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The Overview
You Are Not the Tax Client a Generalist CPA Was Trained For
Your tax picture is not the standard return tax software was built for. It is W-2 wages, 1099 contracts, K-1 distributions, multi-state licensing, the retirement plan stacking only physicians can access, and a series of elections that have to be made on time and in the right order. A generalist CPA was not trained for any of it.
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Doc Wealth is a tax planning and preparation firm built for physicians only. Our Tax Attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents handle your planning and your filing as one coordinated team, all year, in every state where you practice.
The Stakes
Why a Generalist CPA Does Not Work for a Physician
Your tax picture is more complicated than almost any other high earning professional's. You may have W-2 wages from a hospital, 1099 income from telehealth or moonlighting, and K-1 distributions from a practice ownership stake, sometimes across two or three states. Add your student loan repayment strategy, your backdoor Roth contributions, an HSA, real estate K-1s, and the question of whether to elect S-Corp status on the 1099 side, and the result is a return that a generalist CPA was never trained to optimize.
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A typical generalist engagement is reactive. Forms in, return out. There is no June phone call to suggest electing S-Corp status before the deadline closes. There is no review of whether your state offers a Pass Through Entity Tax election worth a meaningful chunk of your liability. There is no analysis of how your Solo 401(k) and a cash balance plan could stack to shelter more pretax income if structured correctly.
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A generalist CPA does generalist CPA work competently: they file what comes in. The problem is not the work. The problem is that filing is roughly half of physician tax work, and the proactive half is where the value lives.
The gap between filing and proactive physician tax planning at physician income levels is substantial, and it compounds. Three years of overpayment is a paid off student loan. Five years is a real estate down payment. Ten years is a paid off mortgage.
The Checklist
What to Look For in a Physician CPA
If you are evaluating a physician CPA, the right firm should clear five bars.
1
Physician only client base
A firm that serves physicians as one of many client verticals will not have the depth on physician specific issues: entity structures for medical practices, multi-state licensing implications, PSLF and student loan tax interactions, the retirement plan stacking that exists nowhere else. Ask any prospective firm what percentage of their clients are physicians. If the answer is anything other than "all of them," you are talking to a generalist.
2
Year round engagement, not seasonal filing
Your tax outcome for a given year is largely set by November. Decisions made in December (entity elections, retirement contributions, charitable giving, equipment purchases) drive the result. A CPA who only meets with you in March is performing an autopsy. You need preventive medicine.
3
A coordinated team, not a single point of contact
Different parts of your tax life require different specialties. Entity structuring, Pass Through Entity Tax elections, and trust planning are tax attorney work. Compliance and filing are CPA work. IRS representation authority is Enrolled Agent work. Most firms staff one of these three. The strongest firms integrate all three.
4
Prompt, dependable communication
A tax email in October that gets answered in February is worth nothing. The standard you should expect is a response within one business day during regular working hours, with named team members you can reach directly.
5
Multi-state capability
A physician CPA who works in one state and refuses to handle multi-state filings is a deal breaker if you take locum work, see telemedicine patients across state lines, or hold real estate outside your home state.
Why Doc Wealth
The Doc Wealth Tax Team
Doc Wealth was co-founded by a practicing physician who could not find a tax team that worked the way physicians actually need one to work.
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​The team is structured to mirror the three legal credentials that matter for physician tax work.
1
Tax Attorneys
Tax Attorneys lead complex structuring decisions: entity elections, Pass Through Entity Tax planning, trust formation, and audit defense strategy. They hold a J.D. and are admitted to the bar. Tax law training is graduate-level work, not a CPA continuing education topic.
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CPAs
CPAs drive the compliance and filing engine: preparing returns, running quarterly projections, managing payroll for S-Corp clients, and coordinating bookkeeping. They hold an active CPA license and meet annual continuing education requirements.
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Enrolled Agents
Enrolled Agents carry the IRS representation authority. EA status is the highest credential the IRS itself issues, and it allows the holder to represent you directly before the IRS in any matter, in any state. If you are ever audited, you want an EA on your side.
When you engage Doc Wealth, you are assigned a dedicated tax team, not a single advisor and not a rotating cast. The same Tax Attorney, CPA, and Enrolled Agent work on your account month after month. They know your income structure, your entity, your state mix, and your goals. We hold daily office hours so you can reach a member of your team without scheduling a formal meeting.
Side by Side
How Doc Wealth Compares
Most physician readers have worked with at least one generalist CPA. Here is how the typical generalist engagement compares to the Doc Wealth model.
For Comparison
The typical generalist CPA engagement
One meeting per year, usually in February or March
Forms in, return out
No proactive entity structuring, no Pass Through Entity Tax review, no retirement plan stacking analysis
Limited or no responsiveness between filing seasons
A single point of contact, often a generalist CPA serving dozens of unrelated business types
Filing only. Planning is not part of the engagement
The Standard
The Doc Wealth Model
Year round engagement with quarterly projections and mid-year course corrections
A dedicated team of Tax Attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents working on your account together
Daily office hours and prompt, dependable communication
Multi-state filing capability, which matters for locum, telemedicine, and real estate
Proactive review of every available physician strategy: S-Corp election, retirement plan stacking, Pass Through Entity Tax, Augusta Rule, hiring children, real estate cost segregation, and charitable giving
Live Q&A sessions and an education platform so you understand the work being done on your behalf
For a deeper side by side comparison of what a generalist misses at physician income levels, see why physicians need a specialized CPA.
That is the model on paper. Here is how it actually starts.
The Plan
The Doc Wealth Process
01
Step 1
Book a free discovery call
You tell us about your income structure, your current setup, and your goals. We listen.
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Step 2
We analyze your complete tax picture
Our team reviews your last two filed returns, your entity structure, your retirement plans, and your state mix to identify the planning moves your situation supports.
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Step 3
Implementation, Done for You
A Tax Attorney, CPA, and Enrolled Agent work together on your account, not once a year but every month.
In Practice
What Engagements Actually Look Like
Here are a few examples.
Emergency medicine, 1099
A physician earning $480,000 in independent contractor income switched from a sole proprietorship working with a generalist CPA to an S-Corp working with Doc Wealth. We implemented S-Corp election, a Solo 401(k) plus cash balance plan stack, and a state Pass Through Entity Tax election. The return is now structured around the physician's actual income mix.
Dual W-2 dermatology and primary care couple, California
On a $750,000 household income we maximized backdoor Roth contributions, established an HSA, and implemented a charitable bunching strategy through a donor-advised fund. The structure carries forward year after year.
Locum tenens hospitalist, four states
Transitioned to a single LLC with S-Corp election, built a multi-state filing protocol, and set up quarterly projections. The combination eliminated chronic underpayment penalties and added physician specific planning the previous engagement had missed.
For longer walkthroughs of representative engagements, see physician case studies and physician reviews.
Built For You
Who We Serve
Doc Wealth works with physicians at every stage and structure:
Our physician tax planning flagship service covers every income type. Pricing is transparent and structured by complexity. See our pricing for full detail.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
01
How do I switch tax firms mid-year?
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How do I switch tax firms mid-year?
Switching mid-year is straightforward and the most common time clients move to Doc Wealth. We coordinate the transition, request your prior year returns and source documents from your current firm, and pick up planning from where you are. There is no penalty for switching, and the sooner you move, the more of the current tax year we can affect.
02
What states does Doc Wealth serve?
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What states does Doc Wealth serve?
All 50 states. We routinely handle multi-state filing for locum tenens, telemedicine, and real estate clients, including states with complex sourcing rules like California and New York.
03
Does Doc Wealth handle both planning and filing?
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Does Doc Wealth handle both planning and filing?
Yes. Both are included in our standard engagement. Most physicians find more value in the planning side, which is where most of the dollar impact comes from, but you do not need to use a separate firm for either piece. See physician tax preparation and physician bookkeeping for the full service set.
04
What does onboarding look like?
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What does onboarding look like?
After your discovery call, we send a short engagement letter and a secure portal request for your last two filed returns and basic income documentation. Within three to four weeks, your dedicated team has reviewed your full tax picture and scheduled your initial planning session. From that point on, you are in regular cadence with the team.
05
Can Doc Wealth handle my S-Corp election and payroll?
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Can Doc Wealth handle my S-Corp election and payroll?
Yes. S-Corp election, the supporting payroll setup, and ongoing reasonable compensation analysis are core services. We handle the full lifecycle: entity formation, election filing, payroll, quarterly tax projections, and the annual return.
06
How is Doc Wealth different from my current tax preparer?
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How is Doc Wealth different from my current tax preparer?
The two biggest differences are specialization and engagement model. Specialization: every Doc Wealth client is a physician, so the team works on physician issues every day. Engagement model: we work all year, not once at filing time. For more answers, see our full frequently asked questions.
Take the Next Step
Book the First Call
The first call is free. There are no long term contracts. We respond within one business day, and your dedicated team is available during daily office hours.
Disclaimer: This material is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice. The content is general in nature and may not apply to your specific circumstances. Tax laws and regulations are subject to change and interpretation, and the application of these laws can vary based on individual situations. Before making any decisions, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor or legal counsel.