Ritz Stevens Insights · Tax Planning
The Tax Questions Your Clients Are Already Asking.
Roth conversions, QCDs, the OBBBA changes, and half a dozen provisions that shifted again this year. Ritz Stevens tracks what’s changing so you don’t have to relearn the tax code every January.
What We Write About
Tax planning topics advisors are fielding right now
Roth Conversions
When a conversion actually pencils out, and when it’s just moving the tax bill to a different year.
Charitable Giving Strategy
QCDs, donor advised funds, and the giving strategies that changed once the standard deduction got bigger.
Legislative Changes
OBBBA, the TCJA extension, and what each one actually changes for your clients this year.
Equity Compensation
ISOs, AMT exposure, and the planning window before an exercise decision becomes irreversible.
Real Estate and Capital Gains
Converting a primary residence to a rental, and the capital gains exclusion rules that come with it.
Business Owner Tax Planning
QBI, entity structure, and the planning that’s specific to a client who owns the thing they work at.
Where This Fits
Tax planning is client work. We’re not going to pretend it’s ours.
Ritz Stevens isn’t a tax firm and doesn’t give individualized tax advice, to advisors or their clients. What we track is the planning strategies and law changes advisors are fielding questions on right now, Roth conversions, QCDs, OBBBA, so you’ve got a straight answer before you loop in a CPA. The same practitioner first approach shows up in Next Destination℠ and Launch℠, we tell you what we actually know and point you to the right resource for what we don’t.
From the Library
New tax planning posts land regularly
Browse everything we’ve published on the Insights page.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Roth conversion still worth it after the recent tax law changes?
Usually, if the client has room to fill up a lower bracket before RMDs start or before Social Security pushes them into a higher one. It stops making sense once the conversion itself is what triggers the higher bracket.
What is a QCD and who should be using one?
A qualified charitable distribution sends IRA money straight to a charity and counts toward the RMD without ever showing up as income. It’s most useful for a client who’s charitably inclined and already taking the standard deduction.
How does the OBBBA change year end tax planning for advisory clients?
It shifted several thresholds and deduction rules that firms had built their year end checklists around, which means the checklist itself needs a rewrite this year.
What is AMT exposure and why does it matter for clients with ISOs?
Exercising incentive stock options can create a tax bill under a separate set of rules even when no shares are sold, and the window to plan around it closes the moment the exercise happens.
Does Ritz Stevens give tax advice to advisors or their clients?
No. We’re not a registered tax or investment advisory firm and this isn’t individualized advice. This page exists so advisors have a place to start before bringing in a CPA or attorney. If you want to talk about your firm instead of a specific return, that’s the Next Destination℠ and Launch℠ conversation.
Have a Tax Planning Question We Haven’t Written About Yet?
Tell us what you’re working through. We’ll point you to what we’ve got, or just answer it directly.
General information for financial advisors. Not individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. See our Disclosures.