A Shurek Accounting & Tax company  ·  Wealth Protection DivisionContact
Our Services

Six disciplines.
One integrated strategy.

Each service area reinforces the others. The tax returns reflect the estate plan. The estate plan accounts for the real estate. Nothing is designed in isolation.

Income Tax ReductionEstate PlanningReal EstateWealth PreservationBusiness SuccessionCompliance Infrastructure
Income Tax Reduction

Reduce what you owe — every year, not just at filing.

Year-round, proactive strategies to actively reduce your annual income tax burden. We plan before decisions are made — not after the return is filed.

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Cost Segregation & Bonus Depreciation

In-house cost segregation studies reclassify commercial property into 5, 7, and 15-year components. With 100% bonus depreciation now permanent, qualifying property can be fully deducted in the year of acquisition — generating hundreds of thousands in first-year tax savings.

Defined Benefit & Cash Balance Plans

Annual contributions and deductions of $200,000–$300,000+ depending on age and business income. Far exceeding standard retirement plan limits — and one of the most reliable current-year tax reduction tools available for profitable business owners.

QSBS Section 1202 — Up to $15M Exclusion

For clients with qualifying C corporation stock, up to 100% of capital gains can be excluded from federal income tax. The OBBBA expanded the cap to $15M and introduced a tiered holding period starting at three years.

R&D Tax Credits Section 41

Dollar-for-dollar credit against income tax liability for qualifying research activities. More industries qualify than most business owners realize — manufacturers, medical practices, and technology firms among them.

QBI Deduction, SALT Optimization, Installment Sales

The permanent 20% QBI deduction on pass-through income, the expanded $40,000 SALT cap for 2025–2029, and structured installment sale treatment to spread gain recognition across multiple tax years at lower effective rates.

Estate & Wealth Transfer Planning

Protect your estate. Transfer wealth on your terms.

Comprehensive trust structures, gifting programs, and generational planning built around your specific assets and family — coordinated with your estate attorney and modeled for tax impact before implementation.

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SLAT — Spousal Lifetime Access Trust

Remove assets from your taxable estate while preserving indirect spousal access. Each spouse can create a SLAT for the other, effectively using both lifetime exemptions while maintaining access to the trust assets through the beneficiary spouse.

IDGT — Installment Sale to Grantor Trust

Transfer business value or investment assets to an irrevocable trust via promissory note without income tax recognition. All appreciation above the applicable federal rate accumulates in the trust outside the estate.

GRAT, Dynasty Trust & GST Planning

Transfer asset appreciation to beneficiaries with minimal gift tax cost through a GRAT. Fund a dynasty trust with GST exemption allocation so wealth compounds outside every future taxable estate indefinitely.

Family Limited Partnerships with Valuation Discounts

Restructure real estate and business holdings so minority interests can be transferred at 20–35% discounted values for gift and estate tax purposes — extending the reach of the available $15M lifetime exemption.

ILIT & Life Insurance Coordination

Structure life insurance outside the taxable estate through an ILIT. We manage Crummey notices, trust filings, and coordination with the estate plan so the death benefit is fully protected.

Real Estate Investment & Tax Strategy

Real assets. Real depreciation. Real returns.

Proprietary access to MHP, commercial, and medical office acquisitions sourced by our 20-year real estate partner — with in-house cost segregation on every deal and coordinated tax reporting from closing through disposition.

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Proprietary Deal Access

We source acquisitions through our real estate partner whose 20 years as an MHP broker provide market relationships and deal flow that are not broadly marketed. Mobile home parks, commercial properties, medical offices, and self-storage.

In-House Cost Segregation

We conduct cost segregation studies internally — not outsourced at $5,000–$15,000 to a third party. Faster, better integrated with the return, and fully coordinated with the depreciation election from day one.

Real Estate Professional Election

For clients whose spouse can qualify as a real estate professional under Section 469, real estate losses become non-passive — offsetting ordinary income from any source including professional practice income.

1031 Exchange Coordination

When disposition timing is right, we coordinate the 1031 exchange process — identification periods, qualified intermediary engagement, and the replacement property analysis that ensures the exchange qualifies.

Basis Step-Up vs. Transfer Tax Analysis

For every significant real estate holding, we model the combined after-tax outcome of holding until death for the step-up versus lifetime transfer to a trust. The right answer depends on the specific property, appreciation trajectory, and estate situation.

Wealth Preservation & Tax-Free Liquidity

Access your wealth without triggering taxes.

Structured approaches to generating liquidity from appreciated assets without realizing taxable gains — and the generational architecture that keeps compounding working in your favor.

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Securities-Backed Lines of Credit

Borrow against your investment portfolio — typically 50–70% of market value — at competitive rates. Your investments stay fully invested. You receive tax-free cash. No realization event, no capital gains tax.

Real Estate Cash-Out Refinancing

Pull equity from appreciated real estate as tax-free loan proceeds. The property is still owned. Depreciation deductions continue. The appreciation keeps compounding — and the proceeds can fund the next acquisition.

Art as a Strategic Asset

Fine art appreciates outside traditional markets, receives a full step-up in basis at death, and can be borrowed against at 40–50% of appraised value. With proper documentation of investment intent and charitable planning, art is a legitimate wealth preservation vehicle.

Basis Step-Up Architecture at Death

Under current law, assets included in the taxable estate receive a full step-up in basis at death, eliminating all unrealized capital gains accumulated over a lifetime. We design the estate plan around this provision — deciding which assets to hold, which to transfer, and how to maximize the step-up for the family.

Grantor Trust Income Tax Strategy

The grantor's payment of income taxes on grantor trust earnings is an ongoing additional tax-free gift to the trust. We design grantor trusts to maximize this benefit — allowing trust assets to compound without the annual tax drag that would otherwise reduce growth.

Business Succession & Exit Planning

The planning before the transaction determines the outcome.

Pre-sale estate planning, QSBS qualification analysis, deal structure optimization, and charitable integration for business owners approaching a sale or transition.

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Pre-Sale Estate Planning — The 90-Day Rule

Most of the best exit planning strategies require being in place before the letter of intent is signed. Once a deal is binding, subsequent transfers can be characterized as anticipatory assignments of income. We engage 60–90 days minimum before closing.

QSBS Section 1202 Analysis

For qualifying C corporation shareholders, up to 100% of capital gains — now up to $15 million — can be excluded from federal income tax. We analyze eligibility, document the holding period, and ensure the exclusion is properly claimed.

Pre-Sale Trust Funding & CRT Strategies

Transferring business interests to irrevocable grantor trusts before closing moves the sale proceeds outside the estate. A charitable remainder trust funded with pre-sale equity sells the business tax-free, generates an income stream, and produces an immediate income tax deduction.

Asset vs. Stock Sale Optimization

The difference in after-tax outcome between an asset sale and a stock sale can represent millions of dollars on any significant transaction. Personal goodwill allocation, installment reporting, and entity structure all affect the result — and all need to be addressed before the deal documents are signed.

Intra-Family Transfer Strategies

Gifting minority interests in the business before the sale — at discounted values while the business is closely held — shifts appreciation to trusts or family members at a fraction of the future sale price, using the lifetime exemption efficiently.

Full Tax Compliance Infrastructure

Every filing your structure requires — one team, one strategy.

Complete tax compliance for complex structures — individual, trust, estate, gift, partnership, pension, and entity returns prepared by one team in coordination with your overall wealth strategy.

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Form 1040 — Complex Individual Returns

High-income returns with multiple K-1s, grantor trust income, passive activity calculations, real estate professional elections, cost segregation deductions, NIIT analysis, and estimated payment coordination across the full year.

Form 709 — Gift Tax Returns

The most strategically important return we prepare. Proper 709 preparation includes qualified appraisal documentation for transferred interests, adequate disclosure to start the statute of limitations, and exemption tracking that protects the planning years later.

Form 706 — Estate Tax Returns

Filed within nine months of death. Even for estates below the $15M exemption, the 706 should be filed to make the portability election — preserving any unused exemption for the surviving spouse.

Form 1041 — Trust & Estate Returns

Income tax returns for all non-grantor trusts, with distributable net income analysis and K-1 preparation for all trust beneficiaries. Coordinated with each beneficiary's individual return.

Form 1065, Form 5500, Form 6765

Partnership returns for all FLPs, real estate LLCs, and investment entities. Annual pension plan filings coordinated with the actuary. R&D credit calculations integrated with the business return for a dollar-for-dollar reduction in income tax.

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