01
Individuals with genuinely complex returns
Multiple income sources, equity compensation, rental property, or filings in several states. Complexity is the normal case, not a surcharge.
Tax
Tax preparation and planning, handled by a CPA year-round.
Proactive planning paired with accurate preparation, so the return is the outcome of a plan rather than a surprise.
A tax return is a record of decisions already made. The work that changes your outcome happens in the months before it is filed — entity structure, owner compensation, timing, estimates, retirement contributions.
Alinea prepares individual, business, trust, and nonprofit returns, and stays available between filings so those decisions get made deliberately. Multi-state compliance is routine work here, not an exception.
We prepare returns and manage tax planning for clients across the country from our office in Beverly Hills, California, with secure document exchange and remote collaboration built into every engagement.
What’s included
Preparation
- Federal & state individual tax returns
- Federal & state business tax returns
- Trust and estate tax returns
- Nonprofit tax returns
- Multi-state tax compliance
- K-1 preparation for owners
Planning
- Year-end tax planning
- Estimated tax planning
- Entity structure planning
- Owner compensation planning
- Retirement contribution planning
- Mid-year planning consultation
Support & resolution
- Tax notices related to returns we prepare
- Book-to-tax adjustments
- Depreciation and fixed asset schedules
- Review of year-end financial statements
- Coordination with your other advisors
Who this is for
02
Business owners filing on both sides
When the entity return and the personal return are prepared by the same firm, owner compensation and distributions can actually be planned.
03
Anyone who only hears from their preparer in March
We stay reachable by email and phone throughout the year, because that is when the decisions worth planning around occur.
04
Trusts, estates, and family entities
Fiduciary returns, beneficiary allocations, and trust accounting require a different level of care. We prepare these returns alongside the related individual and business filings.
05
Businesses with multi-state employees or remote owners
Remote work, nexus questions, and state withholding rules can create surprises. We track the requirements and keep your filings current across jurisdictions.
06
Founders with equity compensation or changing ownership
Stock options, RSUs, QSBS, and ownership transitions all have tax consequences. We model the outcomes before the transaction happens, not after.
Service & price comparison
Find the right level of tax support.
Every tax situation is different. Our three tax levels reflect increasing coordination between individual and business returns, planning depth, and year-round support. Final scope and pricing are tailored to each engagement.
| Capability | Individual | Business | Integrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | From $850 | From $2,000 | From $2,700 |
| Federal return | Individual | Business | Individual & Business |
| State return | One state individual | One state business | Both |
| Schedule C preparation | If applicable | — | If applicable |
| Review of year-end financial statements | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| K-1 preparation for owners | — | If applicable | If applicable |
| Book-to-tax adjustments | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Depreciation and fixed asset schedules | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Standard tax elections & supporting schedules | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Estimated tax payment guidance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tax notice support related to returns we prepare | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coordinated individual & business tax planning | — | — | ✓ |
| Owner compensation planning | — | — | ✓ |
| Retirement contribution planning | — | — | ✓ |
| Entity-level & Owner-level tax projection | — | — | ✓ |
| Quarterly estimated tax coordination | — | — | ✓ |
| Year-end tax planning consultation | — | — | ✓ |
| CPA year-round access for tax questions | Email & phone | Email & phone | Email & phone |
Starting fees represent the minimum engagement for each service level. Final pricing is based on the complexity of your tax situation, including the number and type of returns, states and localities involved, multi-state nexus, pass-through and K-1 activity, foreign reporting, estimated tax coordination, and the level of ongoing planning and advisory support required.
Common questions
Can you handle multi-state and complex returns?
Yes. Multi-state filings, multiple entities, rental and investment income, K-1s, and entity-structure questions are exactly the kind of complexity we're built for.
Is tax planning included, or is that separate?
Planning is built into our tax engagements — quarterly estimated tax guidance and a mid-year planning consultation on the Business plan, plus owner compensation and retirement contribution planning on Integrated. Preparation alone reports history; planning changes the outcome.
Should I choose the Integrated plan?
If you own a business, almost certainly. Your personal and entity returns affect one another — owner compensation, distributions, and retirement contributions only optimize when one firm sees both sides.
What if I receive an IRS or state notice?
Send it to us. If you receive a notice from the IRS or a state taxing authority concerning a return prepared by Alinea, we'll review the notice, explain what it means, and help determine the appropriate response. Matters unrelated to returns we prepared, as well as audits, examinations, appeals, or more extensive representation, may require a separate engagement and fee.
Is there a real difference between a CPA and an unlicensed preparer?
Yes. CPAs carry licensure, continuing education, and professional standards that seasonal preparers and unlicensed filers do not — and can represent you before the IRS. When the return is complex, that difference tends to show up in what gets caught and what gets missed.
I haven't filed in a few years. Can you help?
Yes, and you're not the first. We'll get the delinquent returns filed, work with the IRS and state authorities on your behalf, and pursue penalty relief where it's available. Back filings are scoped as a separate project.
Will you review my prior-year returns?
We review recent returns as part of onboarding. If we find missed deductions or positions worth revisiting, we'll tell you plainly and, where it's worth the effort, file an amended return.
What happens if I'm audited?
We represent you. As CPAs we can deal with the IRS or state directly on your behalf, so you aren't answering questions on the spot. Examination support is scoped when it arises — but you won't face it alone.