Tax Planning Strategies
Taxes affect nearly every major financial decision—from how investments are managed and retirement income is taken to when assets are sold, gifted or passed to the next generation. At SkyOak Capital, tax planning is integrated into the broader financial plan rather than considered only at tax-filing time.
We help clients evaluate strategies designed to manage taxes over both the current year and the years ahead. Depending on the client’s circumstances, planning may include Roth conversions, retirement account distributions and required minimum distributions (RMDs), capital gains and loss strategies, tax-efficient investing, charitable giving, concentrated or highly appreciated assets, and the tax implications of major liquidity events or relocation.
For retirees and clients approaching retirement, we pay particular attention to how different sources of income interact. Social Security, IRA distributions, Roth accounts, taxable investments, pensions and annuities can have different tax consequences. Coordinating when and where income is taken can be an important part of a long-term retirement strategy.
SkyOak Capital does not prepare tax returns or provide tax or legal advice. We work with clients’ CPAs and other tax professionals to identify planning opportunities, model
potential strategies and coordinate financial and investment decisions with the client’s overall tax plan.
What Tax Planning May Include
Depending on the client’s circumstances, our planning may include:
- Retirement Income & Distributions— Evaluating when and where retirement income should be taken, including IRA distributions, RMDs and Roth conversions.
- Capital Gains & Losses— Considering the tax impact of selling investments, managing highly appreciated or concentrated positions, and using losses to offset realized gains when appropriate.
- Tax-Efficient Investing— Considering account type, investment selection, asset location, turnover and other tax implications as part of portfolio management.
- Charitable Giving— Evaluating strategies such as qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), donor-advised funds and charitable trusts when appropriate to the client’s goals.
- Liquidity Events & Appreciated Assets— Planning around the sale of a business, real estate, company stock or other highly appreciated assets in coordination with the client’s tax and legal professionals.
- Relocation & Multi-State Planning— Evaluating how a move may affect retirement income, investment decisions, capital gains and the timing of other financial transactions.
- Estate & Legacy Strategies— Considering the tax implications of gifting, charitable planning and wealth-transfer strategies as part of the broader estate and financial plan.
Who This Is For
Tax planning strategies can be particularly valuable for clients approaching or living in retirement, individuals with significant taxable investments or highly appreciated assets, business owners preparing for a liquidity event, families with charitable or legacy goals, and clients considering a move between states.
It can also be valuable for clients who simply want investment and financial planning decisions made with greater awareness of their potential tax consequences.
Your Advisors
Tax planning strategies are incorporated into the financial planning and wealth management work provided by Jennifer Davis, CFP®, Founder and CEO, and Damien Rennie, Senior Wealth Advisor.
For more complex tax situations, SkyOak works in coordination with the client’s CPA or other tax professionals. SkyOak Capital does not prepare tax returns or provide tax or legal advice.
FAQs
Questions About Tax Planning Strategies
Does SkyOak Capital prepare tax returns?
No. SkyOak Capital does not prepare tax returns. Our role is to identify and evaluate tax-planning opportunities related to investments, retirement, income and other financial decisions and coordinate those strategies with the client’s tax professional.
Can SkyOak Capital help with Roth conversion planning?
Yes. We can model potential Roth conversions and evaluate how the timing and amount may affect taxable income, retirement distributions and other areas of the financial plan.
Does SkyOak Capital consider taxes when managing investments?
Yes. In taxable accounts, investment decisions may consider capital gains and losses, highly appreciated positions, tax-loss harvesting and other potential tax consequences as part of ongoing portfolio management.
Can SkyOak Capital help with the tax implications of moving to another state?
Yes. We can model how a potential move may affect the financial plan and help evaluate the timing of retirement distributions, Roth conversions, capital gains and other financial decisions. State tax and residency rules vary, so we coordinate with the client’s tax and legal professionals when appropriate.
Can SkyOak help with charitable tax strategies?
Yes. Depending on the client’s circumstances and charitable goals, planning may include qualified charitable distributions, donor-advised funds, charitable trusts and other charitable giving strategies in coordination with the client’s tax and legal
professionals.