Frequently Asked Questions
Working with Telos Tax & CPA
1. What makes your firm different from other CPAs?
Telos Tax & CPA is built around proactive planning, clear communication, and direct access to a CPA, not just once-a-year tax filing. When you work with my firm, you work directly with me, the founder, so you get thoughtful answers, strategic guidance, and advice tailored to your specific goals.
I focus on being responsive and forward-looking: helping you plan before major financial or business decisions, running tax projections, and looking for opportunities to reduce your long-term tax burden. Everything runs through a secure online portal for document sharing, e-signatures, and easy scheduling, so it’s simple to work together on your schedule.
As a lean, owner-operated firm, I also offer transparent, upfront pricing so you know what to expect before any work begins, no surprise invoices, just a collaborative relationship focused on results.
2. What is the process for becoming a new client?
Becoming a client is straightforward and mostly handled through a secure online portal. Our process is fully digital for convenience, but I’m always happy to adapt to your preferences for meetings and communication.
1. Schedule a consultation: You’ll start with a short introductory call so we can understand your situation, answer initial questions, and confirm we’re a good fit.
2. Receive your proposal and portal invite: After the call, I’ll send a clear quote and engagement letter. Once approved, you’ll get access to your secure client portal.
3. Complete your organizer and upload documents: Inside the portal, you can fill out a short organizer, securely upload tax documents, and sign any required forms electronically, all on your own schedule.
4. Ongoing communication and review: From there, I’ll handle the work and keep you updated through the portal and email. When your return or planning work is ready, we’ll review it together and discuss next steps.
3. How are your services priced?
Our fees are tailored to the specific needs and complexity of each client’s situation. As a small, owner-operated firm with low overhead, my pricing is often more competitive than larger firms while still giving you direct access to a CPA.
I believe in transparent, upfront pricing. You’ll receive a clear quote for your review and approval before any work begins, so you know what to expect. That way there are no surprise invoices, and we can focus on providing effective, cost-conscious service that fits your needs.
4. Do I need to be in the Wichita, KS area to work with you?
Not at all! Telos Tax & CPA is proudly based in Wichita, Kansas, and primarily serves clients in the Wichita metro area, but we also work with clients in other states. Our streamlined, secure online portal makes it easy to work with us from anywhere with no in-person visits required. You can upload documents, sign electronically, and meet by phone or video, making remote collaboration simple and efficient.
Tax Preparation & Planning
5. What is the difference between tax preparation and tax planning?
Tax preparation is the annual process of filing your tax returns based on what has already happened, making sure everything is accurate and compliant with federal and state law.
Tax planning is a proactive, forward-looking process. Throughout the year, we look at your income, deductions, investments, and business activity to identify moves such as entity structure choices, retirement contributions, timing of purchases or sales, or cost segregation that can legally reduce your future tax bill and help you reach your long-term goals.
6. What documents do I need to get started on my tax return?
The process is simple. New clients receive a personalized digital organizer and secure upload link through the client portal. The organizer is tailored to your situation and walks you through exactly what’s needed, so you don’t have to guess.
Typical documents include items like W-2s, 1099s, brokerage statements, mortgage interest and property tax forms, and records of business or rental income and expenses. If anything is unclear or you’re not sure whether something is needed, you can always ask and I’ll help you sort it out.
7. When should I send my documents, and how long does it take to complete my tax return?
The earlier you provide your documents, the better. For most individual and small business returns, I recommend getting everything to me as soon as you have the majority of your forms, ideally in early to mid-February.
Once your digital organizer is complete and your documents are uploaded, most returns are generally completed within about one to two weeks, but this can vary based on the season and complexity. I will keep you updated throughout the process and let you know what to expect. If there are any follow-up questions or missing items, I will reach out promptly so we can keep things moving.
8. Can you help me if I have unfiled tax returns from previous years?
Yes, absolutely. Helping clients get caught up on unfiled returns is a regular part of what I do. The first step is to review your situation, determine which years need to be filed, and gather the information available. From there, we’ll create a clear, step-by-step plan to bring you back into compliance with the IRS and any relevant state agencies.
It’s often less stressful than people imagine once there’s a plan in place, and I’ll guide you through each stage so you’re not dealing with it alone.
Business Services
9. What accounting services do you offer for small businesses?
We support small businesses with tax preparation, ongoing tax planning, and targeted accounting help as well as full-service bookkeeping. This includes business tax returns, quarterly planning, guidance on how to record more complex transactions, and periodic reviews of your financials.
We also prepare compiled financial statements, which are often requested by banks, lenders, or other stakeholders. These compilations can give you and your advisors a clearer view of your company’s financial health and support better decision-making.
10. My business is new. At what point should I hire a CPA?
It is never too early to talk with a CPA, but there are a few key moments when it becomes especially important. The first is when you are choosing how to structure your business, such as deciding between an LLC, S corporation, or partnership. Another is when your revenue starts to grow, you begin hiring, or your transactions become more complex than a simple side gig.
Getting proactive advice early can help you choose the right entity, set up clean books, avoid common mistakes, and build a tax strategy that saves you money over time. In many cases, the value of that early guidance far exceeds the cost of the fees.
11. Do you work with my existing bookkeeper or accounting staff?
Yes! Ideally, I work alongside your existing bookkeeper or accounting team. My role is to focus on tax strategy, business tax filings, compilations, and higher-level accounting guidance, while your bookkeeper handles the day-to-day recording of transactions.
This collaborative approach often works best. Clean, timely bookkeeping combined with proactive tax and advisory support helps ensure your financials are accurate, your filings are correct, and your tax strategy is aligned with your business goals.
Cost Segregation Studies
12. What exactly is a cost segregation study in simple terms?
A cost segregation study is a detailed analysis of a property that separates the building into its different components for tax purposes. Instead of depreciating the entire property over 27.5 or 39 years, we identify items such as carpeting, fixtures, cabinetry, and some exterior improvements that can be depreciated over much shorter periods, such as 5, 7, or 15 years.
By reclassifying these components, you can accelerate depreciation deductions, which often reduces your current tax liability and improves cash flow in the earlier years of owning the property.
13. What types of properties benefit from a cost segregation study?
We specialize in standard small and mid-sized investment properties rather than massive commercial complexes. Offices, professional suites, retail spaces, warehouses, and residential rentals (such as single-family homes, duplexes, and small multifamily properties) are all common candidates for a cost segregation study.
For these types of properties, our process is tailored to their size and complexity, which helps avoid the cost of a full engineering study. This allows our fees to be significantly lower than many traditional providers, while still unlocking meaningful accelerated depreciation and tax savings.
14. I've already owned my property for a year or two. Is it too late to do a study?
No, it is not too late. The IRS allows you to perform a look-back cost segregation study on properties acquired or improved in prior years. In many cases, you can “catch up” on all of the missed depreciation in a single year by filing a change in accounting method, without needing to amend prior returns.
This can result in a substantial deduction in the current year. I can help you review your property and determine whether a look-back study would be beneficial in your situation.
15. Do I need to switch CPAs to work with you on a cost segregation study?
No, you do not need to switch CPAs to work with me on a cost segregation study. Any client may choose to keep their existing tax preparer and engage me specifically for the cost segregation analysis.
In those cases, I prepare the cost segregation report and coordinate as needed with your current CPA so they can incorporate the results into your tax return. The goal is to add specialized support and additional tax savings to your existing tax relationship, not to disrupt it.
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I will reach out personally to discuss your situation and provide a plan and pricing estimate tailored to your tax & accounting needs.