Tax services
Tax work that happens all year, not just in April
Preparing a return reports what already happened. Planning is the part that changes the number, and it has to happen while the year is still open. We do both, for individuals and for the businesses they own.
What this covers
Most of our clients bring us both sides: the personal return and the business behind it. Looking at them together is where the decisions that matter get made.
1 Understand the situation
- A look at last year’s return and what has changed since, which is usually enough to begin
- The personal return and the business behind it, looked at together
2 Prepare the returns
- Individual federal and state returns, including Schedule C, rental property, and investment income
- Business returns for S corporations, partnerships, and single-member LLCs
- Multi-state returns for people who moved, work across a state line, or own property elsewhere
- Prior-year returns for anyone who has fallen behind and wants to get current
- Amended returns when something was missed or reported incorrectly
3 Plan the year ahead
- Quarterly estimated payments calculated and scheduled before they come due
- Year-end planning while there is still time to change the outcome
- Retirement plan contributions, timing of income, and deduction planning
Why people call
Three situations we see every season
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The bill was nothing like last year
Income changed, a property sold, a business had a good year, or a spouse started drawing from a retirement account. The return simply reported it. Nobody was watching the number while it could still be influenced.
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The estimates keep coming up short
Quarterly payments were set from last year and the year did not repeat. Underpayment interest accrues quietly, and the shortfall is discovered at filing when it is too late to spread out.
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Two returns that never talk to each other
The business return is prepared in one place and the personal return in another. For an owner they are one decision, and splitting them is where planning opportunities get lost.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts side is its own job
A Massachusetts return is not a copy of the federal one with a different header. The state taxes most income at a flat rate but treats short-term capital gains differently, applies a surtax above a set income threshold, and requires health coverage reporting that has no federal equivalent.
Add the towns around Danvers where people commute into New Hampshire or hold property out of state, and the interaction between two sets of rules becomes the part worth getting right. Filing federal correctly and Massachusetts approximately is a common and expensive habit.
Questions
Common questions
When should I start thinking about this year, not last year?
Autumn. By the time a return is being prepared in March, the year is closed and the options are mostly gone. A short conversation in the fourth quarter is where most of the useful decisions actually get made.
I have not filed for a couple of years. Is that a problem you handle?
Yes, and it is more common than people think. The work is to get the open years prepared and filed, understand what is owed, and deal with the notices already in motion. See our page on IRS and state tax resolution.
Do you prepare returns for other states?
Yes. Moving mid-year, working across a state line, or owning property outside Massachusetts all create a second filing, and the credit mechanics between states are easy to get wrong in either direction.
What do you need from me to get started?
Contact the office first. Last year’s return and a short conversation may be enough to begin. If the firm determines it can help and sensitive documents are needed, the office will send private secure-upload instructions rather than ask you to email them.
Bring us last year's return and we will tell you what we see
A short conversation is usually enough to tell whether there is planning worth doing or whether the return is already close to optimal. Either answer is worth knowing before the year closes.
Please do not send Social Security numbers, tax records, or bank details through the message form. If documents are needed, the office will provide private secure-upload instructions after speaking with you.