Federal

  • August 02, 2024

    Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin

    The Internal Revenue Service's weekly bulletin, issued Friday, includes finalized regulations that govern the quarterly reporting of a new excise tax that pharmaceutical companies, suppliers and importers must pay when they do not negotiate with Medicare over drug prices.

  • August 01, 2024

    Feds Want Full Sentence Kept In Fla. Illegal Employment Case

    The U.S. urged a Florida federal court on Thursday to uphold the three-year prison sentence of a labor staffing company operator convicted in a conspiracy to hire migrants not authorized to work in the U.S., saying he's ineligible for a reduction because of his admitted role in the scheme.

  • August 01, 2024

    Divided Tax Court Says Treaty Bars Collections Hearing

    A divided U.S. Tax Court ruled Thursday that it lacked authority to review an Internal Revenue Service decision preventing a woman from challenging a federal tax lien the agency issued on behalf of the Canadian government to secure her tax debt to that country.

  • August 01, 2024

    TIGTA Says IRS Cybersecurity Program Still Not Fully Effective

    The Internal Revenue Service's cybersecurity program continues to not meet federal standards, potentially leaving taxpayer data vulnerable to inappropriate and undetected use, modification or disclosure, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Coca-Cola, IRS Enter $2.7B Tax Bill In Transfer Pricing Dispute

    Coca-Cola and the IRS submitted tax liability calculations totaling $2.73 billion to the U.S. Tax Court, reflecting the latest step in the company's long-running transfer pricing dispute over the agency's reallocation of the company's foreign affiliate income.

  • August 01, 2024

    Calif. Couple Ordered To Pay $1.5M Tax Bill

    A California couple must pay more than $1.5 million for three years' worth of unpaid tax liabilities, plus interest and any other additions, a federal district court ruled Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Direct File Will Be Available In New Mexico, IRS Announces

    New Mexico will participate in the Internal Revenue Service's free electronic tax return filing program known as Direct File in the 2025 tax filing season, the agency and the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Airbnb's $1.3B Bill From IRS Overvalues IP, Tax Court Told

    Airbnb is challenging a $1.3 billion tax bill tied to income the IRS allocated from overseas, telling the U.S. Tax Court the agency overvalued intellectual property the home-rental giant licensed to its Irish affiliate before going public.

  • August 01, 2024

    Senate GOP Blocks House-Passed Tax Break Bill

    Republicans on Thursday blocked the Senate from considering a bipartisan tax bill negotiated by the chairmen of the House and Senate's tax-writing committees that would extend the full tax break for research and development costs and expand the child tax credit for multiple years.

  • August 01, 2024

    Court Won't Stop FTC Judges In H&R Block False Ad Fight

    The Federal Trade Commission can proceed with its hearing against H&R Block accusing the tax preparation firm of false advertising, a Missouri federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting the company's argument that the agency's administrative law judges lack constitutional authority to preside.

  • August 01, 2024

    Senate Panel OKs Maintaining IRS Funding At $12.3B

    The Internal Revenue Service would receive $12.3 billion for the third straight year under legislation sent Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee to the full chamber for consideration.

  • August 01, 2024

    3rd Circ. Affirms Nix Of Discovery Ask On GM In Brazil Case

    A Delaware federal court didn't abuse its discretion by declining to begin discovery on General Motors to aid ongoing litigation in Brazil for a group that is entitled to receive dozens of car dealerships' tax credits from the early 1990s, the Third Circuit found.

  • August 01, 2024

    IRS Not Required To Disclose Summonses, 5th Circ. Affirms

    The Internal Revenue Service was not required to tell a Texas man with unpaid tax liabilities that it had demanded his financial information from third parties, the Fifth Circuit ruled, upholding a lower court's decision to toss his suit.

  • August 01, 2024

    Chiropractor Evaded $2.4M In Taxes, Fed. Indictment Says

    An Alabama chiropractor evaded $2.4 million in self-reported taxes, filed false tax returns and obstructed the Internal Revenue Service, according to a federal indictment.

  • July 31, 2024

    Treasury's New 'Killer B' Rules May Revive Controversies

    Recent U.S. Treasury Department regulations centered on contentious 2011 guidance aimed at so-called Killer B transactions have revived long-standing questions about how much authority rule writers have to target what they perceive as corporate tax avoidance in these maneuvers.

  • July 31, 2024

    Cos. Insist Chevron Ruling Doesn't Change Deduction Claims

    A medical device company and a food services firm that are each challenging Internal Revenue Service denials of dividend deduction claims told the U.S. Tax Court that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Chevron deference doesn't change the validity of their arguments.

  • July 31, 2024

    Senate Dems Urge Passage Of House-Passed Tax Bill

    Senate Democrats urged their Republican counterparts Wednesday to pass legislation that would extend the full tax break for research and development costs and expand the child tax credit for multiple years.

  • July 31, 2024

    Separate Easement Contribution Docs Critical, IRS Atty Says

    Conservation easement donors must always keep separate documents from their donees that acknowledge the gifted property to qualify for a charitable tax deduction in the event the IRS requests such information during an audit, according to an agency counsel Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    Wash. Cannabis Co. Sues Payroll Firm Over Back Taxes

    A Puget Sound-area dispensary is suing Greenleaf HR LLC, a payroll provider specializing in the cannabis industry, and another firm, claiming they failed to pay the IRS on its behalf resulting in a nearly $172,500 tax bill, according to a lawsuit removed to Washington federal court.

  • July 31, 2024

    GOP Sens. Say Direct File Wrongly Expanding IRS' Power

    The Internal Revenue Service "should not be focused on unilaterally expanding its own power" by making the free Direct File program permanent without the authorization of Congress, 19 Republican senators led by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    $1.1M Tax Refund Claim Needs More Time, Virgin Islands Says

    A man living on the island of St. Thomas who sued the U.S. Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue for a $1.1 million tax refund is being audited, the agency told a Virgin Islands federal court, urging it not to move forward with the case.

  • July 31, 2024

    Americans Overseas Launch Residence Taxation Lobby Group

    An advocacy group representing U.S. citizens living abroad announced it has officially registered as a lobbyist to continue to push Congress to pass residence-based taxation laws for the benefit of individuals comparable to those for corporations.

  • July 31, 2024

    Ex-Chicago Alderman Should Serve Full Supervision, Feds Say

    A former Chicago alderman and attorney convicted of tax crimes should not be allowed an early reprieve from his court-ordered supervision because it has become his main form of punishment following his compassionate release from prison, the government has told an Illinois federal court.

  • July 31, 2024

    TaxAct Customers' Attys Want $5.8M Fee For $23M Deal

    The attorneys for TaxAct Inc. customers who secured a $23 million deal to resolve claims that the company was secretly sharing confidential taxpayer information with Meta and Google asked a federal judge to award them more than $5.8 million in fees for their work.

  • July 31, 2024

    Senators Ask Treasury To Limit Biofuel Tax Credit Eligibility

    The U.S. Treasury Department shouldn't grant biofuel production tax credits to companies that use foreign-sourced feedstocks, a coalition of Republican and Democratic senators said in a letter published Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • 10 Considerations For Litigating A New York Tax Case

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    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.

  • Charting The Course For Digital Assets In 2024

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    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.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

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    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.

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

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    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.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    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.

  • Giving The Gov't Drug Patent March-In Authority Is Bad Policy

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    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.

  • How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    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.

  • The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

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    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.

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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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