Federal

  • October 17, 2024

    Couple Failed To Contest IRS Lien, Tax Court Says

    The IRS didn't abuse its discretion when it sustained a federal tax lien against a Washington couple to collect five years' worth of deficient taxes, the U.S. Tax Court ruled Thursday, finding that the couple failed to respond to the agency's attempts to address the dispute.

  • October 17, 2024

    Couple Failed To Back Up Biz Expenses, Tax Court Says

    A self-employed married couple who did business through six limited liability companies aren't entitled to deductions for business expenses and net operating losses because they didn't substantiate them, the U.S. Tax Court said Thursday.

  • October 17, 2024

    Tax Court Affirms Denial Of IRS Whistleblower Award

    The Internal Revenue Service correctly determined that a whistleblower was not owed a discretionary reward after the information he provided ultimately failed to result in the agency collecting any proceeds, the U.S. Tax Court said Thursday.

  • October 17, 2024

    Atty Who Repped Rodney King To Plead Guilty To Tax Evasion

    An attorney who represented Rodney King in a civil case against the city of Los Angeles after King was severely beaten by police agreed Thursday to plead guilty to tax evasion in return for the government dropping other charges.

  • October 17, 2024

    IRS Adjusts Tax Treatment Of Contraceptives

    Individual taxpayers can now deduct condom purchases as preventive medical care payments, and high-deductible healthcare plans can provide condoms and over-the-counter oral contraceptives without a deductible, the IRS said Thursday.

  • October 17, 2024

    A&O Shearman Taps Governance Veteran To Co-Lead Practice

    A&O Shearman said Thursday that it has tapped a longtime partner to co-head the firm's compensation, employment, pensions and governance practice, bringing it under the joint leadership of alum from each of its two legacy firms after the merger between New York-based Shearman & Sterling and London-based legacy firm Allen & Overy became official last May.

  • October 17, 2024

    Justices Told Woman Can't Dispute Levy For Paid-Off Tax

    A Third Circuit decision allowing a woman to challenge her tax liabilities in a property-seizure proceeding should be overturned, the Internal Revenue Service told the U.S. Supreme Court, saying her case became moot after the agency withheld her tax refunds to pay off her debt.

  • October 17, 2024

    Polsinelli Hires McDermott Tax Counsel In DC

    Polsinelli PC has hired an attorney who joined the firm's tax group as a shareholder after 12 and a half years with McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

  • October 17, 2024

    IRS To Hold Hearing On Tax Payments With Cards

    The Internal Revenue Service will hold a public hearing Dec. 6 regarding proposed regulations that would allow taxpayers to make payments using credit and debit cards directly with the agency instead of through a third party, the IRS said Thursday.

  • October 16, 2024

    2 CPAs Get 20 Months For Roles In $1.3B Tax Shelter Scheme

    Two certified public accountants were each sentenced in Georgia federal court to nearly two years in prison for selling tens of millions of dollars in false tax deductions to their rich clients as part of a $1.3 billion tax fraud scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

  • October 16, 2024

    3rd Par Funding Exec Admits To Racketeering In $100M Scam

    The last member of the triumvirate behind Par Funding, a cash advance company that federal prosecutors say bilked investors out of $100 million, pleaded guilty to racketeering in Pennsylvania federal court Wednesday, just weeks before he was scheduled to stand trial.

  • October 16, 2024

    Utah Groups Can't Scrap Corporate Transparency, US Says

    A Utah federal court hasn't seen sufficient evidence to block the Corporate Transparency Act's disclosure requirements in presentations by an off-the-grid community, an online meat market and a trade group for cattle producers that have sued over the statute, the federal government said.

  • October 16, 2024

    Justices Won't Review Tax Scam Co-Conspirator's Sentence

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the more than eight-year prison sentence for one of the men who conspired with a Canfield, Ohio defense attorney to perpetrate a tax refund scam that defrauded the U.S. Internal Revenue Service out of $1.3 million.

  • October 16, 2024

    Nev. Businessman, Trump Donor Challenges $12M Tax Bill

    A Nevada businessman and major donor to former President Donald Trump challenged what the IRS claimed are more than $12 million in tax liabilities, telling the U.S. Tax Court that the agency incorrectly adjusted his rental real estate losses and other reported calculations.

  • October 16, 2024

    Construction Co., Gov't Drop $4M Retention Credit Suit

    A former construction business' suit against the Internal Revenue Service seeking nearly $4 million in employee retention credit refunds was dismissed by a Florida federal judge Wednesday after the company and the federal government agreed to drop the case.

  • October 16, 2024

    5th Circ. Upholds Frivolity Penalty In Dell Worker Tax Case

    A Texas man who claimed that nearly $300,000 he earned from working at Dell Technologies Inc. wasn't taxable must pay the taxes in addition to a $25,000 fine for making frivolous arguments, the Fifth Circuit said.

  • October 16, 2024

    Ex-BigLaw Partner Gets 16 Months For Tax Evasion

    A former partner at Husch Blackwell LLP and Dykema Gossett PLLC who pled guilty to refusing to pay taxes on millions of dollars in income was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

  • October 15, 2024

    Applicable Federal Rates Set For Mixed Changes In Nov.

    While the short-term applicable federal rate for income tax purposes will continue a monthslong decline in November, related rates will either hold steady or increase, the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday.

  • October 15, 2024

    IRS Issues Benefit Overpayments Guidance Under Secure 2.0

    The Internal Revenue Service published guidance Tuesday related to certain inadvertent benefit overpayments as they relate to changes made in the Secure 2.0 Act of 2022, including the treatment of certain overpayments as eligible rollover distributions.

  • October 15, 2024

    Justices Told Split On Shedding Tax Debts Can't Be Ignored

    The U.S. Supreme Court should review a Ninth Circuit decision that found late-filed returns prevented a taxpayer from discharging his federal tax debt in bankruptcy, the taxpayer argued, saying both sides in the case have agreed the circuits are split on the issue.

  • October 15, 2024

    Israel-US Citizen Owes $1.1M In FBAR Penalties, US Says

    A dual Israeli-American citizen who owns a Chicago pub faces more than $1 million in penalties for failing to report bank accounts that he maintained in Israel, the U.S. government told an Illinois federal court.

  • October 15, 2024

    New ABA Tax Chair Wants To Revamp Practice's Dry Image

    The new chair of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation told Law360 she wants to boost the section's recent efforts to revamp the tax practice's image as a boring, numbers-intensive profession with limited opportunities to improve society and inspire more students to enter tax law. Here, she shares her background and goals for the tax section.

  • October 15, 2024

    Alvarez & Marsal Tax Brings On Restructuring Leader

    Alvarez & Marsal's tax affiliate added a restructuring professional from investment bank Houlihan Lokey to serve as its head of global restructuring tax services.

  • October 15, 2024

    V&E Adds Energy Tax Pro From Bracewell In Houston

    Vinson & Elkins LLP has bolstered its energy transition and tax practices with a partner in Houston who came aboard from Bracewell LLP and whose background includes substantial in-house experience advising on renewable projects.

  • October 15, 2024

    Law Firms Diverge As Anti-ESG Pushback Continues

    A continuing onslaught of legislation and litigation opposing corporate environmental, social and governance actions has created a fork in the road for law firms, with some choosing to scale back efforts and others pushing ahead with their internal ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

Expert Analysis

  • How 'As Such' Changes LPs' Self-Employment Tax Exposure

    Author Photo

    In light of the U.S. Tax Court’s recent Soroban Capital Partners decision hinging on "as such" to define the statutory limited partners exemption, state law limited partnerships should consider partners' roles and responsibilities before determining whether they are obligated to pay self-employment income tax, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

  • IRA Monetization Energizes Clean Power Tax Credit Market

    Author Photo

    Recent large sales of clean energy production tax credits reflect an environment in which the Inflation Reduction Act's provisions for monetizing such credits via direct transfer — bypassing slow, costly tax equity transactions — offer opportunities for both developers and investors, says Andrew Eastman at Husch Blackwell.

  • Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

    Author Photo

    To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.

  • Unpacking Long-Awaited Clean Energy Tax Credit Guidance

    Author Photo

    Recently proposed Internal Revenue Service regulations provide welcome confirmatory guidance on the application of investment tax credits as reworked by 2022's Inflation Reduction Act, prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules that are largely consistent with market expectations, and broader eligibility criteria that should please the wind power industry in particular, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • An Informed Guide To Mastering Retirement Plan Forfeitures

    Author Photo

    When considering how to allocate departing retirement plan participants’ forfeitures, sponsors should consider recently filed lawsuits that allege Employee Retirement Income Security Act violations for using such funds to offset employer contributions, as well as proposed IRS guidance concerning how and when they must be used, says Eric Gregory at Dickinson Wright.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

    Author Photo

    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • IRS Proposal May Help Clarify Donor-Advised Fund Excise Tax

    Author Photo

    Recently proposed regulations provide important clarifications of the Internal Revenue Code's excise tax on donor-advised fund distributions by providing detailed definitions of key terms and addressing some of the open issues related to their operation and administration, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

    Author Photo

    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

    Author Photo

    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Liability Exposure For Unpaid Payroll Taxes May Surprise You

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Richard W. York v. U.S. offers important lessons for business owners and others who may be responsible for a company's checkbook about how someone else's failure to submit payroll taxes can result in their personal liability, says Douglas Charnas at McGlinchey Stafford.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Tax Authority Federal archive.