A CPA plus a financial advisor costs the tax-preparation fee, the advisory fee, and any extra equity work. For illustration, a $2,000 tax quote plus a 1% advisory fee on $1 million totals $12,000 a year before other costs.
There is no standard “RSU surcharge”. What matters is whether the quote covers:
- withholding reviews,
- stock-sale decisions,
- tax projections, and
- return preparation.
How do you compare proposals for the same work?
Two quotes can look comparable and cover different jobs:
- A low tax-preparation quote may cover filing last year’s return but no decisions about the next vest.
- An advisory fee may include investments and retirement planning but leave return preparation to someone else.
Use written quotes to separate those jobs. The figures below are hypothetical examples, not market averages or Nino prices.
| Setup | Calculation | Annual total |
|---|---|---|
| CPA + AUM advisor | $2,000 tax prep + 1% of $1 million | $12,000 |
| CPA + flat-fee planner | $2,000 tax prep + $4,000 planning | $6,000 |
| Combined service | One $6,000 quote | $6,000 |
A package does not save money simply because it comes on one invoice. In the last two examples, the costs are equal. Compare availability, expertise, and responsibility for the work as well as price.
A larger portfolio can change the price even when the RSU work stays similar.
Which RSU work needs an owner?
| Work | What you should get |
|---|---|
| Tax projection | Full-year estimate, all income |
| Withholding review | Expected tax vs. withholding, fixes |
| Stock-sale plan | Concentration, cash, tax, trading windows |
| Return reconciliation | W-2 + brokerage, no double counting |
For separately identified supplemental wages, employers can sometimes use a 22% federal withholding rate. That is a payment method, not your final tax rate, and different rules apply above $1 million of supplemental wages. The IRS employer guide explains the rules.
It still shows why someone needs to check during the year. A CPA and planner at separate firms can coordinate this successfully.
Shared software can help, but someone still needs to make the estimate, communicate changes, and confirm they happened.
What should you send every provider?
Send the same brief to every provider:
- award types,
- expected vesting,
- employer-stock balance,
- filing states,
- relevant business or rental income, and
- upcoming decisions.
Ask each to identify what is included and what costs extra.
Before the next vest, agree:
- Who receives the award schedule and updated income figures.
- Who prepares the tax projection and recommends payment changes.
- Who helps choose the sale amount and checks trading restrictions.
- Who reconciles compensation and stock basis when the return is prepared.
With Nino, you have two options:
- AI software on its own brings account information and financial questions together.
- Financial and tax services add a human CPA and financial planner team that builds your plan, handles tax planning and filing, and helps put decisions into practice.
Compare the relevant services plan with quotes for the same work, including the returns and equity situations it covers.