Taxes, with a plan.
Personal and business tax returns, bookkeeping, and fractional CFO work for people who want more than a filing. You work directly with me, in English or Spanish, from Chicago or anywhere in the country.
Built for people who run things.
Businesses, the people behind them, families with more going on than a paycheck, and the organizations that serve them.
Individuals and families
Returns that have outgrown do-it-yourself software: equity compensation, rental property, multiple states, trusts, a new business on the side.
Business owners
S corporations, C corporations, LLCs, and partnerships that want clean books, a real tax plan, and a call before the big decisions, not after.
Freelancers and contractors
Self-employed professionals ready to stop overpaying: entity choice, quarterly estimates, and deductions done right.
Nonprofits
Mission-driven organizations that need board-ready financials, budgets, and an annual information return they can stand behind.
Everything your numbers need.
From this year’s return to next year’s plan.
Tax preparation and planning
Personal, business, and trust returns, from a straightforward individual filing to S and C corporations, partnerships, and multistate situations. Every return is prepared with next year in mind, and we plan before year-end, while there is still time to act. If a letter arrives from the IRS or the state, send it over before you respond.
Bookkeeping
Clean, current books in QuickBooks Online, Xero, or the software you already use, reconciled on a regular schedule. If they have fallen behind, I clean them up and bring them current. You always know where you stand, and tax season has fewer surprises.
Fractional CFO
Senior financial leadership without the full-time hire: cash flow, forecasting, budgets, and the reporting your board and lenders expect, on a rhythm that fits your business.
Strategic advisory
Entity structure, S corporation elections, owner compensation, and the big decisions where tax and strategy meet: buying or selling, bringing on a partner, expanding into a new state.
Strategy first. Then the paperwork.
Three steps. The first one is a conversation.
Listen
Every engagement starts with a free consultation: your situation, your goals, and what is not working today.
Plan
You get a clear plan in plain English, and a written engagement letter with the scope and the flat fee before anything starts.
Execute
Returns filed, books kept, and regular check-ins so the plan actually happens.
Boutique by design.
You work directly with the founder, start to finish. No handoffs to a junior preparer, no explaining your situation twice, no waiting on a call center. Senior attention on every return and every set of books, wherever you are.
Se habla español.
Bilingual service in English and Spanish, so your questions get answered in the language you think in.
Meet Shan.
“I don’t just file returns. I build strategy.”
I’m Shan Dass, founder of Life of Accounting. Before starting the firm in 2026, I spent nearly a decade as a tax manager at a Chicago accounting firm, working with business owners and families on their returns and their plans. I started Life of Accounting to put the plan first, all year, not just in April.
- B.S. in Accounting, University of Illinois Chicago
- QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor
- Chicago-based, clients nationwide
Questions, answered.
Getting started
What happens after I reach out?
A conversation first. Then a written engagement letter that spells out the scope and the fee. Nothing starts until you have signed it.
When is the best time to reach out?
Anytime, but the most valuable conversations happen before the year ends, while there is still time to change the outcome. April is for filing, not planning.
Can I switch to you midyear?
Yes. Bookkeeping and advisory can start any month, and I bring the books current from wherever they stand. For tax, the earlier we talk, the more we can plan, but a midyear start still leaves time to adjust estimated payments and withholding before the year ends.
Do you work with clients outside Illinois?
Yes, and many of my clients are. Everything happens through a secure client portal, electronic signatures, and phone or video calls, so where you live does not matter. I prepare returns for clients across the country, including multistate situations.
Do you work in Spanish?
Yes. Every conversation can be in English or Spanish, and I explain every form and letter in the language you prefer.
Fees and billing
Is the consultation really free?
Yes, and it is available year-round, not just during tax season.
What does it cost?
It depends on what is involved. After the consultation you get a flat fee in writing, before any work begins, covering everything in your engagement letter. That is the number you pay, billed on completion. Business and personal returns are separate engagements, so you always know what each one costs.
How do I pay an invoice?
Invoices arrive by email from the client portal once the work is complete, with a link to pay online. You can also sign in anytime and pay under Billing.
Working together
How do we share documents?
Through Canopy, a secure client portal, not email attachments. Your invitation arrives by email from Canopy. After that, you upload from your phone or computer, sign electronically, and everything stays in one place.
What happens after I upload my documents?
I confirm they arrived, review everything, and reach out if anything is missing. For a tax return, you review a draft and get your questions answered before anything is filed, then you sign electronically and I file. The invoice follows once the work is complete.
What is the tax plan, exactly?
A short written summary in plain English that comes out of the consultation or your finished return: the moves worth making before year-end, why they matter, and when to act. Then we check in before the year closes so it actually happens.
I got a letter from the IRS or the state. Can you help?
Yes. Send it over before you respond. Most notices have a deadline and a clear path once someone reads them carefully, and I will walk you through the response.
Do I need to switch accounting software?
No. I work in QuickBooks Online, Xero, and most other platforms. If you are starting fresh, I will recommend what fits before setting anything up.
Do you handle payroll and 1099s?
For 1099s, yes: I prepare and file them at year-end for the contractors you paid. For payroll, I set you up on a payroll service and keep it reconciled in your books, so paychecks, tax deposits, and filings run on schedule.
Let’s talk about your numbers.
Tell me a little about your situation and I’ll set up a time to talk. Consultations are free, year-round.
Prefer email?
shan@lifeofaccounting.com