● Atlanta-based · Now booking 2026 planning engagements

A tax strategist, not a filing factory.

Fluency Tax is a boutique advisory practice for solopreneurs, S-Corps, and real estate investors. We do proactive planning that quantifies your savings — then we build the playbooks and handle compliance so the strategy actually gets executed.

Get your free Tax Strategy Diagnostic →See what we do

Free written memo · ~5 business day turnaround · zero obligation

Ex-RSM US LLPCPA · Licensed in GeorgiaS-Corp · Schedule C · Real estateReal estate specialtyStreamlined · automated · precise

S-Corp election & reasonable comp/Schedule C → 1120S transition/Real estate professional status/Cost segregation studies/Short-term rental loophole/Augusta rule (§280A)/QBI optimization (§199A)/1031 exchanges/Retirement plan design/Multi-entity compliance/Reasonable comp studies/Tax projections/Owner draw planning/IRS notice response/S-Corp election & reasonable comp/Schedule C → 1120S transition/Real estate professional status/Cost segregation studies/Short-term rental loophole/Augusta rule (§280A)/QBI optimization (§199A)/1031 exchanges/Retirement plan design/Multi-entity compliance/Reasonable comp studies/Tax projections/Owner draw planning/IRS notice response/

Average ROI

We target a 5:1 return on investment for our tax planning engagements.

Strategies evaluated

We filter dozens of proactive tax-mitigation plays to build your specific, high-impact playbook.

Strategy-first engagements

No compliance-only clients — we plan first to ensure execution.

Surprise bills

All advisory work is performed on a transparent, flat-fee basis.

01 / Services

Strategy first. Compliance, automated.

Tax Strategy Diagnostic

A structured review of your prior returns, entity structure, and trajectory. You leave with quantified savings opportunities — even if you don't engage further.

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S-Corp transition playbooks

When a Schedule C is profitable enough, we model the break-even, file the election, build reasonable comp, and run payroll setup end to end.

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Real estate investor strategy

REP status, cost segregation, STR loophole, 1031 sequencing, and entity stacking — designed around your portfolio, not a template.

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Custom tax playbooks

Once we identify strategies, we write your firm a written playbook: what to do, when, and which receipts to keep. Strategy as a deliverable, not a verbal hint.

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Total compliance

S-Corps (1120S), Schedule C, and owner returns prepared in-house. Multi-state nexus handled. Quarterly estimates kept current.

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Advisory on retainer

Direct line to a CPA who knows your file. Quarterly check-ins, mid-year projections, and a real human for the curveball questions.

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02 / Who we serve

Three client types. One operating system.

Profitable solopreneurs

Schedule C filers clearing six figures who are paying full self-employment tax on every dollar. We model the S-Corp break-even and execute the transition.

Typical save $12k–$24k / yr

S-Corp owners (1120S)

Already an S-Corp but unsure if reasonable comp, distributions, and retirement are dialed in. We pressure-test the structure against your actuals.

Strategy + compliance

Real estate investors

Single-property landlords through multi-entity portfolios. REPS, cost seg, STR loophole, and 1031 sequencing — by an advisor who actually invests.

Specialty practice

03 / Fit check

We're built for some firms. Not all of them.

✓

This is for you if…

You're a profitable Schedule C, S-Corp, or real estate operator
You want a CPA who builds strategy before April — not after
You're past the “shoebox of receipts” stage and want clean systems
You value a single direct line to a strategist over a 30-person firm
You want quantified savings, written playbooks, and execution — all from one team

—

It's not, if…

You run a restaurant, café, or food-service business
You're in e-commerce or retail with complex inventory / sales tax
You operate as a multi-member partnership (1065) or C-Corporation (1120)
You want the cheapest preparer in town with no advisory relationship

04 / Process

How an engagement actually runs.

Intro call

We schedule a short call to get acquainted and confirm we're a mutual fit. If it makes sense to move forward, we send a client portal invite to securely upload your prior tax return.

Free · 20–30 minutes

Diagnostic

We review your return, build a written strategy memo with quantified savings, and walk it through with you on a follow-up call. Yours to keep either way.

~5 business days

Playbook

We write the strategies down: elections, structures, comp model, retirement design, real estate moves. Plain English, with deadlines.

Week 2 – 4

Compliance + advisory

We file the returns, run tax projections, and answer the curveball questions. Strategy stays current as your business changes.

Year-round

05 / Tax Strategy Diagnostic

Start with a quantified picture of what's possible.

Most CPA conversations start vague. Ours starts with a number. Tell us about your business — we'll schedule a short intro call. If it's a mutual fit, we send a client portal invite to securely upload your prior tax return. Our team does the analysis and delivers a written strategy memo with quantified savings.

What you'll receive

A short intro call to confirm mutual fit
A client portal invite to securely upload your prior return
A written strategy memo built from your actual return
A walkthrough call once the memo is in your hands

Step 1 of 5

17%

What industry is your business in?

We're specialized — this helps us know whether we're a fit.

06 / About

Built by an ex-Big-Firm CPA — for the firms Big Firms won't take seriously.

ETHAN — FOUNDER, CPA

EX-RSM US LLP · ATLANTA, GA

I left the Big Firm world for a specific reason: at scale, the math forces accountants to become record-keepers. Volume goes up, advisory goes down, and the client ends up with a polished compliance product and zero strategy.

Fluency Tax is the inverse. I built proprietary automation for the data work — bookkeeping flows, return prep, K-1 reconciliation, quarterly projections — so my actual hours go to the strategy work that moves the number. The diagnostic isn't a sales call. It's me showing you, on paper, where your dollars are leaking and what to do about it.

I'm aggressive enough to find every legitimate strategy. Compliant enough that you sleep well. That balance is the entire job.

Start the Diagnostic →See the process

07 / Selected results

Outcomes, not adjectives.

Consulting firm · Schedule C

$22K/ yr

Schedule C → S-Corp transition

$280K profit consultant moved off Schedule C. Reasonable comp set, retirement plan added, SE tax dropped immediately.

Solopreneur

STR investor · 6 properties

$94Kyr 1

STR loophole + cost segregation

Six short-term rentals qualified under material participation. Cost seg accelerated depreciation; W-2 income offset.

Real estate

Real estate LLC · 4 doors

$41K/ yr

Cost seg + S-Corp for operations

Four-door portfolio with property management arm restructured. Cost seg study run on two builds; operations moved to S-Corp.

Real estate

Get your own quantified estimate →

09 / FAQ

Questions we hear weekly.

Is the Tax Strategy Diagnostic really free?+

Yes — no obligation, no card on file. After your intake, we'll reach out to schedule a short intro call. If it's a mutual fit, we send a client portal invite to securely upload your prior tax return. We review it, build a written strategy memo with quantified, line-item savings, and walk it through with you on a follow-up call. The memo is yours to keep either way.

What does a paid engagement cost?+

Engagements are fixed-fee and quoted after the Diagnostic. Solo S-Corp transitions and ongoing advisory typically start in the low-to-mid four figures annually; multi-entity real estate clients scale from there. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices.

Why don't you take restaurants or e-commerce?+

Inventory accounting, sales-tax nexus across 30+ states, and POS reconciliation are full specialties on their own. We'd rather refer you out than do mediocre work in your category.

Do I need to leave my current CPA to start?+

No. Many clients start with planning only and migrate filing the following tax year. We coordinate the handoff and request prior-year files so nothing falls between chairs.

Can you amend prior returns?+

Yes — we can amend up to three years back. If we find missed savings (missed S-Corp election timing, omitted QBI, mis-categorized real estate income), amendments are part of the work.

Where are you licensed?+

Atlanta-based; CPA licensed in Georgia. We can file federal returns nationally and handle multi-state returns for all 50 states.

Who actually does the work?+

Our senior strategist handles every engagement directly — no handoffs to junior staff. The firm's automation handles the data layer (bookkeeping ingestion, return prep workflow, K-1 reconciliation), which is exactly why we can deliver advisory at this depth without a 30-person team.

One call. Quantified savings. Yours either way.

Stop guessing
what you owe.

Submit a short intake. We'll schedule a 20-minute intro call. If it's a fit, we send a client portal invite to securely upload your prior tax return. We deliver a written strategy memo within ~5 business days, then walk you through it on a follow-up call. Yours to keep — even if the answer is no.

Book my intro call →How it works