The tax planning division of Capstone Financial Services

Reviewing tax strategy as part of the broader financial plan

CFS Tax Group was born out of a need our clients told us about directly.

When we started hearing the same story over and over — financial planning clients whose tax preparers didn't understand the planning side of their financial lives — we knew something needed to change. Higher income professionals facing complex Roth conversion decisions. Residents and fellows with debt-to-income ratios that most preparers had never seen before. Business owners whose tax strategy was disconnected entirely from their investment and retirement planning. Their existing preparers were competent at preparing returns. They just weren't speaking the same language as their financial planners.

So in 2012 we built a solution. CFS Tax Group was founded to bridge that gap, integrating tax planning and preparation directly into the financial planning process we were already delivering for our clients. Not as a separate service. Not as an add-on. As a core part of how we plan.

How we work

CFS Tax Group operates through a relationship with a nationwide collaborative tax network, giving us access to tax expertise coast to coast. Chris Rosa, our business partner and a key member of the Capstone Financial Services planning team, brings deep expertise in both financial planning and tax preparation. Chris oversees the vast majority of our clients' tax returns while remaining an integral part of the broader financial planning process year-round — not just at tax time.

That dual role is what makes the difference. When your tax professional and your financial planner are the same person sitting at the same table, opportunities don't get missed and costly mistakes don't happen in the gaps between the two.

Who we work with

Because our tax work is built into the financial planning process, CFS Tax Group serves existing Capstone Financial Services clients whose financial planning relationship includes a tax component. We are not a standalone tax preparation service. If you are looking for a team that takes a truly comprehensive view of your financial life — one where your tax strategy, your investment strategy, and your retirement planning are all aligned and informed by each other — we'd welcome a conversation about whether Capstone Financial Services is the right fit for you.

Where tax planning fits in our process

Tax planning isn't something we think about in April. It's woven into every step of our planning process. When we analyze your current financial situation, we're looking at your tax picture. When we develop recommendations, we're stress-testing them against your tax liability. When we implement your plan, we're coordinating the timing of transactions with your tax professional. And when we monitor your progress year over year, we're adjusting for changes in tax law alongside changes in your life.

Areas of focus

Our tax work most frequently addresses the following planning needs, always in the context of a broader financial plan:

• Roth IRA conversions and backdoor Roth strategies for high-income clients
• Social Security benefit taxation and claiming strategy coordination
• Multi-state tax filing for clients with complex residency or income situations
• Trust and estate tax returns in coordination with estate planning goals
• Sign-on bonus and partnership track tax planning for medical professionals
• Student loan repayment strategy and filing status optimization
• Retirement plan distribution planning and tax-efficient withdrawal sequencing
• Business owner tax planning in coordination with retirement plan implementation

All tax planning and preparation is offered through CFS Tax Group, LLC. CFS Tax Group, LLC is not affiliated with American Independent Securities Group, LLC.