ICS Tax vs CostSegregation.com: Services and Scope
Compare ICS Tax and CostSegregation.com on client fit, services, implementation and complete fees. Published by AE Tax Advisors.
Start with the decision you need to make
You are deciding between specialty professional work and a self-guided software product. Establish eligibility and the professional investigation needed before comparing the total cost of a completed report and return handoff.
Published by AE Tax Advisors, a competing service provider. This is a commercial comparison of public service information, not an independent ranking or firsthand customer review. Sources checked November 7, 2026; confirm current availability and fees directly.
What to compare
| Provider | Public service focus | Research the proposal |
|---|---|---|
| ICS Tax | Owners and preparers seeking a specialty study engagement with explicit discussion of method-change preparation and support. | Fees and quote questions |
| CostSegregation.com | Owners and tax preparers evaluating self-guided software for properties within the stated building-basis limit. | Fees and quote questions |
Ask both firms the same question
Which inspection, input verification, method-change preparation and CPA support belong to this purchase, and which need a separate engagement?
- Price the same property, owner entity, buildings, improvements and study year.
- Confirm inspection method, engineering review, report schedules and support.
- Identify who answers CPA questions and who handles any Form 3115 or return implementation.
- Separate the study price, travel, added buildings, deadline charges and additional tax work.
A practical way to evaluate the answers
Ask each firm to walk through a redacted report for a comparable property: the records used, inspection evidence, reconciliation to the property’s supported basis, component-level schedules and the package supplied to the accountant. Ask who explains an allocation when the preparer has a question. A preliminary estimate is not a completed report or confirmation that the owner can use the deductions.
Retain the provider that can meet your actual requirements, including work already in progress. A change of firm needs a handover plan for records, upcoming payments, filing deadlines and outstanding tasks. Do not infer that a service is unavailable merely because it is not described on the public page reviewed.
Where AE Tax Advisors fits
AE offers standalone cost segregation studies at $1 per square foot, with a $2,000 minimum per study. AE Tax Advisors provides tax planning for business owners and real estate investors as a separate service. Advisory, return preparation, amendments and other implementation work are separately scoped and priced.
Request a property-specific study quote and identify the report deliverables, preparer handoff and audit-support terms. Confirm any Form 3115 preparation and return filing separately; a study fee is not an all-inclusive tax engagement.
AE publishes this comparison and also supplies cost segregation services. If you want a third proposal, ask AE to quote the same property and report scope. Its published study rate is a starting comparison point, not evidence that all three engagements include identical services or support.
Official sources and research date
Service descriptions are attributed to the linked provider websites. AE has not independently verified advertised savings, customer outcomes or service delivery. A public service menu does not establish the contents of your engagement.
- ICS Tax — ICS Tax study services and support
- ICS Tax — ICS Tax proposal and Form 3115 scope
- ICS Tax directory source
- CostSegregation.com directory source
- AE fees and scope
- AE comparison methodology
Researched November 7, 2026 by AE Tax Advisors. No customer star rating or universal winner is assigned.
Related Reading
Talk Through Your Situation
Discuss your priorities, upcoming decisions and whether a study or advisory engagement fits. Detailed analysis, implementation or filing work follows an agreed written scope.