Tax Preparation
We prepare personal and retirement tax returns in-house. Your return is handled by an Enrolled Agent, a tax professional licensed by the IRS to prepare returns and represent taxpayers. Because the same office handles your retirement plan, your taxes and your income strategy work together instead of in separate silos.
The difference
Your return, handled by an Enrolled Agent
An Enrolled Agent is a tax specialist licensed directly by the IRS. Here is how that compares to the other people who might prepare your return.
Enrolled Agent
Licensed by the IRS, focused on taxes, and able to represent you before the IRS on any matter. The highest credential the IRS awards.
CPA
State-licensed for broad accounting and tax work. Also able to represent you before the IRS.
Seasonal preparer
Can fill out a return, but usually has limited or no ability to stand in for you if the IRS has questions.
Retirement income is taxed differently
A paycheck is simple. Retirement income comes from several places, and the rules interact. These are the pieces we keep an eye on.
Social Security
Depending on your other income, up to 85% of your benefits can be taxable. No more than 85% ever is.
Required withdrawals (RMDs)
Withdrawals from most retirement accounts must begin at age 73 under current law. A missed one carries a steep penalty.
How withdrawals are taxed
Traditional IRA, 401(k), and pension income is generally ordinary income. Qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free.
Roth conversions
Moving money to a Roth is taxed in the year you do it, in exchange for tax-free qualified withdrawals later.
Medicare surcharges (IRMAA)
Higher income can add a surcharge to your Medicare premiums, based on your income from two years earlier.
The 65-and-older deduction
People 65 and up get an extra standard deduction, with an additional senior deduction available through 2028.
Tax figures and ages change from year to year. We work from the current rules when we prepare your return.
One office, one plan
When the same people set your retirement plan and file your return, the advice and the tax forms actually line up. There is no disconnect between what your advisor said and what your preparer finds in April. That coordination is where a lot of avoidable tax gets saved:
- Which account to draw from first, to lower the lifetime tax bill
- Timing a Roth conversion to fit your tax bracket
- Keeping a large withdrawal from triggering Medicare surcharges
- Setting up withholding or estimates so you don't owe a penalty
This is about coordination and fewer surprises, not a promise to make taxes disappear.
What we handle
- Personal and retirement-focused federal and Ohio returns
- Year-round answers, not only at filing time
- Representation before the IRS if a notice or audit comes up
- Coordinating withholding and quarterly estimated payments
Ohio does not tax Social Security benefits, and it offers credits for some retirement income. We prepare your Ohio return alongside your federal one.
Tax preparation: common questions
What is an Enrolled Agent?
A federally licensed tax specialist. Enrolled Agents are licensed by the IRS, pass a three-part federal exam or qualify through IRS experience, and can represent you before the IRS on any tax matter. It is the highest credential the IRS awards.
Is my Social Security taxed?
It depends on your other income. If your combined income (your adjusted gross income, plus any tax-free interest, plus half your benefits) is above $25,000 single or $32,000 married, up to half your benefits may be taxable; above $34,000 or $44,000, up to 85%. No more than 85% is ever taxable.
When do RMDs start?
Under current law, required minimum distributions start at age 73. Your first one can wait until April 1 of the year after you turn 73, then they are due each year by December 31. Roth IRAs have no required withdrawals during your lifetime.
Do you prepare taxes year-round?
Yes. Tax questions don't stop in April. We're here through the year for notices, estimated payments, and decisions like RMDs and Roth conversions.
Can you represent me before the IRS?
Yes. As an Enrolled Agent, David Tulppo can represent you directly with the IRS on audits, notices, and appeals, so you don't have to handle it alone.
Should I do a Roth conversion?
It depends, so we'd run the numbers first. A conversion is taxed as income in the year you do it, but qualified Roth withdrawals are tax-free later. Done in a lower-income year it can save tax over time, though it can also raise your Medicare premiums or the tax on your Social Security, so the timing and amount matter.
Do I still have to file taxes in retirement?
Often, yes. Pensions, annuities, IRA and 401(k) withdrawals, investment income, and taxable Social Security can all create a filing requirement. Whether you must file depends on your income and filing status.
This page is general tax information, not advice about your specific situation. Tax figures, deduction amounts, and ages change from year to year. Talk with us or another tax professional before acting.
Explore our other services
Want your taxes and your plan under one roof?
Reach out for a relaxed, no-obligation conversation. We'll listen first, then show you how a protection-first plan could work for you.