Tax planning that happens all year. Not just in April.
Most CPAs file. Fewer plan. Tax preparation is reactive: review what happened, file the return. Tax planning is proactive: make decisions throughout the year that change what you owe before the year closes. Strategies that could have saved you money in October can’t be implemented in March.
What proactive tax planning actually is.
Tax planning means making decisions throughout the year that legally reduce what you owe. The strategies are legitimate, recognized by the IRS, and they work when implemented before the year ends.
Your CPA knows your projected income, entity structure, capital plans, and retirement goals, and uses that picture to identify moves worth making before year-end. Not generic advice. Your specific numbers applied to your specific situation.
Strategies we use for
small business owners.
These are the tools we actually use. Not hypotheticals.
Entity election (S-Corp).
For owners with net income above roughly $80,000-$100,000, electing S-Corp taxation and paying a reasonable salary can meaningfully reduce self-employment tax. Elections have IRS deadlines.
Retirement contribution vehicles.
SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), or defined benefit plan. Reduce taxable income while building retirement assets. The right vehicle depends on net income, age, and whether you have employees.
Accountable plan for business expenses.
S-Corp owners can reimburse themselves for legitimate business expenses (home office, vehicle, phone, professional development) without those reimbursements being taxable income.
Depreciation timing (Section 179 and bonus depreciation).
Major equipment or vehicle purchases fully expensed in the year of purchase rather than depreciated over several years. Timing those purchases strategically affects when the deduction lands.
Reasonable salary optimization.
S-Corp owners must pay a reasonable salary before taking distributions. Getting that number right is one of the most common planning levers available.
None of these strategies require exotic structures. They require knowing your numbers and making decisions before the window closes.
Which of these apply to your numbers? That’s the first conversation.
When tax planning happens.
Good tax planning has a cadence.
Q1
File and plan.
File the prior year return. Initial planning call for the current year: entity review, anticipated income, major decisions ahead.
Q2
First check-in.
First estimated payment review. Adjust projections if Q1 came in above or below expectations. Review mid-year changes.
Q3
Retirement and depreciation.
Retirement contribution planning (SEP-IRA, Solo 401k deadlines). Section 179 and bonus depreciation decisions. Third estimated payment review.
Q4
Year-end strategy.
Final income projection. Last opportunity to execute remaining strategies. Prepare for a smooth filing season.
If you’ve only heard from your CPA in Q1, this is what the rest of the year is supposed to look like.
Who benefits most from tax planning.
Tax planning produces the most measurable return for a specific profile.
S-Corp owners above $80K-$100K net income.
The entity election and reasonable salary lever are in play.
Significant capital investments ahead.
Equipment, real estate, or vehicles with depreciation timing opportunities.
High-growth year without adjusted estimates.
Income outpacing the quarterly payments you set in January.
Accelerating retirement savings.
Want to reduce taxable income while building retirement assets.
Evaluating entity restructuring.
Before a significant revenue milestone or ownership change.
If you’re a sole proprietor at $60,000 in net profit, the planning overhead may not justify the savings. If you’re clearing $300,000 through an S-Corp, the conversation is worth having every quarter.
Tax planning vs. tax preparation: why you need both.
These are not the same service. Tax preparation files the return after the year ends. Tax planning structures your decisions before the year ends so the return reflects deliberate choices, not default outcomes. Both are necessary. They work best when done by the same Florida-licensed CPA team.
Strategies implemented
before year-end.
Not discovered after.
Year-round tax planning, integrated with your books. See what it looks like for your business.