Deregulation saves dollars in Texas

Posted by Lorraine Ross on July 27, 2008

Rising oil costs are increasing the cost of electricity supply to many American families and businesses. The deregulation of the Texas electricity industry gives tangible savings to residential, business and commercial enterprises in Texas.

In the past, electricity supply was a monopoly in Texas and consumers were not able to choose their preferred provider. By deregulating Texas electricity, Texas’s consumers can now choose their Retail Electricity Provider (REP) in the same way they can choose their telephone service provider. You may recall that the deregulation of telephony services lowered prices and improved service. Texas consumers can expect to see the same results with the deregulation of electricity.

Deregulation of electricity affects the way electricity is generated, transmitted and distributed to the end user. Generation of electricity is the most expensive part of electricity supply and deregulation allows a reduction of costs in this area. For example, the Mercury Room in Houston saved over $13,000 on their electricity supply over a two year period.

By filling out two short forms online, Texas businesses can avail themselves of a free customized Texas electricity supply plan. Even more money can be saved by joining in with monthly electric aggregation. This is when a group of businesses pool their monthly bills in order to access a lower electric price for each business in the aggregation group. Good Energy is Texas Electric Company’s electric aggregator and they source and supply one bulk energy package to Texas retail electric providers.

What Is A Rental Property Tax Deduction

Posted by Lorraine Ross on July 27, 2008

A rental property tax deduction is any expense that evolves from owning a rental property. If you spent money to maintain, conserve and manage a rental property, you can use that as a property tax deduction. The most common deductions will be yard care, maintenance, repairs, insurance payments, cleaning and the mortgage payment if there are any. Some other property tax deductions that most people forget about are fees for an accountant, fees for a lawyer, expenses for finding renters, fees paid to rental agencies for finding you a renter, any mileage that is accumulated for said property and depreciation for items included in the rental and of the property itself.

Depreciation Of The Property And Items In The Rental Unit

The depreciation of items in the rental unit may include anything you supply to the tenant such as appliances, furniture, blinds, curtains and other items you might supply for a tenant. You can use these items by depreciating them accordingly. The property depreciation is usually done over a longer period. This is an area for your accountant to handle since they have more experience with depreciating items and properties. You want it done correctly and at the proper time. Read the rest of this entry »

What Is A Property Tax Consultant

Posted by Lorraine Ross on July 19, 2008

Property tax consultants are similar to property tax attorneys except they have no special law degree, but do work to achieve results. You can use a property tax consultant to reduce or protect your taxes on a property. They can help you with filing the paperwork for an appeal, help you find all the necessary documentation and they will attend all the hearings with you. Most of the property tax consultant company’s have their own qualified appraisers. The consultants have valuable resources for obtaining needed information before entering any property tax hearing so you are prepared.

Property tax consultants have to be properly educated to work as a licensed tax consultant. To become licensed, a consultant needs to file an application with said state, understand and commit to the code of ethics, submit to a criminal background check and complete the required education that the board approves for all property tax consultants in every individual state. After all of these requirements are complete, you are then certified or denied a license to be a tax consultant. A lawyer however just has to apply for a tax consultant license since they have had the law school training. Read the rest of this entry »