Federal

Expert Analysis

• IRS Summons Ruling Isn't A Total Loss For Investors

  

  A California federal court’s recent order allowing an IRS information summons on cryptocurrency exchange Kraken paradoxically provides hope for investors concerned about their privacy by limiting the scope of the agency’s inquiry, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.

• Justices' Nod To Preemptive Tax Challenges May Caution IRS

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in CIC Services v. Internal Revenue Service, allowing pre-enforcement challenges of tax reporting rules despite the Anti-Injunction Act, is likely to make the U.S. Department of the Treasury more careful about its own compliance obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act, says Robert Carney at Caplin & Drysdale.

• Let's End The Offshoring Of US Patents

  

  Congress should work toward removing the loophole that allows companies to avoid U.S. taxes by moving their patents offshore, and ensure profits are taxed where the sales take place, says Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

• How Biden's First 100 Days Will Affect Gov't Contractors

  

  Joseph Berger and Thomas Mason at Thompson Hine examine the significant opportunities for government contractors arising from actions during the first 100 days of the Biden administration, which set the stage for unprecedented investment in national infrastructure, domestic manufacturing, research and development, clean energy, pandemic response and economic recovery.

• Addressing New COBRA Duties Under Virus Relief Law

  

  Following the issuance of fully subsidized COBRA premiums for certain workers under the recently passed American Rescue Plan Act, employers should take steps to determine who is eligible, ensure additional notice requirements are satisfied, and train human resources on communicating with qualified individuals, say Randi May and Dustin Grant at Hoguet Newman.

• Long Road Ahead For Biden's Individual Tax Hike Proposal

  

  Dustin Stamper at Grant Thornton provides insight into President Joe Biden's recently proposed individual tax increases to pay for his American Families Plan, and explains how competing interests among congressional Democrats and Republicans may shape the final provisions and prolong their implementation.

• What Value-Added Tax Might Look Like In The US

  

  Christiaan Van Der Valk and Charles Maniace at Sovos consider the value-added tax, a primary source of revenue for many countries, and what it might mean for the U.S. were it implemented to raise funds for large-scale federal initiatives such as President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan.

• New Markets Credit Will Aid Recovery In Low-Income Areas

  

  The recently extended New Markets Tax Credit is a critical tool for economic development in low-income communities, which have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, so public finance attorneys should consider its benefits when advising clients on projects, says Julia Fendler at Butler Snow.

• The International Outlook For US Border Carbon Adjustments

  

  The Biden administration may see enacting a border carbon adjustment system as a good way to advance climate goals and protect domestic industries and jobs, but any such plan must take into account the need to respect existing international trade agreements, say attorneys at Akin Gump.

• The Domestic Landscape For US Border Carbon Adjustments

  

  With the Biden administration possibly eyeing border carbon adjustments on imported goods as a means to mitigate climate change, attorneys at Akin Gump discuss such policies' potential benefits to domestic businesses, and the political and technical challenges to their enactment in the U.S.

• Prepare For Global Collaboration In Crypto Tax Enforcement

  

  Recent Internal Revenue Service victories involving John Doe summonses served on cryptocurrency exchanges — and statements by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement about global collaboration in cryptocurrency-related tax investigations — should prompt assessment of prior virtual currency transactions and remediation before an enforcement agency shows up at the door, say attorneys at McDermott.

• 10 Things to Know About US Competent Authority Assistance

  

  Taxpayers should consider seeking U.S. competent authority assistance to help eliminate double taxation from a transfer pricing adjustment, especially now that the competent authorities are resolving cases virtually and more quickly, say attorneys at Thompson & Knight.

• Lessons From Tax Court's Nixing Of Investor's Energy Credits

  

  The U.S. Tax Court's recent ruling in Olsen v. Commissioner, the first of 200 cases involving individual taxpayers who invested in a tax shelter involving solar equipment, is a case study in how not to structure an energy tax credit investment, says David Burton at Norton Rose.