Tax Planning & Advisory
Tax planning belongs before the decision.
Tax planning for business owners and professionals considering decisions, changing income or future obligations.
Discuss your needs
- The decision
- The tax implications
- The options
The engagement
Put the tax question beside the business decision.
A prospective review of tax questions before a decision is made or a filing deadline arrives. The engagement identifies the issues to examine, the information needed and the analysis to provide.
Return preparation reports an agreed tax period; planning considers decisions while options are still open. A change in revenue, ownership, compensation or planned spending can affect the questions to examine. Planning is a defined engagement because the decisions, assumptions and analysis differ from the work needed to file a return. Filing a return does not automatically include a planning review.
CTAS provides remote tax planning for Philadelphia business owners and professional service firms, with virtual service availability across the United States where legally authorized.
01 / Potential scope
Review of the agreed decision, transaction or planning question
Identify the decision, expected timing and the business and personal tax questions involved. Relevant prior returns, current accounts, expected income and anticipated obligations provide the context. A discussion about buying equipment, for example, starts with the proposed transaction and available facts, not an assumed tax saving.
02 / Potential scope
Projections and scenario comparisons where included
Where projections are agreed, compare the relevant income, timing and other assumptions for the scenarios being considered. A projection depends on those assumptions; changing income or circumstances can change the result. The engagement defines what analysis is provided and whether a later update is included.
03 / Potential scope
Discussion of relevant elections, timing and implementation responsibilities
For an owner-operated business, relevant questions may include tax classification, elections, owner compensation and distributions. Reasonable compensation depends on the facts; no universal salary percentage is appropriate. Agree who will implement any recommendation, which records or authorizations are needed, and whether related payroll, return or legal work requires another adviser or a separate scope.
The services, periods, jurisdictions, deliverables and responsibilities included are defined in your engagement agreement. Additional work is included only when specifically agreed.
General background: IRS guidance on S corporation compensation. The relevant facts and applicable requirements must be reviewed for your engagement.
A working relationship
Clear responsibilities on both sides.
Who this service can support
- Business owners considering a purchase, compensation change or other significant decision
- Professional-services firms with changing income or ownership
- Established professionals who need to consider business and personal tax questions together
What you provide
Provide relevant returns, current financial information and the facts of the proposed decision. Tell us about deadlines, other advisers and changes that could affect the analysis.
CTAS carries out the agreed work using the information provided. Missing facts or documents can affect the work and timing; no universal turnaround or outcome is promised.
Related services
Connected where the engagement calls for it.
A planning question about business structure may require a tax classification review. Current accounting records can inform the analysis. Entity and accounting work are separate services, included only when agreed.
Planning questions
Before your tax planning consultation.
When should a business owner discuss tax planning?
Start before a significant compensation, ownership, income or spending decision. Identify the decision, its timing and the current records available so CTAS can discuss the analysis to include. Return preparation does not automatically include a planning review.
Can planning address S corporation owner compensation?
Owner compensation and distributions may be relevant planning questions for an S corporation. The analysis depends on the business and owner’s facts; no universal salary percentage or guaranteed tax saving applies. Election work, payroll and return preparation require their own agreed scope where needed.
Are planning consultations available outside Philadelphia?
Yes. CTAS conducts consultations and services virtually, serving Philadelphia business owners with remote availability across the United States where legally authorized. The engagement confirms the relevant jurisdictions and scope.
Specific engagement questions
Planning for a remotely served Philadelphia business.
Federal planning is only part of a Philadelphia owner’s tax picture. Pennsylvania entity and owner treatment, Philadelphia business taxes and payroll obligations may require separate review. CTAS works virtually; Philadelphia market relevance does not mean a customer-facing office or a promise to accept every local filing.
Philadelphia BIRT and Net Profits Tax have different rules. The City states that the former $100,000 BIRT exemption is unavailable starting with tax year 2025. Confirm the applicable year, entity, activity and filing obligations from current City guidance instead of carrying forward an old exemption or assuming federal S status settles local treatment. No City tax rate is quoted here.
Bring prior state/local returns and notices, business activity locations, entity documents and the proposed decision. The engagement identifies which analysis or filing CTAS accepts and whether specialist advice is needed.
Official background: Philadelphia BIRT guidance · Philadelphia Net Profits Tax · Pennsylvania pass-through entity guidance
Professional-service planning connects records, owners and timing.
For a professional-services business, consider the owners’ roles and compensation, expected profitability, entity treatment, employee/retirement-plan facts and estimated payments together. A profitable period may still require cash for staff, project delivery and taxes. Begin with current accounts rather than treating a bank balance as projected taxable income.
A law-firm owner, consulting operator or practice owner should identify the decision ahead and the source records available. State activity, hiring and ownership changes may affect the work to consider. Agree any projection, assumptions and follow-through; related payroll, accounting, legal and preparation tasks need named responsibilities.
Explore industry accounting concerns or tax and accounting insights before discussing the work.
Start a conversation
Let’s discuss the work.
Tell us which decision is ahead, when it needs to be made and what current records are available. The first conversation is to establish fit and the planning work to consider; detailed analysis and any implementation responsibilities must be agreed before work begins.
Keep an initial inquiry general. Please do not send account numbers, tax returns or other sensitive records.