CPA in Austin, TX — remote tax preparation from a Washington-licensed CPA.

Austin's startup and tech scene overlaps heavily with the kind of company that qualifies for the federal R&D tax credit's payroll-tax offset. A Qualified Small Business — generally under $5 million in current-year gross receipts, with no gross receipts more than five years back — can apply the credit against up to $500,000 a year of payroll tax, for up to five years, with a $2.5 million lifetime cap. See our startup accounting section for the full mechanics.

If you moved to Austin from California, New York, or another higher-tax state, the federal side of your return doesn't change at all — federal brackets, credits, and rules are the same nationwide. What changes is purely at the state level, and the transition year matters: a part-year or dual-state filing in the year you moved is a real, specific return, not just "file in Texas now." Getting the move-year return right is worth more attention than most people give it.

Texas has no state income tax, which means self-employed and 1099 Austin residents keep more of every dollar at the state level — but federal self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare, 15.3% combined on net earnings up to the wage base) applies exactly the same as anywhere else in the country. "No state income tax" is not the same as "no tax," and quarterly federal estimated payments still matter just as much here as anywhere.

Texas does not levy a personal income tax, so unlike most of our national city pages, there's no state income tax return to coordinate for individuals. Texas businesses do file a state franchise (margin) tax return, which we handle as part of a full engagement — but the tax planning depth on this page is intentionally federal, since our license is Washington-issued, not Texas-issued.