Do you prepare tax returns?

No. Your CPA prepares and files the return. We work on the decisions made during the year that determine what the return says, and we send our projections to your CPA so they have what they need before filing season.

Will I need a new CPA?

No. We work with the one you have. If you don't have one, or you want a second opinion, we'll introduce you to CPAs we work with.

How much can tax planning save me?

It depends on your income, your entity, and how much runway there is before a sale or retirement. We won't promise a number. We'll show you the specific opportunities in your plan, with estimates, before you decide on any of them.

BELMONTPRIVATE WEALTH

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Tax planning for business owners and families in St. Louis.

Your CPA files the return. We work on the twelve months before it, with your CPA: the decisions that determine what the return says.

Schedule a conversation How we work and what it costs

The difference

Planning, not preparation

Tax preparation looks backward; tax planning looks forward. For a business owner, the decisions that move the tax bill are mostly made before year-end, and some before the business is even structured. We make those decisions part of your plan and send the math to your CPA.

What we look at

Six places the tax bill is decided

Entity and compensation

How the business is structured and how it pays you: salary, distributions, and what each one costs in tax.

Retirement plan design

401(k), profit sharing, cash balance, SEP. Which plan fits the business, and how much it can shelter.

Roth conversions and brackets

Filling low brackets in low-income years, including the gap between a sale or retirement and required withdrawals.

Charitable giving

Giving appreciated stock instead of cash, donor-advised funds, and qualified charitable distributions from an IRA.

Selling the business

Deal structure and timing, which can matter more than the price. Started years ahead, with your CPA and attorney.

Investments

Asset location, tax-loss harvesting, and care with when gains are taken.

Working with your CPA

How it works in practice

1
We draft
A tax projection for the year, with the specific moves we recommend and what each is worth.
2
Your CPA reviews
We send it over, answer questions, and adjust. Two sets of eyes, no surprises.
3
The return reflects it
Your CPA prepares the return knowing what was done and why. We keep the record for next year.

Who benefits most

Where planning pays off

Owners with pass-through income and a choice about how to take it
Owners within a few years of selling or passing on the business
Families making large gifts to children, grandchildren, or charity
Retirees deciding what to draw from which account, and when
Anyone with a large, appreciated position they don't want to sell all at once

If one of these is you, the planning conversation is worth having before the next year-end, not after.

Common questions

What people in St. Louis ask about tax planning

Do you prepare tax returns?: No. Your CPA prepares and files the return. We work on the decisions made during the year that determine what the return says, and we send our projections to your CPA so they have what they need before filing season.
Will I need a new CPA?: No. We work with the one you have. If you don't have one, or you want a second opinion, we'll introduce you to CPAs we work with.
How much can tax planning save me?: It depends on your income, your entity, and how much runway there is before a sale or retirement. We won't promise a number. We'll show you the specific opportunities in your plan, with estimates, before you decide on any of them.

Next step

Start before year-end

Bring last year’s return if you like. We’ll tell you plainly which decisions are worth a closer look, and what a plan would cost.

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