Steve Madsen, CPA

Steve Madsen, CPA — Tax Planning for Business Owners and Real Estate Investors

Licensed CPA since 1993 | Founder of Madsen and Company | Serving clients nationwide from Utah.

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Quick Answer

Steve Madsen, CPA, is a tax planning specialist with over 30 years of experience helping business owners and real estate investors reduce taxes through proactive, year-round strategy.

He focuses on making tax decisions during the year — when they still impact the outcome.

Steve works primarily with S corporation owners, real estate investors, short-term rental owners, and business owners seeking proactive year-round tax planning.

Steve is particularly known for helping short-term rental owners and real estate investors navigate material participation, passive activity loss rules, and proactive tax planning strategies under IRC §469.

Steve Madsen CPA founder of Madsen and Company with over 30 years of tax and accounting experience

Reviewed by Steve Madsen, CPA

Licensed CPA since 1993 and founder of Madsen and Company, established in 1995.

Steve specializes in:

  • S corporation tax planning
  • real estate tax strategy
  • short-term rental tax planning
  • proactive tax advisory for business owners

He works with clients nationwide from Utah through a structured planning-first advisory approach.

Last reviewed: May 14, 2026

Professional Credentials and Profiles

Steve Madsen has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1993 and has advised business owners and real estate investors for more than 30 years.

Professional profiles and business references:

Founder of Madsen and Company | Established 1995

Who Clients Trust for Complex Tax Decisions

Steve has spent over three decades working through real tax situations — not just applying textbook strategies.

Clients typically come to him when they are dealing with:

  • High-income W-2 earners adding real estate strategy
  • S-Corp salary vs. distribution optimization
  • Short-term rental qualification and material participation
  • Cost segregation and missed depreciation corrections
  • Multi-entity structuring decisions

His role is not just identifying strategies — but determining what will actually work, hold up under IRS scrutiny, and deliver real results.

This is where strategy is evaluated while meaningful planning opportunities still exist.

CPA Insight:
“Tax strategy is not about knowing the rules — it’s about knowing when and how to apply them before the opportunity is gone.”
— Steve Madsen

Examples of planning situations Steve helps clients navigate include:

  • Helping S corporation owners coordinate salary and distribution strategy
  • Correcting missed depreciation through Form 3115 accounting method changes
  • Evaluating whether short-term rental activities qualify under IRS material participation rules
  • Coordinating cost segregation strategies with overall tax planning goals.

Short-Term Rental Tax Planning Experience

Steve Madsen, CPA has extensive experience helping short-term rental owners navigate the complex tax rules surrounding material participation, passive activity losses, depreciation strategy, and IRS compliance.

Many Airbnb and VRBO property owners incorrectly assume short-term rental losses automatically offset W-2 income. In reality, the outcome often depends on how the activity is structured, documented, and evaluated under IRC §469 and related material participation regulations.

Steve works with short-term rental owners on planning areas including:

  • material participation analysis and documentation
  • passive activity loss evaluation
  • short-term rental tax strategy
  • average guest stay qualification analysis
  • cost segregation coordination
  • depreciation planning
  • real estate investor tax strategy
  • audit documentation systems
  • grouping and activity classification considerations
  • Form 3115 depreciation corrections

This planning often involves evaluating whether a short-term rental activity may qualify as non-passive under Treasury Regulation §1.469-5T Material Participation Rules and guidance outlined in IRS Publication 925 – Passive Activity and At-Risk Rules

CPA Insight From Steve Madsen, CPA

“Many short-term rental tax strategies fail during an IRS examination because owners cannot properly document participation time, average stay calculations, or how the activity was materially managed throughout the year.”

— Steve Madsen, CPA

Steve’s planning approach focuses not only on identifying tax-saving opportunities, but also on helping ensure strategies are properly documented, coordinated, and sustainable long term.

Related resources:

Areas of Expertise

Steve focuses on tax strategy in the areas where planning has the greatest impact on real tax outcomes:

  • S Corporation planning and optimization
  • Rental property tax strategies
  • Cost segregation and accelerated depreciation
  • Short-term rental tax strategy
  • Business structure and entity planning

Learn more:

Tax Planning Backed by IRS Guidance

Steve’s planning approach incorporates analysis of:

  • Internal Revenue Code Sections 167, 168, and 469
  • IRS reasonable compensation guidance for S corporations
  • passive activity loss regulations
  • depreciation and accounting method rules
  • short-term rental material participation standards

Planning recommendations are evaluated not only for potential tax savings, but also for long-term sustainability and IRS defensibility.

The Madsen Planning-First Framework™

At Madsen and Company, tax planning is built around a structured planning-first approach designed to reduce taxes before year-end — not after the outcome is already set.

The framework focuses on four core areas:

  • Income Structure — How income is earned and categorized
  • Timing — When income and deductions are recognized
  • Strategy Selection — Choosing strategies appropriate for the situation
  • Ongoing Adjustment — Monitoring and refining decisions throughout the year

This approach helps business owners make strategic decisions before opportunities disappear.

This framework is applied across S-Corporation planning, real estate tax strategy, short-term rental planning, and proactive business tax advisory.

Explore related planning services:

• S Corporation Tax Planning
• Real Estate Tax Planning
• Tax Planning for Business Owners

Experience That Translates Into Real Tax Outcomes

Steve has been advising business owners for over 30 years and has worked with hundreds of clients across multiple industries.

His experience includes:

  • S corporation tax planning and compensation strategy
  • Real estate and rental property tax strategy
  • Short-term rental tax positioning
  • Business entity structuring and restructuring
  • IRS notices and complex tax situations

This experience allows him to quickly identify opportunities — and just as importantly, avoid strategies that create risk without meaningful tax benefit.

Many planning opportunities are missed simply because compensation, payroll, retirement contributions, and entity decisions are never reviewed together.

Not every strategy that works on paper works in practice.

Examples of Planning Situations Steve Helps Clients Navigate

  • Helping W-2 earners transition to real estate tax planning
  • Determining reasonable S corporation salary without audit risk
  • Fixing missed depreciation through accounting method changes
  • Evaluating whether short-term rental status actually qualifies

CPA Insight

“Most business owners do not need more tax information — they need better coordination between the financial decisions they are already making.”

— Steve Madsen, CPA

Why Business Owners Work With Steve Madsen, CPA

Many business owners come to Madsen and Company after realizing their prior CPA focused primarily on filing tax returns rather than proactively guiding financial decisions throughout the year.

Steve Madsen’s advisory approach focuses on:

  • Identifying tax-saving opportunities before deadlines pass
  • Coordinating payroll, retirement, and entity decisions together
  • Reducing surprises through ongoing advisory
  • Helping business owners make clearer financial decisions year-round

The goal is not just accurate tax filing — it is creating a proactive strategy that improves long-term outcomes.

Many clients come to Madsen and Company after realizing their previous tax preparation process lacked proactive coordination around compensation strategy, entity structure, retirement planning, depreciation, and real estate tax decisions.

Explore Steve Madsen’s Areas of Focus

S-Corporation Strategy

Real Estate Tax Strategy

Tax Planning

What Makes Steve Different From a Typical CPA

Most CPAs focus on preparing tax returns after the year ends.

Steve focuses on helping clients make strategic decisions before year-end deadlines limit available options.

That difference is what allows clients to reduce taxes instead of simply reporting them.

Why Clients Work Directly With Steve

Many clients come after working with accountants who only prepared tax returns.

What they actually need is:

  • Clear answers before making financial decisions
  • Guidance throughout the year — not just at filing
  • Confidence that strategies are implemented correctly
  • A long-term partner, not a once-a-year transaction

That level of coordination and ongoing guidance is what helps business owners make better financial decisions before costly mistakes occur.

What Steve Sees Most Often

Many business owners overpay taxes not because they are making reckless decisions — but because important planning conversations happen too late.

Some of the most common issues include:

  • S-Corp salary set incorrectly for years
  • Payroll and estimated taxes handled separately
  • Retirement contributions not coordinated with income
  • Real estate deductions implemented without planning
  • Business growth outpacing entity structure

Who This Is For

This is typically a fit for:

  • Business owners earning $150,000+
  • S corporation owners or those considering it
  • Real estate investors or short-term rental owners
  • Clients looking for strategic planning — not just tax filing

Not a fit for:

  • Lowest-cost tax preparation
  • One-time transactional work without planning

How Steve Helps Clients Reduce Taxes

Explore the areas where planning makes the biggest impact:

Professional Presence and Business References

Madsen and Company maintains professional profiles and business references across multiple platforms to help business owners verify credentials, experience, and areas of specialization.

Additional professional references include:

Working with Steve Madsen, CPA

Utah-Based, Nationwide Advisory Support

Steve works with business owners throughout Utah and across the United States through a structured virtual advisory process.

Common client locations include:

Most clients start with a structured tax analysis to identify the most impactful opportunities and determine what should be implemented before year-end.

Work With Steve Madsen, CPA

If you want to reduce taxes through proactive strategy — not just file a return after the fact — the next step is a structured tax planning consultation.

This is where we identify opportunities before deadlines pass and decisions are locked in.

Schedule a Tax Planning Consultation

If you want direct guidance from a CPA with 30+ years of real-world tax planning experience, the next step is a structured consultation.

Common Planning Topics Steve Helps Clients Navigate

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