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The Most Overlooked Tax Savings Strategy? A 3rd-Party Review.

Written by Ryan Foley | Jan 21, 2026 3:48:49 PM

Most business owners would never run their company this way:

  • One person builds the plan

  • Nobody reviews it

  • Nobody challenges assumptions

  • Nobody checks for blind spots

  • You just… move forward and hope it works

But that’s exactly how many business owners approach taxes. They assume their tax strategy is handled because they have a CPA.

And to be clear, this isn’t a shot at CPAs.

It’s a reality of how most CPA relationships are structured: compliance-first, strategy second (if there’s time).

That’s why a 3rd-party review of your tax strategy can be one of the highest ROI moves you make, not just for this year, but for the next decade.

The “Peer Review” Question Business Owners Don’t Ask

In most industries, peer review is standard because it prevents expensive mistakes.

Think about it:

Engineers and builders: Plans get reviewed before anything is poured, installed, or built, because fixing mistakes later is brutally expensive.

Legal: Contracts get reviewed before they’re signed, because one missed clause can cost more than the deal is worth.

Medicine: Second opinions are normal, because a different perspective can change the outcome.

Investing: Smart investors get outside input, stress test assumptions, and rebalance, because long-term results matter more than being “right” in the moment.

Cybersecurity: Companies hire outsiders to try to break their systems on purpose, because “I think we’re fine” is not the same as “we’re protected.”

All of these industries have something in common:

When the stakes are high, smart people ask for another set of eyes.

So here’s the real question: Why would taxes—often one of the biggest expenses in your business—be the one plan you don’t review?

Why Most Tax Strategies Don’t Get Reviewed (Even When They Should)

It usually comes down to one of these:

  1. You assume your CPA is already optimizing everything

  2. You don’t want to offend anyone

  3. You don’t know what you don’t know

  4. You’re too busy running the business

That’s normal.

But it creates a problem: A tax return can be 100% accurate… and still be financially inefficient.

Because “file correctly” and “optimize intelligently” are two different jobs.

The Problem Isn’t Your CPA — It’s the Model

Most CPAs are operating inside a cycle:

  • cleanup books

  • gather documents

  • file the return

  • repeat next year

Even great CPAs can get boxed into a compliance-only relationship because that’s what most business owners ask for (and what the industry rewards).

But proactive tax strategy requires something different:

✅ forward-looking planning
✅ scenario modeling
✅ entity and payroll optimization
✅ multi-year thinking
✅ coordination with wealth strategy
✅ decisions made before the year is over

If you’ve never had your strategy reviewed, you may not even realize what’s missing.

What a 3rd-Party Review Actually Does

A real tax strategy review isn’t “shopping for a cheaper CPA.”

It’s quality control.

It answers one question:

Is your current plan the most tax-efficient way to run your business based on where you are now—and where you’re going?

A strong review looks at things like:

  • entity structure (still the best fit?)

  • owner comp (optimized or outdated?)

  • payroll vs distributions strategy

  • retirement plan design (are you using the right levers?)

  • deduction strategy (captured, defensible, and repeatable?)

  • timing opportunities (income + expense planning)

  • estimated taxes (cash flow planned or chaotic?)

  • future planning (2026 and beyond, not just last year’s return)

  • exit strategy implications (what happens when you sell?)

Sometimes the review confirms everything is solid. Other times it finds quiet leaks that have been costing you money for years.

The Most Expensive Tax Mistakes Aren’t “Errors”

Here’s what most business owners miss: The costliest tax mistakes often don’t show up as mistakes.

They show up as:

  • missed elections

  • outdated structures

  • underutilized retirement strategies

  • inefficient owner comp

  • poorly tracked deductions

  • no quarterly strategy

  • decisions made too late to matter

Nobody gets a red flag email saying, “Hey, you overpaid by $38,000.”

It just happens silently. Year after year.

That’s why the review matters.

This Isn’t About Replacing Your CPA

A third-party review isn’t meant to blow up your team.

In many cases, the best outcome is:

  • you keep your CPA

  • your strategy improves

  • everyone wins

Think of it like bringing in a specialist to evaluate the plan.

Your CPA can still handle compliance. But now the plan gets sharper, more intentional, and more efficient.

This is support, not replacement.

Who This Is For

A 3rd-party tax strategy review is especially valuable if:

  • your profit has grown substantially in the last 12–24 months

  • you feel like you’re always surprised at tax time

  • you’re not doing quarterly planning

  • you’re paying a lot but not sure why

  • your entity structure hasn’t been reviewed in years

  • you’re considering selling in the next 2–5 years

  • you’ve never had an independent set of eyes on your approach

If your business has leveled up, your tax strategy should too.

The Bottom Line

Smart business owners don’t blindly trust high-stakes plans. They verify them. They pressure test them.

They ask for outside perspective—because they know blind spots are expensive.

A 3rd-party tax strategy review is one of those rare moves that can pay off twice:

✅ short-term tax savings
✅ long-term structural efficiency

And the best part? It’s not disruptive.

It’s simply a second set of eyes to make sure you’re not running the wrong race.

Two Outcomes, Both Good.?

A third party review really has just two outcomes and they are both good. We determine you're in good shape or we find costly oversights that could save you substantially.

The most expensive tax strategy is the one you never review.

We are offering a no cost, no obligation review of you plan. Set up a time to meet with our team today to take advantage of this opportunity.