Federal
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April 23, 2024
Treasury Says Aussie Royalty Ruling Contradicts US, OECD
Australia's updated draft ruling regarding when payments for the rights to distribute software would be considered royalties conflicts with OECD and U.S. standards on the treatment of such deals, a U.S. Department of the Treasury official said in a letter made public Tuesday.
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April 23, 2024
Tax Court OKs IRS Notice After Petitioner Spews 'Gibberish'
The U.S. Tax Court ruled in favor of the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday after a Nevada woman used "tax protester gibberish," the court said, in an attempt to circumvent more than $37,000 in unreported income.
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April 23, 2024
Biz Ownership Law Constitutional, Lawmakers Tell 11th Circ.
The Corporate Transparency Act is a garden-variety exercise of Congress' powers to address threats to national security, foreign affairs, commerce and tax collection, five Democratic lawmakers told the Eleventh Circuit, disputing a ruling that the law is unconstitutional.
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April 23, 2024
DC Circ. Backs Tax Penalties Against Swiss Couple
A Swiss couple who incurred $500,000 in penalties for failing to report millions of dollars they held in Swiss bank accounts can't get out of paying, the D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday, rejecting their argument that the IRS didn't properly approve the fines.
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April 23, 2024
Migrant-Hiring Crimes And Tax Evasion Get Pair Prison, $1.8M Fine
A Florida federal judge has ordered two men to pay $1.8 million to the U.S. government and sentenced them to three years in prison after they confessed to recruiting migrants without employment authorization and failing to report workers' wages for tax purposes.
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April 23, 2024
Tomato Cos. Ask 9th Circ. To Allow Immediate Cost Deduction
Two companies that supply 40% of U.S. tomato paste and diced tomatoes asked the Ninth Circuit to allow deduction of their facilities' restoration costs during the tax year in which the tomatoes are processed, even though the companies don't pay the restoration costs until later.
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April 23, 2024
Atty Can Deduct $303K In Racing Ad Costs, 10th Circ. Told
A Colorado attorney asked the Tenth Circuit to reverse a U.S. Tax Court decision that prevented him from deducting $303,000 in advertising expenses tied to his automobile racing, saying the lower court incorrectly ruled that the costs were related to a hobby rather than his litigation practice.
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April 23, 2024
Feds Want About 3 Years In Prison For LA Bank Embezzler
The former chief financial officer at a community bank in Los Angeles should spend nearly three years in prison after admitting he embezzled more than $700,000 and used employee identities in a life insurance scheme, the government told a California federal court.
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April 23, 2024
Indicted 'Magician' Tax Preparer's Clients Under Scrutiny
Clients of a New York City-based tax preparer who earned the nickname "the magician," allegedly making $15 million while fraudulently depriving the IRS of $100 million, may also face charges, a prosecutor told the federal judge in charge of the case on Tuesday.
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April 23, 2024
IRS Opens Low Income Clinic Grant Period For 2025
The Internal Revenue Service has begun accepting applications from Low Income Taxpayer Clinics for matching funds in 2025, the agency announced Tuesday.
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April 23, 2024
DOL's Final Investment Advice Regs Expand ERISA's Reach
The U.S. Department of Labor issued final regulations Tuesday broadening who qualifies as a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, backing off some changes included in a proposal the agency released in October.
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April 22, 2024
Congress Can Enact Corp. Transparency, Orgs Tell 11th Circ.
Congress is empowered to require American companies to report their beneficial owners to the federal government because there is ample evidence they've previously been used to fund hostile foreign actors, evade sanctions and traffic drugs, two think tanks told the Eleventh Circuit in an amici brief.
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April 22, 2024
Partnership Can't Claim $22.7M Loss, Tax Court Says
The U.S. Tax Court on Monday upheld the IRS' decision to deny a $22.7 million loss deduction claimed by a Connecticut partnership, finding that underlying transactions involving a bankrupt Brazilian company's debt obligations amounted to a disguised property sale.
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April 22, 2024
Fla. Man Fined After Failing To Report 11 Years Of Income
A Florida man is liable for penalties after failing to report approximately $7 million in income across 11 tax years, the U.S. Tax Court ruled Monday.
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April 22, 2024
Ga. Teacher Frivolously Disputed Deficiency, Tax Court Says
A Georgia man is required to pay a $15,000 penalty for maintaining a frivolous position in his challenge of an income tax deficiency, the U.S. Tax Court ruled Monday.
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April 22, 2024
IRS Failed To Act After Supervisor Groped Worker, Court Told
An IRS employee told an Iowa federal court Monday that her supervisor groped her and made a sexually degrading comment about her during a meeting but that the agency "has done nothing" to protect her, despite an investigation concluding the harassment had likely occurred.
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April 22, 2024
Va. Man Too Late, On Hook For $86K, Tax Court Rules
A Virginia man petitioned the U.S. Tax Court too late to contest his $86,000 liability, the court ruled Monday as it backed the Internal Revenue Service in the dispute.
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April 22, 2024
Conn. Couple Appealing $2.9M Tax Bill To 2nd Circ.
A Connecticut couple ordered to pay $2.9 million in back taxes, interest and penalties are asking the Second Circuit to reconsider the determination.
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April 22, 2024
Ex-US Atty's Stepson Says He Has None Of Docs Gov't Seeks
The stepson of a former Nevada U.S. attorney convicted of failing to pay taxes told a Nevada federal court that he doesn't have the financial documents the federal government has demanded in its $1.3 million tax suit against his stepfather.
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April 22, 2024
Chamberlain Hrdlicka Picks Firm Veteran As San Antonio Head
Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry announced Monday that it had tapped a shareholder with more than a decade at the tax-focused firm to helm its growing San Antonio location in the Lone Star State.
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April 22, 2024
Senate Bill Would Clarify IRS Process For Math Corrections
A bill introduced Monday in the U.S. Senate would clarify the process in which the Internal Revenue Service corrects math errors in tax returns.
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April 19, 2024
PE Exec Can Recoup $1M 'Varsity Blues' Forfeiture
A private equity executive whose conviction in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case was almost entirely wiped out by the First Circuit is entitled to a refund of $1 million he paid to the scheme's ringleader, a federal judge ruled Friday.
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April 19, 2024
Utah Charity Leader Gets Year In Prison For $1.3M Tax Evasion
The former head of a Utah charity was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for evading taxes on $1.3 million he was paid as part of a covert arrangement with a purported donor, according to documents filed in a Utah federal court.
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April 19, 2024
IRS Previews New Digital Assets Reporting Form
The Internal Revenue Service released a draft of a form brokers will have to use for the first time to disclose their digital asset sales to the agency, including instructions for taxpayers whose transactions are subject to the reporting requirements.
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April 19, 2024
Atty Says False Testimony Justifies Chrisleys' Acquittal
Attorneys for Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality television show "Chrisley Knows Best," who are in prison after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, urged the Eleventh Circuit to undo their convictions on Friday, arguing prosecutors knowingly presented false, prejudicial testimony at trial.
Int'l Pricing Pact Guidance Is Coming Soon, IRS Official Says
Hedge Funder's IRS Suit Over Leaked Tax Info Gets Trimmed
Questions Loom Over China's Pillar 2 Participation
Int'l Pricing Pact Guidance Is Coming Soon, IRS Official Says
Updated Internal Revenue Service guidance that would help multinational corporations pursue advance pricing agreements will likely be released in a few months, an agency official said Tuesday.
Hedge Funder's IRS Suit Over Leaked Tax Info Gets Trimmed
A Florida federal judge on Monday dismissed part of a hedge fund executive's case seeking to hold the Internal Revenue Service accountable for a leak of his private tax data to the media, saying he failed to show he suffered any damages.
Questions Loom Over China's Pillar 2 Participation
Practical and political problems surrounding the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 15% global minimum corporate tax raise questions about how China and its biggest companies could undermine that regime.
Featured Stories
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3 Key Takeaways From The IRS' Latest Pricing Pact Snapshot
The IRS finalized a record number of advance pricing agreements in 2023, signaling the agency's increased effectiveness at completing accords at a time when its approach to transfer pricing litigation could fuel corporate taxpayers' urgency for seeking APAs. Here, Law360 breaks down three key takeaways from the agency’s latest APA report.
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Donor Fund Regs Could Imperil Nonprofit-Sponsored Projects
So-called fiscal sponsorship funds set up at established nonprofits to help new projects start charitable work could be unexpectedly threatened by proposed IRS and Treasury rules on donor-advised funds that could subject such arrangements to burdensome taxes, experts say.
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4 Takeaways From Tax Court Nix Of Easement Perpetuity Rule
The U.S. Tax Court's scrapping of an IRS rule on the perpetuity requirements for conservation easements could draw yet more judicial scrutiny to the agency's rulemaking and shift the focus of easement disputes to how the transactions are valued. Here, Law360 examines four key takeaways from the decision.
Expert Analysis
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IRS Sings New Tune: Whistleblower Form Update Is Welcome
In a significant reform at the Internal Revenue Service's Whistleblower Office, the recently introduced revisions to the Form 211 whistleblower award application use new technology and a more intuitive approach to streamline the process of reporting allegations of tax fraud committed by wealthy individuals and companies, says Benjamin Calitri at Kohn Kohn.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Energy Community Tax Credit Boost Will Benefit Wind Sector
Recent Internal Revenue Service guidance broadening tax credit eligibility to more parts of offshore wind facilities in so-called energy communities is a win for the industry, which stands to see more projects qualify for a particularly valuable bonus in the investment tax credit context due to the capital-intensive nature of offshore wind projects, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues
Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease
This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.
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Why Supreme Court Should Allow Repatriation Tax To Stand
If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't reject the taxpayers' misguided claims in Moore v. U.S. that the mandatory repatriation tax is unconstitutional, it could wreak havoc on our system of taxation and result in a catastrophic loss of revenue for the government, say Christina Mason and Theresa Balducci at Herrick Feinstein.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
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Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law
A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.
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Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.
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4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.
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How IRA Unlocks Green Energy Investments For Tribes
An Inflation Reduction Act provision going into effect May 10 represents a critical juncture for Native American tribes, offering promising economic opportunity in green energy investment, but requiring a proactive and informed approach when taking advantage of newly available tax incentives, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.
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Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.
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What To Know About IRS' New Jet Use Audit Campaign
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced plans to open several dozen audits scrutinizing executive use of company jets, so companies should be prepared to show the business reasons for travel, and how items like imputed income and deduction disallowance were calculated, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.