Raymond Blatt,

Experience

Ray assists clients in saving or recovering property tax dollars by utilizing property tax laws and assessment standards throughout the United States. He has experience managing millions of dollars of clients' property tax assessments and related state and local business tax issues on a local, national and international basis.

He is responsible for compliance of real and personal property taxes; appraisal and valuation services; sales and use taxes; gross receipts tax; federal excise tax; state income and foreign taxes. Ray is also well versed with audit representation and resolution; tax appeals; tax and financial management and has served as an expert witness in state and local tax litigation in California Superior and Federal courts.

Recent successes for his practice include:

- Adjusted the basis of property improvements from $109 million down to $88 million saving the client property taxes from the adjustment, equaling $250k per year in savings.

- Carved out non-value assets of a business and reclassified other assets to save the client $250k per year of recurring taxes.
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Ray has particular specialization with property, multi-state and international taxes, for wineries, manufactures and distributors, agriculture and food processors, retail and industrial businesses, airlines, hospitality, and professional service providers.

He has been president of a national tax and financial consulting company and a property tax manager working with clients consisting of public and private entities with an asset base of several billions to several million dollars. He also was a Senior Deputy Auditor/Appraiser for the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office.

service areas

• Property Tax, Appraisal & Valuation Services
• Multi-State Taxes
• International Taxes

clients served

• Wineries
• Manufacturing & Distribution
• Agriculture & Food Processing
• Retail & Industrial Products
• Hospitality & Airlines
• Professional Services

activities & memberships

• Certified Review Appraiser
• International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), Member
• The Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT), Member
• The California Assessor's Association, Member
• The Society of Auditor-Appraisers (SAA), Member

articles & speeches

• Consider a Multistate Nexus Review for Your Business. October 2014
• Crossing State Lines to Improve Your Business?. September 2014
• Business Valuation is Important for Merger & Acquisition Activity. January 2014
• Merger or Acquisition in Mind? Maintain a Sale-Ready Business. January 2014
• Doing Business in another State? Consider Your Nexus Possibilities. February 2013
• Californians to Pay Internet Sales Tax. August 2012
• Property Tax and "Cap Rates". April 2012
• You Can Challenge Your Home's Property Taxes. February 2012
• Understanding Construction Multistate Sales and Use Tax Issues, February 2012
• California Court Ruling with Respect to Software Makes Way for Tax Savings & Refund Opportunities, GSCPA Blog. July 2011

education

• B.B.A. Pacific Western University
• University of California Los Angeles, Coursework