Private real-estate tax counsel

Institutional real estate tax expertise, with the intimacy of a single desk.

Former Big Four and institutional advisors for high-net-worth owners, funds, and family offices. The full income and property-tax picture, held by one partner from first call through every filing.

A partner on every engagementReply within one business dayFees agreed in writing

One desk.
Income tax, property tax, and structuring, held by a single partner.
~27% of a building’s basis is commonly reclassified to faster depreciation through cost segregation.
3 → 1
disciplines under one advisor
Big Four
institutional pedigree
Nationwide
U.S. markets served
≤ 1 day
typical reply time

Nothing falls between the seams, because one desk holds the whole board.

The cost of getting it wrong

Real estate tax mistakes are quiet, and expensive.

They rarely arrive as a bill marked “overpaid.” They show up as an assessment never challenged, a deduction never taken, a structure never questioned.

What an over-assessment costs you

Commercial property is often assessed above its true market value. Move the sliders to see the annual cost of leaving it unchallenged.

$5,000,000
10%
Estimated annual overpayment
$5,682
every year, until the assessment is corrected.

Illustrative estimate using an assumed ~1.25% effective property-tax rate. Not a prediction of results.

Income tax · cost segregation
27%
of a building’s cost can often be reclassified into faster 5–15-year depreciation, deductions many owners never take.
Strategy · 1031 exchange
45 days
to identify a replacement property after a sale. Miss the window and the tax comes due now, not later.
Property tax · LA County
Nov 30
the annual deadline to file a regular assessment appeal in Los Angeles County, miss it and you wait another year.

Your 1031 exchange clock

Selling a property? Enter the closing date to see the two deadlines every exchange lives or dies by.

These dates are a planning illustration, not tax advice. An exchange has strict requirements and very little room for error, so the right next step is to walk through your specific timeline with the firm before you rely on it.

Talk through your exchange with the firm

Calendar math only, not tax advice. The 180-day period can end sooner if your tax-return due date arrives first, and exchanges have further requirements. Confirm your dates with the firm before relying on them.

The tax year, on a calendar

Real estate tax has a season, we work ahead of each one.

The expensive misses are almost always missed deadlines. Here’s the rhythm we plan around, so nothing arrives as a surprise.

Jan – Apr

Filing & K-1 season

  • Federal & state returns; extensions by Apr 15
  • Partnership K-1s out to investors
  • Q1 estimated payments
May – Jul

Assessments & appeal prep

  • County assessment notices arrive
  • Review valuations for over-assessment
  • LA County appeal window opens Jul 2
Aug – Nov

Appeal windows

  • LA County appeals due by Nov 30
  • Cost-segregation studies underway
  • Mid-year planning check-ins
Year-end

Year-end planning

  • 1031 & Opportunity Zone timing
  • Entity & transaction moves before Dec 31
  • Q4 estimate planning (due Jan 15)

Dates are typical for California and federal filers and can shift by county and year, we confirm the deadlines that apply to you. The 45- and 180-day 1031 clocks run year-round from each sale.

Who we serve

Built for sophisticated real estate.

Investors & landlordsDeductions, REPS, audit-ready returns
Owners & developersDeal structuring & reassessment defense
Syndicators & sponsorsK-1s, waterfalls, multistate
Family officesPortfolio structure & transfer
HNW individuals1031 / QOZ deferral & planning
Operating businessesReal estate–heavy operations & multistate footprints
Areas we serve

National reach, with local depth.

We work across the country’s high-growth, tax-complex markets, from the coasts to Texas, Florida, and the Sun Belt, with the rigor of a specialist and remote service wherever your real estate is.

What happens next

Working together starts with a conversation, not a commitment.

Three steps, and you know exactly what to expect at each one.

1
~2 minutes · online

Share a short intake

A few questions about your real estate and what’s on your mind. We review it before we talk, so the first call starts ahead.

2
20–30 min · within one business day

Have a confidential intro call

A direct, partner-level conversation, no obligation. You leave with a clear read on the opportunities and the risks in your situation.

3
In writing · before any work

Get a scoped proposal

If it’s a fit, you get a written proposal with defined scope and fees. Nothing begins until you’ve approved it.

On fees: engagements are project-scoped or an annual advisory relationship. You’ll see scope and fees in writing before any work begins, and the introductory call is free and carries no obligation.

Get started

Not sure which you need? Start with a conversation.

Tell us about your real estate and we’ll tell you, directly, where the opportunities and the risks are.

Request a consultation
A 20–30 minute introductory call, confidential, no obligation. Fees are always agreed in writing before any work begins.
Home · Services

Real estate tax, handled end to end.

Most firms cover one slice, income tax or property tax. STAGGS covers the whole picture, so one advisor sees how each decision affects the next.

01

Real Estate Income Tax

Forward-looking planning and federal & state compliance, designed around how real estate actually generates and shelters income, not bolted onto a generalist return.

Who it’s for: investors, developers, syndicators, and owners who want a return that reflects every available strategy.

The aim, capture every strategy you’re entitled to, in a return built to withstand scrutiny.
02

Property Tax, Valuation & Appeals

A specialty most real estate CPAs can’t offer: challenging over-assessments and reducing the bill, from informal review through formal appeals before the assessment appeals board.

Who it’s for: commercial owners and developers facing a reassessment, a too-high bill, or a recent acquisition.

The firm’s experience includes serving as a subject-matter expert in deposition.

The aim, a defensible, well-supported assessment, and refunds where you’ve genuinely overpaid.
03

Tax Planning & Structuring

The strategy layer: how entities, transactions, and multistate footprints are built so the tax outcome is designed, not discovered at filing.

Who it’s for: sponsors, family offices, and developers structuring deals or scaling a portfolio.

The aim, deals structured for the after-tax result, so year-end brings fewer surprises.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you charge for your work?
Engagements are scoped to the work, a defined project such as a cost-segregation study or an assessment appeal, or an ongoing, year-round advisory relationship. You’ll get a clear picture of scope and fees before any work begins, and the introductory call carries no cost or obligation.
Do you work with property outside California?
Yes. STAGGS is Los Angeles–based and works with real estate investors, owners, and funds nationwide, including federal and multistate income tax, and multistate property-tax matters.
How are you different from my current CPA?
Most real estate CPAs handle income tax only. STAGGS also handles property-tax valuation and appeals, plus entity and transaction structuring, disciplines usually split across separate firms, so one advisor sees how each decision affects the next.
Do I have to leave my current accountant?
Not necessarily. We’re glad to complement your existing team on a specific project or provide a second opinion. We work in whatever arrangement best serves the result.
What happens on the introductory call?
A 20–30 minute, confidential conversation about your real estate and the tax questions on your mind. There’s no obligation, you’ll leave with a direct sense of how we’d approach it.
Is my information kept confidential?
Yes. Your inquiry is confidential. Please don’t send sensitive tax documents through the website, we’ll provide a secure portal for document exchange once we’re working together.
Get started

Not sure which of these you need?

That is exactly what the first conversation is for. Confidential, no obligation, and you leave with a clear read on the opportunities and the risks.

Request a consultation

Or call the firm directly on (818) 639-2165.

Home · Who We Serve

Built for sophisticated real estate.

If your real estate is sophisticated, your tax advice should be too. STAGGS works with the people and entities for whom real estate tax is a material number.

Who we work with

Investors & landlords

Outgrew a generalist CPA. You want every deduction, REPS where it applies, and audit-ready returns, from a CPA who actually speaks real estate.

How we help
  • Cost segregation & bonus depreciation, captured
  • Real estate professional status (REPS) where it applies
  • Passive-activity & at-risk planning
  • Returns built to withstand scrutiny

Owners & developers

Facing a post-acquisition reassessment or structuring a deal. Structure the transaction and defend the assessment, with one advisor.

How we help
  • Reassessment defense after an acquisition
  • Deals structured for the after-tax result
  • Income tax and property tax under one roof
  • Cost-segregation on new development

Syndicators & sponsors

K-1s at scale, waterfalls, and multistate footprints, handled cleanly, on time, partner-level.

How we help
  • K-1s at scale, delivered on time
  • Waterfalls & promote / carry allocations
  • Multistate / SALT across the footprint
  • Investor-ready reporting

Family offices

A multistate real estate portfolio with structure and transfer questions, and a tax quarterback to see the whole board.

How we help
  • A tax quarterback across the whole portfolio
  • Entity structure & generational transfer
  • Multistate coordination
  • A single point of accountability

HNW with real estate

Sophisticated 1031 / QOZ deferral, passive-activity, and SALT planning for serious real estate holdings.

How we help
  • 1031 exchanges & Opportunity Zone timing
  • Passive-activity & at-risk planning
  • SALT planning for serious holdings
  • Coordination with your existing advisors

Operating businesses

Businesses that own their real estate, income tax, property tax, and structuring for the property side of the balance sheet.

How we help
  • Tax on the real estate you own and operate
  • Property-tax appeals on your facilities
  • Structuring the property side of the balance sheet
  • Multistate footprint planning
Get started

See yourself here?

Start with a confidential, no-obligation conversation about your real estate.

Request a consultation
Home · Areas We Serve

Wherever your real estate is.

STAGGS works with real estate investors, owners, and funds across the country, federal and multistate, concentrated in the high-growth markets where tax strategy moves the number most.

Markets we serve, by state

Alabama

  • Birmingham

Arizona

  • Phoenix
  • Scottsdale
  • Tucson

California

  • Los Angeles
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco (Bay Area)

District of Columbia

  • Washington

Florida

  • Jacksonville
  • Miami
  • Ocala
  • Orlando
  • Tampa
  • West Palm Beach

Georgia

  • Atlanta

Idaho

  • Boise

Illinois

  • Chicago

Indiana

  • Indianapolis

Louisiana

  • New Orleans

Massachusetts

  • Boston

Michigan

  • Detroit

Missouri

  • Kansas City
  • St. Louis

New York

  • New York City
  • Syracuse

North Carolina

  • Charlotte
  • Raleigh-Durham

Ohio

  • Cincinnati
  • Cleveland
  • Columbus
  • Toledo

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma City

South Carolina

  • Charleston
  • Greenville
  • Myrtle Beach

Tennessee

  • Memphis
  • Nashville

Texas

  • Austin
  • Dallas-Fort Worth
  • Houston
  • San Antonio

Washington

  • Seattle

Don’t see your market? We work remotely and alongside your existing advisors, federal and multistate, wherever your real estate touches.

Get started

Wherever your real estate is, start here.

One conversation, confidential and with no obligation, about the markets you are in and what they are costing you.

Request a consultation

Or call the firm directly on (818) 639-2165.

Home · About

Institutional real estate tax expertise. Boutique service.

STAGGS was founded to provide sophisticated real estate tax advice traditionally available only through the largest accounting firms.

The firm

Drawing on experience developed across Big Four, national firms, and institutional real estate organizations, the firm brings together capabilities that are often divided among multiple practice groups.

Our expertise spans the full lifecycle of real estate ownership and investment, including income tax planning and compliance, transaction structuring, multistate taxation, and property tax valuation and appeals. This integrated approach allows clients to evaluate tax decisions holistically rather than through isolated specialties.

Whether advising private investors, family offices, developers, operating businesses, or real estate funds, STAGGS delivers institutional-quality technical advice with the responsiveness, accessibility, and partner-level attention of a specialized boutique firm.

Work directly with a partner →
How we work

Proactive, written, and partner-level.

PRINCIPLE 01

Plan ahead of the deadline

Tax outcomes are designed during the year, at acquisition, at structuring, before the bill, not discovered at filing.

PRINCIPLE 02

Advice in writing

Clear, documented positions you can act on and defend, and an openness to second opinions, never the opposite.

PRINCIPLE 03

A partner on every engagement

You work directly with a partner, year-round. No junior hand-off, no being the account that gets ignored between deadlines.

Big-firm rigor. Boutique access.

Home · Request a consultation

Let’s talk about your real estate.

Complete the short intake below, confidential and no obligation. The firm reviews what you share and replies directly, usually within one business day.

20–30 minute call · no obligation · fees agreed in writing before any work begins. The firm reviews what you share and replies directly, usually within one business day.

What to expect

A confidential, 20–30 minute introductory call with the firm, direct, partner-level, and no obligation.

Serving · Los Angeles–based, real estate owners and funds nationwide
What to expect · A direct, partner-level conversation, usually a reply within one business day

Start with a short intake

A few questions so our first conversation starts ahead, takes about two minutes.

Step 1 of 4

Where should we reply?

Confidential. We never share your information. Please don’t include Social Security numbers, account numbers, or tax documents, a secure portal is provided if we work together.

This questionnaire helps us prepare for a potential introductory conversation. Submitting it does not create a client, advisory, or engagement relationship with STAGGS, and no advice is provided until an engagement letter is signed.

Request a consultation