Tax

Retirement Tax Planning for High Earners

Strategic, CPA-led retirement planning built around the tax code — 401(k) optimization, backdoor and mega backdoor Roth IRAs, rollovers, and Roth conversions. We help California professionals and business owners move money into tax-advantaged accounts the right way, without triggering avoidable taxes or penalties.

Schedule a Consultation Call (951) 216-3121

Many high earners have planning room inside their retirement accounts they have not used. They contribute to a 401(k) and stop there, missing the backdoor Roth, the mega backdoor Roth, and the conversion strategies that move large sums into tax-free growth over time. In California, where state income tax reaches 13.3%, getting retirement contributions and conversions right is one of the highest-impact tax moves a professional or business owner can make. Done wrong, these same moves trigger the pro-rata rule, unexpected tax bills, and penalties.

What Is Included

What You Get With Retirement Tax Planning

401(k) and Workplace Plan Strategy

We optimize traditional versus Roth 401(k) contributions, employer match capture, and after-tax contributions, coordinating your workplace plan with the rest of your tax picture for the lowest lifetime tax cost.

Backdoor Roth IRA

For high earners phased out of direct Roth contributions, we execute the backdoor Roth correctly — managing the pro-rata rule, existing IRA balances, and timing so the conversion stays tax-efficient.

Mega Backdoor Roth

If your plan allows after-tax contributions and in-plan conversions, the mega backdoor Roth can move much larger amounts into Roth each year. We confirm eligibility and structure it to maximize tax-free growth.

Rollovers Done Right

401(k)-to-IRA, IRA-to-401(k), and plan-to-plan rollovers handled to avoid the 60-day trap, withholding surprises, and the pro-rata complications that can derail a future backdoor Roth.

Roth Conversion Planning

We model multi-year Roth conversion strategies that fill up lower tax brackets, manage California and federal exposure, and convert during the right years — early retirement, low-income years, or market dips.

Self-Employed and Business Owner Plans

SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), and defined benefit plan design for business owners and independent professionals, maximizing deductible contributions while coordinating with entity and compensation strategy.

Who We Serve

Is This Service Right for You?

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High-Income ProfessionalsDoctors, attorneys, executives, and engineers phased out of direct Roth contributions who want tax-free growth through backdoor strategies

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Business OwnersSeeking to maximize deductible retirement contributions through Solo 401(k), SEP-IRA, or defined benefit plans tied to their entity structure

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Pre-Retirees and Early RetireesPlanning multi-year Roth conversions to reduce lifetime taxes and future required minimum distributions

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Job ChangersWith old 401(k)s and IRAs that need to be rolled over correctly without triggering taxes or blocking future Roth strategies

Common Questions

Retirement Tax Planning FAQ

A backdoor Roth is a legal strategy for high earners who exceed the income limits for direct Roth IRA contributions. You contribute to a traditional IRA and then convert it to Roth. The key is managing the pro-rata rule, which can make the conversion taxable if you hold other pre-tax IRA balances. We structure it so the conversion stays as tax-efficient as possible.

The mega backdoor Roth uses after-tax contributions inside a 401(k) plan, then converts them to Roth. It allows far larger amounts each year than the standard backdoor Roth. It only works if your specific plan permits after-tax contributions and in-plan conversions, which we verify before recommending it.

Roth conversions make the most sense in years when your income is lower than usual — early retirement, a sabbatical, a business loss year, or before required minimum distributions begin. We model conversions across multiple years to fill up lower tax brackets while managing both federal and California tax exposure.

Equity Compensation

If part of your pay arrives as stock, that planning is handled on its own page. Equity compensation tax planning.

Build Tax-Free Wealth

Make Your Retirement Accounts Work Harder

Most high earners are missing at least one major Roth strategy. Start with a consultation and find out which ones apply to you.

Schedule a Consultation Call (951) 216-3121