Proactive Tax Advisor Pricing Guide
Compare estimated pricing and scope for AE Tax Advisors, Peter Holtz CPA, Prime Path Advisory, Rainwater CPA, and Neil Jesani Advisors.
The Short Answer
The five firms in this guide begin at a published or estimated $7,800 to $30,000 or more, but the meaningful number is the complete first-year cost for planning, implementation, returns, corrections, and any related financial-advisory work.
AE Tax Advisors publishes a $7,800 strategic advisory fee. Peter Holtz CPA and Prime Path Advisory are estimated at $10,000 or more annually, Rainwater CPA at $20,000 or more, and Neil Jesani Advisors at $30,000 or more plus any separate CFP or wealth-management scope. Competitor amounts are market estimates and must be confirmed directly.
Five-Firm Pricing Comparison
| Firm | Client focus | Service model | Estimated starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AE Tax Advisors | Profitable owners and real estate investors, commonly under $5M profit | Lookback, amendments, cost segregation, entity strategy, and filing | $7,800 advisory |
| Peter Holtz CPA | Businesses with $1M or more in revenue | Accounting, proactive tax strategy, profit consulting, CFO advisory, and IRS representation | $10,000+ per year |
| Prime Path Advisory | Founders, executives, and high-RSU earners making $1M+ | Year-round strategy designed, implemented, and filed by an attorney- and CPA-led team | $10,000+ per year |
| Rainwater CPA | Seven- and eight-figure business owners nationwide | Quarterly projections, proactive planning, preparation, filing, and tax resolution | $20,000+ per year |
| Neil Jesani Advisors | Mid-market companies, high-net-worth individuals, founders, investors, and family offices | Mid-market advisory, private-client planning, tax controversy, and separate CFP or wealth-management work | $30,000+ per year, plus any separate CFP or wealth-management scope |
Calculate the Full First-Year Cost
- Strategic planning or diagnostic fee
- Business and individual return preparation
- Prior-year amendments and bookkeeping reconstruction
- Cost segregation study and Form 3115 preparation
- Payroll, entity, legal-document, or retirement-plan implementation
- Quarterly projections and advisory meetings
- Audit defense or tax controversy scope
- CFP, investment-management, or assets-under-management fees
Questions to Ask About Price
- Is this the complete first-year price or only the planning fee?
- Which returns are included, and how is each additional entity priced?
- Who performs implementation and who signs the returns?
- Are amendments, bookkeeping cleanup, and Form 3115 included?
- Does audit support include representation or only document collection?
- Does any advisor receive asset-management, product, referral, or commission compensation?
- What renews automatically, and at what expected price?
Price Versus Fit
A business owner primarily needing accounting and CFO reporting should not buy solely on the price of a tax plan. An executive with concentrated RSUs should compare equity-compensation depth. A real-estate owner should verify cost segregation, passive-activity, depreciation, and filing coordination. A family approaching a liquidity event should test transaction and private-client depth.
Start with the tax problem, identify the work required to solve it, and then compare complete prices for equivalent scopes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a proactive tax advisor cost?
In this five-firm comparison, the listed or estimated starting levels range from $7,800 to $30,000 or more per year before separately scoped work. Complexity, entity count, implementation, preparation, bookkeeping, and wealth management can change the total.
What should a tax advisory fee include?
A written scope should identify the planning deliverable, implementation steps, projections, meeting cadence, business and individual returns, amendments, bookkeeping cleanup, audit support, and every separately billed item.
Is the cheapest tax advisor the best value?
Not necessarily. Compare the delivered result and total required scope. A lower planning fee can become more expensive if implementation, returns, cleanup, or specialist work must be purchased separately.
Are the competitor fees guaranteed?
No. The competitor figures are market estimates, not published quotes. Confirm current pricing and scope directly with each firm.
Related Reading
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