American Utility Tax & Audit

What American Utility Tax & Audit does

American Utility Tax & Audit Corp (AUTA) is a privately held utility sales tax consulting firm headquartered in Effingham, Illinois. The company specializes in reviewing business utility accounts to identify overpaid utility sales tax, filing state-level exemption certificates, and recovering refunds on behalf of clients. It serves two primary customer segments: residential property operators (multi-family apartments, senior living, assisted care, student housing, and non-profit residential properties) and manufacturing/industrial facilities (manufacturers, car washes, meat processors, dry cleaners, and blast freezing operations). The service covers natural gas, propane, electricity, and in some states, water utilities.

AUTA operates with no proprietary technology platform; its core capability is consultant expertise in the continuously evolving state-by-state utility sales tax exemption guidelines. The firm maintains relationships with state Departments of Revenues and larger utility companies to remain current on regulatory changes. Its deliverables include utility sales tax review, exemption filing, refund recovery, and account verification to ensure ongoing compliance.

The business model is contingency-based: AUTA charges a one-time percentage of any refund it produces, with no upfront cost, hidden fees, or long-term obligations to the client. Distribution is direct — customers send utility bills to AUTA for review, and consultants work behind the scenes with minimal interruption to client operations. The go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, relying on the company's website and testimonials to drive inbound inquiries. No institutional investors, parent company, or headcount disclosures are present in the available data.

Name

American Utility Tax & Audit

Legal name

American Utility Tax & Audit Corp

Website

https://autacorp.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

American Utility Tax & Audit Corp is a private utility sales tax consulting firm that helps residential property operators and manufacturers identify overpaid sales tax, file state exemptions, and recover refunds on a contingency-fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Tax Consulting Services

akta.pro primary industry

Excise, VAT/Sales Tax & Indirect Tax Administration (BPAIADAH)

Keywords

• Utility sales tax
• Sales tax exemption
• Tax refund recovery
• Utility tax consulting
• Sales tax audit

Headquarters

HQ city

Effingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contingency-based utility tax refund recovery: AUTA charges a one-time percentage of any refund they produce for clients through utility sales tax guidelines. This is a contingency-based model where the company only earns fees when they successfully recover overpaid taxes or secure ongoing tax savings for clients. There are no hidden costs or long-term obligations for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

American Utility Tax & Audit (AUTA) reviews customer utility bills to identify overpaid state sales tax, files utility sales tax exemptions on natural gas, propane, electricity, and water accounts per state-specific guidelines, recovers refunds for past overpayments, and verifies ongoing correct tax application. The firm serves residential property operators (apartments, senior living, student housing) and manufacturing/industrial facilities on a contingency-fee basis.

Product overview

American Utility Tax & Audit (AUTA) is a single, unified utility sales tax consulting service rather than a platform with multiple products. The company operates as one integrated service offering that includes utility sales tax review, exemption filing, and refund recovery for both residential properties (multi-family apartments, senior living, assisted care, student housing) and manufacturing/industrial properties (manufacturers, car washes, meat processors, dry cleaners, blast freezing). The service is delivered as a contingency-fee model where AUTA charges a percentage of refunds produced, with no out-of-pocket cost to clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Utility Sales Tax Review Services
• Utility Sales Tax Exemption Filing
• Utility Sales Tax Refund Recovery
• Account Verification and Final Review

Quantifiable outcome

• 7.0% average reduction in electric and gas costs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO USA: BDO's tax practice includes state and local tax services such as sales/use tax reviews, exemption certificate reviews, and refund claims for mid-market and large clients, providing broader and deeper alternative services than AUTA across overlapping customer segments.
• KPMG Tax Services: KPMG is a global professional services firm with a substantial state and local tax (SALT) practice that includes sales and use tax advisory, refund reviews, and exemption work for large enterprise clients, overlapping with AUTA in utility sales tax advisory at a much larger scale.
• Cherry Bekaert: Cherry Bekaert is a mid-market accounting and advisory firm with a state and local tax practice that includes sales tax compliance, exemption analysis, and refund reviews for property and industrial clients, competing for the same mid-market customers as AUTA.
• RealPage Utility Management: RealPage offers utility management and billing software for multifamily and commercial property operators, with features that include tracking of utility expenses and applicable exemptions, making it a broader incumbent with overlapping functionality for AUTA's residential property segment.
• Crowe LLP: Crowe is a major accounting and advisory firm offering state and local tax services, including sales and use tax compliance, exemption reviews, and refund recovery, providing broader tax advisory capability that competes with AUTA's specialized offering.
• ENGIE Impact (formerly Ecova): ENGIE Impact is a large energy and sustainability services provider offering utility bill management, tax/refund recovery, and energy procurement, competing for the same multi-site enterprise customers as AUTA but at significantly greater scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• Energy Intelligence Group: Energy Intelligence Group provides utility bill auditing and management services for commercial and industrial customers, including identification of tax exemptions and rate errors, competing directly with AUTA in the utility cost recovery niche.

Others

• Vertex Inc. Vertex provides sales and use tax automation software and compliance services for enterprises, including exemption certificate management. It is not a direct competitor to AUTA but operates in the broader sales tax technology ecosystem and could enable in-house automation of AUTA's manual review process.

Direct peers

• Cenergistic: Cenergistic helps organizations reduce energy and utility costs through energy management programs and bill review, including identification of tax exemptions and rate errors for multi-site customers, overlapping with AUTA's utility sales tax review and refund recovery offering.
• Resource Energy Management: Resource Energy Management provides utility bill auditing, sales tax exemption review, and refund recovery services for multi-site commercial and industrial customers across the U.S., directly mirroring AUTA's core service model and target verticals.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Utility Tax & Audit