Federal
-
September 04, 2024
Tax Court OKs $465K Gambling Losses Deduction Amount
An Indiana woman adequately proved she had more than $465,000 in substantiated gambling losses over six years, the U.S. Tax Court said Wednesday, though she failed to substantiate her claimed business losses.
-
September 04, 2024
Warren Urges IRS To Look At Possible REIT Tax Break Abuse
The Internal Revenue Service should increase its scrutiny of real estate investment trusts to determine whether companies are benefiting from REIT tax benefits while flouting rules, including those that limit the level of a REIT's ownership in a company, Sen. Elizabeth Warren told the agency's commissioner.
-
September 04, 2024
Maryland Joining IRS Direct File Next Year
Maryland will join the IRS' free electronic tax filing program known as Direct File in 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday.
-
September 04, 2024
Ex-Mass. Pol 'A Little Sloppy' But Not Criminal, Jurors Told
Former Massachusetts state senator Dean A. Tran denied charges Wednesday that he stole pandemic unemployment assistance and cheated on his taxes, with his attorney telling a jury that the lawmaker simply made a series of paperwork "mistakes."
-
September 04, 2024
Chippewa Lawyer Asks 8th Circ. To Reconsider Tax Exemption
An attorney who contends that Congress never expressly allowed the federal government to tax Native Americans asked the Eighth Circuit to reconsider denying him a tax exemption on his self-employment income, saying the ruling conflicts with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
-
September 04, 2024
IRS Reopens Comment Period For Tax Payment Regs
The Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday that it had reopened the comment period for proposed regulations that would allow taxpayers to make payments using credit and debit cards directly with the agency instead of through a third party.
-
September 04, 2024
IRS Announces 4 Tax Court Sessions Added To Calendar
The Internal Revenue Service announced four U.S. Tax Court sessions in December and named calendar administrators for the sessions in a notice released Wednesday.
-
September 03, 2024
5th Circ. Rejects 4 Arguments Against $6K Tax Bill
The U.S. Tax Court correctly determined a man owed over $5,000 in tax deficiencies as well as more than $1,000 in penalties plus interest, the Fifth Circuit ruled Tuesday, finding none of the taxpayer's four arguments persuasive.
-
September 03, 2024
IRS Should Be Bound By $2M Bankruptcy Deal, Justices Told
An Alabama real estate developer who sought bankruptcy protection and agreed to settle his tax debts for $2 million asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision allowing the IRS to demand additional taxes from him, saying the agency shouldn't be allowed to back out of the deal.
-
September 03, 2024
Ex-Defense Contractor Arrested In $350M Tax Evasion Case
A former defense contractor who, with his wife, is facing a 30-count indictment alleging they were involved in a decades-long scheme to defraud the U.S. government and avoid taxes on more than $350 million in income was arrested Tuesday.
-
September 03, 2024
9th Circ. Rejects Tax Lien Pro Rata Share In Bankruptcy Sale
The bankruptcy court is not authorized to use the pro rata method to allocate proceeds between the IRS and an estate with a tax lien for unpaid taxes and penalties, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday, saying there is nothing in bankruptcy law that explicitly allows this approach.
-
September 03, 2024
Debtor's Late-Filing Case Should Be Reviewed, Justices Told
Tax experts urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision that found late-filed returns prevented a taxpayer from discharging his federal tax debt in bankruptcy, saying the case reflects a decades-long debate that has split the circuits three ways.
-
September 03, 2024
Non-EU Cos. Need Clarity On Public Tax Reporting, Firms Say
The European Union should clarify how multinational corporations headquartered outside the bloc need to format tax data they report under new public disclosure rules, global accounting firms said.
-
September 03, 2024
IRS Issues More Edits For Foreign Currency Accounting Regs
The Internal Revenue Service issued further corrections Tuesday to proposed rules that would adjust the timing for when companies can use certain accounting methods for gains or losses that arise from foreign currency transactions.
-
August 30, 2024
Partnership Can't Save Premature Tax Court Appeal, Feds Say
The IRS is urging the Eleventh Circuit to throw out a Tax Court appeal that a partnership formed by two former Atlanta Braves players filed over a slashed $47.6 million conservation easement deduction, since the appeal was improperly filed before a final decision was entered.
-
August 30, 2024
Alvarez & Marsal Appoints Tax Experts As Managing Directors
Alvarez & Marsal Tax LLC appointed tax experts from Anderson and Deloitte as its new managing directors, the firm announced.
-
August 30, 2024
Danish Gov't Pledges No Ponzi Analogies At $2.1B Tax Trial
The Danish tax authority won't compare pension funds, investors and attorneys it has accused of defrauding Denmark in a $2.1 billion tax refund scheme to a Ponzi scheme or infamous perpetrator Bernie Madoff, it said Friday in New York federal court.
-
August 30, 2024
Whistleblower Seeks 2nd Bid At $690M Claim In DC Circ.
A whistleblower denied up to $690 million, or 30%, of the $2.3 billion collected in an Internal Revenue Service offshore voluntary disclosure program asked for a D.C. Circuit panel to rehear his case Friday, saying its original opinion included numerous mistakes and misunderstandings.
-
August 30, 2024
Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin
The Internal Revenue Service's weekly bulletin, issued Friday, included an announcement of the reopening of a voluntary disclosure program for businesses that think they improperly received COVID-19-era employee retention credits.
-
August 30, 2024
Partnership Asks 11th Circ. To Restore $9M Easement Break
A partnership asked the Eleventh Circuit to reinstate its nearly $9 million deduction for donating a conservation easement in Georgia, saying the U.S. Tax Court erroneously limited the deduction to its cost basis by claiming partners who contributed the property had held it as inventory.
-
August 30, 2024
IRS Corrects Proposed Rules To Address Pillar 2 Losses
The Internal Revenue Service issued corrections Friday to proposed rules that outline when foreign taxes under the Pillar Two international minimum tax agreement could trigger long-standing U.S. rules that aim to prevent companies from what is known as double-dipping the same economic loss.
-
August 30, 2024
Dow Seeks To Add 7 Chemicals To IRC Taxable Substances
The Internal Revenue Service said Friday that it is looking for public comments on proposals by Dow Chemical to add seven chemicals to the Internal Revenue Code's list of taxable substances.
-
August 30, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Paul Weiss, Squire
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Oneok reaches two agreements with energy infrastructure companies worth a total $5.9 billion, McKesson inks a $2.49 billion deal for a cancer center, and First Busey and CrossFirst Bankshares agree to a $917 million merger.
-
August 30, 2024
Rule Aims To Widen Low-Income Green Electricity Tax Credits
Geothermal, hydropower, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission projects would be among the types of electricity facilities that could be eligible for clean electricity low-income community bonus credit amounts starting in 2025, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury Department said in proposed rules released Friday.
-
August 29, 2024
9th Circ. Says IRS Properly Rejected Payment Compromise
A man who owed $50 million in taxes and offered to settle part of his debt was correctly denied a compromise, the Ninth Circuit affirmed Thursday, rejecting his argument that his offer should have been deemed accepted because the agency missed the two-year deadline for rejecting it.
![The U.S. Courthouse for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, is seen, Saturday, July 21, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)](https://assets.law360news.com/1875000/1875893/1f0a50231d3737d7e96f96f870f80539eee1e7d3-georgia-daily-life.jpeg)
11th Circ. Trims $12.6M FBAR Fine In 8th Amendment Split
Some of the $12.6 million in penalties the IRS on imposed a man for willfully failing to report foreign bank accounts were in violation of the Eighth Amendment's bar on excessive fines, the Eleventh Circuit ruled, creating an apparent circuit split.
![Scales of Justice in an empty courtroom with empty jury box](https://assets.law360news.com/1874000/1874211/719f6296bc8b675f33287410a930dd12fd9e1bcc-istock-451264349.jpg)
3 Ways Justices' SEC Fraud Ruling Could Affect Tax Disputes
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.
![A person holding an umbrella stands in front of a screen of Swiss bank Credit Suisse with the words "Part of the UBS Group" at Zurich's Paradeplatz on Monday, June 3, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)](https://assets.law360news.com/1874000/1874681/8ff6fd580a386eb0448faa6f0d460904cee298b0-switzerland_credit_suisse_07022.jpg)
4th Circ. Won't Revive Whistleblower's Credit Suisse Tax Suit
The Fourth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a former Credit Suisse employee's whistleblower case that alleged the Swiss bank continued to help clients evade taxes after it made a related plea deal with the U.S., saying a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision on the False Claims Act could not save the case.
Featured Stories
-
3 Ways Justices' SEC Fraud Ruling Could Affect Tax Disputes
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
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.
-
Candidates' Plans To End Tip Taxes Spark Fairness Concerns
The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees have both proposed eliminating taxes on tips for restaurant and hospitality workers, but tax experts say such a policy would unfairly pick winners and losers among workers and its benefits would be unevenly spread.
Expert Analysis
-
Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
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
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
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'
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
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
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
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
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
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.
-
Brownfield Questions Surround IRS Tax Credit Bonus
Though the IRS has published guidance regarding the Inflation Reduction Act's 10% adder for tax credits generated by renewable energy projects constructed on brownfield sites, considerable guesswork remains as potential implications seem contrary to IRS intentions, say Megan Caldwell and Jon Micah Goeller at Husch Blackwell.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.