Frequently Asked Questions

A tax preparer files the return you already have — they record what happened last year. A tax advisor works with you throughout the year to change what happens this year: entity structure, quarterly payment sizing, retirement plan design, deduction strategy. Most people who feel like their accountant is "just filing paperwork" have a preparer, not an advisor. That's the specific gap we're built to close.

Our advisors hold professional tax credentials, but "CPA" is one specific license among several that qualify someone to do this work (enrolled agents and other credentialed tax professionals also practice at this level). What matters more than the specific license is whether the person is doing quarterly, proactive planning versus once-a-year filing — that's the distinction we focus on.

Yes — Framework Advisory started in Louisville, Kentucky, but works with clients nationwide today. Everything runs through a secure online portal, so your state doesn't limit which advisor you work with.

We deliberately specialize in a handful of industries — trades and contracting, real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare — instead of trying to serve every business the same generic way. That focus is what lets us catch industry-specific deductions and structuring opportunities that a firm spread across every type of client typically misses.

No. We regularly work alongside an existing bookkeeper or CPA, focusing specifically on tax strategy and quarterly planning rather than replacing whoever already handles your day-to-day books.

Reach out anyway. The industries on this site are where we've built the deepest specific expertise, but the underlying planning — entity structure, quarterly estimates, deduction strategy — applies broadly. If your business is a genuine mismatch for what we do well, we'll tell you directly instead of taking on a client we can't serve well.

We look at your actual numbers — recent returns, current entity structure, and how your income is trending this year — and tell you directly whether we see real opportunity or not. It's a working session, not a sales pitch.

Quarterly, at minimum, tied to when estimated payments are actually due — plus whenever a decision comes up that's worth checking first (an equipment purchase, a new hire, a change in income). That's the core difference from an annual filing relationship.

Your most recent tax return and a general sense of your current entity structure is enough for the first conversation. If we move forward, we'll ask for more — bookkeeping access, prior-year details — but nothing extensive is needed just to have the initial review.

Most accounting relationships are built around a single event: filing the return. A quarterly review means recalculating your estimated payments against real, current-year numbers four times a year instead of once, and checking in on entity structure and deductions before decisions are locked in — not after the return is already filed.

It depends on the complexity of your business and the scope of work — a solo operator's quarterly planning looks different from a multi-provider medical practice's entity and retirement plan design. We quote a specific number after the free consultation, once we actually understand what your business needs, rather than publishing a one-size-fits-all rate that wouldn't be accurate for most people anyway.

Yes, with no obligation. It's a genuine review of your numbers, not a scripted pitch — some businesses we talk to don't need what we offer, and we'll say so.

Yes — client data is encrypted, and our systems run on SOC 2–audited infrastructure. Documents and financial information are handled the same way any licensed financial services firm is expected to handle them.

No. Your financial information is used to do the work you hired us for — tax planning and advisory — and nothing else. It isn't sold or shared with third parties for marketing or any other purpose.

Uploaded documents are used for the specific analysis they're needed for and are not held longer than necessary. If you have specific retention or deletion questions about your account, your advisor can answer them directly for your situation.

Those are where we've built the deepest, most specific expertise — trades and contracting, real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare — but the core planning work (entity structure, quarterly estimates, deduction strategy) isn't exclusive to those fields. See the note above on businesses outside these categories.

Yes. Bookkeeping and quarterly tax planning are naturally connected — accurate, current books are what make an accurate quarterly recalculation possible in the first place — so we regularly handle both together rather than treating them as separate, disconnected services.

Yes. For most small business owners, business and personal tax situations are tightly connected — pass-through income, reasonable salary, retirement contributions all flow between the two — so we look at both together rather than in isolation.