Services
Tax Planning and Strategy
A CPA financial advisor brings tax strategy into every conversation — not just at filing time.
where strategy meets the tax code
Your Tax Picture and Financial Plan Should Never Be Separate
Most financial decisions have a tax consequence. When you withdraw from a retirement account or sell an asset, those moments have a tax impact that shapes the outcome. Yet for most people, those decisions get made without anyone looking at the tax side of the equation first.
At True North, tax strategy isn’t a separate service — it’s woven into every recommendation Mark makes. Because he’s a CPA as well as a financial advisor, your tax exposure is always part of the conversation, not an afterthought.
What’s Included
- Tax-efficient investing to minimize unnecessary drag on your portfolio returns year over year
- Roth conversion planning to identify the right windows to move money at the lowest possible tax cost
- Retirement account sequencing — determining which accounts to draw from, in what order, and when
- Tax-loss harvesting strategies to offset gains and reduce your annual tax liability
- Business owner tax planning for those with self-employment income or ownership stakes
- Ongoing tax awareness built into every investment and planning decision throughout the year
WHY TRUE NORTH
Tax Strategy That Happens Before the Decision, Not After
When tax strategy is genuinely woven into a wealth management relationship, the decisions look different. Mark doesn’t need a handoff to your accountant at year-end. When a Roth conversion window opens up, he sees it. When a portfolio rebalance would trigger a significant gain, he catches it before the trade is placed. When retirement income planning requires sequencing withdrawals across multiple account types to manage bracket exposure, that analysis is already built into the plan — because the person running it holds both the financial advisor and CPA credentials.
For Alaskans looking for a financial advisor tax planning relationship where that coordination happens year-round, that combination is rare to find in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find Answers and Get Directions
What does tax planning actually mean in the context of wealth management?
Tax planning in a wealth management context means making financial decisions with your tax situation always in view — not just at filing time, but throughout the year. It means structuring investments to minimize unnecessary taxable events, identifying windows to convert retirement assets at favorable rates, sequencing withdrawals in retirement to manage your tax bracket year by year, and making sure the strategy behind your portfolio isn’t eroding your returns through avoidable taxes. At True North, this isn’t a separate conversation — it’s part of every recommendation Mark makes.
How is a financial advisor tax planning relationship different from working with a regular accountant?
An accountant’s job is primarily retrospective — they work with what happened and report it accurately. A financial advisor focused on tax planning is working prospectively — looking ahead at decisions before they’re made and structuring them to produce the best after-tax outcome. Mark does both, which means he’s thinking about the tax consequences of your investment decisions in real time, not twelve months later when the return is being filed.
What is Roth conversion planning, and is it right for me?
A Roth conversion means moving money from a traditional pre-tax retirement account into a Roth account, paying taxes on it now in exchange for tax-free growth and withdrawals later. Whether it makes sense depends on your current tax bracket, your projected retirement income, your timeline, and several other factors. There are often specific windows — typically years with lower income, or early retirement years before Social Security begins — where conversions make strong strategic sense. This is exactly the kind of analysis that’s built into an ongoing planning relationship at True North.
What is tax-loss harvesting?
Tax-loss harvesting is the practice of selling investments that are down in value to realize a loss that can offset taxable gains elsewhere in your portfolio. Done strategically, it reduces your tax liability in a given year without meaningfully disrupting your long-term investment approach. It requires active attention to your portfolio throughout the year — not just at year-end — which is one reason it works best inside an ongoing wealth management relationship where someone is consistently watching the full picture.
How does retirement account sequencing affect my tax situation?
In retirement, most people draw from multiple account types — taxable brokerage accounts, traditional IRAs or 401(k)s, and potentially Roth accounts. The order in which you draw from those accounts, and in what proportions each year, has a significant impact on how much you pay in taxes over the course of your retirement. Sequencing decisions also interact with Social Security timing, Medicare premium calculations, and required minimum distributions. Getting this right requires planning well before retirement, not figuring it out as you go.
Is this service available as a standalone engagement?
Tax planning at True North is part of the broader wealth management relationship — it isn’t offered as a one-time project or a separate advisory engagement. The reason is straightforward: effective tax strategy requires knowing your full financial picture, and that picture only stays current inside an ongoing relationship. A one-time tax review can surface opportunities, but acting on them well requires the kind of continuity that comes from working together year-round.
What kinds of clients benefit most from integrated tax planning?
Anyone whose financial decisions have meaningful tax consequences — which, practically speaking, is most people with a long investment horizon or approaching retirement. That said, the clients who tend to benefit most are those with multiple account types to coordinate, business owners with self-employment income or equity, individuals approaching or in retirement who need careful income sequencing, and anyone who has experienced a significant financial event like an inheritance, a property sale, or a business exit. The more moving parts, the more value integrated planning delivers.
Your Financial Journey Begins with One Conversation
Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with Mark for an honest look at where you stand and whether True North is the right fit.