Tax Planning for California Individuals and Businesses
Most tax planning happens before December 31. Decisions about entity choice, retirement contributions, asset sales, and income timing all have consequences that can no longer be changed after year-end. Planning is the highest-leverage tax work; it costs less than fixing problems later.
Entity Selection and Restructuring
The choice between sole proprietorship, partnership, S corporation, and C corporation affects self-employment tax, retirement plan options, owner compensation flexibility, and exit-event treatment. Restructuring is possible but has its own tax cost; getting the initial choice right is the lowest-cost path.
California's $800 minimum franchise tax, the pass-through entity elective tax, and federal Section 199A qualified business income deduction interact in ways that make the analysis state-specific.
Transaction Planning
Major transactions deserve advance planning: business sales, real estate dispositions, partnership reorganizations, inheritance receipts, retirement plan distributions, and stock option exercises. Many have non-recognition or installment treatment options that must be elected, structured, or documented before the transaction closes.
Audit-Resistant Positions
Some return positions are bright-line. Others involve judgment under the substantial authority and reasonable basis standards. Documenting the analysis at the time the position is taken, and disclosing where required on Form 8275, dramatically improves the outcome if the return is later examined.
This is particularly true for transfer pricing, research credit claims, conservation easements, captive insurance arrangements, and other areas of heightened IRS scrutiny.
Retirement and Estate Planning Integration
Tax planning intersects with retirement and estate planning in many ways: Roth conversions, qualified plan rollovers, basis step-up at death, IRD income, and the timing of distributions. Coordinating with the client's estate planning attorney and financial advisor produces better outcomes than working in silos.
How to Engage
Tax planning engagements are typically scoped at the start of the year or in advance of a specific transaction. The free initial review identifies the planning issues that warrant deeper analysis and the likely fee structure.
Why people call us first
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