Federal
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October 21, 2024
Justices Won't Review IRS' Additions To Developer's $2M Deal
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it wouldn't review an Eleventh Circuit decision allowing the Internal Revenue Service to back out of a deal to settle an Alabama real estate developer's tax debt for $2 million.
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October 21, 2024
New ABA Tax Chair-Elect Aims To Expand Leadership Paths
The new chair-elect of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation told Law360 that she wants to broaden the pathways to leadership for members, including those early in their careers, as part of the section's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Here, Megan Brackney shares more about her background and goals for the section.
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October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms
The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
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October 18, 2024
FTC Won't Disqualify ALJ in H&R Block False Ad Fight
The Federal Trade Commission denied a request by H&R Block to stop an administrative law judge from overseeing a proceeding that accuses the tax preparation company of deceptive advertising, saying Friday that ALJs don't have unconstitutional job protections as the company claimed.
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October 18, 2024
IRS Releases Sustainable Airplane Fuel Credit Guidance
Taxpayers using a certain safe harbor to calculate their emissions reduction percentage with regard to sustainable airplane fuel credit claims on the sale or use of qualified mixtures after a certain date must use an updated model, the IRS said Friday.
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October 18, 2024
Tax Court Gave Short Shrift To Land Donors, 11th Circ. Told
The owners of a waterfront property in Georgia who protected 500 acres for conservation told the Eleventh Circuit that the U.S. Tax Court drastically undercut the value of their gift and its corresponding tax deduction by accepting flawed evidence provided by the government's sole witness.
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October 18, 2024
Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin
The Internal Revenue Service's weekly bulletin, issued Friday, included final regulations that impose additional reporting requirements under the threat of penalty for partnerships that abuse a conservation easement tax deduction.
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October 18, 2024
IRS OKs Rules On Withholding For Pension Payments
The Internal Revenue Service released final rules Friday covering certain retirement plans' obligation to withhold income tax when they make payments or distributions to taxpayers outside the U.S. starting in 2026.
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October 18, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Baker, Simpson, Ropes
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Lundbeck inks a $2.6 billion cash deal for Longboard, Silver Lake agrees to buy Zuora for $1.7 billion, and PPG and American Industrial Partners reach a $550 million deal.
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October 17, 2024
Liberty Global Shouldn't Get $248M Tax Credit, 10th Circ. Told
Liberty Global distorted the language and statutory scheme of the U.S. tax code's foreign tax credit regulations to falsely claim $248 million in credits, the U.S. government told the Tenth Circuit on Thursday.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Expert Analysis
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10 Considerations For Litigating A New York Tax Case
While some of New York’s recently adopted corporate tax regulations are likely to face legal challenges, aggrieved taxpayers should answer certain questions before deciding to embark on the tax litigation process, say Cyavash Ahmadi and Jeffrey Friedman at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Charting The Course For Digital Assets In 2024
Although 2023 was a tough year for the digital asset industry, upcoming court decisions, legislation and regulatory action will bring clarity, allowing the industry to expand and evolve, and the government will decide what innovation it will allow without challenge, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
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Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities
Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
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How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season
Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Giving The Gov't Drug Patent March-In Authority Is Bad Policy
The Biden administration's recent proposal to allow government seizure of certain taxpayer-funded drug patents is a terrible idea that would negate the benefits of government-funded research, to the detriment of patients and the wider economy, says Wayne Winegarden at Pacific Research Institute.
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How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape
The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
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How 'As Such' Changes LPs' Self-Employment Tax Exposure
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.
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Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct
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.
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IRA Monetization Energizes Clean Power Tax Credit Market
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.
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Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave
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.
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Unpacking Long-Awaited Clean Energy Tax Credit Guidance
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.