Advantous Consulting LLC

10/21/2026

A great evening at the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Industry Roundtable!

Advantous Consulting served as Premier Sponsor of the event, bringing together industry and community leaders to discuss Louisiana’s economic future.

Moderated by Desiree Lemoine of Industry Makes., the panel featured Jason DeCuir alongside leaders from ExxonMobil, Dow, and Turner Industries. Jason shared his perspective on how modernizing Louisiana’s tax policies can strengthen the state’s business climate and encourage long-term investment.

The evening also featured renowned Louisiana economist Dr. Loren C. Scott, who delivered an excellent economic outlook with valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Thank you to the West Baton Rouge Chamber for another great event!

10/20/2026

Today, the Louisiana Department of Revenue published its final rule, LAC 61:I.4405, addressing the sales and use tax exemptions for digital products, computer software, prewritten computer software access services, and information services under La. R.S. 47:305.12. Published in the Louisiana Register, Volume 52, No. 10, the rule became effective today, October 20, 2026.

The rule provides definitions and guidance for applying the statutory exemptions, including what constitutes a purchase or license exclusively for commercial purposes and direct use in producing goods or services for sale. It also identifies administrative and general business functions that do not qualify for the commercial production exemption.

Additional provisions address self-created digital products and clarify that qualifying healthcare tools include those that monitor and protect the transmission and storage of patient healthcare information.

Please contact Blaike Ordes at [email protected], Rachael Averett at [email protected], or call (225)769-1818, if you have questions or need assistance evaluating whether your software and digital purchases qualify for an exemption.

10/19/2026

Advantous’ Carl Walker is in Charleston, SC for the NAPTR-TEC Annual Conference!

Tomorrow, Carl will explore the data center boom through a property tax lens, from power and water demands and community concerns to tax incentives, policy responses, and valuation challenges.

With a national, state, and local perspectives and a closer look at Texas and Louisiana, Carl will examine how these major investments translate into a changing tax base and what depreciation, equipment replacement, and continued investment mean for utilities, communities, and taxpayers.

Attending NAPTR-TEC? Be sure to catch Carl’s session!

10/16/2026

We all know Jason DeCuir knows tax. But did you know he knows ball, too? 🏈

Long before leading Advantous, Jason was a placekicker for Howard University's 1993 and 1996 Black College Football National Championship teams, including kicking the game-winning field goal in the 1996 Heritage Bowl!

This weekend, Jason will be inducted into the Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to the Bison football program.

Congratulations, Jason! Another well-deserved Hall of Fame honor to add to the collection! 🏆

Read more about Jason's football days and his connection to Howard's current head coach, Ted White:

Nearly 30 years after one helped recruit the other to Howard University, two Baton Rouge natives and former teammates reunite for Homecoming, bound by a shared hometown, a championship season and a friendship neither will forget.

10/16/2026

A little Orlando sunshine and a lot of sales tax! 🌴

Advantous’ Rachael Averett was among the industry experts presenting at the Institute for Professionals in Taxation’s Sales Tax Symposium, where she participated in “SaaS, Services, or Something Else? Digital Taxability Issues Where the Facts Matter and the States Disagree.”

The session explored the evolving taxability of digital products and services, including the challenges businesses face navigating differing approaches across states.

Thank you to IPT for another great Symposium and the opportunity for Rachael to share her expertise!

10/15/2026

A great day on the course supporting the LABI Foundation! ⛳

Team Advantous enjoyed joining business and community leaders from across Louisiana for the annual Louisiana Association of Business and Industry - LABI Foundation Golf Tournament at University Club in Baton Rouge.

Thank you to LABI for another great event and for the work the Foundation continues to do to support education and workforce opportunities across Louisiana!

10/15/2026

What do you do when tax administration starts to look like legislation?

Advantous' Jason DeCuir joined fellow state tax professionals at the Council On State Taxation's (COST) 57th Annual Meeting in San Antonio for a panel discussion titled "When Tax Administrators Try to Be Legislators."

The discussion explored the evolving relationship between tax legislation, regulatory interpretation, and administration, including the boundaries of administrative authority, the challenges businesses face in navigating differing interpretations of tax law, and the options available to taxpayers when challenging administrative actions or interpretations.

Thank you to COST for bringing together industry leaders to discuss these important issues and for including Jason in the conversation!

10/13/2026

Data center investment is growing at an extraordinary pace, and property tax policy is working to keep pace with the technology.

Bloomberg Tax recently took an in-depth look at the challenges facing taxpayers, assessors, and policymakers as states determine how rapidly evolving data center equipment should be classified and valued for property tax purposes.

Advantous Consulting Senior Advisor Bob Adair, CMI, was quoted in the article regarding his work on Louisiana's data center valuation proposal. Bob's analysis included a review of depreciation methodologies across 17 states as well as industry data surrounding the rapidly changing technology used in today's facilities.

As Bob told Bloomberg, “In my career, I’ve rarely seen technology move that quickly.”

That pace of change is what makes these issues so important. Data centers represent billions of dollars of investment, while differences in asset classification, economic life, and depreciation assumptions can have a significant impact on both taxpayers and local governments.

We're proud to have Bob and the Advantous team contributing their experience to these conversations as Louisiana—and jurisdictions across the country—work through an emerging area of property tax policy.

Thank you to Daniel Moore and Bloomberg Tax for highlighting this important issue.

10/08/2026

WOTC Legislative Update: Momentum Continues in Congress

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) remains expired for employees beginning work after December 31, 2025, but bipartisan efforts to restore and expand the credit continue to gain attention in Congress.

Several proposals are now in play, including legislation that would:

· Retroactively restore WOTC for 2026 hires
· Extend the credit through 2030
· Increase the standard credit percentage and eligible wage limits
· Expand eligibility to military spouses
· Remove the age restriction for qualifying SNAP recipients
· Potentially create multi-year retention incentives for qualifying small businesses

The newest proposal, the Incentivizing Small Business Employee Retention Act of 2026, would go beyond the traditional first-year WOTC model by providing enhanced credits for qualifying employees retained for multiple years.

While none of these proposals have been enacted, the continued introduction of legislation and growing bipartisan support are important developments for employers.

We’ll continue monitoring WOTC developments as Congress considers the future of this important hiring incentive.