Strategic tax planning is really a proprietary process that I created. It’s a 4-pronged process where I actually go through and I look at the clients’ overall financial situation and I review their past taxes. 

Many times there’s mistakes on their past tax returns; things that could have been done correctly that could have been done differently to save them money. I want to get to know the client, I want to get to know their past tax situation, I want to forecast where they’re going to be. If they don’t do anything, what is their tax liability going to be today?  Strategic tax planning allows us discover the best road map for you and your situation.

Then, and only then, when I have that benchmark, can I bring the client solutions. These are going to be solutions that are educational-based and that they can understand and implement, because they really have a foundational understanding of how to reduce their taxes.  I guide them throughout the process with strategic tax planning, and they begin to see for themselves areas of opportunity to execute on.

I’m qualified in all 4 areas because there are really 4 different types of tax preparers out there. You have the tax preparer that has gone to school and learned how to prepare tax returns. They are your traditional tax preparer. They do tax returns, sort of like your commodity type of tax people, franchise type of tax people.

Then you have your tax preparer that’s a little bit better educated. Maybe they’ve gotten their degree in accounting.  They understand the accounting world; they marry that with their tax world, and now you have yourself a great tax accountant.

You have a third type of tax person that is out there.  He or she understands how to work with audits, the Internal Revenue Service, and they have tax procedure under their belt.

Then you have the 4th tax person who really understands tax law, the Internal Revenue Code, the law, the regs, and really the crux of the matter resides in the law. I just happen to have all four. Guided by happenstance, I synergisticly integrated all 4 of them, and that is what I use to really bring it all together for my clients. I’m kind of like a unicorn in the tax world. I’m very unique; I just happened to get all 4 of those educational points under my belt at a very young age.

With strategic tax planning, I can look at your case from all 4 angles. I can look at it from, not just preparing the tax return, but I can structure it, anticipate, really help you reduce your tax bill beforehand. We’re doing all the general work upfront. We’re not doing the after-the-fact tax preparation. It’s kind of like when you go to the doctor. You go to your general practitioner. Your practitioner’s telling you, “Lose weight.” They’re telling you to eat healthier and they’re giving you all of this advice. Then if you get yourself in a little bit of trouble, they send you to a specialist. Then, if you don’t even get to the specialist, you end up in the emergency room. Well, my goal is to keep everybody on course from the very beginning. Give them that specialty that they need to have so they can reduce their taxes, keep more of their money in their pocket, and achieve their long-term goals.

When we’re looking at tax strategies with strategic tax planning, we’re looking at everything from the structure in which you hold your business in. Are you in the right entity to start with? We’re looking at how you catch your income, what type of income you have. Is it W-2 income? Are you a contractor? Individual? We’re looking at the number of dependents on your tax return, we’re looking at how to split income between family members. We’re just going all through the tax code, we’re going in deep, and we’re getting it figured out. It’s very unique to that individual. There’s no 2 tax strategies that are going to be the same, and strategic tax planning is the game-changer for your financial well-being.

Contact me today for your 30-minute free consultation to discover if strategic tax planning is for you.

Karla Dennis

As seen in Forbes Magazine, Karla Dennis is an expert tax and business strategist. As an enrolled agent, Karla is licensed to represent taxpayers in all 50 states. She holds a Masters in Taxation and Business Development and is the author of two books, Tax Storm and Against the Odds.

Karla, CEO of consultancy firm Karla Dennis And Associates, Inc.™, has saved her clients thousands of dollars and has been featured in various media outlets such as Forbes, MSNBC, KTLA, Yahoo! Finance, and SmartMoney, marking her as the ultimate tax expert.

As of 2014, Karla became the new host on the “Mind Your Business” radio show, KTLK AM 1150, sharing her financial and business knowledge with the greater Orange County and Los Angeles areas. As a supporter of women’s rights and issues, Karla is part of the Women Network, an organization built to educate and mentor women. In addition, Karla is the radio host for Women Network Radio, a show that aims to uplift and empower women of all walks of life.