Tax Planning Services in White Plains and Westchester, NY

Why tax planning matters more in New York

• State and city tax on top of federal: New York State's top rate is 10.9% and New York City residents add up to 3.876%. Yonkers residents pay a surcharge on their state tax. Where you live, and where you work, changes the math.
• New York City ignores the S corp election: An S corporation saves self-employment tax federally, but New York City taxes S corps under its General Corporation Tax as if they were regular corporations. The right entity for a Brooklyn business is not always the right one for a Westchester business.
• The 2026 SALT cap, and who loses it: The federal deduction for state and local taxes rose to $40,400 for 2026, but it shrinks back toward $10,000 once income passes $505,000. New York's pass-through entity tax (PTET) can move business income around the cap, if the election is made on time.
• Self-employment tax on every dollar of profit: Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs pay Social Security and Medicare on nearly all of their profit, before income tax. Higher earners in the MTA region can owe the MCTMT on top. Entity choice and retirement plans are the two biggest levers.

What we look at

• Entity choice and S corp election: Once profit is steady, an S corp can move part of it out of self-employment tax with a reasonable salary. We run the numbers with New York State and New York City rules in, not just federal.
• Retirement plans that double as tax cuts: Solo 401(k), SEP IRA or a defined benefit plan. The right one can shelter tens of thousands of dollars a year, and salary deferrals through S corp payroll have to happen by December 31 to count for this year.
• New York PTET and the SALT cap: Partnerships and S corps can elect New York's pass-through entity tax, so state tax is paid and deducted at the business level instead of being lost to the SALT cap. The election for each year is due by March 15.
• Timing income and big purchases: When you invoice, when you buy the truck or equipment, and when you take a bonus all move tax between years. Section 179 and 100% bonus depreciation make the timing worth planning.
• Deductions owners miss: An accountable plan for home office and phone costs, documented vehicle mileage, putting your children on payroll properly, and renting your home to your business for meetings under the 14 day rule.
• Estimated taxes, set right: Pay enough to avoid penalties, but not so much that you lend the IRS money for free. We use the safe harbor rules and adjust the payments when your income changes.
• Investments, giving and family: Harvesting losses, bunching charitable gifts through a donor advised fund, New York 529 contributions that are deductible on your state return, and gifts to family inside the annual exclusion.
• Real estate and rental property: Depreciation done properly, cost segregation on larger buildings, the rules for a rented unit in the two-family house you live in, and planning a sale before it happens.

Tax planning plans

• Silver (1 planning meeting a year): Annual tax projection, One planning meeting, Email support.
• Gold (4 quarterly planning meetings): Annual tax projection, Quarterly planning meetings, Entity review (LLC or S corp), Estimated tax payments worked out, Email support.
• Platinum (12 monthly advisory sessions): Everything in Gold, Monthly advisory sessions, Unlimited email support, Cash flow planning, Profit First coaching.

Where we work

In person in White Plains, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Scarsdale, Eastchester, Bronxville, Pelham. By video in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Rockland County, Hudson Valley, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse.

Frequently asked questions

What is tax planning?

Tax planning is the work done during the year that legally lowers what you owe, such as choosing the right business entity, funding the right retirement plan, and timing income and purchases. It happens before the year ends. Tax preparation, by contrast, reports what already happened.

What is the difference between tax planning and tax preparation?

Tax preparation looks back: it reports last year's income and files the return. Tax planning looks ahead: it changes the decisions that set this year's tax bill while there is still time. Most of those decisions have a December 31 deadline, so by April the options are gone.

How much does tax planning cost?

It depends on how complex your situation is, so we quote a straight fee after a free 15 minute call, before any work starts. As a guide, planning is only worth buying if it saves you clearly more than it costs, and we will tell you on the call if we do not think it will.

Is tax planning worth it?

Usually yes for business owners with steady profit, self-employed people, landlords, and households with higher income, because the biggest levers (entity choice, retirement plans, PTET, timing) are worth thousands a year. For a simple W-2 household the savings can be small, and we will say so.

When should I start tax planning?

Now, if it is before December 31. A planning conversation in October or November leaves time to act on this year. The same conversation in March can only help with next year.

Is tax planning legal?

Yes. Tax planning uses the choices the tax code deliberately offers, such as retirement accounts, entity elections and depreciation. It is different from tax evasion, which is hiding income. Every strategy we recommend is documented so it holds up if the IRS or New York State ever asks.

What is the difference between a tax planner and a CPA?

A CPA is a license; tax planner describes the work. Many CPAs and tax preparers mainly file returns after the year ends. A tax planner, who may be a CPA, an enrolled agent or an experienced tax professional, focuses on lowering next year's bill with you during the year. Ask any firm which of the two it will actually do for you.

How do I find a good tax planner in New York?

Look for someone who asks about your whole situation before quoting, handles New York State and New York City rules as well as federal, puts recommendations and dollar estimates in writing, quotes a clear fee up front, and will tell you if planning is not worth it for you. Be wary of guaranteed savings or fees tied to the size of your refund.

Do you offer tax planning in New York City and the rest of the state?

Yes. Our office is in White Plains, in Westchester County, and we meet clients there in person. We work with clients in all five boroughs, Long Island, Rockland, the Hudson Valley and upstate New York by video, with documents exchanged securely online.

Should my business be an S corp in New York?

It depends on your profit, a defensible salary, and where the business is. Federally an S corp can cut self-employment tax, but New York City taxes S corporations under its General Corporation Tax, so a New York City business needs a different calculation than a Westchester one. We run both before recommending anything.

What do I need for my first tax planning meeting?

Last year's federal and New York returns, a year-to-date profit and loss statement if you own a business, recent pay stubs if you are employed, and a list of any big changes this year, such as a new business, a property purchase or sale, a marriage, or a new child.