Tax Strategy for Business Owners

Most business owners focus on tax compliance. We focus on tax outcomes.

Our work centers on proactive, planning-first tax strategy for closely held businesses, professional firms, and entrepreneurs whose tax situation has outgrown basic tax prep.

Who this is for

This service is designed for:

  • Owners of S-corps, partnerships, and closely held businesses

  • Professional service firms and consultants

  • Business owners with inconsistent or rising income

  • Owners with retirement, real estate, or investment complexity

If your income is strong but your tax bill feels disconnected from reality, this is typically a planning problem—not a bookkeeping one.

Why most business tax planning falls short

Many business owners are advised after the year is over. By then, most planning opportunities are gone.

Common gaps we see:

  • Entity structure no longer fits the business

  • No coordinated salary, retirement, and distribution planning

  • Missed opportunities around timing, classification, and elections

  • Tax decisions made in isolation rather than as a system

How business owner tax strategy works

Our approach is planning-first, not product-driven.

We typically evaluate:

  • Entity structure and compensation strategy

  • Retirement plan design (401(k), profit sharing, cash balance)

  • Timing of income, deductions, and capital events

  • Interaction between business income and personal tax exposure

Implementation often involves coordination with your CPA and other advisors.

Business Owners with Real Estate Holdings

Many business owners also hold real estate, either as part of a long-term investment strategy or through operating assets such as rental or short-term rental properties.

When business and real estate activity are planned in isolation, opportunities are often missed and unintended tax consequences can arise.

Effective planning looks at business income, real estate activity, and personal tax exposure together—so decisions in one area do not create avoidable issues in another.

If real estate plays a meaningful role in your overall financial picture, see our Real Estate Investor Tax Strategy page for a more focused discussion.

Expected outcomes

While no tax savings are guaranteed, appropriate clients typically see:

  • Better alignment between income and tax liability

  • Fewer reactive decisions

  • Clear documentation and defensible positions

  • A multi-year planning framework instead of one-off fixes

Tax Strategy for Business Owners — FAQs

  • This planning is designed for business owners with meaningful income, complexity, or growth—typically owners of closely held businesses, professional practices, or multi-entity structures. It is not intended for W-2-only employees

  • The most effective planning happens before year-end—often mid-year or earlier—so strategies can be implemented proactively rather than reactively. Waiting until tax filing season significantly limits available options.

  • No. We focus on strategy and coordination. Tax filing and bookkeeping typically remain with your CPA. We also work closely with our own CPA partner who is familiar with the strategies we design and can assist with implementation when appropriate.

  • No. Our work emphasizes compliance, documentation, and sustainability.

  • Depending on the situation, planning may include entity structuring, reasonable compensation analysis, retirement plan design, real estate integration, and multi-year income timing strategies.