Bid No. 27-05_Sep_28_26_solicitation_doc.pdf

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation document issued by the Town of East Hartford, Connecticut for personal property audit services under Bid No. 27-05. The Town seeks comprehensive municipal personal property audits covering a select number of accounts from approximately 1,851 businesses currently filing annual declarations against the October 1, 2025 Grand List with a gross assessed valuation of $326,388,445. The scope of work includes initiating taxpayer contact, conducting physical inspections and site visits, reviewing personal property tax declarations against federal and state income tax returns and fixed asset records, analyzing leased equipment and leasehold improvements, examining out-of-town items and sold or scrapped property, and preparing detailed and final reports. The selected firm may also be required to participate in formal administrative or judicial hearings and taxpayer discussions. Proposals are due September 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Town Hall, with submission required as one original and three copies. The engagement period begins upon contract execution and is expected to span three years, with timeframes negotiable between the firm and the Town Assessor.

Respondent firms must employ Certified Public Accountants with a minimum of five years' public auditing experience or three years' experience performing municipal personal property tax audits in Connecticut, and must maintain full-time staff holding the IAAO Personal Property Specialist (PPS) designation. The firm must have completed a minimum of ten comparable projects in Connecticut. Cost proposals may be submitted in fee-schedule format, a revenue share-based percentage of tax collections (including taxes, interest, and penalties from audit results), or both, with yearly escalations clearly indicated. The Town will select the vendor deemed most qualified and best suited to its needs, not necessarily the lowest-cost bidder. The awarded firm must maintain comprehensive insurance including Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), Workers' Compensation (statutory), Commercial Automobile Liability ($1 million), Umbrella Liability ($1 million), and Professional Errors & Omissions coverage ($1 million per claim / $1 million aggregate), with the Town named as Additional Insured on all policies except Workers' Compensation and Professional Errors & Omissions. All data and documentation become exclusive property of the Town of East Hartford.