Alliantgroup
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tax advisory |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Dhaval Jadav, Shane Frank |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
Area served | Nationwide (United States) |
Key people | Mark W. Everson (Vice Chairman), Dean Zerbe (National Managing Director), Jim Ramstad (Senior Advisor), Kit Bond (Advisory Board), Bob Riley (Director), Steven T. Miller (National Director of Tax Issues), Rick Lazio (Senior Director), Mike Johanns (Chairman of Agriculture) |
Number of employees | 600+ (2015) |
| Website | www |
alliantgroup is a nationwide tax advisory company that collaborates with CPA firms and their clientele to uncover and secure federal and state government-backed tax credits and incentives.
History
Established in 2002 by Dhaval Jadav and Shane Frank, alliantgroup was founded with the mission to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in claiming the Research & Development (R&D) tax credit, a benefit that had been largely overlooked since its inception in 1981. Jadav brought experience from Deloitte & Touche and the Internal Revenue Service, while Frank’s background includes legal practice.
In 2014, the company moved its main office to a LEED Platinum certified facility in Houston, Texas, crafted by Kirksey Architecture. By 2015, the workforce had grown to over 600 professionals, comprising CPAs, engineers, PhDs, and IT experts. The Houston location alone housed about 460 employees as of 2016.
In 2012, Bloomberg published allegations from whistleblowers accusing alliantgroup of facilitating tax evasion for clients; these accusations were dismissed by the IRS in 2013.
By 2017, alliantgroup had broadened its presence with additional offices in cities including New York, Chicago, Irvine, Boston, Sacramento, Indianapolis, Orlando, and Washington, D.C.
Services
alliantgroup specializes in assisting businesses to obtain tax incentives linked to specific activities. Their primary offerings include:
- Employee Retention Credit (ERC)
- Research and Development Tax Credit
- Energy-efficient commercial building deduction – 179D
- Export-related incentives
- Hiring credits
- Tax advisory services and government relations
Notable employees and board members
The leadership team at alliantgroup features former public officials and seasoned business leaders:
- Mark W. Everson, who served as IRS Commissioner from 2003 to 2007, holds the position of vice chairman.
- Dean Zerbe acts as national managing director; he was previously senior tax counsel for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee between 2001 and 2008.
- Jim Ramstad, ex-U.S. Congressman representing Minnesota, became a senior advisor in 2010.
- Former U.S. Senator Kit Bond joined the advisory board in 2011.
- Bob Riley, former Alabama governor and U.S. Congressman, was appointed director in 2012.
- Steven T. Miller, who once served as acting IRS Commissioner, took on the role of national director of tax issues in 2014.
- In 2016, former New York Congressman Rick Lazio was named senior director.
- Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns joined as chairman of agriculture in 2017.
Controversy
In 2017, both the University of Texas and University of Houston systems filed racketeering lawsuits against alliantgroup, accusing it of conspiring with WHR Architects, Inc. to improperly claim more than $1.6 million in tax benefits related to construction projects such as the $5.5 million University of Houston Center. However, United States District Judge David Hittner dismissed all allegations against alliantgroup on grounds that plaintiffs did not demonstrate a tangible injury. Subsequently, the University of Texas was ordered to cover alliantgroup’s legal expenses.
In May 2022, the IRS conducted an investigation at alliantgroup’s office premises.