Planning Around San Antonio Lives
Tax planning in San Antonio often starts with a transition: leaving the military, a contract changing hands, a family business passing to the next generation or an inherited mineral interest starting to pay. Texas has no income tax and no estate tax, so the plan focuses on federal income tax, property tax and the timing of big decisions. BOMCAS works with San Antonio families and owners remotely and prepares the figures they and their other advisers need.
The Texas tax planning page covers entity choice and property tax statewide; this one covers military transitions, minerals and family firms in San Antonio.
Leaving the Service
The year a service member separates or retires is usually the most complicated on the federal return. Final pay, leave sold back, separation pay, the start of retired pay and a new civilian salary all fall in one year. Moving TSP savings to an IRA or a new employer's plan, choosing between the traditional and Roth sides, and deciding when to take a VA rating claim forward can all change the tax. We map out the year before the separation date.
Disabled Veteran and Homestead Exemptions
A homeowner rated 100 percent disabled or unemployable by the VA can exempt the full value of their homestead from property tax, and surviving spouses can keep the exemption in many cases. Lower ratings bring partial exemptions on any property. Combined with the general homestead exemption and the 10 percent cap on yearly increases in homestead value, these can change whether it makes sense to buy, which house to buy and when to apply.
Mineral Rights and Family Land
Families with mineral interests in the Eagle Ford or ranch land in the Hill Country face choices between holding, leasing and selling. A lease bonus is ordinary income, while a sale of minerals can be a capital gain. Placing interests in a family partnership or LLC can simplify management and gifting, though it adds a franchise tax report and possibly a partnership return. We compare the options with the family's goals and the income they need.
Growing a Contracting Business
A small business that wins its first large federal contract may move quickly from cash to accrual accounting, need a different entity, and face new payroll and benefit costs. Choosing S corporation status, setting a reasonable owner salary and starting a retirement plan can lower tax as profits rise. When the company outgrows its small business size standard, planning for the sale or for the next stage begins.
Family Businesses and Succession
Many San Antonio companies, from restaurants to construction firms, have been run by the same family for generations. Passing them on can be done through gifts of ownership over time, sales to family members, or a sale to employees. Each has income and gift tax consequences, and Texas community property rules affect who owns what. We work alongside the family's attorney on the tax figures.
Family Ties to Mexico
Families with businesses or property in Mexico and San Antonio need to plan for the U.S. reporting that follows. U.S. residents report worldwide income, foreign accounts and large foreign gifts or inheritances, and a Mexican company owned by a U.S. person can require Form 5471. Planning before money or ownership moves across the border avoids penalties later.
What a Plan Covers
- Income projections for this year and next.
- Retirement savings and owner pay.
- Property tax exemptions and protests.
- Mineral, land and business transfers.
- International reporting needs.
San Antonio Tax Planning Questions
What should I plan before leaving the military?
Final pay, separation pay, retired pay, a new salary and TSP rollovers can all land in one year. Mapping that year in advance helps.
Do 100 percent disabled veterans pay property tax on their homes?
No. Texas exempts the full value of the homestead for veterans rated 100 percent disabled or unemployable.
Is a mineral lease bonus a capital gain?
No. A lease bonus is ordinary income. A sale of the mineral interest itself can be a capital gain.
Is there a Texas estate tax?
No, but federal estate and gift rules and community property still matter in succession planning.
Talk to BOMCAS About Tax Planning in San Antonio
Plans start from current books and filed business and personal returns, and are put into effect through owner pay and the timing of purchases that affect use tax. Resolve unfiled returns first, and review Canada and Mexico rules before money moves abroad. The same subjects across the state are covered on our Texas pages for business taxes, personal returns, sales tax, bookkeeping, payroll, late filing and cross-border work, with a summary in the statewide overview.
Send BOMCAS a short note about your San Antonio business or household and we will come back with next steps and the documents we need for a quote. Reach us through the contact page or the form below, by phone at 780-667-5250 or at info@bomcas.ca. All San Antonio services are on the San Antonio overview. Nothing here is advice for your particular circumstances.