Should I be an S corp, and is the salary part safe?+
An S corp only helps when there's real profit left after a reasonable salary. We set that salary from your specialty, your hours, your duties, where you practice and what comparable physicians earn, and document it so it holds up. For one physician earning about $575,000, the S corp piece alone was worth roughly $12,000 to $15,000 that year, and if it's worth very little for you, Stephen will tell you to skip it.
Is it too late to lower this year's taxes?+
No, but the calendar matters. Most of the moves that lower this year's taxes have to be in place by December 31st, so the fall is when they count most, not April. The savings show up when your return is filed.
I work in more than one state. Can you handle that?+
Yes. Multi-state income sits at the center of this practice, not the edge of it. We look at where you live, where you worked and for how long, and what you've paid in each state, then split the income the right way and make sure your home state credits what you paid elsewhere. If your business is an S corp or a partnership, we also check the pass-through entity tax election every year.
Do I have to spend money to save on taxes?+
No. You don't have to buy an SUV to get a write-off. For most 1099 physicians the biggest piece is retirement: a solo 401(k), and for higher earners a cash balance plan on top, so the money goes into your own account instead of to taxes. It does take cash flow to fund, so we size it to what you can comfortably put away.
Do you prepare my returns too?+
Yes. Your personal and business returns are part of the engagement, so the CPA who planned your year is the same one who files it. We also work with your payroll provider and financial advisor so everyone is working from the same numbers.
How much does it cost?+
Plans are annual engagements billed monthly. TLC Strategic, the most popular plan, starts at $1,500 a month plus an onboarding fee starting at $3,500, and TLC Private Client starts at $2,500 a month plus onboarding starting at $5,000. Final pricing depends on your entities, states and income sources, and you'll see the scope and the fee in writing before we start. And if we don't save you at least $50K in taxes this year, you don't pay.
I travel for assignments. Can we still work together?+
Yes. Stephen knows physicians are often on the road, so meetings happen by secure video, documents are shared electronically, and scheduling works around your assignments.
What happens on the strategy call?+
Stephen asks about 5 things: your expected 1099 income this year, your profit after expenses, whether you file as a sole proprietor, an LLC or an S corp, what you put toward retirement, and what you've paid in estimates so far. Then he tells you roughly where you're overpaying and which changes still count for this year if they're done before December 31st. If it doesn't look like a fit, he'll say so plainly. Have last year's return on hand.
