The best cost segregation firms in Georgia for 2027 are KBKG, Engineered Tax Services and McGuire Sponsel, followed by Aprio, Bennett Thrasher and Frazier & Deeter. KBKG leads for owners who want a national specialist with an Atlanta office, Engineered Tax Services for its long list of Georgia case studies, and McGuire Sponsel for its roots in one of Georgia’s oldest cost segregation firms.
This list is for Atlanta and Savannah investors: multifamily owners scaling in metro Atlanta, landlords with single-family rentals across the suburbs, and short-term rental owners in Savannah’s Historic District and on Tybee Island. Every firm below has an office in Georgia or publishes Georgia work, and we note which is which.
One Georgia rule matters before you order a study. Georgia does not follow federal bonus depreciation, and its 2026 conformity bill (HB 1199) kept that difference in place. Federal returns can still use 100% bonus depreciation, which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made permanent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025, but your Georgia return will need its own depreciation schedule. A good firm and CPA will plan for both.
Georgia Cost Segregation Firms At A Glance
Firm
Location
Founded
Specialty
Best For
1. KBKG
Atlanta, GA office (HQ Pasadena, CA)
1999
Cost segregation and tax incentives
National specialist with an Atlanta team
2. Engineered Tax Services
West Palm Beach, FL (Georgia case studies)
2001
Licensed engineering firm for specialty tax
Commercial owners across the state
3. McGuire Sponsel
Indianapolis, IN (Marietta, GA roots)
2007
Specialty tax partner to CPA firms
Owners whose CPA wants a partner firm
4. Aprio
Atlanta, GA
1952
Atlanta-headquartered CPA firm with an engineering team
Owners who want a Georgia CPA firm
5. Bennett Thrasher
Atlanta, GA
1980
Atlanta CPA firm with a credits and incentives practice
Atlanta real estate businesses
6. Frazier & Deeter
Atlanta, GA
1981
Top 50 accounting and advisory firm
Larger commercial and multi-site owners
7. Cherry Bekaert
Raleigh, NC (Atlanta office)
1947
CPA firm pairing licensed engineers with tax staff
Owners who want CPA and engineer together
8. O’Connor
Houston, TX (Atlanta-area office)
Not published
Property tax and cost segregation services
Owners who also appeal property taxes
9. R.E. Cost Seg
Houston, TX
2022
Investor-focused studies at two depths
Investors who want flexible depth
10. Cost Seg Smart
Los Angeles, CA
Not published
Fast, low-cost remote studies
Savannah and Atlanta STR owners
How We Evaluated These Firms
We started with firms that either have an office in Georgia or publish Georgia-specific work, such as Atlanta case studies or Georgia market pages. We then looked at engineering depth, the property types each firm handles well, and whether it can coordinate with the separate Georgia depreciation schedule the state requires.
Local CPA firms scored well when they combine studies with return preparation, since Georgia’s decoupling from bonus depreciation creates extra state work. National specialists scored well on engineering depth and audit support. Rankings are editorial and no firm paid for placement.
Best Cost Segregation Firms In Georgia In 2027
1. KBKG — A National Specialist With A Buckhead Office And Southeast Team
KBKG has served the Atlanta market since 2017, first from Alpharetta and, since 2022, from an office in Buckhead. Its Southeast team specializes in cost segregation alongside green building incentives such as 45L, and it is led locally by a principal of cost segregation based in that office.
The firm has offered cost segregation since 1999 and runs seven US offices, so a Georgia owner gets local contact with national engineering capacity. For smaller rentals, KBKG’s CostSegregation.com platform offers self-guided reports.
Best for: Atlanta commercial and multifamily owners who want a national specialist with people in the city.
Engineered Tax Services publishes a long list of Georgia work, including an apartment complex in Decatur, a veterinary office and a retail property in Atlanta, a retail property in Fort Valley and an industrial property in Grovetown. That range shows experience well beyond the Atlanta core.
As a licensed engineering firm, ETS can inspect in person or virtually depending on the building, and it also handles 179D, 45L and R&D work for owners who want to stack incentives.
Best for: Georgia commercial owners outside metro Atlanta who want an engineering firm with proven work in the state.
3. McGuire Sponsel — Built On One Of Georgia’s Oldest Cost Segregation Firms
In 2019 McGuire Sponsel merged with Ernst & Morris, a Marietta, Georgia firm founded in 1993 and described at the time as one of the nation’s oldest and largest firms dedicated to cost segregation. That merger gave McGuire Sponsel deep Georgia experience to go with its national network.
McGuire Sponsel works through local and regional CPA firms, and its staff conduct on-site inspections to document each building’s assets. If your Georgia CPA already partners with them, the study slots neatly into your return.
Best for: Georgia owners whose CPA prefers to bring in a specialist partner for the engineering.
4. Aprio — An Atlanta-Headquartered CPA Firm With Its Own Engineers
Aprio is headquartered in Atlanta and runs a cost segregation practice staffed by engineers, tax specialists and energy incentive advisors. The firm says it has completed studies across virtually every property type, from commercial buildings to short-term rentals, with no IRS adjustments.
Beyond cost segregation, Aprio handles fixed asset reviews, repairs and maintenance studies and disposition studies, which help owners write off the remaining basis of components removed in a renovation. As a full CPA firm, it can also manage the separate Georgia depreciation schedule.
Best for: Georgia investors who want an in-state CPA firm to handle the study and both federal and state returns.
5. Bennett Thrasher — A Dedicated Cost Segregation Team Inside An Atlanta CPA Firm
Bennett Thrasher has served Atlanta since 1980, and its Credits and Incentives practice includes a cost segregation team led by a dedicated director. Its studies begin with a review of construction documents, blueprints and invoices, followed by a site visit by qualified engineers or tax professionals.
The firm’s real estate group works with multifamily, retail, industrial and commercial owners, and it offers complimentary eligibility assessments so you can see the potential benefit before paying for a study.
Best for: Atlanta real estate companies that want a local firm combining cost segregation with audit and tax work.
Frazier & Deeter was founded in Atlanta in 1981 and keeps its global headquarters on Peachtree Street. Its cost segregation work includes a published case study in which a portfolio-wide study helped a restaurant group save about $20 million, freeing capital to open new locations.
That multi-site experience suits Georgia businesses that own several operating properties, and the firm’s tax team can fold the results into broader planning.
Best for: Georgia companies with several owned locations that want portfolio-wide cost segregation from a local firm.
Cherry Bekaert pairs licensed engineers with experienced tax professionals on every study, and its Southeast footprint includes an Atlanta office. Each engagement starts with a complimentary feasibility analysis, so you see the expected return before committing.
The firm is direct about the risks of low-cost, software-only studies and builds its reports to the standard the IRS expects, which suits owners of larger Georgia properties where the stakes are higher.
Best for: Georgia owners who want a regional CPA firm with engineers on staff and a careful approach.
8. O’Connor — An Atlanta-Area Office And Property Tax Appeals Too
O’Connor has an office in the Atlanta area and names Georgia as one of its top markets for both property tax protests and cost segregation. Its appraisers work across property types nationwide.
Pairing cost segregation with property tax appeals can make sense in Georgia, where rising assessments have pushed up carrying costs. O’Connor also warranties its studies for the duration of ownership.
Best for: Georgia commercial owners who want one firm for cost segregation and property tax appeals.
9. R.E. Cost Seg — Statewide Studies, Including A Georgia Mobile Home Park
R.E. Cost Seg performs studies across Georgia and publishes a Georgia case study in which a mobile home park investment generated $44,264 in first-year tax savings. Investors can choose a Rapid Report starting at $950 or a Fully Engineered Study with a virtual or in-person site visit.
Audit support is included with every study, and the firm offers Form 3115 preparation for owners catching up on properties bought in earlier years.
Best for: Georgia investors with rentals, small commercial or manufactured housing who want a choice of study depth.
10. Cost Seg Smart — Low-Cost Remote Studies With Savannah And Atlanta Market Pages
Cost Seg Smart publishes dedicated pages for Atlanta and Savannah, including Savannah Historic District short-term rental examples, and its remote studies need no site visit. Prices start at $495 for single-family homes, condos and short-term rentals.
For a Savannah or Tybee Island vacation rental full of furniture and fixtures, a low-cost study can produce a large share of five-year property. Lookback studies are priced the same as standard studies.
Best for: Savannah and Atlanta short-term rental owners who want a fast, low-cost study.
How To Choose A Cost Segregation Firm In Georgia
Does The Firm Know Georgia’s Depreciation Rules?
Georgia does not allow federal bonus depreciation, so you will keep separate federal and state depreciation schedules. Ask whether the firm’s report gives your CPA what it needs for both, or whether your CPA will rebuild the state schedule.
Do You Want A Local CPA Firm Or A National Specialist?
Atlanta CPA firms such as Aprio, Bennett Thrasher and Frazier & Deeter can handle the study and the return. National specialists bring larger engineering teams. If you already have a CPA, see our list of real estate CPA firms in Atlanta.
Is The Property A Short-Term Rental?
Savannah and Tybee Island STRs can benefit greatly if you materially participate. Read about the short-term rental tax loophole before you order a study.
How Will The Study Be Done?
Larger Atlanta multifamily and commercial buildings benefit from an engineer on site. A simple rental may only need a remote study. See our list of firms that offer on-site property visits.
What Happens If The IRS Asks Questions?
Confirm audit support is included and for how long, and that the firm will work with your CPA on any state questions too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Georgia allow bonus depreciation?
No. Georgia does not conform to federal bonus depreciation under IRC Section 168(k), and the 2026 conformity bill kept that in place. You can still claim bonus depreciation federally, but your Georgia return uses its own depreciation schedule.
Is cost segregation still worth it for Georgia investors?
Yes, for most qualifying properties. The largest benefit is on the federal return, and Georgia still allows regular depreciation on the reclassified components over their shorter lives.
Which Georgia properties benefit most from cost segregation?
Atlanta multifamily buildings, Savannah short-term rentals with heavy furnishings, and commercial properties such as retail, medical and industrial buildings tend to see the largest reclassifications.
Can I do a study on a Georgia property I bought years ago?
KBKG, Engineered Tax Services and McGuire Sponsel are the strongest specialist choices for Georgia owners, while Aprio, Bennett Thrasher and Frazier & Deeter give you an Atlanta CPA firm that can handle the study and Georgia’s separate depreciation schedule. Savannah short-term rental owners on a budget should look at Cost Seg Smart and R.E. Cost Seg.
