Individuals
Your tax situation isn’t ordinary. Your preparer shouldn’t treat it that way.
Whether you run a small business, have complicated investments, or work across state lines, I prepare your return and look for every legal way to lower your taxes, this year and the next.
Book a Free Discovery CallWho This Is For
Your return has more moving parts than a W-2 and a standard deduction. You might live in one state and work in another, vest stock every quarter, juggle several investment and retirement accounts, serve as a minister, or run a business alongside a job. You want the return done right, and you want an advisor who knows the tax code well enough to find every legitimate way to lower what you owe. That’s who Stronghold is built for.
Sole proprietors and business owners
- Schedule C sole proprietorships
- K-1s from Partnerships and S-Corporations, including multi-state K-1s
- QBI deduction
- Self-employed health insurance deduction
- Business use of home deduction
Stock and equity compensation
- RSUs, stock options, and employee stock purchase plans
- Cost basis corrections, so you aren’t taxed twice on the same income
- Withholding shortfalls at vesting and estimated tax planning
- Alternative minimum tax on incentive stock options
Investments and retirement accounts
- Capital gains, losses, and wash sales from brokerage accounts
- Backdoor Roth contributions and Form 8606 reporting
- IRA and Roth basis tracking, so the same dollars aren’t taxed twice
- 529 plan contributions and qualified withdrawals
- Foreign tax credit on international funds and dividends
Multi-state, city, and school district
- Part-year and nonresident state returns
- Remote work across state lines and credits for taxes paid to other states
- Ohio municipal returns when you work in several cities or move between them during the year
- Ohio school district income tax returns (SD 100)
- Apportioning small business income across cities and states
- City tax refunds when your employer withheld for the wrong city
Clergy and ministry
- Minister housing allowance: designation, calculation, and documentation
- Dual tax status: employee for income tax, self-employed for Social Security and Medicare
- Reporting church compensation, self-employed minister earnings, and more
Other complicated returns
- Unfiled prior-year returns and amended returns
- Final returns for a loved one who has passed
- Sale of inherited property
- Installment sales
- And more
See yourself in this list? Let’s talk through your return.
Book a Free Discovery CallReal estate agent, broker, or investor? I help with that too.
See how I work with real estate professionalsConsultations and Tax Planning
Some tax decisions only happen once, and getting them right can be worth thousands. Consultations and tax planning give those decisions the attention they deserve: I run the numbers on your options and recommend the one that keeps the most in your pocket, before you commit.
- Roth conversion analysis, including bracket management and IRMAA thresholds
- Rental property sale and like-kind (1031) exchange analysis
- Stock compensation planning: when to exercise, hold, or sell
- Year-end tax projection, with withholding and estimated payment adjustments
- Charitable giving strategy: donor-advised funds, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), bunching, and gifting appreciated stock
- And more: if a decision has tax consequences, we can run the numbers before you make it
Have a big decision coming up?
Consultations and tax planning are scoped and quoted up front, typically from $250 to $2,000 or more depending on the work. Available to any client, with or without the Advisory Package.
Two ways to work together
Filing Only gets your return done correctly. The Advisory Package adds a plan for the year ahead.
Filing Only
Starting at $700
Your individual return, prepared and explained by me. I take on just 40 Filing Only returns each season, so each one gets real attention.
- Federal Form 1040, including one simple rental property, small sole proprietorship, or minimal investment activity
- One state return and one municipal return
- Your results explained before you sign
- Electronic filing
- Quick questions answered
Anything beyond that, including more than one of these, increases the price.
Advisory Package
Starting at $1,800 per year or $165 per month
Your individual return, plus two advisory meetings and a year-end tax projection, so you know what you’ll owe and which moves are worth making before the year closes.
- Everything in Filing Only
- Two advisory meetings each year
- Year-end tax projection
- Direct line to me throughout the year
- Planning guidance within your meetings
Find out which option fits.
Both prices increase with complexity, and you’ll be quoted an exact number before you commit. Every package, price, and add-on is broken down in detail on the pricing page.
Beyond the package
Quick questions are always welcome. A short call or email to clarify a notice, a form, or a general question is part of working with me.
IRS and state representation. If a notice needs more than a quick answer, I can represent you before the IRS and state agencies as a separate engagement, with the scope and cost clear up front.
The Advisory Package
A year of planning ahead
Here’s how a typical Advisory year runs for individuals. Exact dates depend on scheduling.
January or sign-on
You’re billed.
Pay for the year up front, or start monthly installments.
Tax season
Your return.
Prepared, reviewed, and explained to you before you sign.
May to July
Meeting one.
Look back at the year that just closed and set the plan for this one.
September to November
Meeting two.
Check progress while there’s still time to act before year-end.
Around November 15
Your projection.
What you’ll owe, and which moves are still worth making.
Individual Advisory may cover
- Withholding and estimated payment adjustments
- Retirement contributions: 401(k), IRA, HSA, and backdoor Roth, with your IRA basis tracked year to year
- Tax bracket planning, and whether a Roth conversion is worth a closer look
- Charitable giving strategy, including donor-advised funds
- Timing stock sales, equity compensation, and capital gains
- Life changes: marriage, a new home, a new baby, or a move
Bigger questions that come up, like a Roth conversion or selling a rental, can be explored in full as a separate engagement, quoted up front.
See Advisory PricingBetter decisions come from a team
Tax decisions touch everything else: your investments, your business, your insurance, your estate. When the people advising you each see only their piece, things get missed or contradict each other. I work with financial advisors, attorneys, and insurance agents so your plan is built with all of them in the room.
If you already have advisors, I’m glad to work alongside them. If you don’t, I can introduce you to professionals I know and trust.
Coordinating with your other advisors is part of the Advisory Package at a basic level, such as sharing your projection or answering their questions. Deeper involvement, such as attending meetings, reviewing documents, or structuring a transaction with your team, is scoped as a planning engagement.
How I apply the law
Every position on your return is grounded in the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury regulations, court decisions, and IRS guidance, and documented so I can explain it if it’s ever questioned. Where the law is clear, I look for every benefit it allows. Where it’s unsettled, I tell you where the risk sits and what it would take to defend. Where a position won’t hold up, I won’t take it.
Who I’m probably not the right fit for:
- You’re choosing an advisor mainly on price. My fees reflect the expertise, research, documentation, and review behind each return. I’m always happy to talk and point you in the right direction, and if my pricing isn’t the right fit, I can refer you to a firm that may better suit your current situation. I’ll be ready if your situation becomes more complex.
- You want deductions, credits, or business losses claimed without the records to support them. These are decided on the facts and the documentation, and I won’t take them without proper planning and support.
- You’d like a hands-off, once-a-year relationship. My process depends on regular communication, and the Advisory Package is built around it.
FAQ
Common Questions
Are you accepting new clients?
Yes. I take on a limited number of new clients each season, and Filing Only is capped at 40 returns. The earlier you reach out, the better your odds of a spot. Advisory Package clients can start any time of year.
Do you have an office I can visit?
No. Stronghold is fully remote, even for clients who live nearby. We meet by Zoom or phone, and your documents come to me through the secure client portal, so there’s no need to drop off or mail paper records. Skipping the physical office keeps my costs down, and the time and money it saves go back into serving you.
Do you work with clients outside Ohio?
Yes. Because everything happens online, where you live doesn’t change how we work together. I prepare federal returns for clients anywhere in the U.S., along with the state and local returns that come with them, including Ohio municipal returns.
What’s the difference between Filing Only and the Advisory Package?
Filing Only gets your return prepared and explained, starting at $700. The Advisory Package adds two advisory meetings, a year-end tax projection, and a direct line to me throughout the year, starting at $1,800 per year or $165 per month. Planning ahead often uncovers opportunities to save significantly more in taxes than filing alone ever could. No result is guaranteed, but the goal is to keep finding ways to lower your taxes all year, so April holds fewer surprises. Both are quoted exactly before you commit.
What happens after the discovery call?
If we’re a good fit, I set up your secure client portal so you can upload your prior-year returns. I review them, then send you a proposal with a clear scope and an exact price, along with your engagement letter. Once you sign, I’ll let you know exactly what to upload for this year. From there, Filing Only clients hear from me when the return is ready to review, and Advisory clients get their first planning meeting on the calendar.
Can you help if I haven’t filed for a few years?
Yes. I prepare and file prior-year returns and help you get current. If the IRS or your state has already sent notices, I can represent you as a separate engagement. The sooner you start, the more penalties and interest you can usually limit.
How quickly will you get back to me?
Usually well before the next business day, by email, text, or portal message. During the busiest weeks of tax season it can take a little longer, but you’ll always hear back from me directly, not from an assistant.
Is Stronghold a one-person firm?
Yes, by choice. Keeping the practice small means I know every client’s situation firsthand, and you work with the same person from your first call to your final return. Every return still goes through a structured quality review before you see it. As an Enrolled Agent, I also complete continuing education every year to keep up with changes in tax law.
When should I send my documents?
Each year I set a deadline for your documents and let you know through the portal. The sooner everything is in, the smoother your return goes. If your documents arrive late or incomplete, I may need to file an extension to give your return the review it deserves.
What should I have ready for the discovery call?
Nothing is required. If you’d like, email me at levi@strongholdtax.com before the call and I’ll set you up with a secure client portal to upload your last year or two of returns. Reviewing them ahead of time often makes the call more useful. Please don’t email tax documents directly.
Let’s see which option fits.
Book a free discovery call and we’ll talk through your situation. You’ll leave knowing exactly what working together would look like and what it costs.
Book a Free Discovery Call