Best Tax Planning Services in Los Angeles

Serving Individuals and Businesses Since 1999

Tax Planning Services in Los Angeles

Most people meet their accountant once a year, hand over a stack of forms, and find out what they owe. By then the year is closed and the number is fixed. Tax planning works the other way around. It looks at your income while you can still do something about it, so the bill in April is a result you chose rather than a surprise you absorb.

Tax planning services in Los Angeles from Eric M. Hunt, CPA cover individuals, families, business owners, and the self employed.

Eric holds a CPA license and a Master of Science in Taxation, and has worked in accounting and taxation in Southern California since 1999.

Years of Experience

0 +

Satisfied Clients

100 +

Referral Rate

0 %

Team Members

0 +

The Basics

What Is Tax Planning?

Tax planning is the process of arranging your income, deductions, business structure, and timing during the year so that you legally owe less tax when you file. It is different from filing a return, which simply reports decisions you already made. Planning happens while those decisions are still open.

In practice it comes down to four levers: what structure your income flows through, when income and expenses land, which deductions and credits you capture, and how much you set aside through retirement and other tax advantaged accounts.

Is Tax Planning Legal?

Yes. Tax planning uses rules that Congress and the California legislature wrote on purpose, such as retirement contribution deductions, depreciation, and entity elections. That is different from tax evasion, which means hiding income or claiming things that are not true, and which is a crime. A licensed CPA will not cross that line, and any advisor who offers to is putting your money and your record at risk.

Who It Is For

Who We Help

Entertainment income rarely arrives in neat monthly paychecks. Earnings shift from project to project, royalties and residuals trickle in for years, and one job can create tax obligations in several states at once. A general accountant sees these situations a few times a year. This firm works with them every day.

Individuals and Families

Including W2 earners with investments, rental income, or equity compensation.

Small Business Owners

Across LLCs, S corporations, C corporations, and partnerships.

Self Employed and Freelancers

Anyone paid on 1099s with no tax withheld at source.

Real Estate Investors

Landlords and property owners managing depreciation and gains.

Professionals in Practice

Medical, legal, and consulting practices of any size.

Entertainment and Creative

Actors, musicians, writers, and producers with irregular income.

Anyone facing a major event is worth a conversation too, whether that is a business sale, a property sale, retirement, or an inheritance. Some clients come early, before the income arrives, wanting the structure set up right. Others come after a rough tax year, wondering whether they overpaid. Both are good starting points. You can also see the industries we work with.

Our Services

What Our Tax Planning Services in Los Angeles Include

Planning covers the decisions that move your tax bill, not just the paperwork at the end.

Entity Selection and Structure

Whether a sole proprietorship, LLC, S corporation, or partnership fits your income, and when changing is worth the cost.

Income and Expense Timing

Moving income or deductions across a year boundary to land them in the lower bracket.

Quarterly Estimated Taxes

A figure for each due date, so you are not guessing or paying penalties for guessing wrong.

Retirement Contributions

Using SEP IRAs, solo 401(k)s, and other plans to lower taxable income while building savings. See our retirement planning services.

Deduction Reviews

Finding the business, home office, vehicle, and depreciation deductions people commonly miss, including Section 179 expensing on equipment purchases.

Capital Gains Planning

Timing a sale of stock, property, or a business, and using losses to offset gains.

Estate and Wealth Transfer

Passing assets on without an avoidable tax bill, covered further on our estate planning page.

Multistate and Residency

Working out who taxes what when you earn income outside California.

A Real Example

An Example: What an S Corporation Election Can Save

Take a consultant who nets 150,000 dollars a year, paid on 1099s, filing as a sole proprietor. Every dollar of that profit is exposed to self employment tax of 15.3 percent, on top of federal and California income tax.

Net Profit

$ 0

Reasonable salary

$ 0

Distribution

$ 0

Self employment tax avoided on the distribution

0 %

Elect S corporation status and the math changes. The business pays a reasonable salary, say 90,000 dollars, which carries payroll tax as normal. The remaining 60,000 dollars comes out as a distribution, which is not subject to that 15.3 percent. That split commonly saves several thousand dollars a year, though the exact figure depends on the salary level, the Social Security wage base, and the rest of the return. The salary has to hold up as reasonable pay for the work, which is where a CPA earns the fee.

An S corporation is not free. It brings payroll filings, a separate return, and a California franchise tax, so it usually makes sense only above a certain profit level. Finding where that line sits for you is the planning work.

The Entertainment Version: Loan-Out Corporations

The same idea takes a specific form in the entertainment industry, which this firm has worked in since 1999. An actor or musician earning on 1099s can route income through a loan-out corporation, so production companies pay the corporation rather than the individual. That separates salary from distributions the same way, gives you a clean business to run agent and manager commissions, union dues, and travel through, and opens the door to a solo 401(k). Our entertainment accounting services cover the ongoing side once the structure is in place.

Local Rules

California and Los Angeles Taxes That Shape Your Plan

California has the highest state income tax in the country, with a top marginal rate of 13.3 percent. For higher earners the state can take a bigger bite than expected, which makes timing and deductions matter more here than in most places. The California Franchise Tax Board runs its own audits and its own rules, and does not always follow federal law, so a plan built only around the IRS misses half the picture.

If you earn income in other states, whether from work, property, or a business, each state may want a share of what you earned there. That means nonresident returns and credits for taxes paid elsewhere, and getting it wrong can mean paying twice on the same income.

There is also the Los Angeles city business tax, collected by the LA Office of Finance, which applies to many businesses and self employed people operating inside city limits. Some activities qualify for exemptions, and the small business exemption can eliminate the bill entirely if you register on time. Missing the registration can leave you owing tax you never needed to pay.

How It Works

What Year Round Tax Planning Actually Looks Like

Planning is not a single meeting in April. A typical year runs like this.

Step 01

Free 15 Minute Call

A quick look at your income and current tax setup, with no cost and no pressure.

Step 02

Discovery and Structure Review

We go through your income, business, and current setup, and what changing it would cost and save.

Step 03

Quarterly Estimates

A number for each due date, so nothing is a guess.

Step 04

Mid Year Check

We compare real income against the plan and adjust while there is still time.

Step 05

Year End Review

Before December 31 we look at timing, retirement contributions, and deductions you can still act on.

Step 06

Filing

The return is the straightforward part, because the decisions are already made.

You also get someone who answers the phone. If a sale, a hire, a move, or a new contract raises a tax question mid year, you can ask before you commit rather than finding out in April. When filing season comes, the same CPA handles your tax preparation, so nothing is lost in a handoff.

Before We Meet

What to Bring to Your First Planning Session

The more we can see, the more we can find. For a first meeting, have these ready if you can.

Your last two filed tax returns, federal and California
Current year income so far, including 1099s, W2s, and any business profit and loss
Business formation documents, if you have an LLC, S corporation, or partnership
Records of any property you own or rent out
Retirement account statements and contribution amounts to date
Anything unusual coming up: a sale, a move, a new contract, an inheritance

If your records are scattered, that is common and not a reason to delay. Our bookkeeping services can get the books in order first, and the planning gets easier once they are.

Common Confusion

Tax Planning vs Tax Preparation: What Is the Difference?

Tax preparation looks backward and records what already happened. Tax planning looks forward and changes what you will owe, while you can still act on it. Both matter, and the same licensed CPA can do both.

How the two differ in practice
	Tax preparation	Tax planning
What it does	Records what already happened	Changes what you will owe
When it happens	After the year ends	All year, before decisions
Main output	A filed return	A strategy plus the filed return
Can it change your bill	Only through missed deductions	Yes, while the year is still open
Typical contact	Once a year	Quarterly or more

A tax preparer in Los Angeles who only opens your file once a year can produce a perfectly accurate return and still miss savings, because by the time they see your numbers the year is closed.

FEES

What Do Tax Planning Services in Los Angeles Cost?

Most firms will not put a number on this, so here is a straight answer. Cost tracks complexity. A one time planning session for someone with a straightforward return sits at the low end. Ongoing work for a business owner with payroll, multistate income, and retirement planning costs more, and is usually billed as a flat annual or quarterly fee rather than by the hour.

Two things worth knowing. Ask for the fee in writing before any work starts. Then weigh that fee against what the plan saves. If restructuring saves several thousand a year in tax, affordable is the wrong measure. The real question is whether the savings clear the fee, and when they do not, we say so rather than selling you a structure you do not need. The first 15 minute call is free either way.

Choosing an Advisor

How to Choose a Tax Accountant in Los Angeles

Whether or not you work with us, these are worth asking anyone you interview.

Are you a licensed CPA, an enrolled agent, or an unlicensed preparer? All three can file returns, but licensing standards and representation rights differ.
Do you only file, or do you plan? If the only meeting is in March, that is preparation, not planning.
Have you handled situations like mine? A firm that files mostly simple W2 returns may not suit a business owner or a landlord.
How do you charge, and what is included? Get the fee and the scope in writing.
Who does the actual work? At larger firms your file may pass to a junior preparer you never meet.

What each credential means
Credential	What it means	Can represent you at the IRS
CPA	State licensed, exam and education requirements, ongoing training	Yes, without limitation
Enrolled agent	Federally licensed by the IRS, tax focused	Yes, without limitation
Unlicensed preparer	Registered to file returns, no licensing exam	Limited or none

Credential alone does not make someone right for you, but it tells you what standards they are held to. Read reviews as well, but read what they say rather than counting stars. Hundreds of reviews from simple filings tell you little about how a firm handles a business sale or a rental portfolio.

Service Area

Serving Los Angeles From Our Encino Office

The office is at 16133 Ventura Blvd, Suite 700, Encino, CA 91436, in the San Fernando Valley and easy to reach from the 101. We work with clients across Los Angeles, including Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Burbank, Woodland Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Culver City, Santa Monica, Glendale, and Pasadena.

Much of the work happens by phone, video, and secure file sharing, so you do not need to come to the office to get help. If you are searching for tax planning services near me in Los Angeles but travel often or work irregular hours, that flexibility usually matters more than the drive.

Who We Are

Why Work With a Licensed CPA

CPAMSTFounder and CEO

Not everyone who prepares taxes is a CPA. Plenty of preparers and enrolled agents do good work, but the credential matters when the stakes rise. Eric M. Hunt is a licensed Certified Public Accountant with a Master of Science in Taxation, which means state licensing, ongoing education, specialist tax training, and the standing to represent you before the IRS if a return is ever questioned. He has spent more than 20 years in accounting and taxation across Southern California, including management roles at CPA and business management firms before founding this practice. For anyone with a business, property, or income that shifts year to year, that combination of planning skill and credential is worth looking for.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Cost depends on complexity. A one time session for a straightforward return sits at the low end, while ongoing work for a business owner with payroll and multistate income costs more and is usually billed as a flat annual or quarterly fee. Ask for the fee in writing before work starts, and weigh it against what the plan saves. The first 15 minute call is free.

Anyone whose tax picture is not fixed. That includes business owners, self employed people, landlords, investors with gains to manage, and W2 earners with equity compensation or a large financial event coming. If your only income is a steady paycheck with nothing unusual attached, planning may save less, and we will tell you that.

The best time is before the income arrives, so the structure is right from the start. The second best time is now. Even mid year there is room to adjust estimates, capture deductions, and plan around a large payment. Waiting until April means the year is already closed.

A tax preparer files your return after the year ends. A tax strategist plans ahead to lower what you owe before those decisions are made. One reports the past, the other shapes the future, and the same CPA can do both.

Usually yes. When no tax is withheld, the IRS and California expect payments four times a year. Skipping them adds underpayment penalties even if you pay the full balance in April. We calculate each quarter so you have the number before the due date.

Often yes. You can generally amend a return for up to three years from the filing date, so if deductions were missed or the structure was wrong, there may be money to recover. We review recent years as part of getting started.

Yes, and that is the point. When one licensed CPA handles both, the strategy carries straight through to the return with nothing lost in a handoff, and one person knows your full picture all year.

Yes. We handle individual returns and business tax planning, from single owner LLCs through S corporations and partnerships with payroll. Many clients are both, since a business owner return and a personal return usually need to be planned together.

Keep More of What You Earn

Schedule a free 15 minute call with an entertainment accountant in Los Angeles who understands how your industry pays. Call 213-753-1219 or book online today.

Book Your Free Call Call 213-753-1219