A Tax Strategy Session is an hourly, consultative meeting focused on your specific tax questions and decisions. We review your facts, discuss available options, and outline practical next steps you can act on.

Important: This is a strategy and guidance service--not tax return preparation, not bookkeeping cleanup, and not a substitute for legal advice.

Not usually. Tax Planning is typically broader and more proactive (often covering a full year and multiple moving parts). A Tax Strategy Session is designed for targeted questions, specific decisions, or a single situation where you want clarity quickly.

Common topics include:

• Entity/structure considerations (for example, whether an S corporation election may be worth exploring)
• Estimated tax payments and underpayment risk
• Deductibility questions and documentation standards
• Owner compensation and payroll planning considerations
• Year-end strategy ideas and timing decisions
• Real estate transactions and key tax considerations
• New business setup questions and compliance checklists
• Notices and letters: what they generally mean and what steps to consider

We'll focus on what can be responsibly analyzed during the session based on the information you provide.

To keep hourly sessions efficient and appropriately scoped, the following are not included unless separately engaged in writing:

• Preparing, signing, or filing any tax returns
• Full bookkeeping cleanups, reconciliations, or forensic accounting
• Full representation before any taxing authority
• Drafting legal documents, contracts, or entity governance documents
• Formal legal opinions or advice regarding your legal rights/obligations
• Complex multi-entity restructures without a dedicated engagement

Sessions are billed hourly. A minimum session length may apply, and we'll confirm the expected time after reviewing your intake so you have clarity before the meeting.

Scope control: If your questions expand beyond what's reasonable in the scheduled time, we'll recommend either scheduling additional time or moving to a separate engagement with a defined scope.

We may offer a brief screening conversation to confirm fit and scope. Tax strategy and recommendations are provided during a scheduled, paid session to ensure we can responsibly review facts and provide accurate guidance.

To make the session productive, we may request items such as:

• Your specific questions (prioritized)
• Prior-year return(s) if relevant
• Year-to-date financials (if you have a business)
• Payroll reports (if applicable)
• Transaction details (purchase/sale dates, amounts, closing statements)
• Any notice/letter received (if applicable)

Note: If documents are incomplete or unavailable, we can still discuss general considerations, but any conclusions may be limited.

Typically yes--clients usually receive a brief recap of key points and action items. The level of detail depends on the complexity of the topic and the information provided.

Recordkeeping: Keep your recap with your tax records. It is not a formal legal opinion.

No. Tax outcomes depend on facts, documentation, timing, elections, changes in law, and the positions ultimately taken on filed returns. We can estimate impacts when the data supports it, but we cannot guarantee results.

No. We provide tax strategy and advisory guidance based on the information you provide. We are not acting as your attorney, and nothing in the session should be interpreted as legal advice or the creation of an attorney-client relationship.

If your situation involves legal rights, litigation risk, contracts, ownership disputes, or other legal matters, we recommend consulting an attorney.

Representation is not included in an hourly Tax Strategy Session. If you need representation or ongoing correspondence support, that requires a separate written engagement with defined scope, authorizations, and terms.

Tell us your deadline upfront. We'll do our best to schedule accordingly, but availability is not guaranteed. You remain responsible for meeting all deadlines unless a separate written engagement states otherwise.

We can review documents during the session, but it's typically more efficient to submit them in advance. Real-time document review can reduce time available for strategy discussion.

We treat client information as confidential and use secure methods for document intake whenever possible. However, email and internet transmissions can carry risks. If you have heightened sensitivity (for example, identity theft concerns), ask us about secure submission options.

Our guidance is based on the facts and documents you provide at the time of the session. If material facts are missing, inaccurate, or change later, recommendations may change. You agree to provide complete and accurate information to the best of your knowledge.

Our default focus is California and federal considerations. Multi-state issues may require additional review and may be better handled under a separate engagement, depending on complexity.

Yes. Many tax decisions are tradeoffs. We'll explain pros/cons, risk areas, documentation requirements, and practical next steps so you can make an informed decision.

If your needs extend beyond an hourly strategy session, we can propose a separate engagement (for example, ongoing tax planning support, bookkeeping process improvements, or other services) with a defined scope and terms.