Tax Planning
Filing a return records history. Tax planning changes it. Here's how to pay less — legally, deliberately, and every single year.
Most people overpay by default, not by law.
Not because they cheat the other way, but because nobody looked ahead. Proactive planning is the difference between reacting to a bill and designing one.
Effective tax planning is about minimizing what you owe and maximizing what you keep. We help identify strategies that apply current tax law to your specific situation — your income, your accounts, your business, your charitable intent, your timeline.
The work happens during the year, not after it. By the time the return is prepared, nearly every meaningful lever has already been pulled or missed. Planning ahead means fewer surprises, smoother cash flow, and more of your money staying with you.
Six levers we review every year.
Manage the bracket, not just the year
Income is taxed in layers. We look across a decade — not a single April — and deliberately fill the cheap brackets while deferring income out of the expensive ones.
Use the conversion window
The years between the last paycheck and required minimum distributions are often the lowest-rate years of your life. Roth conversions in that window can permanently reduce lifetime tax.
Locate assets intelligently
The same portfolio can produce very different tax bills. Interest-heavy holdings belong in tax-deferred accounts; long-term growth belongs where it compounds untaxed.
Harvest, gift, and bunch
Realize losses when the market offers them, gift appreciated shares instead of cash, and bunch deductions into the years they actually clear the standard deduction.
Structure the business
Entity choice, reasonable compensation, retirement plan design, and accountable-plan reimbursements can move real money — before any exit is on the table.
Sequence retirement withdrawals
Which account you draw from first changes Medicare premiums, Social Security taxation, and how long the money lasts. Order matters as much as amount.
Ahead of April
Projections run during the year, while decisions can still change the outcome.
Coordinated
Your CPA and attorney see the same plan. No one works from a partial picture.
Tied to the plan
Every tax move is checked against your anthem — never a strategy for its own sake.
Where the money actually moves.
Select a lever to see what it does, who it fits, and what it requires. Most households have three or four available at any given time.
Fill the low brackets on purpose.
The years between retirement and required distributions are often the cheapest tax years of your life. Left alone, they get wasted — then required distributions arrive and push you into a higher bracket permanently.
- Multi-year bracket projection
- Roth conversion sizing to a target bracket ceiling
- IRMAA and capital-gain threshold awareness
Twelve months, not one deadline.
Proactive tax planning has a calendar. Here is ours.
- Phase 01January–March
Q1 — Set the baseline
Review last year's return with fresh eyes, identify what was left on the table, and project this year's taxable income before anything is locked in.
- Phase 02April–June
Q2 — Position
Adjust withholding and estimates, confirm retirement plan contributions, and set the target bracket ceiling for the year.
- Phase 03July–September
Q3 — Execute
Roth conversion sizing, charitable strategy, and gain or loss harvesting while there is still time for the numbers to matter.
- Phase 04October–December
Q4 — Close the year
Final conversion and harvesting decisions, required distributions confirmed, and a handoff package sent to your CPA before filing season.
Questions people actually ask.
No. Anthem Financial does not provide tax or legal advice and does not prepare returns. We do the forward-looking planning and coordinate directly with your CPA so the strategy and the filing agree.
December is when options run out. Bracket management, conversions, harvesting, and charitable strategy all work better with the whole year in front of them.
It voluntarily recognizes income in a low-bracket year to reduce a larger, less controllable tax bill later — especially before required minimum distributions and Social Security begin.
Yes. Plan contribution structure, deferred compensation timing, asset location, and equity compensation decisions all have multi-year tax consequences during peak earning years.
With your permission, we share projections and proposed year-end actions directly, so nothing is executed that your preparer has not seen.
This information is general in nature, is not personalized tax advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Anthem Financial does not offer legal or tax advice. Tax laws change and their application varies by individual circumstance. Please consult a qualified tax professional regarding your specific situation.