Most tax problems start as legal decisions: how the business is organized, how owners are paid, how a contract is written, how a sale is structured. Justin Esshaki is a Michigan attorney and a Certified Public Accountant, so the documents and the tax result are worked out together, before anything is signed.
A tax attorney who is also a CPA looks at a business decision from both sides: what the documents say, and what the numbers will show on the return. That matters most when the decision is still open, while there is room to choose a better structure.
The type of entity, the ownership split and the terms of the operating agreement determine how income is taxed and who pays the tax. Getting those pieces right at the start is far easier than unwinding them later.
A tax strategy only works if the contracts, elections and agreements support it. We draft and review the legal documents so they line up with the intended tax treatment.
From formation through growth, ownership changes and an eventual sale, the same Attorney and CPA keeps the legal and tax history of your business in one place.
LLC, S corporation, C corporation or partnership: comparing how each would be taxed for your business and your owners, and handling the formation or conversion.
Reviewing whether an S election fits, setting reasonable compensation and distributions, and updating governing documents to support the election.
Reviewing tax allocations, indemnities, payment timing and other tax provisions in purchase agreements, leases, operating agreements and compensation agreements.
Asset versus stock sales, purchase price allocation, installment payments and earnouts, structured with the after-tax result in view for your side of the deal.
Tax due diligence on the target, deal structure and the tax provisions of the merger or purchase agreement, reviewed alongside the legal terms.
Bringing in a partner, redeeming an owner or funding a buy-sell agreement, with the tax effect on the company and each owner considered.
Planning income, deductions, retirement plans and major purchases before year-end, coordinated with the legal structure of the business.
State and city income tax issues for Michigan businesses and owners, considered alongside federal tax when decisions are made.
Agreements are written so the tax treatment you planned is the one that is reported.
Recommendations are based on your financial statements and prior returns, not general rules of thumb.
Through Esshaki & Associates, PLLC, the planning carries through to the returns that report it.
We review your structure, documents, returns and the decision in front of you.
You receive clear options with the legal and tax effect of each one explained.
We prepare the documents, elections and agreements needed to carry out the plan.
We coordinate with your returns and revisit the plan as the business changes.
Many business decisions need both. A CPA works with the numbers and the returns, and an attorney drafts and negotiates the documents that create the tax result. Justin is licensed as both, so the legal structure and the tax analysis come from the same person.
Before the decision is final. Forming or converting an entity, bringing in a partner, signing a large contract, buying or selling a business, and changing how owners are paid all carry tax consequences that are easier to plan than to fix.
Yes. Purchase agreements, operating agreements, leases and compensation agreements often contain tax allocations, indemnities and payment terms. We review those provisions so the agreement matches the tax outcome you expect.
Yes. We review whether an S corporation election fits your business, help with the election and reasonable compensation, and update your operating agreement or bylaws so the legal documents support the tax treatment.
Yes. The office is in Southfield, and clients come from across Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties and throughout Michigan. Many meetings can be held by phone or video.
Returns are prepared through Esshaki & Associates, PLLC, Justin Esshaki’s CPA firm in the same Southfield office building, so the planning and the filing stay coordinated.
Tell us briefly about your business and the decision you are facing. We will follow up to schedule a consultation.