If you’re a freelancer or gig worker, you know that independence from an employer comes with its own unique set of financial challenges. You’re responsible for managing irregular income, planning for taxes, funding your own benefits, and building long-term security—all while staying focused on serving your clients. Self-employed professionals should be aware that consulting with a CPA can provide smart, legally sound tax strategies tailored to their specific situation. This kind of proactive guidance not only helps you stay organized and compliant, it also supports better cash flow, reduces surprises at tax time, and ultimately helps you keep more of what you earn.

Charitable giving can be deeply personal, but the tax impact can be beneficial to you as well. If you want your donations to support your overall tax plan, it helps to think about your giving strategy early in the year instead of waiting until December. That's even more important in 2026 because the OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) introduced new rules that change how charitable deductions work.

Many people think their tax outcomes are established when they file their return, but most of the important steps happen much earlier. The decisions you make throughout the year affect what you owe, your cash flow, and whether you face penalties. Checking your W-2 withholding is a key way to stay on top of your taxes. This post continues our Tax Advisory Services series by looking at how withholding reviews fit into proactive planning and why this step matters long before tax season arrives.

Homeownership often comes with the expectation of tax benefits. In practice, those benefits are not automatic. Many depend on what decisions you make during the year, as well as how well you document those decisions. This is where tax advisory services play an essential role. Instead of being reactive at filing time, homeowners who consult with their CPA proactively prior to tax season can better understand which strategies apply to them and which do not.

As a small business owner, you've likely heard of the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, but you may not be sure why it applies one year and disappears the next. That uncertainty usually comes from treating QBI as a filing issue rather than a planning opportunity. In reality, QBI outcomes depend on decisions made throughout the year. This is where tax advisory services make a meaningful difference.

This post continues our tax advisory series by explaining how thoughtful QBI optimization can support stronger after-tax results and more predictable planning for the year ahead.

As a taxpayer, you might assume your biggest tax decisions happen in March or April. The truth is, by that point, most of the outcomes are already locked in. Effective tax advisory work happens much earlier and focuses on decisions made during the year which help to shape your end results. Over the next seven weeks, we’ll be exploring more advanced tax reduction strategies, from specialized business deductions to high-income individual tax credits, that help you keep more of what you earn.