Prepare your business owner tax planning conversation
Entity structure, owner compensation, retirement funding, and the next transaction deserve one coordinated plan. Explore the decisions behind a stronger tax position, then bring your priorities to AE Tax Advisors.
Start with the decision, the people, and the timing
Write a short summary of the question you need to resolve. Identify the owners, entities, or properties involved and any transaction date already under discussion. Separate the outcome you want from the treatment you assume will produce it. That gives the adviser room to compare alternatives.
Bring the records that establish the facts
- Three years of business and personal returns, with supporting schedules
- Current profit-and-loss statements and a year-end forecast
- Ownership, elections, payroll, distributions, and benefit-plan records
- Planned purchases, hiring, distributions, or ownership changes
Use a document index rather than pasting sensitive information into a general inquiry. Keep original source files and note which schedule or statement supports each figure. If a record is missing, explain the gap and identify who can provide it. Ask AE for the appropriate secure intake process before transmitting returns or financial documents.
Work through the review in order
Clarify the whole picture
Map operating businesses, ownership, household income, and the decisions ahead.
Evaluate the alternatives
Compare the timing, limitations, cash requirements, and implementation responsibilities.
Translate the plan into action
Confirm who will handle payroll, elections, filings, and ongoing review.
Confirm the work and the responsibilities
A recommendation, a calculation, a signed election, and a completed filing are different milestones. Ask which deliverables are included, which professional implements them, and what completion evidence you should retain. Clarify any separate work for payroll, bookkeeping, engineering, legal advice, or return preparation.
Leave with an actionable follow-up
Agree on the unresolved questions, documents still needed, responsible people, and the next review date. A useful preparation file should let the next professional understand the facts without reconstructing the conversation. Revisit the file when ownership, operating use, income, or a planned transaction changes.