Business Tax Planning

Proactive, year-round tax planning for Western Pennsylvania business owners, coordinated with your retirement, exit, and investment strategy by CFP^® and CEPA^® professionals.

Request A Business Tax Planning Consultation

30+ Years Of experience

CFP™ Certified professionals

Fiduciary Your interests first

Local Johnstown-based advisors

Turn Tax Season Into A Year-Round Advantage

For most business owners, taxes are the single largest recurring expense, and the one most often handled after the fact. By the time the return is filed, the year is closed and the opportunities are gone. Business tax planning moves that work forward, so decisions about entity structure, compensation, retirement contributions, and timing are made while they can still change the outcome.

At Centennial Financial Group, we build a proactive tax strategy alongside your accountant and, where appropriate, your attorney, so your business and personal finances point in the same direction. We are a fee-based firm serving owners across Johnstown and Western Pennsylvania, and our advisory recommendations are made in your best interest.

Why Business Tax Planning Matters

The tax code rewards owners who plan ahead and penalizes those who wait. A few points of federal-cited context show how much is at stake, and why the work belongs on your calendar all year, not in April.

Up to 20%

Eligible pass-through owners may deduct up to 20% of qualified business income under Section 199A, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Whether you qualify depends on entity type, income, and wages paid, all planning decisions.

21%

The federal corporate income tax rate is a flat 21%, per the Internal Revenue Service. Choosing between C-corporation, S-corporation, and pass-through treatment changes what you owe, and can be revisited as the business grows.

4 payments

The Internal Revenue Service generally requires businesses to pay estimated tax in four installments across the year. Mistimed payments can trigger penalties that year-round planning is designed to avoid.

Left to a single filing appointment, each of these becomes a missed deadline or an unclaimed deduction. Handled proactively, they become a coordinated strategy. That difference, repeated every year you own the business, is what business tax planning protects.

Our Business Tax Planning Services

Every business is taxed a little differently. We start with how yours is built, then coordinate each moving part so nothing is left to chance at filing time.

Entity And Structure Review

We review how your business is taxed today, whether as an LLC, partnership, S-corporation, or C-corporation, and model when a different structure would lower your total burden as revenue and headcount change.

Qualified Business Income Planning

We help you position income, wages, and entity elections to make the most of the Section 199A qualified business income deduction where you are eligible, and keep that eligibility year over year.

Estimated Taxes And Cash Flow

We map quarterly estimated payments to your real cash flow so you meet federal deadlines without overpaying, freeing working capital for the parts of the business that grow it.

Retirement Plans For Owners

The right owner retirement plan, from a SEP or SIMPLE IRA to a solo or company 401(k), can shelter significant income while rewarding you and your team.

Learn More About Owner Retirement Plans

Exit And Succession Tax Strategy

When you plan to sell or transfer the business, the tax structure of the deal shapes what you keep. We coordinate tax strategy with our exit planning so both work together.

Learn More About Exit And Succession Planning

Personal And Business Coordination

Owner and business returns rise and fall together. We align your personal tax planning with the business so a decision on one side never quietly raises the bill on the other.

Learn More About Personal Tax Planning

Why Business Owners Work With Us

Choosing an advisor for your business is a decision about trust: who sees the whole picture, and who keeps your interests first. Our value comes from experience, transparency, and a standard of care built for owners who cannot afford surprises at filing time.

We are a local Johnstown firm on Franklin Street, working with owners across Western Pennsylvania. Our tax planning is coordinated with your retirement, exit, and investment strategy so the components all support each other.

Fiduciary Standard Of Care
Our advisory recommendations are made in your best interest, guided by your goals rather than product sales.
30+ Years of Experience
Serving families and Business owners with more than 30 years of financial planning experience.
National Services
Proudly serving clients nationwide through secure video meetings.
Coordinated, Owner-Focused Advice
Tax, retirement, and exit strategy are managed together, so a move on one front does not quietly cost you on another.

Ethan Stewart, CFP^®, CEPA^®

Managing Partner

A business graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a focus on entrepreneurship, Ethan has spent a decade in financial services and leads Centennial's work with business owners on tax, retirement, and exit strategy as a Certified Exit Planning Advisor^®.

Areas We Serve

From our office at 227 Franklin Street in Johnstown, we work with business owners across Western Pennsylvania and nationwide by phone and video.

Johnstown
Canonsburg
Westmont
Southmont
Greensburg
Ebensburg
Somerset
Indiana, PA
Greater Pittsburgh
Nationwide

Plan This Year's Taxes Before They Are Filed

Business tax planning works best when it starts early and runs all year. If you want a proactive strategy that connects your business and personal taxes with your retirement and exit goals, we would welcome a conversation.

Request A Business Tax Planning Consultation Prefer to talk now? Call (814) 536-4200

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Business Tax Planning?

Business tax planning is the proactive work of arranging your entity structure, income timing, retirement contributions, and deductions across the year so your business pays what it owes and no more. It is done before the return is filed, while decisions can still change the outcome, rather than as a single filing appointment.

When Should A Business Owner Start Tax Planning?

The most useful tax planning happens year-round, not in the weeks before a filing deadline. The IRS generally requires estimated taxes in four installments across the year, and many entity, compensation, and retirement decisions must be made before year-end to count, so starting early gives you the most options.

Can Changing My Business Entity Lower My Taxes?

Sometimes. How your business is taxed, as an LLC, partnership, S-corporation, or C-corporation, affects your total tax and your eligibility for deductions like the Section 199A qualified business income deduction. We model the options with your accountant so any change is made for the right reasons, not only to chase a lower rate.

What Is The Section 199A Qualified Business Income Deduction?

Section 199A allows eligible owners of pass-through businesses to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Eligibility depends on your entity type, income level, and wages paid, which is why it is a planning decision rather than an automatic benefit.

Do You Work With My Accountant Or CPA?

Yes. We coordinate closely with your accountant or CPA, and with your attorney where appropriate, so your tax strategy and your filed return stay aligned. We build and coordinate the planning; your tax professional prepares and files the return.

Do You Serve Business Owners Outside Johnstown?

Yes. From our office at 227 Franklin Street in Johnstown, we serve owners across Western Pennsylvania, including Greensburg, Somerset, Ebensburg, Indiana, and the Greater Pittsburgh area, and we meet with clients nationwide by phone and video.