Personal Tax Returns Prepared With Your Whole Financial Picture in Mind
Your 1040 is more than a compliance form — it's a record of every financial decision you made last year and a map of the decisions ahead. We prepare individual tax returns for clients across Federal Way and the South Puget Sound who want their return filed accurately and their next move thought through at the same time.
What We Handle on Your 1040
We prepare personal tax returns across a wide range of situations — from straightforward W-2 filers to clients navigating real complexity. Whatever your return involves, we bring the same care to every line.
- W-2 wages, bonuses, and supplemental income
- Equity compensation: RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, and ESPP sales
- Self-employment income and Schedule C
- Rental income and real estate activity
- Retirement income, Social Security, and required minimum distributions
- Investment income including capital gains and qualified dividends
- HSA contributions and distributions
- Multi-state returns for clients who worked, lived, or earned income across state lines
- Foreign income and FBAR-related disclosures (in coordination with international tax counsel where needed)
- Education credits, child tax credits, and dependent care
- Amended returns (1040-X)
Who We Typically Work With
Our individual tax return clients tend to fall into a few recurring situations:
- Employees receiving equity compensation who want to understand the tax mechanics, not just get through filing season
- Families managing rental properties alongside W-2 income
- Pre-retirees and retirees navigating the tax side of withdrawal planning and Social Security timing
- Self-employed individuals whose personal return and business activity are closely linked
- Clients with returns spanning multiple states due to work, relocation, or property sales
- Anyone who has outgrown a DIY filing approach and wants a preparer who will actually review the return with them
Where We Go Beyond Standard Preparation
Most tax preparers hand you a completed return and a bill. We treat the return as a starting point for a conversation about what comes next. During preparation, we flag decisions worth revisiting — not to create more work, but because the return itself often surfaces planning opportunities that are worth acting on before the next year runs away from you.
Equity Compensation
Most tax preparers hand you a completed return and a bill. We treat the return as a starting point for a conversation about what comes next. During preparation, we flag decisions worth revisiting — not to create more work, but because the return itself often surfaces planning opportunities that are worth acting on before the next year runs away from you.
Multi-State Returns
If you earned income in more than one state, worked remotely for an out-of-state employer, or sold property in another state, your return requires careful coordination across multiple filing requirements. We handle multi-state 1040 preparation and make sure credits for taxes paid to other states are applied correctly.
Retirement and Pre-Retirement Income
Taxable Social Security, RMDs, pension income, and IRA distributions all interact in ways that can push you into a higher bracket or trigger unexpected surcharges. We prepare returns for retirees and pre-retirees and connect the dots between what you reported this year and what you might plan differently next year.
Returns That Connect to a Broader Plan
For clients who are also working with a financial advisor or estate planning attorney, we make sure the tax return reflects and supports the broader strategy — not just what happened, but what was intended. Our background in tax law, financial planning, and business advisory means we can speak the same language as the other professionals on your team.
Preparation Paired With Planning Advice
The credential set behind your return — JD, LL.M. (Tax), MBA, CFP® — is unusual for a tax preparation practice. Most preparers have deep knowledge in one lane. We bring legal training, tax law, business advisory, and financial planning together in a single engagement. That combination matters most when your return involves decisions, not just data entry: whether to exercise options this year, how to handle a Roth conversion alongside a high-income year, or what a rental sale means for your overall tax picture.
If a question surfaces during preparation that warrants a deeper conversation, we'll tell you — and we can schedule a Strategic Tax Meeting to work through it properly.
Common Questions About 1040 Preparation
What makes your 1040 preparation different from a national chain or DIY software?
The return itself may look similar on paper, but what surrounds it is different. We review your situation with the full context of your financial picture, flag planning questions the software won't ask, and give you a real conversation about what drove your result and what's worth addressing before next year.Do you prepare returns for clients with equity compensation like RSUs or stock options?
Yes. Equity compensation is one of the more common sources of complexity we see in personal tax filing. We prepare returns for clients with RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, and ESPP sales, and we walk through the tax treatment so you understand what happened and what decisions might look different next year.Can you handle a return that spans multiple states?
Yes. Multi-state returns are a regular part of our practice — whether the situation involves working remotely for an out-of-state employer, earning rental income in another state, or filing as a part-year resident after a move.Do I need to come into your office, or can we work together remotely?
Both options are available. We work with clients in Federal Way and throughout the South Puget Sound in person, and we serve clients virtually across Washington State. The process is designed to work well either way.