--- title: How Much Does a Tax Advisor Cost for High Net Worth Individuals? description: What high net worth tax advisors charge, how pricing models differ, what drives cost, and what OLarry's all-inclusive minimum covers. image: https://resources.olarry.com/hubfs/Beach.svg --- [Skip to main content](https://resources.olarry.com/how-much-does-a-tax-advisor-cost-for-high-net-worth-individuals#main-content) Is private client tax advisory right for you? [Take the quiz](https://olarry.com/private-client-quiz) [![OLarry Blue Logo](https://resources.olarry.com/hubfs/OLarry%20Blue%20Logo.svg)](https://olarry.com) - [Show submenu for Who We Serve Who We Serve](https://olarry.com/who-we-serve) - [Individuals & Families](https://olarry.com/individuals-families) - [Businesses](https://olarry.com/businesses_taxes) - [Founders & Tech Executives](https://olarry.com/tech-founders-and-executives) - [GP, LP & Fund Managers](https://olarry.com/gp-lp-fund-managers) - [Real Estate Investors & Operators](https://olarry.com/real-estate-investors) - [Trusts & Estates](https://olarry.com/trusts-and-estates) - [Family Office & Private Wealth](https://olarry.com/family-office) - [K-1 Investors](https://olarry.com/k-1-investors) - [Owner-Operated Businesses](https://olarry.com/owner-operated-businesses) - [Pricing](https://olarry.com/pricing) - [Resources](https://resources.olarry.com) - [Our Technology](https://olarry.com/technology) - Show submenu for Company Company - [About](https://olarry.com/about-olarry) - [Show submenu for Careers Careers](https://olarry.com/careers) - [Tax](https://olarry.com/tax-careers) - [Partners](https://olarry.com/partner) - [Contact](https://olarry.com/contact-us) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Who We Serve Who We Serve - Who We Serve - [Who We Serve](https://olarry.com/who-we-serve) - [Individuals & Families](https://olarry.com/individuals-families) - [Businesses](https://olarry.com/businesses_taxes) - [Founders & Tech Executives](https://olarry.com/tech-founders-and-executives) - [GP, LP & Fund Managers](https://olarry.com/gp-lp-fund-managers) - [Real Estate Investors & Operators](https://olarry.com/real-estate-investors) - [Trusts & Estates](https://olarry.com/trusts-and-estates) - [Family Office & Private Wealth](https://olarry.com/family-office) - [K-1 Investors](https://olarry.com/k-1-investors) - [Owner-Operated Businesses](https://olarry.com/owner-operated-businesses) - [Pricing](https://olarry.com/pricing) - [Resources](https://resources.olarry.com) - [Our Technology](https://olarry.com/technology) - Show submenu for Company Company - Company - [About](https://olarry.com/about-olarry) - Show submenu for Careers Careers - Careers - [Careers](https://olarry.com/careers) - [Tax](https://olarry.com/tax-careers) - [Partners](https://olarry.com/partner) - [Contact](https://olarry.com/contact-us) - [Sign in](http://app.olarry.com/) [Lets Talk](https://olarry.com/lets_talk) [Sign in](http://app.olarry.com/) [Lets Talk](https://olarry.com/lets_talk) # How Much Does a Tax Advisor Cost for High Net Worth Individuals? ## The short answer A tax advisor for a high net worth individual with a complex tax situation generally costs several thousand dollars a year, and often well into five figures or six figures once multiple entities, trusts, and state filings are involved. Many firms bill by the hour or as a percentage of assets under management (AUM). OLarry charges one flat, all-inclusive fee based on the complexity of your situation, not your net worth, and quotes it once at the start of the engagement. Pricing starts at a minimum of $4,000 a year. *This article is general information, not individualized tax advice.* ## How tax advisors price their work Tax advisors price their work in several ways, and the differences matter. Know which model you are agreeing to, and what it leaves out, before you become a client. | Pricing model | How it works | Typical published figures | What to watch | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Hourly | You pay for time spent on calls, research, and preparation | $150 to $600 an hour | Every question has a cost, so clients tend to call less, often when a call matters most | | Per return or per form | A base fee for the return, plus charges for each schedule, K-1, or state | Base fees from a few hundred dollars; add-ons such as $100 per extra K-1 or $500 per extra state | The total grows with every K-1 that arrives, and planning is usually not included | | Bundled with a wealth manager | Tax services packaged into a financial advisor's fee, charged as a percentage of assets under management (AUM) or as a tiered annual fee | Under AUM, the tax cost is folded into a percentage of assets, so it is hard to isolate and has no fixed ceiling | The cost grows with your portfolio, not your tax complexity. Filing may be done by a partner firm, and business entity returns are often excluded | | Flat annual fee | One annual price quoted from your situation | Entry prices around $1,000 to $2,500 a year for tax-only services | Read what the starting price covers; entity returns, strategy projects, and amended returns are often extra | *Figures reflect OLarry's review of published pricing pages from firms serving high net worth clients, as of October 2026. They are ranges, not quotes.* The least expensive model is rarely the lowest cost. The value of a tax advisor comes from decisions made during the year: when to sell, how to structure a new entity, whether to make an election before a deadline. A model that charges by the hour, or that treats you as a once-a-year return, tends to leave those decisions to you. Many firms also open the year with an estimate, then bill above it as the work comes in, so the final invoice can land well above the number you planned for. ## What drives the cost The scope of the work sets the fee, and scope comes from structure. Two families with the same net worth can need very different engagements: one holds a portfolio and a home, the other holds four operating LLCs, a dozen fund interests, and two trusts. These are the factors that most often add scope for high net worth clients: - **Multiple entities.** Each partnership, S corp, or C corp files its own return, and each one feeds your individual return. Choices made at the entity level, such as an S corp election or a pass-through entity tax (PTET) election, change what you owe personally. - **K-1 volume.** Private funds, real estate syndications, and publicly traded partnerships each issue a K-1. A high count is a planning opportunity as much as a workload: losses, basis, and state sourcing across many K-1s can be coordinated instead of reported one at a time. - **Multi-state filings.** Income from investments or businesses in other states can mean nonresident or composite returns, and sometimes a residency question worth planning around. - **Trusts and next-generation planning.** Trust returns (Form 1041), gift tax returns (Form 709), and the coordination with your estate attorney add work that a standard return never touches. - **Equity compensation.** RSUs, ISOs, and other stock compensation call for projections before vesting, exercise, and sale, not after. - **Real estate.** Depreciation schedules, cost segregation results, and rental activity across several properties need care every year. - **Cross-border items.** Foreign investment companies (PFICs), interests in foreign corporations (Form 5471), and foreign pensions add forms and judgment. FBARs are filed separately with FinCEN. - **A liquidity event.** The sale of a business or a large equity position, behind you or ahead of you, is where advance planning matters most. ## What the fee should include, and what to ask A fair fee for a complex situation buys year-round strategy, not only a filed return. Clients who come to us often say they outgrew their prior CPA: they were the ones bringing ideas to the table, and their CPA was hard to reach when a decision could not wait. The best time to use a tax advisor is during the year, while there is still time to change the outcome. Before you compare quotes, ask each firm: 1. Is tax planning included, or billed as a separate project? 2. Are there any charges on top of the quoted fee? 3. Does the quote cover all of the work you need done this year? 4. Are IRS and state notices handled within the fee? 5. Are amended or unfiled prior-year returns included in the quote? 6. Who is my day-to-day contact, and how quickly will they respond? 7. Will I be billed for calls and emails during the year? 8. Will the fee change during the year, and if so, what triggers it? If a firm cannot answer these plainly before you sign, the quoted fee is not the full price. ## How OLarry prices OLarry charges one flat, all-inclusive annual fee, quoted once at the start of the engagement. There are no hourly rates and no surprise invoices. [Pricing](https://olarry.com/pricing) starts at a minimum of $4,000 a year. The fee changes during the year only if you add a new entity or trust. ### What the fee covers Tax advisory and tax preparation are one service at OLarry. They are not sold separately, because strategy only works when the people planning it also file the returns. - Year-round planning and tax projections, with a dedicated Tax Advisor backed by specialists in trusts and estates, real estate, funds, and international tax - Individual, partnership, S corp, C corp, trust (1041), gift (709), estate (706), and private foundation (990-PF) returns - State returns, including nonresident and composite returns, plus extensions - Quarterly estimates and PTET elections - The tax side of forming, restructuring, or dissolving entities, including S corp elections - K-1s for your own investors, and 1099s - Prior-year amended returns and cleanup - IRS and state notices, plus audit defense on returns we prepare - Coordination with your wealth manager, attorney, and family office ### The planning that comes with it Year-round planning is where the fee earns its keep. These are examples of the questions our Tax Advisors work through with clients, by situation: | Your situation | Planning examples | | --- | --- | | Founders and technology executives | Section 1202 exclusion rules, 83(b) election timing, ISO AMT and disqualifying dispositions, state domicile changes | | Individuals and families | Multi-state resident tax credits; RSU, ISO, and ESPP taxes; trust K-1s on your 1040; donor-advised fund or private foundation; family limited partnerships | | Business and professional services owners | Section 199A deduction and phase-outs, PTET elections by state, S corp, LLC, or C corp modeling, reasonable compensation, credits and incentives | | Closely held businesses | Buy-sell and redemption structure, partnership allocations under Section 704(b) and 704(c), family business succession, multi-state and SALT | | Real estate investors and operators | 1031 exchange deadlines, cost segregation or bonus depreciation, real estate professional status grouping elections, Opportunity Zone fund compliance | | Private equity and venture funds | K-1 and K-3 requirements, 704(c) capital accounts, Section 1061 carried interest holding periods, Section 1202 pass-through to LPs | | Trusts, estates, and gift planning | Form 1041 distribution deductions and the 65-day rule, portability elections, gift splitting on Form 709, GRATs, SLATs, and IDGTs, CRTs and CLTs | | Cross-border and expatriates | Form 8938 or FBAR, foreign tax credit or foreign earned income exclusion, PFIC reporting on Form 8621, CFC ownership and Form 5471 | | Digital asset investors | Cost basis on Form 8949, staking income, loss harvesting, liquidity and estimate planning | Two things sit outside the fee: bookkeeping, which is available as an add-on from the OLarry team, and cost segregation studies, which come from a partner firm. Your Tax Advisor interprets those results and applies them to your return. See how this works for [individuals and families](https://olarry.com/individuals-families), [K-1 investors](https://olarry.com/k-1-investors), [founders and tech executives](https://olarry.com/tech-founders-and-executives), and [trusts and estates](https://olarry.com/trusts-and-estates). ## When OLarry is not the right fit Fit is decided by complexity, not net worth or income. A high salary alone does not make OLarry the right choice, and we would rather say so on the first call than after you sign. OLarry is likely more than you need if: - Your income is mostly W-2, with one other entity at most - You are looking for bookkeeping only, or outsourced CFO work - You want investment management, financial planning, or legal drafting We are also not the right firm for aggressive shelters that do not fit your facts. We use sophisticated strategies when the facts support them and the position is defensible. OLarry is built for founders and technology executives, fund managers and private investors, physicians and other professionals, real estate operators, owners of operating businesses, and families with their own family office. If any of that sounds like you, or you are unsure, [talk with our team](https://olarry.com/lets_talk) or take the [Private Client quiz](https://olarry.com/private-client-quiz). ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does a CPA cost for a high net worth individual? For a complex situation, expect several thousand dollars a year, and often five figures once entities, trusts, and multiple states are involved. Unlike other accounting firms, the scope of your situation, not your net worth, sets the fee. ### Why do high net worth tax advisors charge more than a tax preparer? A preparer reports what already happened. A tax advisor plans what happens next: entity structure, the timing of a sale, elections with deadlines, and coordination across every return your household files. That work takes senior expertise, and it is done during the year rather than in April. ### Is a flat fee better than hourly billing? For most complex households, yes. A flat fee lets you call your Tax Advisor when a decision comes up, without weighing the cost of the call. Hourly billing tends to discourage the conversations where advice is worth the most. ### What is OLarry's minimum fee? OLarry's pricing starts at a minimum of $4,000 a year. Most complex engagements are quoted above the minimum, because the fee reflects every entity, trust, and state return in scope. You see the full annual figure before you sign. ### Does OLarry offer tax advisory without tax preparation? No. Advisory and preparation are one service at OLarry. Strategy works best when the team that plans it also files the returns. ### Is a tax advisor worth the cost? That depends on your complexity. If your financial life includes several entities, a high volume of K-1s, trusts, or a liquidity event, year-round planning can change outcomes that a once-a-year return cannot. If your income is mostly W-2, a full advisory engagement may be more than you need. ### Can I start with OLarry partway through the year? Yes. Onboarding happens year-round, and your Tax Advisor starts with your prior returns and what is ahead for the rest of the year. Tags: **[OLarry](https://resources.olarry.com/author/olarry)** November, 2026 ## Related Articles [![OLarry Logo White Large](https://resources.olarry.com/hubfs/OLarry%20Logo%20White%20Large.svg)](https://olarry.com) - [Privacy Policy](https://olarry.com/privacy-policy) - [Terms of Use](https://olarry.com/terms-of-use) - [Contact Us](https://olarry.com/contact-us) © 2026 OLarry - - OLarry employs certified public accountants and tax experts. OLarry is not a public accounting firm.   According to the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service, a taxpayer can only rely on formal written advice. Any tax advice received during a consultation does not meet these requirements. The tax advice provided here is not intended or written to be used for the purpose of avoiding federal tax penalties or promoting, marketing, or recommending any tax-related matters to another party. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "OLarry", "url" : "https://resources.olarry.com/author/olarry" }, "dateModified" : "2026-11-09T15:57:48.544Z", "datePublished" : "2026-11-09T15:57:48.000Z", "headline" : "How Much Does a Tax Advisor Cost for High Net Worth Individuals?", "image" : [ "https://resources.olarry.com/hubfs/Beach.svg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://resources.olarry.com/how-much-does-a-tax-advisor-cost-for-high-net-worth-individuals", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://resources.olarry.com/hubfs/OLarry%20Blue%20Logo.png" }, "name" : "OLarry" } } ```