Tax Planning: The Meeting Worth Having in October

Los Gatos: The meeting takes an hour. Before it, we close your books through September and project the last quarter. During it, we walk through four questions. After it, you get a two page memo with what to do, by when, and roughly what each choice changes. We do not promise a savings number, because nobody honest can.

Is your entity still right? A sole proprietor, an LLC and an S corporation can run the same business and pay tax very differently. Switching has costs too: payroll, a separate return, more paperwork. We show both sides with your figures, not a rule of thumb.

What is a reasonable salary? If you own an S corporation and work in it, you pay yourself a salary that is fair for the work, then take the rest as distributions. Too low invites questions. Too high costs payroll tax you did not need to pay. We look at what people in similar roles earn and help you pick a number you can defend.

"The best tax move is the one you can still make."

Arturo Mendez, tax lead

Which retirement account fits? Owner plans differ in how much you can put in, who else has to be covered and when the money has to land. We match the account to your cash, not the other way round, and coordinate with your financial adviser if you have one.

Are your estimates on track? Quarterly estimates catch most owners out once. We compare what you paid to what the year looks like, and set the next payment so January has no surprise.