Federal

  • September 18, 2024

    Tax Chiefs Eye Crypto Payment Cos., OTC Traders, IRS Says

    Tax investigators in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and the Netherlands are preparing guidance on red flags for cryptocurrency payment providers and over-the-counter trading desks following a joint operation this week, a special agent with the Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday.

  • September 18, 2024

    IRS Publishes Guidance For Issuers Of Tax-Exempt Bonds

    The Internal Revenue Service published guidance Wednesday for issuers of tax-exempt and other tax-advantaged bonds in terms of procedures for filing claims for recovery of overpayments of rebate payments and other processes.

  • September 18, 2024

    Dems Block Bill Targeting Foreign Funding Of Campaign Gifts

    Democrats blocked the House of Representatives from sending legislation to the Senate that would restrict contributions to political committees by tax-exempt entities that receive foreign funds.

  • September 18, 2024

    Tax Court Wrongly Denied Premium Deduction, 5th Circ. Told

    A Texas couple asked the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday to reverse a U.S. Tax Court decision denying their bid to deduct more than $1 million in premiums paid to insurance companies they owned, arguing the Tax Court misclassified underlying insurance arrangements.

  • September 18, 2024

    IRS On Track With Updated Tool, But Some Risk Remains

    While the IRS' project modernizing its individual tax processing engine met its performance goals ahead of the updated system's planned 2025 rollout, the ending of a process for solving issues between the new and old systems creates greater risk, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said Wednesday.

  • September 18, 2024

    Jury Finds Eatery Owner Guilty Of COVID Fraud, Tax Crimes

    A San Diego restaurant owner who worked with food delivery services during the pandemic and saw his business improve was convicted by a California federal jury of tax crimes and lying on loan applications to obtain more than $1.7 million in COVID-19 funds meant for struggling businesses.

  • September 18, 2024

    House GOP Vows Blowback Over OECD's Min. Tax Backstop

    House Republicans again warned the OECD that Congress will retaliate against countries that implement a backstop measure to the 15% global minimum tax, saying China will cheat the system and it will cost U.S. taxpayers about $120 billion.

  • September 18, 2024

    Tips Lead To $263M IRS Settlement In Offshore Evasion Case

    Tips from three whistleblowers have led to the IRS reaching a $263 million settlement with a taxpayer in an offshore tax evasion case, concluding one of the largest-ever tax whistleblower cases, a law firm involved in the case said Wednesday.

  • September 18, 2024

    IRS Delays Deadlines For Pa. Victims Of Tropical Storm

    Taxpayers in four Pennsylvania counties will have until Feb. 3, 2025, to file individual and business tax returns and make payments after portions of the state were hit by Tropical Storm Debby, the Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday.

  • September 18, 2024

    Sidley Can't Escape Malpractice Suit In Ga. Over Tax Scheme

    A Georgia federal judge has found that Sidley Austin LLP must face its former clients' legal malpractice claims alleging they participated in a tax scheme under the firm's guidance, but threw out indemnity claims seeking reimbursement for paying the IRS $7 million over the scheme.

  • September 18, 2024

    Latham Adds A&O Shearman Energy Group Co-Lead In DC

    Latham & Watkins LLP has hired the former co-head of Allen Overy Shearman Sterling's U.S. energy, natural resources and infrastructure group to its team of transactional tax partners based in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Monday.

  • September 18, 2024

    Staffing Co. Owed $5M In Worker Retention Credits, Suit Says

    An industrial staffing company that was forced to stop holding job fairs during the pandemic claims the IRS hasn't paid it $5.1 million in federal tax credits it's owed for having continued paying employees, according to a complaint in Ohio federal court.

  • September 18, 2024

    8th Circ. Considers Chevron's End In 3M's $24M Tax Case

    The Eighth Circuit signaled it would consider an argument by 3M that the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Chevron deference warranted a reversal in a transfer pricing case in which 3M is challenging the IRS' reallocation of $24 million from a Brazilian affiliate.

  • September 18, 2024

    IRS Issues Corp. Bond Monthly Yield Curve For Sept.

    The Internal Revenue Service published Wednesday the corporate bond monthly yield curve for September for use in calculations for defined benefit plans, as well as corresponding segment rates and other related provisions.

  • September 17, 2024

    Tax Court Denies Mineral Co.'s $1.1M Microcaptive Deduction

    A mineral rights leasing company set up by an Oklahoma oil businessman can't take a $1.1 million deduction for what was presented as a microcaptive insurance transaction, the U.S. Tax Court ruled, saying the transaction was not a legitimate insurance arrangement.

  • September 17, 2024

    Chrisley Sentence Should Stick Despite 11th Circ., Feds Argue

    Julie Chrisley's prison sentence shouldn't change even as a Georgia federal judge considers the former reality TV star's smaller role in a $36 million tax evasion and fraud scheme, prosecutors told the court Monday, noting that her time has already been shortened for other considerations.

  • September 17, 2024

    Duane Morris Atty Asks Court To Keep Proposed Class Alive

    A Duane Morris LLP attorney asked a California federal court to keep her proposed class action against the firm alive, alleging the BigLaw firm is mischaracterizing her claims that it underpaid and misclassified employees.

  • September 17, 2024

    Blumenauer Pushes House Speaker To Put Pot Bill To Vote

    U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., on Monday urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring bipartisan cannabis legislation to a vote following revelations that Richard Nixon admitted privately that marijuana was "not particularly dangerous" while he publicly waged the war on drugs.

  • September 17, 2024

    Fraudster Can Deduct $367K Legal Expenses, Tax Court Says

    A Californian convicted of wire fraud and money laundering is entitled to deduct more than $367,000 in legal expenses spent to defend himself from the charges because they were related to his business, even though his business was defrauding donors, the U.S. Tax Court said. 

  • September 17, 2024

    10 Members Appointed To Electronic Advisory Panel, IRS Says

    The Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday announced the appointment of 10 new members to its electronic tax administration advisory committee, including the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revnue and a program manager at H&R Block.

  • September 16, 2024

    Film Producer, Accountant Hid $25M From IRS, DOJ Alleges

    A film producer who sold shares in the production company he cofounded for $25 million schemed with an Australian accountant to hide the proceeds from U.S. authorities in Swiss bank accounts, causing the IRS to lose out on some $5 million, according to the DOJ.

  • September 16, 2024

    Audit Trails For IRS Taxpayer Data Trove Lacking, TIGTA Says

    Audit trails that can be used to identify logins to an Internal Revenue Service's database containing extensive tax records were often incomplete, according to a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released Monday.

  • September 16, 2024

    Applicable Federal Interest Rates To Decline Again In October

    Applicable federal rates for income tax purposes will decrease again in October, continuing a months-long decline, the Internal Revenue Service said Monday.

  • September 16, 2024

    IRS Floats Definition Of 'Covered Month' For Premium Credit

    The IRS on Monday proposed expanding the definition of a "covered month" for purposes of the health insurance premium tax credit to include the first month of the grace period for which an individual does not pay the premium in full but still receives coverage.

  • September 16, 2024

    IRS Cancels Hearing On 'Basket Contract' Transactions Rule

    The Internal Revenue Service canceled a hearing on proposed rules that would flag what are known as basket option contracts as potentially abusive listed transactions, according to a notice released Monday.

Featured Stories

  • 4 Key Complications 3 Years After Pillar 2

    Natalie Olivo

    Three years ago, countries around the world outlined an agreed-upon minimum corporate tax system in an eight-page document that couldn't have foreseen the full scope of complications that later emerged during implementation, including frictions with existing tax laws. Here, Law360 looks at four key issues that countries and multinational corporations are grappling with as Pillar Two turns three.

  • 3 Ways Justices' SEC Fraud Ruling Could Affect Tax Disputes

    Kat Lucero

    The U.S. Supreme Court's groundbreaking decision to curb the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's in-house fraud enforcement could hamper the IRS' ability to assert certain penalties, including in contested conservation easement cases, and challenge the U.S. Tax Court's authority to review them. Here, Law360 examines three arenas in which the Supreme Court decision could shake up tax administration and litigation.

  • 3 Items Tax Pros Want To See In Student Loan Matching Regs

    David van den Berg

    Practitioners and experts are hoping the IRS will flesh out a recently released notice on student loan matching contributions to retirement plans with details including how to fix errors and whether plans may need to be changed depending on how they provide matches. Here, Law360 explores three issues practitioners and observers want the agency to address.

Expert Analysis

  • Tax Traps In Acquisitions Of Financially Distressed Targets

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Parties to the acquisition of an insolvent or bankrupt company face myriad tax considerations, including limitations on using the distressed company's tax benefits, cancellation of indebtedness income, tax lien issues and potential tax reorganizations.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

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    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Pros, Cons Of Disclosing Improper Employee Retention Credit

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    Employers considering the Internal Revenue Service’s second voluntary disclosure program, which allows companies to avoid penalties for erroneously claiming employee retention credits for the 2021 tax year by repaying the credits and naming the tax advisers who encouraged these abusive practices, should carefully weigh the program’s benefits against its potential drawbacks, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process

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    Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.

  • Whistleblowers Must Note 5 Key Differences Of DOJ Program

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently unveiled whistleblower awards program diverges in key ways from similar programs at other agencies, and individuals must weigh these differences and look first to programs with stronger, proven protections before blowing the whistle, say Stephen Kohn and Geoff Schweller at Kohn Kohn.

  • What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires

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    Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.

  • Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support

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    A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where

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    During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.