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Patrick OConnor, MAI Profile and Articles
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1). Cost Segregation - Why isn't my CPA already doing this?
Most commercial property owners, even those who use professional accountants, fail to take advantage of cost segregation, a tax mechanism that could generate substantial savings in federal income taxes.
While most accountants are familiar with the approach, some are hesitant to recommend it without a documented analysis of correct depreciation amounts.
2). Appealing Business Personal Property Tax Assessments in Texas
"Collecting more taxes than is necessary is legalized robbery." These words of wisdom, spoken by the 13th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, still ring true in today's society for homeowners and business owners. Robbery may seem like a harsh word, but what would you say if someone tried to sell you one-year-old motel sheets for 90% of the original cost? Based on the appraisal district's depreciation schedule, this is a fair deal.
3). Appraisers lower costs for federal tax savings on small property depreciation
Tax savings through cost segregation is no longer out of reach for investors in small and medium size properties. With appraiser expertise, fees for analysis are often one-third to one-half lower than those charged by traditional preparers.
Several years ago a definitive court case ruled that tangible personal property included in an acquisition or in overall costs should be depreciated as personal property for asset recovery, using the old Investment Tax Credit principles to classify personal property.
4). Summary Regulatory History of Cost Segregation
BACKGROUND
In order to calculate depreciation for Federal income tax purposes, taxpayers must use the correct method and proper recovery period for each asset or property owned. Property often consists of numerous asset types with different recovery periods, which must be separated into individual components or asset groups having the same recovery periods and placed-in-service dates.
5). Texas Apartment Market
All Texas metro markets report current overall occupancies above 90%, with Austin leading the market at 93.39%. The lowest occupancy is found in the Dallas/Fort Worth market at 90.35%. Austin also leads the Texas markets in terms of rental rates, reporting the highest rents at $0.930 per square foot (psf). Average rents in the other metro markets are all below $0.
6). Valuation of Business Personal Property (BPP)
The huge range of assessed value for business personal property (BPP) makes obtaining substantial property tax reductions highly probable. It is not unusual for the range of assessed value for BPP accounts for similar properties to vary by 5,000%! For example, furniture and computers for companies within the same office building sometimes vary from $1 to $50 per square foot.
7). Texas Apartment Market Update – May 2006
Although all major Texas markets posted decreases in average occupancy in May, occupancy remains above 90% in all four, with Austin recording the highest at 93.02%. The lowest occupancy was found in Dallas/Fort Worth at 90.18%.
Austin has the highest average rent per square foot as well, at $0.931 per square foot (psf); Dallas/Fort Worth posted the second highest at $0.
8). Appealing Property Taxes for Apartment Owners
Property taxes are one of the largest line item costs incurred by apartment owners. However, many owners do not appeal effectively. Even though owners realize that property taxes can be managed and reduced through an appeal, some view taxes as an arbitrary estimate provided by the government which can't effectively be appealed. It tends to boil down to the old adage, "You can't fight city hall".
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