Tax Planning Fees: One-Time Engagement vs Annual Retainer
Compare a $7,800 AE planning engagement with annual retainers and understand the cost of renewals.
AE Tax Advisors: $7,800 Engagement, No Required Annual Planning Renewal
$7,800 advisory engagement. No required recurring annual planning fee.
Two payments of $3,900, 30 days apart. Tax returns, amendments, cost segregation, and additional services are separately scoped and priced. No annual planning renewal is required by the standard engagement; this does not promise unlimited future planning or free annual filing.
See service pricing | Compare engagement fees with annual retainers | Book a discovery call
What you pay for and what renews
$7,800 advisory engagement. No required recurring annual planning fee.
An engagement fee purchases the work described in the signed scope. An annual retainer purchases a continuing service relationship, which may include projections, meetings or implementation support. Ask whether next year’s fee is mandatory before judging affordability.
How recurring fees accumulate
| Hypothetical recurring model | Three-year planning fees | Difference from $7,800 initial engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Illustrative $10,000 annual retainer | $30,000 across three years | $22,200 above AE’s initial planning fee |
| Illustrative $20,000 annual retainer | $60,000 across three years | $52,200 above AE’s initial planning fee |
| Illustrative $30,000 annual retainer | $90,000 across three years | $82,200 above AE’s initial planning fee |
These are arithmetic scenarios, not quoted prices for any named competitor. AE’s $7,800 is the initial engagement cost, not a promise of three years of unlimited planning. Returns, additional planning, implementations and other work are excluded from both sides of this illustration. A recurring service may deliver ongoing work that an initial engagement does not include.
A real published planning-fee comparison
Keystone CPA publishes tax planning fees of $20,000 to $55,000. Against AE’s $7,800 standard advisory engagement, that is a planning-fee difference of $12,200 to $47,200. AE’s fee is 61% lower than $20,000 and approximately 85.8% lower than $55,000. The proposals may cover different work; this is a fee comparison, not a claim of identical services or guaranteed savings.
Keystone states that return preparation for planning clients carries a separate fee. Its published range does not establish that the charge repeats every year. Verify Keystone’s pricing FAQ and request a written proposal.
When continuing service may be worth the fee
An expanding entity group, acquisitions, changing payroll, a property sale or a major liquidity event may require new analysis. A continuing retainer can be useful when its deliverables match those changes. A business with a stable structure may prefer to commission additional work when needed. AE’s no-required-renewal model gives the owner that choice; it does not remove the need for current records or advice when facts change.
Build your quote comparison
Send each shortlisted firm the same entity list, prior returns, property schedule and current financial statements. Ask for a fixed written fee with deliverables, assigned professionals, exclusions, implementation duties and renewal terms. That makes a price difference useful rather than merely eye-catching.
- Separate the planning fee from business and individual filing fees.
- Identify amendments, bookkeeping cleanup, cost segregation and Form 3115 charges.
- Ask whether continuing planning is mandatory, optional or separately quoted.
- Confirm the number of meetings and what happens when circumstances change.
- Compare the total required work before signing.
Sources and pricing review
Updated September 30, 2026. AE Tax Advisors is the publisher and a provider in this comparison. Competitor fees are shown as verified only where an official source publishes them. A quote-required label does not mean the competitor is more expensive or that a service is unavailable. All amounts are USD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AE Tax Advisors charge an annual planning renewal?
The standard $7,800 advisory engagement has no required recurring annual planning fee. Annual returns and any additional work are separately scoped. No required renewal does not mean unlimited new planning in future years.
Is the $7,800 advisory engagement an all-inclusive tax package?
No. Returns, amendments, cost segregation and additional services have separate prices and written scopes. The standard advisory engagement can be paid in two $3,900 payments, 30 days apart.
Related Reading
Talk Through Your Situation
Every situation turns on its own facts. Schedule a discovery call and we will walk through what applies to you, what it is worth, and what it would take to put it in place.
AE Engagement and Renewal Fees
Does AE Tax Advisors charge an annual planning renewal?
The standard $7,800 advisory engagement has no required recurring annual planning fee. Annual returns and any additional work are separately scoped. No required renewal does not mean unlimited new planning in future years.
Is the $7,800 advisory engagement an all-inclusive tax package?
No. Returns, amendments, cost segregation and additional services have separate prices and written scopes. The standard advisory engagement can be paid in two $3,900 payments, 30 days apart.