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We’ve worked with plenty of businesses who have to cobble together 9 different software programs to keep everything straight, or who just wash their hands of it all and put everything on the credit card … and then try to clean up every year after the fact. And they know that this is no way to properly monitor profit margins, cash controls, account management, tax strategy and all of the myriad components of an effective financial system for a business.


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Recent Posts

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Business Tax Planning Strategies for 2026

By Christopher J. Gelfuso • February 10, 2026
For most business owners, business tax planning feels like something you deal with once a year, usually under pressure, and right before a deadline. That mindset is expensive. After more than 10 years as a CFO consultant and tax strategist, and previously serving as an IRS agent, I’ve seen the same pattern over and over: businesses don’t overpay taxes because the rules are unclear, they overpay because they’re reacting instead of planning. Real tax planning isn’t about loopholes, it’s about aligning how your business operates, pays people, invests, and grows with the tax code working for you instead of against you.
Person's hand using a calculator, notebook and laptop in background.

Guide to Long-Term Capital Gains Tax in California

By Christopher J. Gelfuso • February 9, 2026
If you’re a California business owner, investor, or entrepreneur, capital gains tax isn’t just a line item it’s a strategic risk. I’ve spent over a decade helping business owners navigate capital gains planning, and one thing is consistent: most people dramatically underestimate how much California takes. Unlike the federal system, California does not reward long-term investing with lower tax rates. That single fact changes how you should think about exits, portfolio rebalancing, and real estate decisions. This guide breaks down how long-term capital gains tax works in California in 2025, where business owners get burned, and what you can do to keep more of what you earn.
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4 Year End Tax Strategies for East Los Angeles Businesses

By Christopher J. Gelfuso • February 8, 2026
Before I dive into some year end tax strategies East Los Angelesbusiness owners can and should be making, I want to address some rumors and misinformation about the SALT workarounds that are available to some of our clients (though not all). Essentially, 22 states (as of this writing) have enacted legislation that enables business owners operating in a partnership or S-corp to deduct their state and local taxes (SALT) beyond the 10K cap that exists on federal returns. These are the states that currently provide this workaround in some measure:

What Our Clients Are Saying

Five yellow stars in a row.

Chris is nothing short of a professional. He’s patient and took the time to educate me about tax preparation. I’ve referred him a couple of business clients and they have been very pleased with his services.


- Erik Johnson

Five yellow stars in a row.

UpLevel Business Services has taken our business to a new level! His knowledge on tax code is up to date and has saved our companies over 100k in the first year. His monthly service Keeps our records and books clean mistake free and vital for the operation to see exactly where your at so we can prepare for taxes, additional equipment and expansion. We switched all of our business and personal taxes to him and with his guidance our business net income has tripled within 2 years. As a business owner Of a growing business the value is unmatched to have Chris at uplevel on our side. I’m a large enough company to hire a cfo but uplevel is a fraction of the cost.


- Matt Stephan

Five yellow stars in a row.

I highly recommend UpLevel Business Services! They did my taxes last year! They did a wonderful job! I felt very confident that my taxes were done correctly by a business professional. Mr. Gelfuso was very knowledgeable of the ever changing tax laws and was able to get me more of a refund than what I was expecting! Don’t trust your taxes with just anyone! Call Uplevel!!!


- Marco Recalde