TAX PLANNING · RESEARCH & INSIGHTSection 02 of 12 / Define the need
Do-it-yourself game plans
Organise the evidence, scope and delivery before buying a retainer.
Your eight-stage working plan.
Suggested allowances, not surveyed averages or deadlines. Stages can overlap; no fixed start and end dates are supplied.
2. Build the baseline
Finance lead
3. Test the economics
Owner and finance lead
5. Obtain comparable proposals
Finance lead
6. Diligence and contract
Owner, CPA and counsel as needed
7. Implement with review gates
Named workstream owners
Inside this research
Can an owner organise this without paying for a full retainer first?
Yes.
Stage 1 — What decision is still open?
Write: “We need to decide ___ by ___ because ___.” Distinguish an external deadline from an internal preference.
Stage 2 — Which records are actually needed?
Build a secure index rather than emailing a large document pile.
Stage 3 — What is the real cost hurdle?
Create separate worksheets for tax effects, professional costs and liquidity.
Stage 4 — Which engagement is the smallest adequate solution?
Use four routes.
Stage 5 — How do I obtain comparable proposals?
Send a common brief to a small shortlist.
Stage 6 — Who is qualified and who accepts responsibility?
Check individual and firm details, not just a logo.
Stage 7 — How do we turn the plan into completed work?
Use a task register: action, owner, required input, technical reviewer, approval, due date, date source and completion evidence.
Stage 8 — What should the first-year review contain?
At each agreed review compare promised, delivered, pending and cancelled work.
What will doing this ourselves cost?
Internal time, professional review and implementation still have costs.
Frequently asked questions
You can coordinate records and approved tasks, but should not infer eligibility from this roadmap.
Read →Gaps for the next research pass
Review gaps for the next research pass and the supporting evidence.
Read →Research quality assessment
Complete procurement-to-renewal workflow; execution remains dependent on buyer facts and qualified professionals.
Read →Sources
All web sources below were retrieved or found in indexed primary-source results on 3 November 2026.
Read →