Accounting

Make the Most of your Professional Advisors

Who’s on your team? No, not your sports or reality-show dancing team, your business team, that group of professional advisors who are ready and willing to help you tackle tough financial decisions.

Those decisions can have an effect on your taxes this year as well as in the future, so you want to be sure your advisors know each other – and are working together for your benefit.

As you begin your midyear planning review, here are three areas where coordinating the advice you receive can pay off.

  • Investments. Capital gains and losses from sales of your securities affect your taxes, of course, but the kind of investments you make can also have an impact. For instance, buying municipal bonds to generate tax-free interest may result in the unintended outcome of creating income subject to the alternative minimum tax.
  • Insurance. The type of health insurance plan you select can have tax implications. An example: A Health Savings Account (HSA), used in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan, can save premium and tax dollars. You fund an HSA with pre-tax cash and take tax-free withdrawals to pay medical expenses.
  • Estate planning. Wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations provide the framework for carrying out your wishes after your death. Communication between your tax and legal advisors helps ensure that these documents offer the greatest protection for your heirs while minimizing estate tax consequences.

Please call us to schedule a comprehensive review of your goals. We’re delighted to be part of your professional team.