Tax Preparation & Filing in Denver, Colorado
When your return is in our hands, we prepare it with care, file it securely, and check it for every legal way to lower what you owe. We handle the details so you can stop worrying about them. Because we look at your whole situation instead of just typing numbers into software, we often catch deductions and credits that DIY filing and storefront chains miss.
We prepare federal and Colorado returns for individuals, couples, and small businesses across the Denver metro. Maybe your taxes are simple. Maybe they are complicated, with several income sources, a business, rental property, or investment sales. Either way, we have almost certainly seen a return like yours before.
How it works
Start with an estimate. You upload last year's return and tell us what has changed. We give you an honest estimate up front, so there are no surprises on either side.
Secure documents. Your paperwork goes into SmartVault, our encrypted client portal that meets IRS privacy and security standards. Upload from home on your own schedule. There is no need to drop off paper unless you would prefer to.
Individualized strategy. Before we start preparing your return, we review your documents and look for strategies specific to your situation, to lower your tax and increase the deductions and credits you qualify for.
Careful preparation. We prepare your federal and Colorado returns, apply the deductions and credits that fit your situation, and review the result for anything that could lower your bill or matter next year.
You review and approve. We walk you through the finished return and answer your questions before anything is filed. Nothing goes to the IRS without your sign-off.
On-time e-filing. As an Authorized IRS e-file Provider, we file electronically and keep you copies in the portal. Paper filing is there for the rare case that needs it.
What to have ready
Most clients upload last year's return plus their current-year income documents, like W-2s, 1099s, and K-1s, into our secure SmartVault portal. Bring records for anything that changed too, such as a home purchase or sale, a new business, rental activity, big medical or charitable expenses, a new dependent, or investment and retirement account statements. Not sure whether something matters? Send it anyway. Sorting that out is our job, not yours.
Who we work with
Businesses
Sole proprietors (Form 1040, Schedule C). If you run a business under your own name or a single-member LLC, the income flows onto your personal return. We handle the Schedule C, your expenses, and self-employment tax.
S-Corporations (Form 1120-S). An S-corp files its own return and passes income to owners on a K-1. We prepare the business return and line it up with your personal one.
Partnerships (Form 1065). Partnerships and multi-member LLCs file Form 1065 and send each partner a K-1. We prepare the return and the partner schedules.
Real estate
Primary and secondary homes. We handle the tax side of buying, selling, or renting out a first or second home, including the home-sale exclusion when you qualify. We also claim your deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes, including on second and vacation homes.
Real estate investors, buy and sell (Schedule C and/or Schedule D). Whether you flip properties or hold them for the long run, how a sale is taxed depends on how you operate. We report it the right way.
Rental properties, short and long term (Schedule C and/or Schedule E). Long-term rentals and short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO are taxed differently. We handle depreciation, expenses, and reporting for both.
1031 exchanges. A 1031 exchange lets you defer capital gains tax when you trade one investment property for another. The deadlines and rules are strict, and we help you meet them.
Real estate professional status (Schedule C). Qualifying as a real estate professional can unlock larger deductions against your other income. We help you document and claim it.
Individuals
All filing statuses. Single, married filing jointly or separately, head of household, and qualifying surviving spouse (Form 1040).
All states, including multi-state filing. Moved during the year, or earn income in more than one state? We prepare multi-state and part-year returns and sort out which state gets what.
W-2 income. Wages and salary paid by an employer, with taxes already withheld during the year.
1099 income: freelance, consulting, or a side business (Schedule C). We help independent workers track income, claim the right expenses, and handle self-employment tax.
Equity compensation (stock options, RSUs). Stock options, RSUs, and ESPPs come with tricky timing and tax rules. We help employees report equity pay without overpaying.
Investment income and capital gains. Dividends, interest, and gains from selling stocks or funds are each reported differently. We handle your brokerage 1099s and short and long-term gains.
Cryptocurrency and digital assets. If you bought, sold, traded, or earned crypto, those transactions are taxable and easy to get wrong. We handle reporting for Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs, staking, and other digital assets.
Royalties (Schedule C and/or Schedule E). Income from books, music, mineral rights, or licensing is reported on Schedule C or E depending on your situation. We sort out which applies.
K-1 income (partners, shareholders, beneficiaries, and investors). If you own part of a business, trust, or fund, you likely get a Schedule K-1. We fold that income into your return correctly.
Retirement account distributions, rollovers, and conversions. IRA and 401(k) withdrawals, rollovers, Roth conversions, and backdoor Roths all carry tax consequences. We help you time and report them to keep the bill down.
Sports bettors and gamblers (hobbyists and professionals). Winnings from sports betting, casinos, and other gambling are taxable, and the rules differ for hobbyists and pros. We handle both, for clients across the country, and we stay current on the gambling tax rules in all 50 states.
Itemized and standard deductions. We compare both and use whichever one saves you more.
Dependents. We handle children and other dependents, including those who have income of their own.
Why a CPA and EA firm instead of software or a chain
Tax software is only as good as what you know to type into it. Seasonal storefronts often hand your return to whoever is free that day. Here, one of the two partners, Don or Steph, works your return personally, every year. You are never passed to a junior preparer, so the person doing your taxes knows your situation and stands behind the result. For anything beyond the simplest W-2 filing, that difference tends to pay for itself. And if the IRS ever has a question, you have a real person who prepared your return and can respond.
We have your back with the IRS
If you are our client and the IRS ever sends a letter about your return, you are welcome to reach out. We help you make sense of it at no charge. If the situation calls for full representation, that is available as a paid service for our clients. It is simply part of taking care of the people whose taxes we prepare.
Pricing
We start every job with an estimate. Individual (1040) returns start at $400, with a one-hour minimum. Your price will not change from the estimate unless something unexpected comes up that we have not already discussed. S-corporation and partnership returns start at $800. Unlike firms that bill for every phone call and email, we only charge for the time it takes to prepare your return. The questions along the way are part of the service.