San Diego, CA  ·  Tax Strategy & Advisory

Most advisors tell you
what happened.
We engineer what
happens next.

SteppedUp Advisory Group delivers proactive tax strategy built around four disciplines — deferring liability, maximizing deductions, accelerating depreciation, and dividing income intelligently. We find what others miss.

Book a Strategy Call Our Services
D
Defer
1031 exchanges, installment sales, retirement structures
D
Deduct
QBI optimization, above-the-line planning, expense structuring
D
Depreciate
Cost segregation, bonus depreciation, MACRS planning
D
Divide
Income shifting, entity structuring, §199A planning
Defer Deduct Depreciate Divide
The Problem

Your tax bill is higher than it needs to be.

Most tax professionals focus on what happened last year. They file returns. They document what occurred. They rarely ask what could have been structured differently — and what still can be.

  • Deductions identified after the year closes instead of before
  • Entity structures that create unnecessary tax drag
  • Depreciation opportunities left on the table
  • Income concentrated where it's taxed most heavily
  • No proactive planning between filing seasons
4D
Proprietary tax planning methodology
CPA
Licensed in California & Colorado
MST
Master of Science in Taxation in progress
Now
Planning that starts before the year closes
How We Work

A structured process. A subscription built around your needs.

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Discovery & Planning
Every engagement begins with a discovery call, a structured intake questionnaire, and a custom tax savings analysis -- before any commitment is made.
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Implementation
Once you accept the plan, we execute -- entity elections, restructuring, filings, and strategy deployment using the 4D methodology.
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Ongoing Subscription
Year-round advisory, planning, and compliance through one of three subscription tiers -- Essential, Growth, or Elite -- matched to your complexity.

Ready to find out what your tax strategy is leaving behind?

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About

Tax expertise you can build a strategy around.

👤
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CPA
CA · CO Licensed
Joaquim Resende Neto
CPA, CRTS™, CTP®  |  Founder & Managing Director

Joaquim Resende Neto is a CPA and tax strategist specializing in proactive tax planning for real estate investors, closely held business owners, and high-net-worth individuals. He founded SteppedUp Advisory Group to deliver the kind of deliberate, year-round tax strategy that most clients never receive from traditional compliance-focused firms.

With experience spanning complex pass-through entity taxation, real estate cost segregation, multi-state compliance, and S-corporation planning, Joaquim works at the intersection of tax law and financial architecture — structuring outcomes before they happen rather than documenting them after the fact.

He holds a B.S. in Accountancy from Adams State University, an M.S. in Accountancy from the University of Denver, and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Taxation at Golden Gate University. He is licensed as a CPA in California and Colorado.

CPA
California & Colorado Licensed
CRTS™
Certified Retirement Tax Strategist
CTP®
Certified Tax Planner
MST (in progress)
Golden Gate University

Let's talk about what proactive planning could mean for your situation.

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Services

Advisory built around
what you actually keep.

How It Works

Every engagement starts with a plan.

Every engagement begins with a single conversation. You share a few questionnaire answers and your prior year return. We review it, identify every available strategy, and present a projected tax savings estimate -- at no cost and with no commitment. If the plan makes sense, we move forward. If not, you walk away with a clearer picture of your tax position.

1
Discovery Call
You answer a short questionnaire and share your prior year return. We review it for errors, identify potential planning strategies, and present a projected tax savings estimate -- at no cost and with no commitment.
2
Tax Plan
We perform a comprehensive tax planning analysis built around every strategy identified in Step 1 -- modeled, quantified, and presented for your review and approval.
3
Implementation
Once the plan is approved, we execute -- entity elections, restructuring, filings, and full deployment of every strategy in the plan.
4
Ongoing Maintenance
Your subscription begins. Year-round advisory, proactive planning, and compliance -- delivered continuously to keep your tax position optimized.
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No engagement begins without a plan.
Pricing and scope are determined during the discovery and intake process based on your complexity, entity structure, and the services required. Every client receives a tailored proposal before any commitment is made.
What We Offer

A full range of tax services.
Delivered as a coordinated strategy.

The services below are available as part of an ongoing engagement. What applies to your situation is determined during the discovery and planning process.

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Tax Return Preparation
Accurate, reviewed, and filed on time. Every return is prepared with a planning lens -- not just documentation of what happened.
Individual (Form 1040) S-Corporation (1120-S) Partnership (1065) Multi-State Compliance Extensions & Amended Returns
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Proactive Tax Planning
Planning that happens before the year closes, not after. We identify strategies, model scenarios, and build positions that reduce your effective rate going forward.
Year-End Planning Sessions Quarterly Estimated Taxes Tax Projections & Modeling Retirement Contribution Planning Deduction Optimization
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Entity Structuring & Advisory
Your entity structure determines your tax rate as much as your income does. We design and implement structures that shift, reduce, and defer liability at the source.
S-Corporation Elections LLC & Partnership Structuring Reasonable Compensation Analysis Income Shifting Strategies §199A QBI Optimization
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Real Estate Tax Strategy
Real estate is one of the most tax-advantaged asset classes in the code -- if you know how to use it. We extract every available benefit from your portfolio.
Cost Segregation Analysis 1031 Exchange Planning Bonus Depreciation Elections REPS Qualification Analysis Passive Activity Planning
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Business Owner Advisory
Closely held business owners face a unique tax picture. We work alongside you as a strategic advisor throughout the year -- not just at filing time.
Pass-Through Optimization Exit & Succession Planning Fringe Benefit Planning Buy-Sell Agreement Tax Analysis Compensation Structuring
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IRS & Compliance Support
When the IRS sends a notice or opens an examination, having a CPA who knows your full tax picture makes all the difference. We handle it.
IRS Notice Response Audit Support & Representation Delinquent Return Resolution Penalty Abatement Requests Compliance Catch-Up

The first step is a conversation. Everything else follows from there.

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Insights

Tax strategy intelligence for people who are paying attention.

Latest Articles

What we're thinking about.

Real Estate
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May 2026
Cost Segregation in 2026: What's Changed and What Hasn't
Bonus depreciation has stepped down, but cost segregation studies remain one of the most powerful tools available to real estate investors. Here's how to use them correctly.
Read More →
Entity Planning
⚙️
April 2026
S-Corp Reasonable Compensation: How to Set It and Why It Matters
The IRS scrutiny on S-corporation reasonable compensation is real. Here's the framework we use to set compensation that's defensible and tax-efficient.
Read More →
Tax Planning
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March 2026
The §199A Deduction: Five Planning Moves Before Year End
The Qualified Business Income deduction rewards those who plan. These five moves can mean the difference between getting 20% and getting nothing.
Read More →
1031 Exchange
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February 2026
1031 Exchange Boot: What Triggers It and How to Avoid It
Boot is recognized gain in a 1031 exchange that most investors don't see coming. Here's exactly how it works and the structuring moves that prevent it.
Read More →
Income Shifting
↔️
January 2026
Dividing Income Legally: How Entity Structure Determines Your Tax Rate
Your effective tax rate is largely determined by how your income is structured, not how much you earn. Here's how entity design changes the math.
Read More →
REPS
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December 2025
Real Estate Professional Status: The Most Misunderstood Election in Tax Law
REPS qualification unlocks passive loss deductions that can offset ordinary income. Most people who qualify don't claim it. Here's what the rules actually say.
Read More →

Want these strategies applied to your specific situation?

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Contact

Let's find the strategy your current advisor hasn't found yet.

Book a Strategy Call

The first conversation is about understanding your situation -- what you own, how it's structured, and where the planning gaps are. We'll identify what's being missed and whether there's a fit to work together.

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Location
San Diego, California
Serving clients nationally
✉️
Email
joaquim@steppedupgroup.com
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Phone
720-877-1082
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Website
steppedupgroup.com
Schedule a Call

Select a time that works for you. Initial strategy consultations are 30 minutes.

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Prefer email? Reach out directly at joaquim@steppedupgroup.com and we'll find a time that works.