Archive for the ‘ETS News’ Category

Washington, DC – November 1, 2009 

Julio Gonzalez, CEO for Engineered Tax Services, will be the keynote speaker at the World Energy Engineering Congress in Washington, DC on November 4. The WEEC Congress conference will address issues surrounding new energy technologies, as well as regulatory, economic and industrial trends of the energy field.

Mr. Gonzalez, will be speaking on Wednesday, November 4^th at 4 pm regarding the extension of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by Congress and how to gain significant tax incentives from energy efficient commercial buildings that qualify.

About Engineered Tax Services – Engineered Tax Services is a nationally-licensed engineering firm with professionally staffed engineers who marry the science of engineering with the principles of tax and accounting to arrive at financial solutions that result in increased cash flow, minimized tax payments and increased return on investment.  ETS specializes in providing a wide spectrum of engineered accounting solutions such as energy tax credits, cost segregation studies, energy audits, carbon footprint certification and insurance appraisals.

 To contact Engineered Tax Services, please call 1-800-236-6519 or email info@engineeredtaxservices.com

For Immediate Release – October 26, 2009, Palm Beach, Florida

Engineered Tax Services is pleased to announce that Mr. Joel Ackerman, CPA has joined us as our Director for the North East. Joel is a CPA and has a Masters Degree in Tax from C.W. Post.  He is active in the local CPA community, and is on the Board of Directors for the Suffolk County chapter of the NY Society of CPAs. He has over 16 years of experience as a CPA in major regional firms.

ETS is a licensed engineering firm staffed with professionals who marry the science of engineering with the principles of tax and accounting to arrive at financial solutions that result in increased cash flow, minimized tax payments and increased return on investment. These IRS-sanctioned services include Energy Tax Credits, Energy Policy Act Certifications, Energy Audits and Carbon Audits. Our attention to detail is second to none. We meticulously follow IRS guidelines and go beyond the standards required. Our procedures, processes and final work product set the benchmarks that others strive to reach.  We look forward to working with you.

For more information, you may contact info@engineeredtaxservices.com or 1800-236-6519

Learn……..

We guarantee it will be time well spent.

PLEASE RSVP TODAY BY CALLING (203) 847-4068. CALL NOW.    SEATING IS LIMITED. FREE COFFEE AND BAGELS WILL BE SERVED.

On June 22nd, Julio Gonzalez from Engineered Tax Services will be appearing on air with Green Talk Radio to discuss the many benefits that advanced tax strategies can offer to energy efficient design and construction.  Mr. Gonzalez is a pioneer in the tax energy field; he’s devoted to the conservation of resources and Green Building Environment.  Mr. Gonzalez is committed to educating the CPA, Financial Advisor, and Real Estate Investor community on engineered accounting services and the related tax consequences of these services. He speaks nationally on cost segregation studies, green construction and the emerging energy tax programs for organizations such as: World Energy Engineering Conference, Florida Institute of CPAs, California Distance Learning Foundation, and has been published nationally in many CPA and Real Estate Investment Publications.

Energy Tax Benefits for Commercial Properties to be Focus of Seminar March 18 in Fort Lauderdale

Energy tax benefits that are important to commercial building owners, real estate investors, tenants, architects, engineers, contractors, property management companies and accountants – including some very valuable ones that must be instituted before April 15 – will be the subject of a special seminar Wednesday, March 18 from 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at The Tower Club, One Financial Plaza in Fort Lauderdale.

Ten local businesses have joined forces to present the seminar as a service to the local real estate and building community. In addition to promoting energy efficiency, they want to help the area’s commercial real estate industry understand what the new tax laws offer so they can reap the maximum tax benefits for energy-efficient building design, construction, upgrades and renovations.

The cost to attend “Understanding and Taking Advantage of the IRS Energy Tax Benefits – Go Green and Get Green ($1.80/sf),” is only $15 per person, and includes a continental breakfast. Space is limited. Reservations may be made by contacting Jennifer Reck of Danto Builders at (954) 229-2006 or Jennifer@dantobuilders.com by March 11.

Congress has already extended valuable energy tax benefits through 2013, and it may increase them from $1.80 per square foot to $3 per square foot later this year. The seminar will cover what these tax benefits are, who they affect, and how to go about achieving them and then applying for them. The seminar is especially vital for anyone involved in any energy-efficient construction that was completed in 2006, because they must complete an energy tax certification before their 2008 tax filings or the tax benefits they would have gained for 2006 may be lost forever. Energy tax benefits can be carried forward 15 years.

“The most often overlooked tax benefit relative to the Energy Policy Act extension is the tax benefits construed for commercial building owners,” said Julio Gonzalez, chief executive officer of Engineered Tax Services, the seminar’s keynote speaker. “Real estate investors can now reduce the payback period in investing in energy-efficient components with the added benefit of deducting up to the entire expense of these assets immediately, versus depreciating these assets over 39 years. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 includes a tax deduction for investments in energy-efficient commercial building property designed to significantly reduce the heating, cooling, water heating, and interior lighting energy costs. To be eligible, the energy-efficient commercial building property must be placed in service between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2013.”

The certification process, five alternative ways a building may qualify for the energy tax benefits and a host of other related topics will be covered at the seminar, including public utility rebates and insurance savings for these same energy-efficient upgrades and construction.

“Contractors, architects and engineers who are the primary individuals responsible for the energy-efficient design of public buildings like public schools will be thrilled to learn that a hidden gem within the Energy Policy Act is that Congress allows the deduction to be allocated to the ‘person primarily’ responsible for designing the property, in lieu of the public entity,” Gonzalez said.

Representatives of the other companies hosting the seminar – Danto Builders & Companies, Spinnaker Group, Logical Green, JMWA Architects, All Energy Electric, Hill York, Levy Realty Advisors, Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant and Seitlin Insurance & Advisory Services – will answer questions following Gonzalez’s presentation. FPL representatives for the energy-efficient commercial rebate programs will also be available to answer questions.

For more information:
Debbie Danto, Danto Builders
Tel.: (954) 229-2006
E-mail: ddanto@dantobuilders.com

Engineered Tax Services is Dedicated to the Charities of the CPA Community.

Engineered Tax Services (ETS) will be running on April 15th to raise funds for minority scholarships. ETS is proud to be one of the majority sponsors this year for the Annual FICPA 1040 K run promoted by the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

This year, the 1040K Run/Walk will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. Since its inception in 1990, the 1040K Run/Walk has been held in beautiful Coconut Grove and has attracted hundreds of runners each year. Proceeds from the event are awarded to African-American accounting students in South Florida in memory of Lewis Davis, Miami-Dade County’s first African-American CPA, community leader, and co-founder of the Greater Miami-South Florida Chapter – National Association of Black Accountants, Inc.

This event has tremendous local support and has become a great experience for families and co-workers to get together for fun and exercise while contributing to a very worthy cause. This year the fees and donations will benefit the FICPA Educational Foundation and the Minority Summer Residency Program, who will award scholarships to some of the best and brightest minority accounting students in South Florida.

Leslie G. Gonzalez MA, RD, LD/N, ADS, Director of Corporate Wellness, for ETS feels that health and supporting the community are two of the biggest keys to good health. “As a dietitian for 20 years, I clearly see the importance in giving back to your community and the direct relation it has to making people feel good which in turn promotes better health.” Leslie will also be training the ETS staff to actually run and finish the 10k event on April 15th. Leslie recently completed her 55th marathon but she adds, “It is really special when you can do something you enjoy which in turn raises money for such a worthwhile cause. Every year we have been financial supporters of the FICPA with a variety of sponsorships and this year we wanted to up the ante and add this 1040K sponsorship to our long term support and commitment to the FICPA and its charitable endeavors.”

Ken Strauss of Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant CPAs is the chairman for this event and originally reached out to ETS CEO, Julio Gonzalez, about sponsoring the event. “I was very excited to learn about this charity event from Ken and it was really our pleasure to sponsor such a wonderful event that reaches out to the minority students and help them with scholarships to extend their education,” stated Julio Gonzalez. Julio Gonzalez was recently named Hispanic CEO of 2008 by the National Hispanic Institute of Business Professionals. This honor was bestowed on Julio for his entrepreneurial accomplishments for ETS, his efforts in the promotion of energy conservation, his dedicated support of minority programs including INROADS and contributions to the National Park Trust Foundation, National Kidney Association and contributions to the FICPA.

For more information about the registering for the FICPA race or sponsorship opportunities, contact Jason Zaborske at (800) 342-3197 ext. 417 or e-mail edfound@ficpa.org.

Engineered Tax Services is proud to announce that we will be taking part in the Austin Energy Green Building Seminar Series.  Julio Gonzalez, CEO and Founder of Engineered Tax Services, will present “Show Me The Green: Tax Deductions and Rebates for Energy Efficient Buildings.”  Austin Energy Green Building™ holds its lunchtime seminars at the LCRA Dalchau Service Center, 3505 Montopolis Drive. We meet in Building A, Rooms 504 and 505, also called the Large Safety Conference Room. There is a small café in the building and vending machines and water are available. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Date: Friday, February 27, 2009

Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Topic: Show Me The Green: Tax Deductions and Rebates for Energy Efficient Buildings

Location: LCRA Dalchau Service Center

Description: Learn from an industry expert how to take advantage of the often untapped financial benefits for energy efficient designs and retrofits. The “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008” extended tax credits and deductions available through the 2005 Energy Policy Act for energy efficient homes and buildings.

This seminar will cover the tax credits available to home builders for new energy efficient homes that achieve 50% energy savings for heating and cooling over the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and supplements. At least 1/5 of the energy savings must come from building envelope improvements. This credit also applies to contractors of manufactured homes.

Owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings also are eligible for tax deductions if the building saves at least 50% of heating and cooling energy when compared to a building meeting ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001. Partial deductions are available for measures affecting any one of three building systems: the building envelope, lighting, or heating and cooling systems.

You may want to bring your accountant!

Presenter: Julio P. Gonzalez is the CEO and Founder of Engineered Tax Services, Inc. Mr. Gonzalez, a pioneer in the energy tax field, speaks nationally on green and LEED building engineering and R & D credits, cost segregation studies, green construction and the emerging energy tax programs and has been published nationally in many CPA and real estate investment publications.

Who may attend: Seminars are open to all building professionals and all Austin Energy and City of Austin personnel. Learning Unit and Continuing Education credits are available for American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Texas Institute of Building Design (TIBD) members.

Advance registration or RSVP is not required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more about Austin Energy Green Building seminars, call (512) 482-5300.

Engineered Tax Services today announced a fundamental commitment to protect the environment by becoming an ENERGY STAR partner. Engineered Tax Services, through its voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, will work to improve energy efficiency and fight global warming.  Engineered Tax Services believes that a strategic, corporate energy management program will help us and our CPA clients to enhance our combined financial health and aid in preserving the environment for future generations.

“Engineered Tax  Services has worked hard educating the Accounting Public on the importance of the tax incentives needed to spur energy efficiency and renewable energy in the United States and I’m very proud that Engineered Tax Services has partnered with the Energy Star Program to been in the forefront in promoting energy efficient tax programs” added Julio Gonzalez.

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, Engineered Tax Services will:

• Educate CPA firms on the important tax benefits available to their clients for going Green.
• Measure and track the energy performance of our organization’s facilities where possible by using tools such as those offered through ENERGY STAR;
• Develop and implement a plan consistent with the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings;
• Help spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency to our staff and community;
• Support the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a national call-to-action for CPAs to help improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more;
• Highlight the achievements within the CPA community with recognition offered through ENERGY STAR.

“Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility – and today I’m pleased Engineered Tax Services is taking this motto to heart,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.  “By making smart energy choices, Engineered Tax Services is helping improve our nation’s energy and environmental outlook.”

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2007, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES.

President Signs and Extends Renewable Energy Tax Incentives

Valuable energy tax benefits that were scheduled to expire this year have recently been extended through 2013.

(United States – November 4, 2008) Valuable energy tax benefits that were scheduled to expire this year have recently been extended through 2013. As a result, substantial opportunities continue to await commercial building owners, real estate investors, architects and contractors who understand and know how to take advantage of these tax benefits.

“Congress approved, and the President has now signed into law, a measure that will help keep energy efficient commercial building, emerging wind, solar and geothermal industries in business.  This is a major and the most significant legislation approved by Congress this year to help address the energy issues in the United States” stated Julio Gonzalez, CEO of Engineered Tax Services. “Engineered Tax Services has worked hard educating the American Public on the importance of these much-needed tax incentives that enable energy efficiency and renewable energy in the United States and I’m very proud that Engineered Tax Services has been at the forefront in promoting energy efficient tax programs” added Julio Gonzalez.

The extension of the energy provisions, based upon legislation introduced by Senators Snowe and Feinstein, provides an estimated $1.779 billion in incentives for energy-efficient buildings. Critical components of the extension include the following incentives:

1. Renews critical tax credits for energy-efficient upgrades for existing homes, such as air conditioning and insulation.
2. Extends a tax credit for energy efficient new homes up to $2,000.
3. Extends for five years a landmark energy efficient commercial building deduction.
4. Provides eight years of tax stability to the solar industry.
5. Extends the 30 percent investment tax credit for solar energy property and qualified fuel cell property until 2016.  This will provide long-term stability to the solar and fuel cell industries in California. With this in place, large-scale solar projects will move forward. Extends the credit for residential solar property for eight years through 2016, and removes the (currently $2,000) for solar electric investments.

The most often overlooked tax benefit relative to The Energy Policy Act extension is the tax benefits construed for the commercial building owners. Real estate investors can now reduce the payback period in investing in energy-efficient components with the added benefit of deducting up to the entire expense of these assets immediately versus depreciating these assets over 39 years. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 includes a tax deduction for investments in “energy-efficient commercial building property” designed to significantly reduce the heating, cooling, water heating, and interior lighting energy cost of new or existing commercial buildings. To be eligible, the energy-efficient commercial building property must be placed in service between January 1, 2006 and December 31st, 2013.

To qualify for the full deduction, a building owner or tenant must make investments designed to reduce energy costs by 50% or more. A partial deduction of $0.60 per square foot is available for investments in one of three systems-lighting; heating and cooling; or building envelope- designed to reduce energy costs by 16 and 2/3% (i.e., one-third of the 50% requirement).  These tax deductions reduce the real estate investors overall taxable income with the value of the deduction dependent on their tax bracket.

There are five alternative ways a building may qualify. Before a taxpayer may claim the section 179D deduction with respect to property installed on or in a commercial building, the taxpayer must obtain a certification with respect to the property by an independent licensed engineering firm. The certification must be provided by a qualified individual and satisfy the requirements of section 179D(c)(1). The five alternative ways to qualify a building are listed below:

1. The whole building may qualify for up to $1.80 per square foot; or
2. Lighting systems; or
3. HVAC/water heating; or
4. Building envelope may each qualify for up to a $0.60 per square foot deduction for their contribution to the 50 percent savings (defined by the Internal Revenue Service as 16 2/3% whole buildings savings); or
5. Lighting may receive an up to a $0.30 to $0.60 deduction for reductions in lighting power density from ASHRAE 90.1-2001 tabular values of 25 percent to 40 percent respectively, with linear interpolation between 25 and 40 percent.

An even more hidden gem within the Energy Policy Act is the fact that for energy-efficient commercial building property expenditures made by a public entity, such as public schools, Congress allows the deduction to be allocated to the “person primarily” responsible for designing the property in lieu of the public entity. Simply put, the 179D provision also benefits the contractors, architects or engineers who are the primary individuals responsible the energy efficiency design of public buildings.

These benefits made available by Congress were passed to encourage property owners to build energy efficient real estate properties and give them incentive to reduce energy consumption. As energy prices continue to escalate, the timing of the extension of the act could not be better for property owners and investors constructing new properties to take advantage of substantial tax benefits which will in turn promote a reduction in energy consumption and contribute to a more green community.

Engineered Tax Services is a licensed engineering firm and the premier firm in the United States at marrying the science of energy engineering with the principles of tax and accounting. ETS provides IRS sanctioned services to include engineered based Cost Segregation Studies, Energy Tax Credits, Research & Development Credits, Insurance Replacement Appraisals and Property Tax Appeals.

For more information regarding this press release, please feel free to contact Engineered Tax Services at 800-236-6519 or visit their website at www.engineeredtaxservices.com.

Many people thought the 2005 Energy Tax Credits were going to expire this year, but the bailout plan extended them to 2013. As a result, substantial opportunities continue to await clients of those CPAs who understand how to take advantage of these tax benefits. The California Society for CPAs will conduct a webinar in conjunction with Engineered Tax Services on November 06, 2008 from 11:00am – 1:00pm PST (Registration at 11:00am) to educate members on the significance these benefits can have in terms of tax savings for their clients.

In a state like California, where sustainability and conserving energy is such an important part of doing business, any CPA who knows how to identify these opportunities will be at a decidedly competitive advantage. Julio Gonzalez, CEO of Engineered Tax Services, Inc., is an expert on the Energy Tax Credit Act and will guide webcast participants through the intricacies of the law. After the webcast, participants will assume a stronger role when working with contractors and property owners as they gain the maximum tax benefits for their clients.

“This month Congress approved, and the President has now signed into law, a measure that will help keep America’s energy efficient commercial building, emerging wind, solar and geothermal industries in business. This is a major and most significant legislation approved by Congress this year to help address the energy conservation issues in the United States” stated Julio Gonzalez, CEO of Engineered Tax Services. “Engineered Tax Services is excited to work with the California Society of CPAs to provide an educational course that discusses the crux of these important tax incentive programs needed to spur energy efficiency and renewable energy in the United States and I’m very proud that Engineered Tax Services has been at the forefront in educating the CPA community on these energy efficient tax programs” added Julio Gonzalez.

This webcast is free to qualifying California Society 08-09 VP members.