Individuals and Families

MTAAS is solidly grounded in the fundamentals of traditional tax and accounting services, and we provide these services as a matter of course. However, we believe that our high net worth clients especially value our service partnership approach to advising them, and in particular our creative approach to helping protect their interests during certain critical situations that call for skills outside their expertise. At MTAAS, we consider and are able to consult with our clients on many aspects of their financial lives, from recurring tax planning matters to estate planning and administration, and everything in between. We join or help build the team of legal and financial advisors that will support a family as it traverses an ever-changing tax and financial landscape.

Tax Planning

Understanding taxes: "What is my real tax rate on this transaction?" In the often complex tax world of high net worth individuals, the specter of alternative minimum tax is ever-present. Significant opportunities for savings exist with skillful planning of the timing of income and deductions.

Reducing taxes: We apply our extensive experience in the standard techniques of deduction planning, evaluating the tax saving possibilities of investments and structuring family financial affairs to minimize the tax burden on the family group.

Budgeting for taxes: For many clients, the objective is to defer payment as long as possible while avoiding penalties. For others, the tax amounts are large enough that predictability, liquidity and availability of financing will be the primary issues. We develop an understanding of the overall financial situation and personal management philosophy of our clients so that we can help them anticipate and plan effectively.

Real Estate Transactions 

We regularly consult with our clients about real estate matters such as purchases, sales, leases and tax-deferred exchanges. Because of our frequent involvement with real estate issues, we stay in touch with the latest market conditions and therefore can make informed recommendations. For the high net worth individual, we find that a portion of real estate financing is often not a necessity, but an investment choice among many alternatives. We outline and explain the choices in an understandable manner, so that our clients can make the choice that is best suited to their individual situation and concerns.

Stock Option Planning

Stock options present an individual with a wide range of financial and personal issues. We counsel our clients on the variety of option plans, how options are taxed, option exercise strategies, and how to invest the proceeds. We also refer our clients to bay area professionals who affiliates with us in investment advising and estate planning.

 Family Advisory Services

We take great satisfaction in our long-term relationships with family groups. Our role can be as basic as accountant and tax preparer, but we often take a personal interest in the overall financial situation of family members, their life experiences, personal goals and emotional issues. We provide educational sessions for younger family members on tax and finance, and long-term life planning for retirement, disability, divorce and business succession.

Virtually every major financial decision is also a personal decision. There is a context, a personal and family history, hopes and fears, risks and rewards and near-term and future considerations. This context may vary dramatically from one client to another, and even within a family. We strive to understand this context because in understanding these issues, we are able to tailor our tax and financial advice to help each unique client make the decisions that best suit their situation and philosophy. We often become an intermediary in communicating financial decisions among family members, particularly between generations. Our experience in understanding a variety of contexts enables us to serve as interpreters, and often makes a positive contribution to family relationships.