeks.
Benchmarked against the usual option
- Planning cadenceOne meeting per year, near the filing deadlineQuarterly planning sessions tied to actual performance
- Compensation settingSalary set once and never revisitedReasonable compensation reviewed annually against profit
- Estimated paymentsFlat prior-year safe harbor, regardless of current yearModeled quarterly against current-year actual profit
- Notice handlingOwner responds alone or ignores itAdvisor drafts and manages the response within 48 hours
- Arizona TPT complianceFiled inconsistently or overlooked entirelyFiled quarterly with nexus reviewed as the business grows
Your first 90 days
- Week 1
Intake and structure review
Prior filings, current entity structure, and profitability are reviewed to identify immediate structuring or compensation adjustments available this year.
- Day 30
Structuring memo and first estimate
Entity and compensation recommendations are delivered in writing, and the first quarterly estimate is calculated against year-to-date actual results.
- Day 60
Accountable plan and credits screened
Accountable plan documentation is finalized, and available federal and Arizona credits are screened against current-year activity for potential capture.
- Day 90
First full quarterly cycle complete
First full cycle of estimate calculation, TPT filing, and quarterly strategy review is complete, establishing the ongoing planning rhythm.
Platforms included
Configuration, integration, and day-to-day administration are part of the fee — you are not billed to keep your own systems running.
- QuickBooks Online
- Gusto
- Bill.com
- Excel/Google Sheets
- Fathom
- LiveFlow
- IRS e-Services
- Arizona Department of Revenue AZTaxes
The cost of leaving it alone
Reasonable compensation set incorrectly
An S-Corp salary set too low can trigger IRS reclassification of distributions as wages, generating back payroll tax plus penalties on prior years.
Quarterly estimates underpaid
Underpayment penalties accrue quarter by quarter and compound with interest, adding an avoidable cost on top of the tax already owed.
Arizona TPT nexus overlooked
Unregistered TPT liability across added locations or channels can surface years later with back tax, penalties, and interest owed to the state.
How we run it
- 01
Baseline
Prior returns and current books reviewed for missed positions and exposure.
- 02
Model
Scenarios compared side by side with the actual dollar impact of each.
- 03
Implement
Elections, payroll changes, and documentation put in place before deadlines.
- 04
Monitor
Quarterly refresh so the plan tracks the year you're actually having.
Why clients choose us over the firm down the street
Planning before filing
The return is the last step, not the service. Decisions get made while they still change the outcome.
Books and tax in one place
Your planner is reading real-time books, not a January PDF.
Written scenarios
Every recommendation comes with the numbers behind it, so you can decide, not just comply.
Notices answered fast
We handle IRS and state correspondence and keep the file documented.