Taxes and the Grand Canyon

Everyone says you have to see the Grand Canyon before you die. It is a life changing experience and photos do not do it justice. You hire a travel agent to book the trip for you and your spouse. Would you trust the travel agent to write your itinerary without ever meeting with you? The next thing you know you have tickets to take a helicopter tour around the Grand Canyon which is perfect except for your spouse’s fear of helicopters. It is important that you are a part of the planning process because you could have quickly informed the agent that it might be better to see the canyon from the observation deck instead. 

The planning of your taxes and finances is similar. It is important to be a part of the decision process, it can change your experience entirely. 

At Core Group, we prefer to keep you involved in the journey. That’s why we have the Core Tax Process™. Our 6 step process puts the power back in business owners’ hands with proactive planning and strategy: 

1. Consultation: If we’re going to work together, we should get to know each other. If you or your spouse is afraid of helicopters, this is when we would find out. As we learn about the specific challenges and requirements of your operation, you’ll get to know more about how Core Group operates and the kind of services we provide. You’ll see that success for our clients is what defines success for us.
2. Initial Strategy Session: This is where we dig into your business and start the work on developing our initial tax plan. We also introduce you to our Core Tax Process™ which assures that both you and we have timely, accurate, and complete financial information for planning. Consider this like booking the flights and hotels, we are nailing down the bigger and broader details first. 
3. Second Strategy Session: Usually within two to four weeks, we meet to have our Second Strategy Session where we present your tax plan, update you on your planned tax bill, and give you at least two alternatives (usually many more) to lower your taxes.  From there, we move into our quarterly cycle of information, communication, and further planning. Now we are figuring out what you want from your trip. Do you want a good photo of you with the canyon in the backdrop or you wanting to get down in the canyon and hike? 
4. Information: Good information is accurate, timely, and understandable. You have dozens of decisions to make each day, and each of those decisions affects the success of your business. In order to make those decisions, you must have quality information. Core Group will provide you with timely, accurate information all throughout the year so you’ll never find yourself guessing your way through the decision-making process. We'll also include the Core Financial Process™ to make sure your books and accounts are in order and proactively look for tax savings along the way. We are presenting you with the itinerary for your trip, with schedules and tickets and parking passes. 
5. Communication: We work with you, not just for you. When you call with questions, we respond with answers. We don’t just send you off on your trip with a list of what to do. We are ready to answer questions like where to eat that night. When we have information you need to know about, we bring it to you. As the laws and regulations are updated and as the financial landscape shifts, we tell you what’s happening and how this affects you. We’re proactive as well – when there’s something you need to know, you don’t have to ask us about it – we’ll come to you.
6. Planning: Throughout the year we’ll get together to discuss where we’ve been and where we’re going. We’ll see what’s in our near- and long-term future, and we’ll strategize accordingly. When we leave a planning meeting, everyone will know where we are, what’s coming up, and what we need to do for the best possible outcome. 

Experiencing the Grand Canyon can have a lasting effect on your life, and you’ll want a good plan for it. The Core Group wants to ensure your plan for tax season doesn’t just help you during this time of life but for the seasons that follow as well.