Proactive Tax Planning & Advisory

Written by Deanna R. Ngueket, CPA. Reviewed September 2026. This page is general information, not tax advice for your situation.

Tax planning is the work that happens before the year ends, while the decisions that determine what you owe can still be changed. We look at your income, your entity, your retirement contributions, and your estimated payments during the year, and we tell you what to do about them while there is still time to act.

Planning is offered as a service level added to your tax return engagement — Compliant, Proactive, or Strategic — so you choose how much of the year you want us involved. Both the individual estimator and the business estimator show the three levels side by side with a price for each.

What this service covers

• Entity structure — whether an S-corporation election saves you money once payroll and administration are counted, and when to make it
• Reasonable compensation for S-corporation owners, documented against the IRS factors
• The qualified business income (QBI) deduction — how to keep it, and how the income phase-out affects service professionals
• Retirement contributions — Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA, and defined-benefit options sized to your income
• Quarterly estimated payments set against the safe-harbor rules so there is no underpayment penalty and no large surprise in April
• Timing decisions — equipment purchases, income deferral, and expense acceleration before 31 December
• Life and business changes — a new entity, a sale, a move between states, a large one-time income event

What is included at each service level

• Compliant. Your return, prepared and filed correctly, with a review of the prior year and answers to your questions during the season. Planning is limited to what we see when we prepare the return.
• Proactive. Everything in Compliant, plus a mid-year planning meeting, a fourth-quarter projection with a written list of moves to make before year end, quarterly estimate calculations, and access to us throughout the year for questions as they come up.
• Strategic. Everything in Proactive, plus quarterly planning meetings, entity and compensation analysis, retirement plan design and coordination with your financial advisor, multi-year projections, and priority scheduling. This is for owners whose tax bill is large enough that the planning pays for itself several times over.

Who this is for

• 1099 consultants and contractors earning enough that self-employment tax has become a real number
• S-corporation and partnership owners who want their salary, distributions, and estimates set deliberately
• Professionals near the QBI income phase-out
• Business owners with a large one-time event on the horizon — a sale, a big contract, a buyout
• W-2 earners with equity compensation, rental property, or a growing side business

How it works

1. Free 15-minute consultation. We talk through where you are and what you are trying to decide.
2. Written quote. You pick a service level and receive a fixed price and an engagement letter before anything starts.
3. Baseline review. We review your prior return and current-year numbers and identify the decisions that matter for you.
4. Planning meetings. Mid-year and fourth quarter at Proactive, quarterly at Strategic — by video or in person — each ending with a short written action list.
5. Return preparation. Because we planned the year, the return is the last step rather than the first surprise.

See what it costs

Answer a few quick questions and get an instant price for each service level. No phone call required.

Individual Pricing Estimator →   Business Pricing Estimator →

The estimator gives you a range for each level. The exact figure comes in your written quote, and it does not change after that unless the scope does.

Talk it through

Book a free consultation, or call 713-730-9792.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get planning without having you prepare my return?

Planning works best when the same person prepares the return, because the plan and the filing have to agree. If you only need a one-time consultation on a specific decision, ask on the call and we will quote it separately.

When should I elect S-corporation status?

When the self-employment tax saved exceeds the payroll and administrative cost added, and when it does not damage a deduction you rely on. It is a calculation, not a revenue threshold. We run it for you.

Do I have to pay quarterly estimated taxes?

Generally yes, if you expect to owe $1,000 or more after withholding and credits. Meeting a safe harbor removes the underpayment penalty, and we calculate the amounts for you at the Proactive level and above.

What can I still do after 31 December?

Less than you would like, but not nothing. Some retirement contributions can be made up to the return due date, including extensions. Most other levers close on 31 December, which is why the fourth-quarter meeting matters.

Do you work with clients outside Texas?

Yes. We run a hybrid practice — remote or in person — and work with clients across the country.