Year-end tax planning
Plan your 2026 taxes while you still can
Most of what decides your 2026 return happens before December 31. A planning meeting in November or December shows where you stand, what you will owe, and which moves are still open to you.
Why now, and not in April
In April we can only report the year that happened. In November and December we can still change it. A retirement contribution through payroll, a charitable gift, the timing of a bonus or an invoice, the sale of an investment, or a piece of equipment for the business: each of these counts for 2026 only if it happens by December 31.
The off season is also when we have the most time for you. Meetings are easier to schedule now than they will be in February, and nothing about your return is rushed.
What we look at together
- Your income so far this year and a projection of your 2026 tax
- Whether your withholding and estimated payments are on track, including the January 15 payment
- Retirement contributions: what must happen by December 31 and what can wait until April
- Charitable giving, and whether grouping gifts into one year helps
- Investment gains and losses before the year closes
- Required minimum distributions, if you are taking them
- Life changes this year: a new job, a move, a marriage, a baby, a home sale, a parent's estate
How it works
Book
New clients start with a free consultation. Current clients can call, message us, or use the contact form.
Send a few things
A recent pay stub, year-to-date figures for a business, and last year's return if we did not prepare it. Upload them securely.
Meet
In the office or by phone. We go through the numbers and the choices, in plain words.
Act before December 31
You leave with a short list of what to do and by when.
Questions
Is the meeting free?
The first consultation for a new client is free. For a full planning projection, we confirm the scope and the fee with you in writing before any work starts, the same as for every engagement.
Is it too late in December?
Many moves can still be made in the last weeks of the year, and some, like IRA and HSA contributions, can be made until the April filing deadline. Call us, and we will tell you what is still open.
I only have a W-2. Do I need this?
If nothing changed this year, maybe not. If you changed jobs, owed more than expected last year, sold something, or had a family change, a short review now can prevent a surprise in April.
Do you meet by phone?
Yes. Meetings can be in our Rockland office or by phone, and documents go through our secure upload.
Make the most of the rest of 2026
Call 781-989-1040 or book online. November and December fill up as the year closes.