There is a common tension we see with both business owners and high-income executives: the drive to minimize taxes often runs headfirst into the need to access capital.
On one side, there is tax planning. You work with your CPA to reduce taxable income, defer where you can, and take advantage of every deduction available. For owners, that might mean accelerating expenses or leveraging depreciation. For executives, it could mean deferrals, charitable bunching, or strategic deductions around equity compensation.
On paper, people often chase less taxes and more cash. There are scenarios to be mindful of how it impacts access to lending.
The Connection Between Taxes and Lending
Whether you’re looking to buy real estate, expand your investment portfolio, or finance a new opportunity, access to capital still depends on what the bank or underwriter sees. What they see is your income.
If your tax strategy has lowered your reported income to the point where it no longer reflects your real financial capacity, it can become a problem. Suddenly, you are being underwritten based on a return that does not tell the full story. That sleek, efficient tax return might be working against you.
This is not just a business owner issue. We’ve seen executives receive less favorable financing for a second property or receive less favorable terms on an investment loan because deferred compensation or stock awards didn’t appear as clear, reportable income.
Finding the Balance
As Lisa shared in a recent conversation:
“There’s no 100% tax bracket. If I offered to give you a dollar in exchange for 35 cents in tax, you’d take that trade all day.” The point is not to avoid tax at all costs, but rather it’s about positioning your balance sheet to enable leverage.
Sometimes that means recognizing when showing income is in your best interest. When you’re trying to grow, borrow, or invest, the numbers on paper matter. They need to align with the story you’re trying to tell, especially to underwriters.
The Role of Coordination
This is where coordinated planning makes all the difference. Your CPA, your financial advisor, and—when needed—your lending professionals should be speaking the same language. You want a strategy that minimizes unnecessary tax without shrinking your financial footprint to the point that it blocks future opportunity.
We help clients walk that line on a regular basis, finding the balance between tax efficiency and leverage.
If you’re thinking about a loan, an investment, or a large purchase in the next year, now is the time to look at your numbers and make sure they’re telling the right story. Let us know if you want to walk through what that could look like in your case.