Tax Planning & Strategy
Tax preparation records the past. Tax planning changes the outcome. We build a multi-year strategy around your income, your goals and the decisions ahead, then keep it current all year.
The biggest tax savings happen before the year ends.
By the time you file, the year's results are fixed. The real leverage is in decisions made during the year: how much to convert, when to exercise, where to contribute and how to structure.
We start with a detailed projection of your current and future tax years, find the opportunities and risks, and give you a clear, dated plan. As your year unfolds with a bonus, a sale, a new property or a new partner, we update the plan with you.
Multi-year tax projection
Your expected tax this year and the next several, under different scenarios.
Written strategy roadmap
Specific recommendations, the estimated impact and who does what.
Action calendar & check-ins
Deadlines that matter for you, with regular reviews to keep the plan current.
Illustrative example only. Actual strategies and results depend on your circumstances.
Every lever, coordinated.
Tax planning isn't one tactic. It's coordinating many decisions so they work together for the best long-term result.
Long-range tax projections
Multi-year modeling to smooth income across brackets and avoid costly spikes.
Roth conversion strategy
How much to convert and in which years, including low-income windows before RMDs.
Stock-based compensation
RSU, ISO, NSO and ESPP planning around vesting, exercises, AMT and withholding gaps.
Retirement contribution strategy
Solo 401(k), defined benefit and cash balance plans, especially for practice owners.
Entity & compensation review
S-corp reasonable compensation, entity selection and pass-through entity tax elections.
Capital gains planning
Loss harvesting coordination, lot selection and timing of sales of businesses or property.
Charitable giving
Donor-advised funds, gifts of appreciated stock and bunching strategies.
Estate & gifting coordination
Annual gifting, trust planning and wealth transfer, coordinated with your attorney.
Multi-state & residency
Oregon/Washington cross-border income, California moves and multi-state filings.
Planning built for how
you earn.
The right strategies depend on how your income is earned. Here's how planning typically looks for the clients we serve most.
For physicians, dentists, attorneys & consultants
High income, a business to run and very little time. Your plan focuses on structure and on retirement savings.
- Entity structure & reasonable compensation to balance payroll and income taxes
- Cash balance & 401(k) plan design to shelter significantly more income
- Pass-through entity tax elections where they lower your overall bill
- Equipment & buildout timing to make the most of depreciation
- Partner buy-ins, buy-outs & practice sales planned years in advance
For advisors, wealth managers & fund managers
From financial planning firms to private equity, real estate and debt funds and fund-of-funds, your income is layered and often deferred.
- Management company structure and owner compensation planning
- Carried interest & K-1 income projected and planned ahead
- Fund & fund-of-funds tax considerations coordinated with your fund administrator
- Multi-state allocations for investors and partners across states
- Personal planning for principals: Roth, estate and charitable strategy
For builders, landlords & syndicators
Real estate offers some of the most powerful planning tools in the tax code, if they're used deliberately.
- Cost segregation & depreciation strategy for new and existing properties
- Passive activity & real estate professional status planning
- 1031 exchanges & disposition timing to defer or manage gains
- Build-and-hold vs. build-and-sell structuring for construction projects
- Syndication & deal-level planning for sponsors and passive investors
For high-net-worth individuals & families
Multiple income sources, entities and generations need one coordinated strategy and a trusted advisor at the center.
- High-net-worth tax planning across portfolios, entities and K-1s
- Multi-year Roth conversion and retirement income planning
- Estate, gift & trust strategy coordinated with your estate attorney
- Charitable & legacy giving designed for impact and efficiency
- Family office coordination with your wealth manager and attorney
Your planning year,
quarter by quarter.
A predictable cadence means opportunities are caught early, and December 31 never sneaks up on you.
Review & set targets
- Review last year's results
- Set this year's projection
- Prior-year contribution deadlines
Mid-year check-in
- File & reconcile returns
- Update for income changes
- Adjust estimated payments
Strategy in motion
- Entity & compensation review
- Equity compensation timing
- Retirement plan decisions
Year-end moves
- Roth conversions
- Gains & loss harvesting
- Charitable & gifting strategy
Four states.
Four very different rulebooks.
Where you live, work, invest and retire changes your strategy, especially when those places are on opposite sides of a state line.
One of the highest state income tax rates in the country, plus Metro and Multnomah County personal income taxes for many Portland-area households.
Tax planning in Lake Oswego and Portland
No wage income tax, but a state capital gains tax and estate tax, plus Oregon tax on Oregon-source income for cross-river commuters.
Tax services for clients in Bellevue and Seattle
High marginal rates, strict residency rules and an elective pass-through entity tax that can benefit business owners.
Tax planning for clients in Orange County
A flat-rate state income tax, and an increasingly popular destination for West Coast relocations that need careful planning.
Relocation planning for Boise
Common questions.
Every situation is different. A free call is the best way to see what planning could do for you.
Book a Free CallWhen should I start tax planning?
As early in the year as possible. Many of the most valuable strategies, including Roth conversions, retirement contributions, equity compensation timing and capital gains harvesting, must be completed by December 31. That said, it's never too late to start planning for next year.
Who benefits most from proactive tax planning?
Anyone with income or decisions that can be timed or structured: practice and business owners, investment professionals, people with stock-based compensation, real estate investors and high-net-worth families.
Do you prepare the tax return too?
Yes. Planning and preparation work best together, so the strategies we design are carried through accurately on your individual, business and trust returns.
I live in Washington but work in Oregon. Can you help?
Absolutely. Cross-border situations between Vancouver, Camas and the Portland area are a common part of our work, as are moves between West Coast states.
Do you offer tax planning in Lake Oswego and Orange County?
Yes. We provide year-round tax planning in Lake Oswego and Portland, and for clients in Bellevue and Orange County. Clients near Portland can meet us at our office, and many others work with us entirely online.
Do I have to meet in person?
No. You're welcome at our Portland office, and many clients across Washington, California and Idaho work with us entirely online through video calls and our secure client portal.
Explore more ways we help.
Your taxes are decided now, not in March.
Let's build your plan while there's still time to use it.