Dealership Services

Members of the LaPorte Dealership Services Industry Group understand the special audit, tax, and advisory needs of automobile, recreational vehicle, truck, and equipment dealerships. We have a long history serving growth-oriented businesses through the lifecycle of their needs with relationships extending over decades. We have been in the trenches with our clients through all phases of their growth, assisting with their day-to-day tax planning and compliance needs as well as with operations and complex transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. LaPorte’s holistic approach to serving our clients focuses on collaboration.

Our industry professionals support clients as they deal with the complexities of the industry, such as establishing and operating dealerships, measuring inventory, developing floor plans, or complying with difficult tax codes. We have also assisted with transfer of wealth to subsequent generations, estate tax planning, and structures and processes to facilitate advising on protecting family interests.

While many firms have industry concentrations, LaPorte’s multi-disciplinary group comprises experienced professionals who meet to cross-train, identify best practices, review industry trends, and work together to reach collective solutions for our dealership services clients.

Just as dealerships serve their customers from multiple and multistate locations, LaPorte – one of the region’s largest accounting firms – serves clients from five offices in Louisiana and Texas. We have the experience and resources to meet client needs timely.

SERVICES TO INDUSTRY

Compliance

• Attest and assurance services – audit, review, and compilation
• Employee benefit plan audits
• General tax planning
• Tax return preparation

Tax Consulting

• Business valuations for estate planning and business
• Choice-of-entity analyses between pass-through entities and C corporations
• Cost segregation studies
• Equipment buy vs. lease decision analyses
• Executive compensation reviews and evaluations
• Family business succession planning
• Internal Revenue Code computations, such as UNICAP, Qualified Business Income deduction, and Business Interest Expense limitations
• State and federal tax credit planning, including identifying available inventory tax credits, historic credits, enterprise zone credits, etc.
• LIFO adjustment calculations
• Multi-state income and franchise tax planning
• Payroll tax and independent contractor issues

Other Consulting

• Benchmarking and breakeven analyses
• Business interruption analyses
• Cash-flow management
• Franchise application consulting and preparation
• Fraud and forensic services
• Support related to planning for and implementation of new regulation or legislation
• Internal control studies and evaluations
• IT risk and controls assessments
• Payroll and benefits services
• Performance/operational reviews
• Real estate structuring and leasing between related entities
• Transaction advisory services, including pre-transaction, transaction and post-closing support