Tax Planning in Houston

Strategic tax return reviews

A cornerstone of all things tax-related, your tax return can reveal a wide spectrum of tax-saving opportunities. Our advisors (including CPAs and Certified Financial PlannersTM) can review and analyze your most recent tax return and work with your CPA (if you have one) to uncover new ways to maximize your savings.

High-net-worth income tax reduction strategies and smoothing

Income taxes can take a significant chunk out of your hard-earned savings. As part of your comprehensive financial plan, Avidian will look at a variety of ways to distribute your income in a tax-efficient manner. These high-net-worth income tax strategies may include retirement plan contributions, retirement plan conversions, contributions to HSA or 529 accounts, real estate strategies, charitable gifting, and giving.

Tax-efficient investment portfolios for high-net-worth individuals

Different types of investments can have different tax implications. Bonds, stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETF), annuities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs) all have different tax advantages and disadvantages. A financial advisor at Avidian can help weigh the value of tax-efficient investments against losses and vice versa as part of our investment management strategy.

Management of short- and long-term capital gains

Capital gains occur at the sale of an asset or investment and are handled differently depending on how long an asset has been held. For many investors, it can be difficult to know when it is advantageous to sell an investment vs. hold onto it. Does my investment qualify for the lower long-term capital gains tax rate? Should I sell now when the value of my investment is lower, but so is the capital gains tax? And so on. Avidian uses conservative, time-tested strategies to help our clients get answers to questions like these and meet their goals efficiently and effectively.

Annual tax-loss harvesting

Tax-loss harvesting is a potential means of offsetting capital gains tax liability by selling securities at a loss. Our advisors regularly monitor your investments for opportunities when strategies like tax-loss harvesting can be beneficial to the overall health and return of your portfolio. For more information on how we handle investment portfolios for our clients, please see our risk management page.

Tax-efficient retirement accounts

Retirement accounts can provide long-term shelter for your income. What makes the best retirement account for you and your needs will depend on your individual circumstances. For example, you may want a “tax-deferred account” (traditional 401(k) and traditional IRA) where contributions are made pre-tax or a “tax-exempt account” (Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s) where contributions are made post-tax. Your team of financial advisors at Avidian will take these factors into account and advise you on the appropriate type of account to pursue when building out your retirement tax plan.

Charitable giving strategies

Charitable giving strategies, such as tax-deductible donations, can reduce your taxable income and ultimately give you more control over where your money is spent. Gifts do not have to be limited to cash; you can also donate stocks. Our advisors can work with you to help reduce tax liability through gifts and donations to qualified organizations and charities and make sure that these donations are documented and reported accurately.

Estate tax planning

It’s never too early to begin safeguarding your savings and assets for future generations. Certain strategies, including the creation of trusts, gift-giving, marital deductions, and more can help you reduce your federal estate taxes and set aside more for your beneficiary or loved ones. Please see our estate planning page for more information.