Cardiothoracic Surgeon Saves $134,000 with Multi-Strategy Approach
As a cardiothoracic surgeon earning over $750,000, I was told by my previous financial advisor that I "make too much money for any good tax options." That statement turned out to be completely wrong. AE Tax Advisors found $134,000 in tax savings that my old team missed entirely.
First, they set up a backdoor Roth IRA strategy, allowing me to contribute to a Roth despite being well above the income limits. They also identified that my wife, who manages our rental property portfolio full-time, qualifies as a Real Estate Professional under IRC Section 469. This was the game-changer.
With my wife's REPS designation established, AE Tax performed cost segregation studies on our rental properties. The accelerated depreciation generated substantial paper losses that -- because of REPS -- were no longer passive. Those losses offset my surgical income dollar for dollar.
They also restructured my moonlighting income through a professional entity and set up a defined benefit plan for the consulting work I do outside my hospital employment. The retirement plan deduction added another significant layer of tax savings.
Total impact: $134,000 in reduced taxes. The strategies are all well-established, IRS-compliant, and properly documented. AE Tax provided detailed memos for each strategy and set up ongoing tracking systems for my wife's real estate hours.
The team understands high-income physician tax planning at a level I have not seen anywhere else. They knew the specific issues surgeons face -- malpractice insurance treatment, CME deductions, hospital call stipends, and multi-state licensing. No generic advice -- everything was tailored to my situation.
If you are a physician earning over $500,000 and your CPA says there is nothing you can do, call AE Tax Advisors. There is always something.