Kennesaw, March 15, 2013 ─ Valerie H. Jordan, CEO and President of V Jordan, Inc. represented her company at the January 2013 Atlanta IPT Luncheon Group. The luncheons, which are held regularly for the benefit of IPT members and guests, feature speakers that discuss topics of interest for tax professionals such as consultants and tax specialists at large corporations.
During the sales tax breakout session, a good amount of time was spent discussing a notable increase in audit activities. “With budget shortfalls at the state level throughout the country,” said Jordan, “this development comes as no surprise to someone like me who is a former auditor.” Another major topic in the session concerned Florida audits. Jordan noted, “In the few years since I left the Florida Department of Revenue, the Department has become adept at using more sophisticated methods to identify and select taxpayers for audit. Property tax rolls are being scrutinized to find commercial business purchases of tangible property, which usually indicate capital expansion activities.”
A related issue during the breakout concerned a recent focus by auditors on sales to nonprofits. “Florida auditors are now tightening their approach on sales to 501(c) organizations by requiring sellers to provide more documentation to verify sales to nonprofits,” reported Jordan. For Georgia sales tax issues, the big subject was House Bill 386 and, in particular, the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) program and energy exemption in manufacturing.
The discussion group noted that Georgia Power was doing a wonderful job in assisting its customers with the new energy exemption phase-in. Says Jordan, “As we do for all important legislation that can affect our clients throughout the country, V Jordan, Inc. consulting staff has been tracking this legislation for several years and has been preparing for the implementation of House Bill 386 for months. We are ready to help our clients when they have questions about the new policy’s effects on their tax compliance.”
As a longtime IPT member and program participant, Jordan was grateful for the luncheon arrangements. “When my schedule allows, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to attend IPT events such as the Atlanta Luncheon Group and would like to thank everyone who is involved in planning these valuable information-sharing and networking functions.”
