Payroll & Retirement
Payroll run on schedule with its tax filings handled, and retirement plans coordinated with the tax planning they belong to, from solo plans through the advanced designs high earners use.
What This Is
Payroll is pay runs processed on schedule, withholdings calculated correctly, payroll tax deposits made on time, quarterly filings submitted, and W-2s prepared at year end. We handle the mechanical work and the compliance work together so nothing falls through the cracks and the IRS has no reason to send a letter.
Retirement plans are something different at this firm. We treat plan design as a tax planning decision, not an afterthought. That means helping you select the right structure for your situation, whether that is a solo 401(k), a SIMPLE IRA, a traditional 401(k), or for high earners with consistent income, defined benefit or cash balance plans that allow substantially larger deductible contributions. We coordinate the plan with your overall tax strategy and work alongside your plan’s providers to keep everything running.
The Payroll Work
The Payroll Work
Pay runs processed, federal and state withholdings calculated, payroll tax deposits submitted to the IRS and state agencies, quarterly Forms 941 filed, state unemployment returns handled, and W-2s prepared and distributed at year end. The filings happen on time and the records stay clean for the tax return.
The Retirement Layer
The Retirement Layer
We help you evaluate and select plan structures based on how they fit your income, your business, and your tax picture. We coordinate with your plan’s third-party administrator and custodian on the administrative side. Plan design and tax treatment are our territory. What you do with the money inside the plan is between you and whoever manages it.
Why This Matters
Payroll penalties add up fast. A late deposit, a missed filing, an error on withholdings. The IRS assesses trust fund recovery penalties against owners personally for unpaid employment taxes. States have their own penalties and interest. These are not theoretical risks. They show up regularly in businesses where payroll was handled casually or delegated without oversight.
Retirement plans are one of the largest tax planning levers available to business owners, and most owners are not using them fully. A solo 401(k) allows an owner to contribute far more than a simple IRA contribution. A defined benefit or cash balance plan, for the right business, can shelter six figures in a single year. But choosing the wrong structure, or setting up a plan without coordinating it with your tax planning, leaves money on the table or creates compliance problems down the road.
Compliance at Stake
Compliance at Stake
Payroll has hard deadlines. Deposit schedules vary based on your liability, and missing them triggers penalties that compound. Filing errors create notices that require responses. When payroll is handled loosely, you find out months later when the letter arrives. By then the penalties have already accrued.
Planning Left on the Table
Planning Left on the Table
Many owners stick with a basic retirement account because nobody explained the alternatives. Or they set up a plan years ago and never revisited it as their income changed. The right plan structure, matched to your income level and updated as your business grows, can produce meaningful tax savings year after year. The range depends entirely on your situation.
What Changes
Payroll stops being something you think about. Runs happen on schedule, deposits go out on time, filings get submitted, and you get confirmation that it is done. At year end, W-2s are prepared and the numbers tie directly to your books and your tax return. You focus on running the business while we handle the administrative machinery.
Retirement planning becomes part of the conversation throughout the year, not a rushed decision in December. When we sit down for quarterly projections or year-end planning through our Tax Planning and Advisory work, retirement contributions are one of the tools on the table. We look at your projected income, your existing plan structure, and whether a different design would serve you better. Everything stays coordinated.
Payroll Handled
Payroll Handled
No more tracking deposit deadlines yourself. No more remembering which quarterly return is due. The work happens in the background, documented and filed correctly, with records that flow cleanly into your Compliance Filings and tax return. You sign off on the runs and we take care of the rest.
Retirement as Strategy
Retirement as Strategy
Your plan structure fits your actual tax picture. Contributions are timed and sized based on projections, not guesses. If your income grows and a different plan type makes sense, we bring it up before the year closes. The design work happens here. Your plan provider handles the account and you decide what happens with the money inside it.
Planning-First Tax & Accounting
The Next Step:
Start a Conversation
We begin with a clear understanding of your business, then define the engagement and establish pricing from the outset.