Our approach to tax return preparation involves more than mere compliance with government regulations. The filing of federal and state tax returns is a requirement that must be met by all individuals and organizations. We have extensive experience helping our clients to fulfill this requirement while simultaneously achieving results that are most beneficial to them. The true value of our services, however, is conducted prior to actually preparing the returns. We believe that it is important to understand our client's short and long-term goals and then construct a tax strategy tailored to realize them. Our strategies are designed to take into consideration retirement and estate plans as well as cash flow requirements with the objective of reducing the overall tax burden. It is also equally important to monitor and adjust this plan as changes in the tax code or the client's goals occur. A proactive approach allows our clients to achieve their objectives in the most tax efficient manner.

Some examples of tax services we provide include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Preparation of federal, state, and local tax returns for individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, partnerships, and other organizations
• Calculation of "Safe Harbor" estimated tax payments
• Development of projections and models to identify proactive solutions to reducing the overall tax burden
• Representation on tax examinations or litigation before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), state and local taxing authorities
• Corporate or partnership structuring including the use of S-Corporations, limited liability corporations, trusts, family limited partners, …etc.
• Analysis of tax-advantaged investments
• Consulting on gift and tax estate issues

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We have all established goals for our future. They may be as simple as being able to: maintain a certain lifestyle; provide financial assistance for your children's or grandchildren's education; retire at a particular age; purchase a vacation home for the family to enjoy; or provide a financial legacy for the benefit of future generations and charitable organizations.

Taking the time and effort to develop, implement and monitor a comprehensive strategy is an important step in ensuring that you and your family will be able to realize these objectives. We will assist you in determining the timeline, cash flow requirements and tax implications of your goals and then develop a plan that will achieve the most beneficial and tax efficient results. We will explain various planning techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of using different investment, estate, and other financial vehicles available to accomplish these goals.

In order become and remain your trusted advisor, we believe that we must maintain our independence at all times. The investment and financial vehicles needed to accomplish your goals must be selected based solely on your individual plan. Many financial advisors sell products or receive commissions based on the investment and financial vehicles selected. We do not sell any investment or financial products nor do we receive commissions from third parties. Should your planning require the use of any of these products, we will work with any contacts with whom you already have a relationship or provide you with referrals.

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The administration of an estate can often be a complex, time consuming, and emotional process. In many instances, certain aspects of this process can be undertaken directly by the executor(s) or family member(s), however, it is often helpful to have the assistance of an experienced team that has knowledge of the process and understands the financial and tax implications involved.

The responsibilities associated with the administration of an estate include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Obtaining the death certificate, original will and trust documents (if applicable)
• Filing the original will and legal documents with the probate court
• Identifying any heirs and beneficiaries of the estate
• Identifying all assets of the estate, determining the value of the assets, collecting and possibly liquidating the assets
• Managing any income producing assets of the estate (businesses, real estate… etc)
• Identifying all liabilities of the estate and making the appropriate disbursements
• Maintaining a proper "accounting" of all income and expenses of the estate
• Preparing the federal, state, and local income and estate tax returns
• Filing a final "accounting" of the estate's assets and expenses with the court
• Making a distribution of the net assets to the beneficiaries

Our team of professionals can provide assistance with all aspects of the estate administration and help make the process as smooth as possible during a difficult time. We also have a close working relationship with several well-regarded estate attorneys and can recruit their assistance (or provide you with referrals) if required during the process.

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The goal of our family office services is to provide a trusted source that individuals, executives and affluent families can rely upon to perform or assist in the management of the day-to-day financial aspects of their lives. Time is a precious commodity and many individuals would rather devote their attention to other matters rather than spending their time paying bills, monitoring cash flow, managing real estate, or dealing with compliance matters. We view our role as being a personal financial concierge that has the expertise and resources to provide a full scope of services related to your personal finances while alleviating you of the burden.

We provide a full spectrum of family office services including, but not limited to, the following:

• Provide bill paying and cash flow management
• Manage the acquisition, maintenance, or sale of personal and investment real estate
• Perform payroll services for household employees and prepare related payroll tax returns
• Prepare personal financial statements
• Provide document and record management
• Prepare a "Personal Papers" binder to provide to heirs containing all relevant documents related to future estate issues
• Provide advice on financial and tax aspects of philanthropic endeavors
• Monitor investments and track cost basis
• Provide family governance services and provide advice and education to younger generations on various financial matters
• Provide trust administration services