Tax Recapture FAQ

PowerCord Energy's tax recapture service recovers overpaid state sales tax on electricity for Texas multifamily properties. Under Texas law, residential electricity is exempt from state sales tax, but most apartment properties are billed at the commercial rate because their accounts are registered under business entities. PowerCord identifies the overpayment, coordinates with the property's electricity provider, and files a claim with the Texas Comptroller to recover up to four years of overpaid tax. PowerCord earns 30% of the recovered amount only when the refund arrives. Nothing is owed upfront.

Most Texas multifamily properties qualify. The exemption covers residential electricity meters and common area meters at apartment communities -- including hallways, parking areas, lighting, pools, laundry rooms, and recreation spaces. If your property has been operating in Texas and has paid state sales tax on electricity, you likely have a recoverable overpayment. The calculator on the tax recapture page gives an estimate based on your monthly bill and how long you have owned the property.

The Texas Comptroller allows refund claims for up to four years from the date of filing. If you have owned the property for four or more years, the full four-year lookback applies. If you have owned it for less than four years, the lookback is limited to your actual ownership period.

No. The tax recapture process is a retroactive refund claim for sales tax that was already paid. It does not change your current electricity contract, rate plan, or service with your provider. Your electricity service continues without interruption.

Yes. Any party with signing authority over the electricity account can initiate a claim. For properties managed by a third-party management company, the person who signs the documents should have authority to act on behalf of the entity that holds the electricity account. This is typically the owner, a managing member, or a property manager with signing authority.

You complete three steps. First, use the calculator on the tax recapture page to estimate your recovery and submit your contact information. Second, sign two documents electronically -- a PowerCord service agreement and a Texas Comptroller Limited Power of Attorney that authorizes PowerCord to act on your behalf. Both documents are sent to your email within minutes and take about five minutes to sign. Third, PowerCord handles everything after that: we contact your electricity provider to obtain invoice history, calculate the overpaid tax across your meters, and file the refund claim with the Texas Comptroller. You receive your share of the refund when the Comptroller processes the claim.

You will need your property address, your billing address, the name of your electricity provider, your account number with that provider, your Texas taxpayer identification number, and the legal name of the entity that holds the electricity account. Most of this information is on your electricity bill. The signing form walks you through each field.

Yes. PowerCord uses the Limited Power of Attorney you sign to formally request invoice history from your electricity provider. Most providers have an established process for this. PowerCord manages the provider coordination on your behalf -- you do not need to contact your provider directly.

After you sign the documents, PowerCord contacts your electricity provider to request invoice records. Provider response times vary. Once invoices are received, PowerCord prepares and submits the refund claim to the Texas Comptroller. Comptroller processing times also vary. PowerCord cannot guarantee a specific timeline, but we handle all coordination and keep you informed of progress.

Yes. The calculator and signing process handle one property at a time. After completing the process for one property, you can return to the tax recapture page and run the calculator again for each additional property. Each property generates a separate service agreement and refund claim.

The first document is a PowerCord Tax Recapture Service Agreement that establishes the 30% contingency fee and defines what PowerCord will do on your behalf. The second is a Texas Comptroller Limited Power of Attorney that authorizes PowerCord to contact your electricity provider, retrieve invoice records, and file a refund claim with the Comptroller on your behalf. Both are delivered as a single signing request to your email. You review and sign on screen -- no printing required.

The Limited Power of Attorney authorizes PowerCord to act on your behalf for the specific purpose of this tax refund claim only. It covers requesting invoice records from your electricity provider and filing a refund claim with the Texas Comptroller. It does not authorize PowerCord to make changes to your electricity account, enter into contracts on your behalf, or act outside the scope of the recapture process.

The person who signs should have authority to act on behalf of the entity that holds the electricity account. This is typically the owner, a managing member, or a property manager with signing authority. The Limited Power of Attorney requires the signer's title.

PowerCord earns 30% of the recovered amount. Nothing is owed upfront and nothing is owed if no refund is collected. The fee is earned only when the Texas Comptroller issues the refund. The 30% is fixed and written into the service agreement.

The calculator produces an estimate based on your entered monthly electricity bill, your ownership duration, and a seasonal adjustment factor that normalizes for Texas summer and winter load patterns. The actual recovery depends on your historical invoices, which PowerCord reviews after the documents are signed. The estimate is a reasonable guide but is not a guarantee of the final refund amount.

Yes. In addition to the historical refund claim, PowerCord files for the prospective sales tax exemption with your electricity provider so your property stops overpaying the day the exemption takes effect. This is included as part of the same engagement at no additional cost.

Yes. Tax recapture is a standalone service available to any qualifying Texas multifamily property, regardless of whether you use PowerCord's lease-synchronized electricity automation platform. The two services are independent. There is no obligation to use the full platform in order to receive the tax recapture service.

Visit powercordenergy.com/tax-recapture and use the calculator to estimate your property's recovery. After you submit your contact information, the signing documents are sent to your email automatically. If you have questions before signing, contact PowerCord at rebate@powercordenergy.com or use the chat on the tax recapture page.