Medical / Healthcare – GMG Savings

The Great Shock of April 15th

This tax season I encountered a record number of business owners that were outright shocked to find out how much they owed for 2014 taxes. There are a few common questions I keep hearing.

#1 – How Did I End Up Owing Money?

There are four key areas that contributed this year to so many companies owing:

Surprise Profitability
The last several years have been decent if you’re lucky but dismal for most. This caused most companies to pull back on quarterly tax prepayments, or often eliminate them altogether.
2014 Was Better Than Expected
There is no question that 2014 started an upswing that is continuing to get stronger with each passing quarter (even for those companies have yet to feel the impact of that upswing). Once income began to flow again, many businesses were forced to make capital investments that were years overdue. This means that although 2014 was in fact more profitable, it wasn’t “felt” by many Owners. Not all investments may be written off in the current year. Even if the bank account hasn’t recovered, the P&L sheets have and additionally the IRS considers many to be profitable and out of AMT. Even if the bank accounts don’t reflect the same.
Tax Breaks Disappeared
Without many major tax breaks that companies have not only come to enjoy, but have come to count on, many are finding themselves with unexpected increases to their tax liabilities.
Tax Rates Increasing
Tax rates have increased, for example; the recent Personal Limit increase to 40% and Capital Gains increasing from 15% – 25%.

#2 – Why Didn’t My CPA Warn Me?

Many owners are left wondering:

Did my CPA let me down?
Why didn’t they prepare me for this?

The reality is, your CPA only knows the information you provide to them And for most of us business Owners we don’t do our CPAs any favors. As Owners we know this, and if we are honest we’ll admit that we just don’t take the time necessary to discuss an overall tax strategy with our CPA.

Yesterday I spoke with one CPA that was completely unaware that their Client had purchased an additional building (over $2M in cost), and another CPA that upon delivery of our Cost Segregation report didn’t understand where we got our figures from only to find out the Client spent over $300K in renovations last year that they failed to tell the CPA about.

Most business Owners are guilty of … running their business. As business Owners, we make decisions today that are good for our company and good for our bottom line, with little to no regard of how it affects our tax strategy (and it usually wouldn’t cross our minds to call our CPA in the middle of summer to review something for next April).

#3 – What Can I Do About It?

Step #1 for most business Owners I’ve talked to is:

Pound their fist on the desk angrily while complaining about the government
When that ceases to provide relief move on to the below Step 2

Step #2 (True Step #1)

For some business Owners, you bit the bullet and made a payment yesterday, for others you either filed extensions or simply filed without making a payment and are going to wait for the dreaded IRS bills to arrive.

In either instance, the good news is that just because tax day has come and gone doesn’t mean your numbers are written in stone. There is over $200B in Federal Tax Incentives allocated to small and mid sized businesses to help offset your liability.

We’ve developed a simple online tool for business owners to check in 30 seconds if you qualify for any Federal Programs.

Click here to find out in 30 Seconds if you qualify for any Federal Tax Incentives.

The #1 Lie About Cost Segregation

Cost Segregation on Older Buildings?

It is impossible for me to calculate the number of calls I’ve had with building owners and CPAs on the subject of Cost Segregation. Working some numbers in my head (ok, on my calculator), the number is likely well over 10,000. Out of all those calls there is one particular item that continues to rear its ugly, uninformed head and I can no longer stay silent. I must respond… with vigor!

The “item” in question comes in the form of the following quote, which I’ve heard too often to count:

“You can only do Cost Segregation on a new building or new renovation.”

I have no idea where this rumor started. I hear it weekly and now I am blogging in rebuttal.

First, I will say an unequivocal “Yes”, it is beneficial to have a Cost Segregation study done when you purchase/construct/renovate a new building. In fact, anyone constructing or renovating a commercial property should have a study completed. However, the true power of Cost Segregation is displayed on buildings that are not new!

“But, you can only do Cost Segregation on a new building or new renovation”.

To officially rebut this statement, I will go straight to the source. The first sentence in the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide – Chapter 6.2 reads:

[box style=”2″][googlefont font=”Sanchez” size=”16px”]”A taxpayer may conduct a cost segregation study on used property and then recompute its depreciation deductions for prior years”. *[/googlefont][/box]

Not only “may” a taxpayer do this but over 75% of our projects are older properties. In the industry we call this the “Catch Up” method, and it can produce powerful results.

Here is an example:

Mr. Client acquires a commercial property for $3,500,000 five years ago and never completed a Cost Segregation Study.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Mr. Client recognizes he may now have an opportunity to benefit from a study (maybe he read this blog post).

Mr. Client hires an expert (GMG for example), who identifies 20% ($700,000) of components that should have been allocated to 5-year life instead of 39 years. Mr. Client jumps for joy when he realizes the IRS will allow him to “catch up” $700,000 of missed accelerated depreciation on his next tax return!

Why doesn’t every building owner and CPA know this?

The answer is simple; it is not their area of expertise. Although some building owners and CPAs have substantial experience with Cost Segregation, most do not. There is a dearth of true educators in this field, which unfortunately leads to much misinformation. These factors have caused countless thousands of building owners to miss out on this powerful tax savings strategy.

All is not lost!

If you own a building and have not had a Cost Segregation study performed, you have not missed the boat. Hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars in tax savings may be available to you. Now that you are aware, let’s see how much you qualify for! Contact Us today for more information.

* Full Link: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Cost-Segregation-ATG-Chapter-6-2-Change-in-Accounting-Method

Four Reasons Why Medical Practitioners Should NOT Own Commercial Property

Specialized Tax Incentives for the Medical & Health Care Industry

If you have yet to hear; Local, State, and Federal Governments have been feverishly enacting numerous incentives to help stimulate business economies. Due to the high tax brackets of most medical practitioners, these incentives are now an essential part of the tax planning process. If you haven’t had a thorough review of your qualifications for incentives, keep reading.

How Much Money is Available?
The average available benefit for a small practice with their own building is $160,000.

Who Qualifies?
The following is a list of common qualified practitioners:

Physicians
Dentists & Orthodontists
Dermatology & Skin Care
Vision & Eye Care
General Practicioners
Surgeons
Therapists
Medical Imaging

How Do I Qualify?
You may qualify if you meet any of the following:

Own Commercial Property
Directly Employ U.S. Staff
Pay Real or Personal Property Tax
Pay State or Federal Income Tax
Perform Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Upgraded Equipment Purchases

How Do I Learn More?
If you would like a thorough analysis of incentive dollars available for you, please contact us today.

Flint Journal: Company Helping Find Stimulus Money, Tax Breaks for Local Businesses

FLINT, Michigan — A Flint company that helps local businesses qualify for government stimulus money is doing so well that it plans to hire about 100 employees in the next year.

Growth Management Group managing partner Ryan Maddock said the company, at G-3490 Miller Road, directs businesses to stimulus act provisions that have secured an average of $200,000 for establishments in Genesee County.

Rowe Professional Services Company is one company that has benefitted. Rowe Controller Douglas Kline said his company claimed tax breaks on its building, at 540 S. Saginaw St., provided through a cost segregation plan that “takes this big monster of a building and breaks it down into components.”

Depreciation on the building has been calculated and the company receives lower tax bills for years to come, Kline said. He could not provide specific figures on tax breaks for the $23 million project, calling the breaks “beneficial.”

Growth Management Group also found tax breaks during a research and development study for Rowe. Kline said tax law changes in 2009 allowed the company to refile its tax returns for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and it will do so for the 2010 tax year for some “very significant tax credits” on federal income tax returns.

The management group has worked “hand-in-hand” with Rowe’s accounting firm, and Kline said the business has been “really pleased with the results.”

Maddock said several of the breaks come through three main stimulus plans, including the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, which allows an employer to take a tax credit of up to $1,000 per worker hired between Feb. 3, 2010, and Jan. 1, 2011. The act also offers up to $250,000 for small businesses to write off equipment investments.

The Small Business Jobs Act has allowed more than 1 million companies to receive stimulus money, the biggest stimulus expansion since 1981, said Maddock, who pointed out that a stimulus act of some kind has been done every year in Michigan and nationwide since the early 1980s.

The SBJA, providing eight tax cuts and $30 billion in small-business lending, applies only to businesses that have $50 million or less in annual sales. Companies can apply for funds retroactively back to 2007.

A commercial property owner’s benefit is open to anyone who purchases a commercial property for $650,000 or up, or has done at least $250,000 in renovations within the past 20 years.

Lawrence Moon Funeral homes, with locations in Saginaw, Flint and Pontiac, has received such money. One of the misconceptions people have about the money, Maddock said, is that the benefits come “with a lot of strings attached.”

Business is going so well for Growth Management Group that it will move to the former Diplomat Pharmacy headquarters at the corner of Corunna and Elms roads in the next 45 days, Maddock said.

He said he hopes to add more than 100 Flint-area employees at the new location in the next 12 months, with positions in sales, customer service, law and engineering. Pay will range by position and experience.

Growth Management Group does charge for its services, between 10 and 33 percent of the benefit garnered. And while the funding is referred to as stimulus, Maddock said the laws are giving back to those who have invested in the community.

“This is a reward for work that you’ve already done,” Maddock said. “You are honestly getting some of your own money back.”

The above article was reposted from The Flint Journal.
Original Article By: Roberto Acosta

Who Qualifies for Tax Incentives and Stimulus Money?

We hear a lot about stimulus money these days. We hear who is getting it and what kind of positive things it is doing for the nation. Those stimulus dollars, however, should be working to benefit more local, small to mid-sized businesses. If you fall into this category, your money is likely going to someone else’s business; potentially your competition.

Wading through government forms, even on the simplest level, can be aggravating and time consuming. The idea of ‘free money’ from the government can also be a very scary prospect for skeptical investors and business owners. But there are people out there who have spent a great deal of time learning how these programs work to provide businesses with opportunities that can be extremely beneficial.

Ryan Maddock and Jeremy Harrison of Growth Management Group (GMG) lead a small but growing team of dedicated, positive and knowledgeable staff members that help business owners bridge the daunting gap between not having stimulus money and having it. These funds are not the same as grants which typically need to be used for ultra-specific purposes. Stimulus money can, in many cases, be used as discretionary funds. This frees up the business owner to use the funds as his or her vision sees fit whether it is for new software, equipment, tax offsets, etc. Manufacturing firms in the area, businesses in other states, hotels, restaurants such as Leo’s Coney Island and even Lawrence Moon Funeral Home have capitalized on stimulus money through GMG’s services.

There are currently four programs in full swing for a variety of businesses; manufacturing across the U.S. and in some cases Canada, commercial property owners who have purchased their property within the last twenty years, the HIRE act which pays employers that hire 25 new employees a year (that includes turnaround) and energy credits/energy incentives which is a program that will probably evolve further. Currently the Obama administration has set aside 60 billion dollars for renewable energy. While these programs do have other stipulations and guidelines, GMG has been successfully wading through paperwork for clients in 38 states. Ryan pointed out that stimulus funds have been around since the 1980’s. These programs usually morph into new programs over time and they’re not going anywhere.

If you’re wondering why you’ve not heard much about the eligibility for these funds that is simple to explain; the federal government isn’t always that great at advertising and marketing. As a result, ninety-two percent of companies that qualified for these funds last year didn’t access them and the eight percent that did, were larger companies who tend to have an easier time accessing these sorts of programs

Staying on top of the changes in federal programs is crucial to the success of the service offered by GMG. Fees are based on a percentage of funds obtained, not a flat or hourly rate which business owners have to come out of pocket for. And in many instances, the funds can be applied retroactively from as far back as 2006.

Worried about how your CPA feels about these “too good to be true” stimulus dollars? GMG works with local CPA firms so they understand the hesitancy that comes along with these types of government programs and are able to alleviate those fears. Do you feel a sense of malaise when it comes to paying taxes? There’s good news for you too. Since stimulus funds are made up of tax dollars, this might be your chance to cash in on all the money you’ve doled out over the years to upgrade your business.

See Full Article as Featured in Downtown Revival Magazine. Click Here

The Medical Industry and Tax Credits

What if you were told that you as a Health Care Provider could receive funds for medical equipment, devices, computers, furniture, and other office or medical equipment? You would ask, “How?’. It is a simple process of taking advantage of tax incentives and credits made available specifically to your industry.

The most immediate reply to this statement is, “If it is that simple, why have I not heard about this before?”. Simply put, tax incentives and credits are confusing and most CPA’s are unable to fully capture the available incentives and credits for their clients.

Successful health care providers, from individual practices to large entities, are constantly faced with the decision of when and how to invest in their own businesses. The most important factor being, the total cost of the investment, including the potential tax benefits.

Tax Incentives / Credits Every Medical Facility Owner Should Consider

Cost Segregation
Section 179 D
Property Tax
Historical Tax Credits
Section 45L Tax Credit
R&D Tax Credits
Hiring Tax Credits

This is just a short list of possible tax incentives and credits available to Health Care Providers. The easiest way to determine if your organization would qualify for tax incentives or credits is to ask an expert.

Medical Offices Qualify for over $200K in Tax Incentives On Average

Medical offices of all types are excellent candidates for a Cost Segregation study. This is due to the fact that most medical facilities contain extensive amounts of cabinetry and counter-tops throughout their buildings. In addition, most medical facilities have a high number of dedicated electrical and plumbing work supplying both the medical and office equipment. This could include but would not be limited to: water lines, gas lines and compressed air lines. They also normally include extensive data communications systems, intercom systems and sound or video system which ALL qualify for accelerated depreciation. This list does not even touch on outdoor excavation work that would qualify.

The very best method for identifying qualified property is the use of a cost segregation study provided via an engineer working in conjunction with your CPA to identify and classify all qualified property.

GMG has worked with many medical facilities to uncover tax incentives and credits that allowed their offices to expand, hire additional staff and reinvest in their practices. Your facility should be taking advantage of the potential money that is available for them today.

Local Flint Businesses Teaming Up To Stimulate Flint Economy

Flint based organization, Growth Management Group, LLC (GMG) is proud to announce they are teaming with Insight Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience (IINN) to perform a stimulus review allowing both organizations to continue moving towards their combined goal of transforming Flint’s economic state.

GMG’s Total Savings Review will focus on stimulus incentives in the areas of Research & Development, Commercial Property and Hiring. Although it is too early to determine final benefits, GMG anticipates procuring IINN a NET tax benefit of over $1,500,000 over the next five years.

GMG National Director of Sales, Jeremy Harrison states, “We are extremely excited to partner with Amer and the entire IINN team. Procuring these incentive and savings opportunities, especially for local firms is why we are in business. We look forward to a long term relationship that will not only provide a great business partnership but will help facilitate the economic recovery of Genesee County.”

GMG is a Flint-based full service training, development and cost savings consulting firm. Their vision is to stimulate local economies by providing an extensive array of products, services and strategies that help people and businesses fulfill their potential. GMG recently announced their move to a new national headquarters, taking over the recently vacated Diplomat Pharmacy headquarters at Elms and Corunna Roads in Flint Township. With this move the company plans to add up to 100 new employment positions for Genesee County residents.

IINN plans to invest $18 million over the next 10 years in expansion and create an up to 120 additional jobs over the next 5 years. IINN has teamed with Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy to expand the Great Lakes Tech Center – former home to GM Headquarters and create more than 1,000 jobs over the next five years.

GMG and IINN look forward to helping restore the local economic climate and encourage local businesses to pursue all available opportunities to recover incentive dollars.

More information regarding GMG can be found online at www.gmgsavings.com or by calling 888-705-5557. To learn more about IINN, please visit www.iinn.com.

Michigan Company Helps Find Millions in Tax Breaks for Small and Mid Sized Companies

Jeremy Harrison of Growth Management Group interviewed by Michigan Business Magazine about helping small and mid sized businesses find tax breaks and stimulus money.

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For many businesspeople, the word “stimulus” might as well be a four-letter word. For Flint-based Growth Management Group, tax incentives are no dirty word, but rather spell opportunities for businesses to find federal and state incentives to help their bottom lines.

The company seeks out the tax incentives, energy savings and hiring incentives that businesses and many certified public accountants miss during their tax preparation. The company began in the mid 2000s as a lean consulting firm, helping manufacturers remain competitive. By chasing incentives that manufacturers left on the table, GMG stumbled upon a business opportunity as manufacturers in the state were battered by the economic downturn. Sales Manager Jeremy Harrison took time to speak with MiBiz about the 25-person firm and its role turning over the rocks in companies’ books looking for the untapped tax incentives there.

MiBiz: How much is out there for companies in terms of untapped incentives?

Harrison: We target the small to medium size business. The state and federal programs are called stimulus incentives when really they are tax based. If someone is getting ready to write a check (for taxes), they should be looking at every single program to help offset them. The areas of the programs are anywhere from commercial property owners to manufacturing research and development and payroll, such as the HIRE act. That is just part of the hiring incentives out there. There are hundreds of incentives that vary by state and by some municipalities. For our average client, we can save around $200,000. For some people, it is significant. For others it is a drop in the bucket. We don’t go after the GMs or Fords of the world — they’ve got their own teams of lawyers and accountants looking for these incentives. For a client who may have paid a couple thousand in taxes over the last couple of years, they’re excited about getting that back.

MiBiz: What’s preventing companies from tapping these programs themselves?

Harrison: The number one roadblock is that your CPA is not your consultant in these areas. If you have a large firm, they may have an entire division devoted to finding tax incentives. We have 200 attorneys (in our network) and can tap them when needed.

A normal CPA is already buried up to their eyeballs with paperwork for their clients. People assume that their CPAs have a grasp of all the incentives that are out there, (but) almost every CPA says they know the programs are out there. They have been to a seminar and know about them, but are they taking it to the next level and able to file all the necessary paperwork? Standard CPAs don’t have time to dig into those areas without some help. We help the CPAs consult with their clients.

We don’t want Michigan businesses to lose money because of the disconnect that is out there.

MiBiz: The stimulus was a major campaign issue, with many business interests coming out in opposition to the ARRA. Are you encountering reluctance to take part?

Harrison: We hear that “we don’t want any of that Obama money.” There has been stimulus money out there as long as there has been a United States. Nobody paid attention until there was the economic downturn. Until the government came in with TARP and ARRA, no one paid much attention.

Many of these incentives came in the tax reforms of 1986. A lot happened in both Bush Administrations. Manufacturing incentives have been around almost as long as there have been manufacturers. The government makes (these incentives) extremely difficult to get. We have the expertise. That is not money that is out in the middle of nowhere. We are lowering the amount of money you are paying in.

We do have a challenge that customers have to know that there are incentives for them. Mileage is a deduction on a tax return. Now imagine if (the government) said that you have to have a 500-page technical report for that deduction — that is what we’re talking about.

MiBiz: Where do you see opportunities going forward?

Harrison: The manufacturing credits sunset at the end of the year. It is annually updated and used as a political bargaining chip. They never sunset, but it has always been threatened. President Obama himself said that he wants to make these credits permanent. He said that, but it hasn’t happened.

I see the hiring incentives as becoming increasingly important. With the economy and unemployment rate where it is, the government really wants to be seen helping improve the employment picture.

On the energy side, everyone under the sun knows energy is a hot button issue. Government is pushing a number of mandates about renewable energy, federal and state incentives are being talked about at various levels. We truly feel that energy will be at the top of the chart of things that we are going after for clients.

Featured in MiBiz Magazine
By Nathan Peck | MiBiz

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