Most tax outcomes are decided before December 31. By the time a return is being prepared, the entity is what it is, the salary was what it was, the equipment was bought or it was not. Tax strategy is the work of making those decisions on purpose, with the numbers in front of you, while they can still be changed.
What tax strategy includes
- Entity structure. Whether your business should be a sole proprietorship, an LLC taxed as a partnership, an S corporation or, rarely, a C corporation, and what each means for self-employment tax, liability and administration. See Should your LLC elect S-Corp status?
- Owner compensation. A documented reasonable salary for S corporation owners, and the split between salary and distributions.
- Projections and quarterly estimates. A forecast of the year's tax built from current books, updated each quarter, with federal and Arizona payment amounts. See Quarterly estimated taxes explained.
- Retirement planning. Solo 401(k), SEP and other plans sized to your profit and your goals, timed so the contributions actually happen.
- Timing and purchases. When to buy equipment, how depreciation choices affect this year and later years, and when prepaying or deferring makes sense.
- Multi-state planning. Where you owe tax when you, your team or your customers are in more than one state, and how to avoid paying twice.
- Arizona-specific elections. Including the pass-through entity tax election where it benefits the owners.
- Year-end review. A sit-down before the year closes to act on anything still open.
Who it is for
Small business owners who want decisions made in advance: LLC and S corporation owners, partners, independent professionals, and anyone whose income has outgrown a once-a-year filing relationship. We work with all industries and have deep experience with med spas, gyms and personal trainers, real estate professionals, construction, medical and dental practices, and content creators.
How it works
- Discovery call. We review your current structure, last return and goals.
- Projection. We model the options on your real numbers and show the difference, including the costs of each option.
- Plan. You get a written plan with what to do, when, and what it requires from you.
- Quarterly reviews. We check the plan against the books each quarter and adjust.
What it is not
It is not a promise of a particular refund or savings figure. Every strategy depends on facts we confirm first, and some, like the S corporation election, cost money to run and only pay off above a certain level of profit. We show the math and let it decide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need bookkeeping in place first?
Current books make strategy far more precise, because projections are only as good as the numbers underneath them. If your books are behind, we usually start with a cleanup, then plan from there. Our bookkeeping service covers both.
Is this only for Arizona businesses?
No. We are based in Phoenix and serve clients in all 50 states, fully remotely. Multi-state planning is part of the service.
How often do we talk?
At least quarterly, with a longer review before year end. Clients also reach out when something changes mid-year, such as a large contract, a hire, or a purchase.