Engineered Tax Services, Inc.
Unclaimed59/100 · Mixed evidence
Public-record listing · US (West Palm Beach, FL HQ) · https://engineeredtaxservices.com
Unclaimed listing. This firm has not registered or claimed this page. Everything here comes from public records and the firm’s own public website, as of 2026-10-15.
Claim this listing Claiming lets the firm add information and submit proof, which may raise its score.
What they do
Cost segregation, R&D credit and incentive-study firm (BBB A+). Litigation found is mostly ETS enforcing its trademark. Home page headline claims cost segregation can 'Reduce up to 100% of your income tax', and it runs a 10%-commission affiliate/sub-affiliate referral program.
Public-record summary. Category: Cost segregation / bonus depreciation (S13). Fees: Not published (free calculator).
Strategies offered
- Accelerated Depreciation Public record source
Evidence score
59/100 · Mixed evidence45 of 69 applicable points = 65; the score is held to the rubric cap of 59 (see caps). Rubric v1.1 (2026-10-17). Retrieved 2026-10-15.
22 points are pending because the item could not be checked from public records. If every pending item were verified, the score could reach up to 59 (limited by caps or by items that don't apply). How this is calculated.
| Category | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory record (weight 25) | 12 / 20 | |
| Tax-controversy record (weight 20) | 20 / 20 | |
| Litigation & complaints (weight 15) | 13 / 15 | |
| Transparency (weight 15) | 0 / 7 | |
| Substance & verifiability (weight 15) | 0 / 3 | |
| Structure quality (weight 10) | 0 / 4 |
Red flags
A flag stays Open, and its cap applies, until it is addressed with new public evidence or with materials the firm submits and a reviewer accepts. Addressed flags no longer limit the score.
Evidence by item
Each line shows the points awarded, how it was checked and a source link where one exists.
Regulatory record · 12 / 20
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 Registration status verified for firm and soliciting individuals where required (BD/IA/state; insurance producer if relevant) | n/a | Not applicable | Cost segregation and incentive studies are professional/engineering services, not securities; no BD/IA registration regime applies. |
| R2 No SEC/FINRA disciplinary events for the firm (10-yr lookback) | 8 / 8 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No FINRA/SEC records (not registered); no SEC cases found. source |
| R3 No disciplinary events for principals/control persons (10-yr lookback) | 0 / 6 | UNVERIFIED | Individual-level checks for the firm's named executives could not be attributed reliably from public records (common names); firm-level records show no disclosures. |
| R4 No state securities-regulator or state AG actions against firm/principals | 4 / 4 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No state order/AG action found by web search. Not exhaustive. |
| R5 Named licensed professionals (CPA/attorney/EA) in good standing | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Licensed-professional good standing needs state CPA board / bar lookups for named individuals; not performed in this initial review. |
Tax-controversy record · 20 / 20
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Strategy is not a listed transaction / transaction of interest and not a current Dirty Dozen theme | 8 / 8 | VERIFIED | Cost segregation/bonus depreciation not listed; not a 2026 Dirty Dozen theme. source |
| T2 No DOJ Tax Division injunctions / IRC ยงยง6700, 6701 promoter cases against firm or principals | 6 / 6 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No DOJ injunction/promoter case found. source |
| T3 No adverse Tax Court / appellate opinions involving the sponsor's prior deals | 4 / 4 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No Tax Court opinions on ETS studies found (11th Cir. opinions are its own trademark case). source |
| T4 Provides clear reportable-transaction disclosure guidance (Form 8886/8918) where applicable | 2 / 2 | VERIFIED | Strategy is not a listed transaction/TOI, so Form 8886/8918 guidance is N/A-justified (rubric: 2 = clear or N/A-justified). source |
Litigation & complaints · 13 / 15
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 No material civil fraud/misrepresentation litigation (firm, principals, affiliates) | 6 / 6 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | Federal cases: ETS v. Scarpello Consulting (trademark, S.D. Fla./11th Cir.), ETS v. Lorenz (trademark), and a resolved bankruptcy-trustee recovery action (Peterson v. ETS, Bankr. N.D. Ill., closed 2020). None allege fraud by ETS. source |
| L2 Complaint pattern reasonable (BBB, state AG, CFPB where relevant) | 4 / 4 | VERIFIED | BBB profile 'Engineered Tax Services, Inc.' rated A+; no complaint pattern found. source |
| L3 No bankruptcy/insolvency pattern among principals or affiliates | 3 / 3 | VERIFIED (nothing found) | No ETS bankruptcy found. source |
| L4 Entities in good standing with Secretary of State; legal entity names match marketing | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Secretary of State good-standing not checked: state portals checked use CAPTCHA (e.g., SC businessfilings.sc.gov); not bypassed. Needs a manual lookup or paid registry pull. |
Transparency · 0 / 7
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| X1 Fees and total costs published or provided in writing before commitment | 0 / 4 | UNVERIFIED | Fees not published. |
| X2 Offering documents available before commitment; Form D on EDGAR where applicable | n/a | Not applicable | Professional service engagement; no offering documents/Form D. |
| X3 Names tax counsel / opinion issuer and allows direct verification | n/a | Not applicable | No tax-opinion product; studies are engineering reports (credentials checked under V3). |
| X4 Discloses audit/examination and claim history of prior deals | 0 / 3 | UNVERIFIED | Audit/examination and claim history of prior deals is not in public records; would need firm disclosure. |
Substance & verifiability · 0 / 3
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| V1 Underlying assets independently verifiable (e.g., interconnection agreements, utility records, deeds, dated site evidence) | n/a | Not applicable | No investment asset; the client already owns the property. |
| V2 Placed-in-service / completion evidence for prior projects | n/a | Not applicable | Not applicable to a study engagement. |
| V3 Appraisals by independent credentialed appraisers (not promoter-selected) | 0 / 3 | UNVERIFIED | Engineer/appraiser credentials for studies not verified. |
| V4 Pre-tax economic substance: investment case exists apart from tax benefits | n/a | Not applicable | No investment; study supports depreciation on an existing asset. |
Structure quality · 0 / 4
| Item | Points | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 Independent legal opinion (not solely promoter-paid boilerplate) | n/a | Not applicable | No legal opinion expected for a cost segregation study. |
| Q2 Tax insurance verified directly with named carrier/broker (policy exists, scope understood) | n/a | Not applicable | Offers commercial insurance products, but no tax-benefit insurance claim. |
| Q3 Fees reasonable relative to comparable offerings | 0 / 2 | UNVERIFIED | Needs a written fee comparison set of >=3 comparable offerings; not built in this initial review. |
| Q4 No guaranteed outcomes, benefit multiples or 'audit-proof' claims | 0 / 2 | VERIFIED | Home page: 'Reduce up to 100% of your income tax to bill!' (cost segregation accelerates/defers depreciation; it does not eliminate tax). source |
Questions to ask this firm
- Credentials of engineers signing studies?
- Do affiliates disclose their 10% referral commission to clients?
About these scores. Scores reflect only publicly available evidence found as of the retrieval date shown, scored with the same rubric for every firm. They are not an endorsement, rating of quality, accusation or statement about any person. Items we could not check from public records earn no points and are marked Unverified; a firm can supply proof to update them. How we score · Request a correction
Complaints
0 complaints under review · 0 substantiated · 0 with a response from the firm.
Complaints are an allegation until a reviewer decides. We show only the category and status, never the complainant’s identity, the description or any documents. Private complaints are counted but not itemized. The firm can respond by claiming this listing.
Request a correction · Report a complaint
Verification and listing notice
"Verified" means our staff checked the identity, business-registration, and credential details listed against the sources named, on the date shown. It is not an endorsement, rating, or recommendation. Firm- and advisor-reported information is their own statement. Listings are alphabetical; payment never affects order, scores, or warnings.