● Atlanta-based · Now booking 2026 planning engagements

A tax strategist, not a filing factory.

Fluency Tax is a boutique advisory practice for solopreneurs, S-Corps, and real estate investors. We identify the strategies that fit your business, write them down as a playbook, and handle the compliance so they actually get executed.

Book a free intro call →See what we do

20-minute call · no obligation · a written Tax Savings Diagnostic if we're a fit

Ex-RSM US LLPCPA · Licensed in GeorgiaS-Corp · Schedule C · Real estateReal estate specialtyStreamlined · automated · precise

S-Corp election & reasonable comp/Schedule C → 1120S transition/Real estate professional status/Cost segregation studies/Short-term rental loophole/Augusta rule (§280A)/QBI optimization (§199A)/1031 exchanges/Retirement plan design/Multi-entity compliance/Reasonable comp studies/Tax projections/Owner draw planning/IRS notice response/S-Corp election & reasonable comp/Schedule C → 1120S transition/Real estate professional status/Cost segregation studies/Short-term rental loophole/Augusta rule (§280A)/QBI optimization (§199A)/1031 exchanges/Retirement plan design/Multi-entity compliance/Reasonable comp studies/Tax projections/Owner draw planning/IRS notice response/

01 / Services

Strategy first. Compliance, automated.

Tax Savings Diagnostic

A structured screening of your prior return, entity structure, and plans. You see which strategies fit your situation, and what each one generally saves or defers. Free for qualified fits who complete the intake.

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S-Corp transition playbooks

When a Schedule C is profitable enough, we model the break-even, file the election, build reasonable comp, and run payroll setup end to end.

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Real estate investor strategy

REP status, cost segregation, STR loophole, 1031 sequencing, and entity stacking — designed around your portfolio, not a template.

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Custom tax playbooks

Once we identify strategies, we write your firm a written playbook: what to do, when, and which receipts to keep. Strategy as a deliverable, not a verbal hint.

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Total compliance

Your S-Corp (1120S), Schedule C, and personal returns, prepared in-house by the same team that built your strategy. Multi-state filings handled.

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Advisory on retainer

A direct line to a CPA who already knows your file. When a decision comes up, you get an answer from someone who understands your situation, not a ticket queue.

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02 / Who we serve

Three client types. One operating system.

Profitable solopreneurs

Schedule C filers clearing six figures who are paying full self-employment tax on every dollar. We model the S-Corp break-even and execute the transition.

S-Corp transition specialty

S-Corp owners (1120S)

Already an S-Corp but unsure if reasonable comp, distributions, and retirement are dialed in. We pressure-test the structure against your actuals.

Strategy + compliance

Real estate investors

Single-property landlords through multi-entity portfolios. REPS, cost seg, STR loophole, and 1031 sequencing — by an advisor who actually invests.

Specialty practice

03 / Fit check

We're built for some firms. Not all of them.

✓

This is for you if…

You're a profitable Schedule C, S-Corp, or real estate operator
You want a CPA who builds strategy before April — not after
You're past the “shoebox of receipts” stage and want clean systems
You value a single direct line to a strategist over a 30-person firm
You want strategies identified, written down as playbooks, and executed, all from one team

—

It's not, if…

You run a restaurant, café, or food-service business
You're in e-commerce or retail with complex inventory / sales tax
You want the cheapest preparer in town with no advisory relationship
You want a free analysis but aren't willing to share your prior return

04 / Process

How an engagement actually runs.

Intro call

A short call to get acquainted and confirm we're a mutual fit. If we are, we send a client portal invite with a short questionnaire and a secure upload for your prior-year return.

Free · 20 minutes

Diagnostic

Once your questionnaire and return are in, we screen your situation against 30+ strategies and deliver a written Tax Savings Diagnostic showing which ones fit and what each generally saves or defers. We walk through it with you on a follow-up call.

~5 business days from completed intake

Playbook

We write the strategies down: elections, structures, comp model, retirement design, real estate moves. Plain English, with deadlines.

Week 2 – 4

Compliance + advisory

We file the returns, run tax projections, and answer the curveball questions. Strategy stays current as your business changes.

Year-round

05 / Book an intro call

Start with a clear picture of what's possible.

Most CPA conversations start vague. Ours starts with your actual return. Tell us about your business and we'll schedule a short intro call. If we're a match, you get a portal invite with a short questionnaire and a secure upload for your prior-year return. Complete both within seven days and we deliver a written Tax Savings Diagnostic: which strategies fit you, and what each generally saves or defers.

What you'll receive

A 20-minute intro call
If we're a fit, a portal invite with a short questionnaire and secure return upload
A written Tax Savings Diagnostic within ~5 business days of completed intake
A walkthrough call to go through it together

The diagnostic is a preliminary screening based on the information you provide. It isn't tax advice and doesn't create a client relationship. The offer lapses if the questionnaire and return aren't received within seven days of your portal invite.

Step 1 of 6

17%

What industry is your business in?

We're specialized. This helps us know whether we're a fit.

06 / About

Built by an ex-Big-Firm CPA — for the firms Big Firms won't take seriously.

ETHAN ZIEJA, CPA · FOUNDER

EX-RSM US LLP · ATLANTA, GA

I left the Big Firm world for a specific reason: at scale, the math forces accountants to become record-keepers. Volume goes up, advisory goes down, and the client ends up with a polished compliance product and zero strategy.

Fluency Tax is the inverse. I built proprietary automation for the data work — bookkeeping flows, return prep, K-1 reconciliation, quarterly projections — so my actual hours go to the strategy work that moves the number. The diagnostic isn't a sales pitch. It's me showing you, on paper, which strategies fit your business and what each one is generally worth.

I'm aggressive enough to find every legitimate strategy. Compliant enough that you sleep well. That balance is the entire job.

Ethan Zieja, CPA, is the founder of Fluency Tax, an Atlanta-based tax strategy practice for profitable solopreneurs, S-Corp owners and real estate investors.

Book an intro call →See the process

07 / Selected results

Outcomes, not adjectives.

Past client outcomes. Results depend on each client's facts and are not a guarantee of your savings.

Consulting firm · Schedule C

$22K/ yr

Schedule C → S-Corp transition

$280K profit consultant moved off Schedule C. Reasonable comp set, retirement plan added, SE tax dropped immediately.

Solopreneur

STR investor · 6 properties

$94Kyr 1

STR loophole + cost segregation

Six short-term rentals qualified under material participation. Cost seg accelerated depreciation; W-2 income offset.

Real estate

Real estate LLC · 4 doors

$41K/ yr

Cost seg + S-Corp for operations

Four-door portfolio with property management arm restructured. Cost seg study run on two builds; operations moved to S-Corp.

Real estate

See which strategies fit you →

09 / FAQ

Questions we hear weekly.

Is the Tax Savings Diagnostic really free?+

Yes, for qualified fits. Submit the intake and we'll schedule a short intro call. If we're a match, you get a portal invite with a short questionnaire and a secure upload for your prior-year return. Once both are in, we deliver a written Tax Savings Diagnostic showing which strategies fit your situation and what each generally saves or defers, and we walk through it on a follow-up call. No card on file and no obligation. The offer lapses if the intake isn't completed within seven days.

Does the diagnostic tell me exactly how much I'll save?+

No. The diagnostic shows which strategies fit and a range of what each generally saves or defers. Exact figures depend on verified numbers, documentation, and timing, so we quantify each strategy precisely in the paid Implementation Plan, where we can stand behind the math.

What does a paid engagement cost?+

Engagements are fixed-fee and quoted on your diagnostic walkthrough call, once we know the scope. Solo S-Corp transitions and ongoing advisory typically start in the low-to-mid four figures annually; multi-entity real estate clients scale from there. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices.

Why don't you take restaurants or e-commerce?+

Inventory accounting, sales-tax nexus across 30+ states, and POS reconciliation are full specialties on their own. We'd rather refer you out than do mediocre work in your category.

Do I need to leave my current CPA to start?+

No. Many clients start with planning only and migrate filing the following tax year. We coordinate the handoff and request prior-year files so nothing falls between chairs.

Can you amend prior returns?+

Yes — we can amend up to three years back. If we find missed savings (missed S-Corp election timing, omitted QBI, mis-categorized real estate income), amendments are part of the work.

Where are you licensed?+

Atlanta-based; CPA licensed in Georgia. We can file federal returns nationally and handle multi-state returns for all 50 states.

Who actually does the work?+

Our senior strategist handles every engagement directly — no handoffs to junior staff. The firm's automation handles the data layer (bookkeeping ingestion, return prep workflow, K-1 reconciliation), which is exactly why we can deliver advisory at this depth without a 30-person team.