Advisor Success Stories: Getting Charitable with Melissa Joy of Pearl Planning

Explore how Pearl Planning saved one charitably inclined client $6,000 in one year using Holistiplan’s tax return analysis tools.

Melissa Joy founded Pearl Planning with the idea that – just as a grain of sand can grow into a precious pearl – a little hard work and consistency can make financial dreams come true. 

That’s why Holisitplan’s tax planning tools were a must-have for her team as they combined financial plans and tax strategies to create fully optimized results for their clients. 

“​​This year at our firm, we are asking each of our clients to send a copy of their tax return,” Joy explains. “The purpose is for us to understand what’s going on with their taxes, to do some tax planning for this year, and also have confirmation that the things that they had planned for last year actually occurred when it came to their tax filing.”

Holistiplan’s Tax Analysis Tools Take Action

Joy remembers one particular instance in recent months that Holistiplan saved a client upwards of $6,000 – all through a simple push of a button. 

“The very first return that I uploaded was for a client who is very charitably inclined,” she explains. “We made a big gift to their donor advised fund (DAF) with appreciated stock last year, and the first thing I noticed was that they had a standard deduction when we had intended for them to itemize using both their donor advised gift as well as their state and local tax deductions, giving them a tax break.”

Joy’s team immediately alerted the client of the tax return error, who then worked with his tax preparer to remedy the situation. The result: nearly $6,000 in money coming back to the client at tax time. 

“It was a big “aha” breath of fresh air for the client to be able to receive extra money back when it came to their taxes.”

Click “play” above to learn more about Melissa Joy’s experience with Holistiplan, and be sure to check out our other advisor videos. 

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