Tax Planning and Financial Advisors Near You

There's no standard rate, because the work varies so much. A single planning session for a W-2 earner with a rental property is a different job from ongoing planning for three entities with payroll in two states, foreign accounts or an open IRS issue. Fees track complexity, the number of returns involved and whether the work is a project or an ongoing relationship. Before you hire anyone, ask for the scope, deliverables, billing method and assumptions in writing.

Advisors bill in several ways: hourly, fixed fee per project, monthly retainer, or a percentage of assets for those who manage investments. We don't manage investments. Our tax planning and fractional CFO work is priced on scope: how much reporting you need, how often we meet and how complex your finances are. Whoever you choose, the proposal should spell out what's included and what would cost extra.

It means looking at a decision's tax effect before you make it, not after. That can cover when to recognize income, which deductions to accelerate, whether your entity type still fits, how big your estimated payments should be and what records you'll need. For business owners, it ties into compensation, equipment purchases, hiring and expansion. The aim is simple: no avoidable tax, and no surprises in April.

Earlier than most people do. The useful window is before a transaction closes or the year ends, not after. Good moments to call: before a major equipment purchase, a bonus round, a new contract or an ownership change. For individuals, a big raise, the sale of stock or property, buying real estate or opening accounts overseas are all reasons to talk first. We prefer quarterly check ins so the plan keeps up with your numbers.

Preparation is reporting what already happened and filing the return correctly. Planning is deciding what should happen while you still have choices. You need both, but they're different conversations. A preparer asks for your 1099s in February. A planner asks in September what you're expecting to sell, buy or earn before December, and adjusts the strategy to fit.

That's where fractional CFO work earns its keep. We build budgets and rolling forecasts, tighten reporting, analyze working capital, set up controls and plan capital needs, so you see a cash crunch coming weeks ahead instead of the day payroll bounces. Tying cash planning to your tax calendar matters too, because quarterly estimates and payroll deposits are where a lot of businesses get squeezed.

Your last two years of returns, current financial statements, bookkeeping reports, payroll summaries and entity documents. Add a short list of what's coming: hires, expansion, a federal contract bid, equipment, a sale or ownership change. Individuals should bring income records, investment activity, real estate details and any foreign account information. The more we know upfront, the faster we can point to the opportunities that matter.

Yes, and that sets us apart from many planners. Our founder is an IRS Enrolled Agent with unlimited practice rights before the IRS. If a plan uncovers an old problem, or a notice arrives midyear, we can handle the IRS directly: audits, appeals, back tax balances, penalty abatement requests and installment agreements. You don't have to bring in someone new who doesn't know your history.