Tax preparation is the process of filing your tax return each year — it looks backward at what already happened. Tax planning is a forward-looking strategy designed to reduce your tax burden over time by making proactive decisions about income timing, account withdrawals, investment placement, and retirement contributions. Effective tax planning in the years leading up to and during retirement can save tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. J. Martin Wealth Management integrates tax planning into our overall financial planning process. We are not a tax preparation firm — we recommend working with a qualified CPA or tax professional for annual filing.