Financial Advisor and CPA for Pilots
A flat-fee CPA and Financial Planner team that gives you personalized, holistic advice across your taxes and financial plan. We plan your 401(k), state taxes and captain upgrade for a career that ends at 65.
What we handle for pilots
A high W-2 income, large retirement contributions and a fixed last day of flying. This is the work we do with you.
- 01
Your 401(k) and the $72,000 limit
If your airline contributes a share of your pay to the 401(k), that money, your own deferrals and any after-tax contributions share one 2026 limit of $72,000, or 100% of pay if less. Age 50 catch-ups sit on top. See 401(k) limits.
- 02
Pay above $360,000
A qualified plan can count only the first $360,000 of 2026 pay, so a percentage-of-pay contribution stops growing at that point. We check where a senior captain’s pay crosses it and what your contract does with the rest.
- 03
A cash balance plan, if you have one
Some airlines also have a market-based cash balance plan. If yours does, we plan it with your 401(k) as one retirement income and decide how to take it when you stop flying.
- 04
Where your wages are taxed
Federal law lets only two states tax an airline pilot’s pay: your state of residence, and a state where more than 50% of your scheduled flight time for the year falls. Your crew base state usually cannot tax you just because you report there.
- 05
Per diem
Per diem paid under your airline’s accountable plan, up to the federal rate, stays out of your wages. Anything above that rate is taxable on your W-2. Meals and hotels the airline does not reimburse are not deductible on a federal return.
- 06
Profit sharing and retro pay
Profit sharing and retroactive pay from a new contract are often withheld at a flat 22%. If your top bracket is higher, the gap comes due in April. Your CPA adjusts withholding or estimates before it does.
How Nino helps pilots
Your contract sets your pay and retirement contributions, your schedule sets where you fly, and the tax return lands on you. On an Advisor plan your CPA and Financial Planner plan them together, and revisit the plan every quarter.
Book a free consultation-
A plan in your first two weeks
Your financial planner and CPA build a tax and financial plan from your last returns, your pay statements, your 401(k) and any cash balance plan statements, and your household goals, then revisit it every quarter.
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Returns that match the plan
Your CPA prepares and files your federal and state returns, so per diem, profit sharing and a mid-year move land the way they were planned. Nothing is filed until you approve it.
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Your accounts in one view
Nino’s AI software connects your 401(k), bank and investment accounts read-only, so you can ask what the captain raise adds after tax. Unlike traditional wealth managers, Nino never takes control of your investments. You retain full ownership and decision-making authority.
Which decisions shape a pilot’s finances?
Four choices that set what a flying career leaves you with.
What the captain upgrade pays for
Moving from first officer to captain usually brings a large jump in pay. It can push you into a higher bracket and makes a percentage-of-pay 401(k) contribution larger, so the $72,000 limit arrives sooner. Decide what the raise funds before the first paycheck.
Whether after-tax contributions fit
When the airline’s contributions use most of the $72,000 limit, little room is left for after-tax contributions you could convert to Roth. Check the room before you plan on a mega backdoor Roth.
Where to live and commute from
Because a crew base state usually cannot tax you, living in a state with no income tax can end state tax on your airline pay. The move has to be real: your home, your time and your ties. Compare state income taxes.
How to bridge from 65
Airline flying ends at your 65th birthday. Medicare starts at 65, but Social Security’s full retirement age comes later, so we plan which accounts pay for the years between and when to claim.
Pick your plan
Every Advisor plan includes a CPA and Financial Planner team, federal and state tax filing, and our Ultra software.
Essential
- Everything in Ultra software, plus:
- A dedicated CPA and Financial Planner team for you
- Single-filer return, quarterly taxes included
- Retirement & equity planning
- Quarterly advisor access
- Rentals
- 0
- K-1s
- 0
- States
- 1
- Brokerage
- 3
Plus
Most Popular- Everything in Essential, plus:
- A dedicated CPA and Financial Planner team for you and your spouse
- Married filing jointly return, international coverage included
- One coordinated plan for both of you
- Quarterly and ad hoc advisor access
- Rentals
- 2
- K-1s
- 5
- States
- 3
- Brokerage
- 5
Premier
- Everything in Plus, plus:
- Business bookkeeping and tax filings, priced by complexity
- Joint or single return, complex international coverage
- Advanced equity & estate planning
- Priority advisor access
- Rentals
- 5
- K-1s
- 10
- States
- 5
- Brokerage
- 10
Software plans starting from $20 a month
Our AI financial assistant on its own, with a 7-day free trial.
Guides for pilots
Read up on these decisions, or run your own numbers.
401(k) Contribution Limits for 2026
The 2026 employee limit is $24,500. See age-based catch-ups, employer contribution limits, and the Roth catch-up rule.
Read guideMega Backdoor Roth 401(k)
Before you fund a mega backdoor Roth, answer three questions: how much to contribute, when to convert, and whether you have cash on hand for taxes.
Read guideTax Strategies for High-Income W-2 Employees
A W-2 earner can't deduct against wages. The tax levers are payroll forms: the W-4, 401(k) and mega backdoor elections, HSA and FSA picks, equity, and deferred comp.
Read guideBackdoor Roth IRA for High Income
A backdoor Roth stays open at any income. What decides the tax bill is the order of the two steps, the month they happen in, and what else sits in your IRAs.
Read guideBonus Tax Calculator
Compare the 22% federal withholding on a bonus with the tax it actually adds at your brackets, and what you may owe in April.
Open calculatorRetirement Calculator
Estimate retirement income, how long savings could last, and any funding gap.
Open calculator
More people we work with
See how our CPA and Financial Planner team helps people in situations like yours.