Who is Solar Tax Association?

[evma582]

Signed up with Tesla for solar at the beginning of the month and, according to mysolarcity, we'll be getting a call for the install soon. Out of the blue today, I got cold-called by the Solar Tax Association (Solar Tax Association, LLC) and the caller said there's additional rebates above and beyond the 30% credit. I'm in Nevada and have never heard of them. Didn't give them any info, but have a feeling they'll be calling back.

Has anyone heard of or dealt with the company?

 

[Ampster]

Has anyone heard of or dealt with the company?

Never heard of them but if you follow the link they are in Northridge California and sound like a full service CPA and financial planning services entity.

 

[TKE794]

Just got a call from them too. I too am in Nevada. I’m still researching them, but found on yelp that the only 3 reviews say they were charged $590 and were provided no service. Seems like they take the money for services, and then come back with “sorry, we can’t find any more tax breaks for you”. They told me over the phone that I should get back an extra $6,800. Looks like they may be a scam or at least less than honest.

 

[TKE794]

Update as I’m looking through more. I found this YouTube video from what seems to be one of their associates. It seems that they are depreciating the solar system. It’s a depreciation expense that you are writing off. I don’t know if you have to be a business owner to take advantage of this, but here is the video.

 

[Ampster]

Are you looking for a new CPA? If so there are a lot of choices other than these guys that use a teaser name.

 

[cpa]

This entity and its principals are an enigma. I did a pretty extensive search on the CBA website for licensees, and came up empty. The SOS business entity search for this company shows that LegalZoom is the registered agent. The application lists a Phillip Van Dyke at the Devonshire address. This Van Dyke character is not licensed in California as a CPA, so I am not sure what his qualifications are.

I looked at the aerial picture of the listed address, and it appears to be some sort of strip mall, so perhaps this address is only a PMB to receive mail.

I find it suspicious that CPAs do not list the partners or principals on their web site. This is the first site that I have seen where the owners remain anonymous.

Solar Tax Association does not have to be licensed by the CBA if it does not provide any sort of accounting services. So, there must be some sort of arrangement between this alleged consulting side of the business and the referral to the accounting side of things.

Between you, me, and the solar panels, I would not choose to do business with a company that seems to operate in the shadows in a cloak of anonymity. We are supposed to be one of the more upstanding professions (some may disagree). Get your names out there, and have a place of business, not some mail drop.

Maybe someone with better searching skills can find out who they are, where they are, and the name of this accounting firm that is referenced on the Solar Tax Association website.

 

[7yler]

Commenting to add- these people also cold call you if you get solar panels installed. The "strip mall" that it looks like they operate out of is actually one of those community work spaces where you can pay to have access to desks and offices: Memberships

If you do a CPA lookup for the Trevor Holland that is their "accounting guy" or their company name, nothing comes up no matter what permutation I put in.

 

[cpa]

Last add:

In the State of California, an individual cannot hold himself out to the public as an accountant unless he is licensed by the California Board of Accountancy as a Certified Public Accountant (or if really, really old a Public Accountant--but that license is no longer offered.) That is a violation of the Business and Professions Code. He can call himself a bookkeeper or financial consultant, but cannot use accountant or accounting in the name of the business or services provided. Exceptions apply if a person works in the accounting department for a company like Tesla. That person can use "accountant" as a job title because he works for Tesla or any company in their accounting department.