Federal
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November 13, 2024
Judge Cites 'Deterrence' In Attys' Tax Scheme Prison Sentence
Two St. Louis tax attorneys and a North Carolina insurance agent's pleas for leniency were largely ignored Wednesday by a federal judge sentencing them for their role in a multimillion-dollar tax avoidance scheme, with the judge declaring that the need for public deterrence was too great to let them off the hook without prison time.
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November 13, 2024
Tax Fraud A Potential Topic In Lame-Duck Session, Aides Say
Congress could include disaster-related tax relief and a legislative fix in a year-end package to address rampant fraud associated with the employee retention tax credit, staffers for the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees said Wednesday.
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November 13, 2024
Election Clouds Timing of Final Corp. AMT Rules, Official Says
The Internal Revenue Service's timeline for producing final regulations for the corporate alternative minimum tax will depend on priorities set by whomever President-elect Donald Trump picks to lead the U.S. Department of the Treasury, an IRS official said Wednesday.
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November 13, 2024
Senate Panel To Consider Nominee For Tax Inspector General
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing Thursday to consider the nomination of David Samuel Johnson to be the inspector general for tax administration, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Wednesday.
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November 13, 2024
$545K FBAR Fine Is Unconstitutional, Ex-Professor Tells Court
An 86-year-old former college professor's penalty of $545,000 for failing to report foreign bank accounts is excessive and violates the Eighth Amendment, he told a California federal court.
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November 13, 2024
3rd Circ. Wary Of Easing Cheesesteak Shop Owner's Sentence
Third Circuit judges seemed mostly skeptical of overturning an extension to the prison sentence of a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop owner who admitted to paying employees off the books, saying during oral arguments it was unclear whether the employees should be considered co-conspirators in the tax fraud.
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November 13, 2024
IRS Issues Corp. Bond Monthly Yield Curve For Nov.
The Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday published the corporate bond monthly yield curve for November for use in calculations for defined benefit plans, as well as corresponding segment rates and other related provisions.
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November 13, 2024
Feds Want 2 Years' Jail For Biz Owner In $2.8M Tax Scheme
A construction company owner who paid workers off the books by pretending they were subcontractors, even after one of them died, should serve two years in prison and pay $2.8 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for the tax loss, prosecutors told a Massachusetts federal court.
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November 12, 2024
Ex-ComEd Exec Asked If Madigan Hires Truly An 'Exchange'
Defense attorneys got their chance Tuesday to grill an ex-Commonwealth Edison executive who testified the utility hired people who did little to no work at the behest of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, asking if it truly traded those jobs for Madigan's action on ComEd legislation or if the company was just building goodwill with a key decision-maker.
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November 12, 2024
House Rejects Bill To Delay Tax Deadlines For Hostages
The U.S. House of Representatives rejected Tuesday a bill that would have delayed tax deadlines and reimbursed late fees for Americans held hostage or unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad.
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November 12, 2024
Woman Asks Justices To Review IRS Social Security Levy
A Florida woman asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Eleventh Circuit's denial of her challenge to the IRS' garnishment of her Social Security payments, saying in a petition docketed Tuesday that the appellate court wrongly found she had failed to exhaust possible administrative remedies.
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November 12, 2024
Mass. Court Says IRS Deal Didn't Fix Man's State Tax Debt
The former corporate officer of a now-defunct Massachusetts company didn't overpay on his outstanding tax liability despite entering into a settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, a state appeals court said Tuesday.
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November 12, 2024
Tax Court Drills Teacher With Frivolous Argument Penalty
A Georgia high school teacher's claim that roughly $86,000 in income he received didn't qualify as wages was not just incorrect but frivolous, the U.S. Tax Court said Tuesday, upholding the IRS' determination that he owed taxes on that income as well a $25,000 penalty.
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November 12, 2024
Broker Calls 78-Month Sentence For Tax Scheme Unfair
An insurance agent convicted of conspiracy and tax crimes in a multimillion-dollar tax avoidance scheme told a North Carolina federal court ahead of his sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday, that the 78-month prison sentence recommended by prosecutors is harsher than punishments for similar offenders.
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November 12, 2024
Treasury To Host Webinar For Beneficial Ownership Info Filing
The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will host a free webinar Nov. 19 to aid companies that need to file their initial beneficial ownership information under the Corporate Transparency Act by the start of 2025.
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November 08, 2024
9th Circ. Says Univ. Wrongly Deprived Of Tax-Exempt Status
The Ninth Circuit on Friday reversed a decision by an Arizona district court backing the U.S. Department of Education's determination that the privately owned Grand Canyon University didn't qualify as a nonprofit institution for classification related to federal loan and grant programs.
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November 08, 2024
Career Butler Snow Attorney Joins Holland & Knight In NYC
Holland & Knight LLP has hired a transactional attorney who focuses her practice on new markets tax credits and other financial matters, and who spent her entire career up to now with Butler Snow LLP, the firm announced Thursday.
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November 08, 2024
Shutts & Bowen Adds Complex Taxation Pro In Sarasota
Shutts & Bowen LLP has brought on a new partner at the firm's growing Sarasota, Florida, office, bringing close to 20 years of private practice tax law experience to the firm's private client services practice group.
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November 08, 2024
Nixon Peabody Helps Boston Supportive Housing Land $153M
A Boston housing development nonprofit, with guidance from Nixon Peabody LLP, obtained $153 million in financing to develop a 19-story, 126-unit supportive housing project in the city, the law firm announced.
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November 08, 2024
Ex-Spouse Entitled To $2.9M Pandemic Tax Refund, Court Told
A woman is entitled to a $2.9 million tax refund under pandemic-era relief provisions for carryback losses shared with her ex-husband, she told a Texas federal court, accusing the Internal Revenue Service of wrongly requiring both of the former couple's signatures on a consent form.
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November 08, 2024
Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin
The Internal Revenue Service's weekly bulletin, issued Friday, included registration guidance for manufacturers of energy efficiency improvement products that qualify for a homeowner tax credit.
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November 07, 2024
Vanguard Investors Ink $40M Settlement In Tax Liability Suit
Vanguard investors have asked a Pennsylvania federal judge to give the first green light to a $40 million settlement reached with the firm over it allegedly breaching its fiduciary duty when it triggered a sell-off of assets that left investors with massive tax bills.
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November 07, 2024
Danish Gov't Can't Exclude 2012 Evidence In $2B Tax Case
A New York federal judge allowed U.S. pension plans to present a Danish firm's 2012 opinion as key evidence in an upcoming trial in the Danish government's $2 billion tax fraud case against them, but barred three other pieces of evidence.
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November 07, 2024
Trial Needed In Texas Co.'s $3.5M Dispute, Tax Court Says
There are too many factual disputes between the Internal Revenue Service and a Texas holding company regarding a determination that it owed nearly $2.9 million in deficient taxes plus $622,000 in penalties, and a trial will be needed to resolve them, the U.S. Tax Court said Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Varian Not Relevant In Liberty Global Case, US Tells 10th Circ.
A U.S. Tax Court decision that granted medical device company Varian Medical Systems a deduction for dividends received from foreign subsidiaries does not support Liberty Global's claims to a $110 million tax refund, the federal government told the Tenth Circuit on Thursday.
Trump, GOP Victories May Imperil OECD Global Tax Plan
President-elect Donald Trump's and Republicans' victories in the U.S. elections this month call into question whether the OECD's two-pillar global tax plan can be effectively implemented and whether the plan's minimum tax backstop rule can be applied amid threats of retaliatory tax measures by the U.S.
Treasury's Energy Tax Perk Regs On Track Despite Trump Win
The U.S. Treasury Department still plans to finalize remaining clean energy tax credit regulations by the end of this year despite President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promise to unravel the 2022 climate law that enacted them, a Treasury spokesperson told Law360 on Tuesday.
Disaster Tax Relief Could Be On Slate In Lame-Duck Session
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump's reelection, and while lawmakers will likely be gearing up for next year's tax negotiations, there are some tax policies that could pass during the lame-duck session, including disaster tax relief.
Trump, GOP Victories May Imperil OECD Global Tax Plan
President-elect Donald Trump's and Republicans' victories in the U.S. elections this month call into question whether the OECD's two-pillar global tax plan can be effectively implemented and whether the plan's minimum tax backstop rule can be applied amid threats of retaliatory tax measures by the U.S.
Treasury's Energy Tax Perk Regs On Track Despite Trump Win
The U.S. Treasury Department still plans to finalize remaining clean energy tax credit regulations by the end of this year despite President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promise to unravel the 2022 climate law that enacted them, a Treasury spokesperson told Law360 on Tuesday.
Disaster Tax Relief Could Be On Slate In Lame-Duck Session
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump's reelection, and while lawmakers will likely be gearing up for next year's tax negotiations, there are some tax policies that could pass during the lame-duck session, including disaster tax relief.
Featured Stories
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Trump, GOP Victories May Imperil OECD Global Tax Plan
President-elect Donald Trump's and Republicans' victories in the U.S. elections this month call into question whether the OECD's two-pillar global tax plan can be effectively implemented and whether the plan's minimum tax backstop rule can be applied amid threats of retaliatory tax measures by the U.S.
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Disaster Tax Relief Could Be On Slate In Lame-Duck Session
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump's reelection, and while lawmakers will likely be gearing up for next year's tax negotiations, there are some tax policies that could pass during the lame-duck session, including disaster tax relief.
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After Electoral Defeats, Cannabis Advocates Eye Next Steps
Cannabis industry advocates and reform activists struck a note of cautious optimism Wednesday following an expected Republican electoral sweep of the federal government, while opponents of legalization touted the defeat of multiple statewide ballot measures as proof of their position that marijuana reform efforts were losing support.
Expert Analysis
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Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session
As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.
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What Trump's 2nd Presidency Could Mean For Crypto Sector
Trump's second term will bring a fundamental shift from the Biden administration's approach to crypto-asset regulation and banking supervision, with the most significant changes likely taking effect in the first two quarters of 2025 and broader policy shifts emerging over the next year, say attorneys at Cahill.
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
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As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
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Takeaways From The IRS' Crypto Doc Summons Win
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A recent First Circuit decision holding that taxpayers do not have a Fourth Amendment reasonable expectation of privacy in cryptocurrency transaction records should prompt both taxpayers and exchanges to take stock of past transactions and future plans, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources
Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
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How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment
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Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.
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Ex-Chicago Politician's Case May Further Curb Fraud Theories
The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Thompson v. U.S. to determine whether a statement that is misleading but not false still violates federal law, potentially heralding the court’s largest check yet on prosecutors’ expansive fraud theories, with significant implications for sentencing, say attorneys at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.
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Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity
Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
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Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules
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The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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Tariffs' Economic Downsides Outweigh Potential Revenue
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Import tariffs proposed by the campaign of former president Donald Trump would generate revenue like other taxes, but policymakers must consider the net-negative impact of associated consumer and downstream-industry costs, harm to exporters, potential foreign retaliation and reduction in economic output, says Erica York at the Tax Foundation.
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Navigating The Last Leg Of The Worker Retention Tax Credit
Whether a business has applied for the pandemic-era employee retention tax credit, received a denial letter or is still considering making a claim before the April 15 deadline, it should examine recent developments significantly affecting the program before planning next steps, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.