Terry Ahlers is an integral part of Ashland’s consulting team for Illinois state corporate tax recovery and reduction. As a 23-year veteran of the Illinois Department of Revenue, Terry has managed and led the audits of some of the country’s largest companies, including transportation, insurance, and financial service organizations as well as electric, gas, telecommunications, and public utility companies.

Not only was Terry one of the Department’s most productive auditors year after year, in terms of number of audits completed and revenue generated by those audits, he also saved taxpayers many millions of dollars through his extensive technical knowledge, diligence, and fairness to taxpayers in applying Illinois laws and regulations.

As a result, Terry thoroughly understands how business returns are audited in Illinois, what the auditors look for, and the entire process from both the state’s and the taxpayer’s perspectives.

Not only does Terry have technical expertise that comes from his work as an auditor and supervisor, he was also part of the team that developed the auditing software used by the State of Illinois. Following development and testing, Terry also served as a trainer on the system and technical issues for both the legal staff and auditors. In addition, Terry worked closely with the agency director on department productivity improvements.

Other responsibilities included participating in negotiations, litigation and other forms of conflict resolution, and providing testimony at depositions when expert testimony was required. Terry also regularly mentored new auditors.

As part of Ashland’s Illinois team, Terry brings this superb experience to helping clients recover Illinois corporate income and other taxes along with minimizing future tax liabilities in the state. He is part of the team that Ashland is proud to say recovered many millions of dollars in Illinois tax for Fortune 500 and other companies.