FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (8/13/2018)
The Team at Bluesource Renewables is celebrating!
$100,000 to be returned to DC Houses of Worship and nonprofits
Washington, DC: As of July 31, 2018, the Bluesource team has worked with over 85 Houses of Worship in metropolitan Washington, DC to identify inadvertent overcharges related to taxes on electric and gas utility bills. That work led to the identification of overcharges on 63% of utility bills. The Bluesource team then worked with the effected Houses of Worship to stop the overcharges and apply for refunds stretching back over three years. The total amount recovered to date is $19,000, with an additional $53,000 of refund applications pending. Bluesource is also working with churches to gather the information needed to submit another $30,000 of refund applications. The overcharges arose from inadvertent taxes levied by regional electric supply companies on energy sales to Houses of Worship and non-profits.
Bluesource discovered these overcharges a little over one year ago as they began working in the District to bring solar opportunities to non-profits, including Houses of Worship. Analyst Emily Six said, “We started seeing sales tax on a lot of churches’ utility bills and realized that this is a very common mistake. These taxes typically occur as a result of unintentional miscommunication between the church and their electric service provider. For most non-profits, there are typically many people working on different aspects of utility services, billing and payment. Sometimes the messages just don’t get communicated correctly.” Bluesource assists and guides churches through the refund process, helping them compile the invoices and information needed for the refund application.
In the District, nonprofits are eligible for sales tax exemption–including the tax on energy bills. Nonprofits can request a refund for sales tax paid in the last three years. For organizations with larger buildings, this can constitute a significant sum – up to $1,500 a year in taxes alone.
Non-profits concerned with potential charges for taxes on their utility service bill can contact the Washington DC Office of Treasury and Revenue or consult Bluesource Renewables.
About Bluesource Renewables: Bluesource Renewables, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Source, LLC, is dedicated to helping Houses of Worship and other non-profit entities manage and lower energy costs so that savings can be re-directed to mission related work.
Contact:
Emily Six
Blue Source Renewables, L3C
esix@bluesource.com
