This 4-Step Framework Reduced Our Client's $217,000 Tax Bill by 85%

Most owners overpay and don’t know it, because they only see the final bill, not the missed opportunities.

Common signs you’re overpaying:
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• Your income and complexity have grown, but your tax approach hasn’t changed in years.
• You’ve added locations, staff, real estate, or online revenue without changing structure.
• Your CPA mostly talks to you after year-end, not before decisions are made.

At Crane, we assume nothing. We review your last 2–4 years of returns and financials line by line and show you, in dollars, where you’re paying more than you legally need to.

Most CPAs do tax preparation. They record what happened and file forms.

Crane focuses on tax strategy:

• We start with your business and personal goals, not just your prior year numbers.
• We look at entities, compensation, real estate, credits, depreciation, and timing as one system.
• We build a 12–36 month plan instead of just preparing a single return.

Think of your current CPA as the historian and Crane as the architect. We’re designing where your tax position should go, not just reporting where it’s been.

In many cases, yes.

• We typically review the last 2–4 years of returns.
• If we find missed credits, deductions, or structural mistakes, we can prepare amended returns.
• For federal returns, refunds are usually available for up to three years back (sometimes more for specific items).

We can’t promise a refund in every situation, but our goal is simple: you never pay more tax than the law requires, and if you already did, we try to pull as much of it back as possible.

It depends on your size, industry, and how much planning has been done already. Generally:

• For most business owners with revenues in the mid–six figures and higher, the opportunity is often in the tens of thousands per year.
• In more complex cases, savings over a few years can reach seven figures and beyond.
• Before you commit, we give you a reasoned report of potential savings based on a diagnostic review.

For our detailed Tax Review product, we’re confident enough that if we can’t find meaningful opportunities on your last two returns, that the review is free.

Everything we recommend is based on existing tax law and IRS guidance. We use tools the code clearly allows: credits, depreciation, entity structures, retirement plans, and timing strategies. We do not use “scheme” tactics or anything we wouldn’t be comfortable defending.

A well-documented return that uses available incentives does not automatically trigger an audit.

We do a full sweep, not a quick glance.

Typically we review:

• 2–4 years of business and personal tax returns.
• Your entity structure and how each entity is actually being used.
• P&Ls, balance sheets, depreciation schedules, and loan details.
• Payroll and contractor arrangements.
• Real estate, equipment, vehicles, and other major assets.
• Industry-specific items like inventory, AR cycles, memberships, or subscriptions.

From there, we identify where money is leaking and which levers have the biggest impact.

Depreciation and many credits lower what you pay today, which improves cash flow and lets you reinvest sooner. In some cases (certain credits, permanent deductions, lower future tax rates), you do reduce what you pay over the long run. At Crane, we treat it as part timing, part permanent savings. The goal is to lower your lifetime tax bill and fund your growth, not just kick the can for one year.

We usually start by using what you already have to spot the biggest opportunities, then bring your books and filings up to a level where the numbers are reliable and safe to build strategy on. You don’t need everything perfect before we start, but better records let us go further and be more confident with your tax plan.