Federal
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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October 15, 2024
The 2024 Law360 Pulse Social Impact Leaders
Check out our Social Impact Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their engagement with social responsibility and commitment to pro bono service.
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October 15, 2024
Gov't Resists DC Circ. Redo In Ayahuasca Church Tax Case
An Iowa church that used a psychedelic in its rites was correctly denied tax-exempt status on grounds that it was organized for illegal aims, the federal government told the D.C. Circuit in urging it to reject the church's request for a rehearing.
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October 11, 2024
Julie Chrisley Appeals Ga. Judge's Resentencing Ruling
Former real estate mogul and reality television star Julie Chrisley, who was convicted of running a yearslong bank fraud scheme with her husband, Todd, is appealing a federal judge's decision to resentence her to the same seven-year prison term she first received nearly two years ago.
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October 11, 2024
Philly Pizzeria Owner Accused Of Dodging Taxes
A Pennsylvania pizzeria owner evaded taxes for multiple years by paying himself and employees in cash and lied about it to his accountant, the U.S. Department of Justice said in announcing charges against him.
Expert Analysis
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address
A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union
As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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Why DOJ's Whistleblower Program May Have Limited Impact
The U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower pilot program aims to incentivize individuals to report corporate misconduct, but the program's effectiveness may be undercut by its differences from other federal agencies’ whistleblower programs and its interplay with other DOJ policies, say attorneys at Milbank.
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How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act
In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.
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Trump's Best Hush Money Appeal Options Still Likely To Fail
The two strongest potential arguments former President Donald Trump could raise in appealing his New York hush money conviction seem promising at first, but precedent strongly suggests they will still ultimately fail — though, of course, Trump's unique position could lead to surprising results, says former New York Supreme Court Justice Ethan Greenberg, now at Anderson Kill.
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Tips For Tax Equity-Tax Credit Transfers That Pass IRS Muster
Although the Internal Revenue Service has increased its scrutiny of complex partnership structures, which must demonstrate their economic substance and business purpose, recent cases and IRS guidance together provide a reliable road map for creating legitimate tax equity structures, say Ian Boccaccio and Michael Messina at Ryan Tax.
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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A Guide To Long-Term, Part-Time Employee Determinations
With final regulations under the Secure Act requiring 401(k) retirement benefits for long-term, part-time employees expected soon, Amy Sheridan and David Guadagnoli at Sullivan & Worcester look at how the proposed rules would shift the risk-reward calculus on excluding categories of employees, and what plan sponsors would need to consider when designing retirement plans.
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After Chevron: Delegation Of Authority And Tax Regulators
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service will face higher standards following Loper Bright’s finding that courts should determine whether agency rules meet the best possible interpretation of the tax code, as well as the scope of the authority delegated by Congress, says Edward Froelich at McDermott.