Federal
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November 07, 2024
Varian Not Relevant In Liberty Global Case, US Tells 10th Circ.
A U.S. Tax Court decision that granted medical device company Varian Medical Systems a deduction for dividends received from foreign subsidiaries does not support Liberty Global's claims to a $110 million tax refund, the federal government told the Tenth Circuit on Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
IRS Reports Collecting Over $5.1T In Revenue In FY 2024
The Internal Revenue Service collected more than $5.1 trillion in tax revenue and over $98 billion in enforcement revenue in fiscal year 2024, the agency announced Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Ex-Cop, Brother Admit Energy Contract Kickback Scheme
A former Massachusetts police officer and his electrician brother pled guilty Wednesday to paying off employees of a utility ratepayer-funded energy savings program administrator who steered $36 million in contracts their way, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Transparency Act Should Exclude Housing Co-Ops, Court Told
A group of housing cooperatives asked a Michigan federal judge to grant them an exemption from the "dragnet" Corporate Transparency Act, claiming the disclosure requirements will deter members from serving on boards that govern affordable housing developments.
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November 07, 2024
Gov't Gets Default In $4.9M Son-Of-Boss Case
A federal judge entered a $4.9 million default against the estate of a Michigan man and his widow after having threatened to dismiss the case, in which the government says the couple avoided taxes by participating in a Son-of-Boss scheme.
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November 07, 2024
Judge Finds No Fraud By IRS In FOIA Fight Over $18M Case
The widow of a man whose offshore businesses were raided by the IRS, giving rise to a nearly $18 million tax judgment, didn't prove the IRS committed fraud against the court in ensuing Freedom of Information Act litigation in which the agency claimed evidence was lost, a D.C. federal court ruled.
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November 07, 2024
IRS To Hold Hearing On Dual Consolidated Loss Regs
The Internal Revenue Service plans to hold a public hearing Nov. 22 on proposed regulations that outline when foreign taxes under the Pillar Two international minimum tax agreement could trigger U.S. rules that aim to prevent companies from double-dipping the same economic loss.
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November 06, 2024
Chicago Pol Urges Narrow Reading Of False Statement Law
The U.S. Supreme Court should narrowly interpret the federal statute barring people from using false statements to influence certain financial institutions because backing the government's broad reading could expose borrowers to criminal liability that was never intended, former Chicago alderman Patrick Daley Thompson argued Wednesday.
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November 06, 2024
After Electoral Defeats, Cannabis Advocates Eye Next Steps
Cannabis industry advocates and reform activists struck a note of cautious optimism Wednesday following an expected Republican electoral sweep of the federal government, while opponents of legalization touted the defeat of multiple statewide ballot measures as proof of their position that marijuana reform efforts were losing support.
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November 06, 2024
Finance Committee Helm Awaits Crapo After GOP Wins Senate
Idaho Republican Mike Crapo is expected to lead the Senate Finance Committee when Congress convenes next year, following President-elect Donald Trump's win Tuesday in the election that also handed Republicans control of the U.S. Senate for the first time since 2021.
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November 06, 2024
Feds Look To Halt Vitamin Co. Payouts Amid $1.4M Tax Fight
A couple who bought a vitamin supplement company shouldn't continue to get payments from the business amid a suit claiming they're liable for a previous owner's $1.4 million tax lien, the U.S. Department of Justice told a Connecticut federal court Wednesday.
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November 06, 2024
Atty Failed To Prove Theft Loss, Tax Court Says
An attorney is not entitled to deduct a theft loss for his legal expenses after a company he managed was sued for fraud, the U.S. Tax Court ruled Wednesday, sustaining the Internal Revenue Service's determination that he owed taxes and penalties.
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November 06, 2024
Transport Co. Owner Failed To Report Income, Tax Court Says
The owner of a medical transportation company didn't report $125,000 of income on his individual tax return as required of disregarded entities with sole shareholders, the U.S. Tax Court said Wednesday in a ruling that sustained a determination by the Internal Revenue Service.
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November 06, 2024
Gov't Urges 11th Circ. To Rethink FBAR Excessive Fine Ruling
The Eleventh Circuit should reconsider its decision that some of the $12.6 million in penalties the Internal Revenue Service imposed on a man for willfully failing to report his foreign bank accounts violated the Eighth Amendment's bar on excessive fines, the U.S. government said.
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November 06, 2024
NJ Employer Admits To Evading $3.5M In Payroll Taxes
A New Jersey owner of a shipping and logistics company pled guilty to having a role in a $3.5 million payroll tax evasion scheme, New Jersey federal prosecutors said.
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November 06, 2024
Tax Court To Rethink $1.9M Deduction Denial Post-Chevron
The U.S. Tax Court agreed to reconsider its denial of a $1.9 million tax break for farming sought by a Texas couple, saying it will examine whether a subsequent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning long-standing deference to federal agencies invalidates regulations at issue in the case.
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November 06, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Revisit IRS' Rejection Of Compromise
The Ninth Circuit said it won't reconsider its August decision that a man who owed $50 million in taxes and offered to settle part of his debt was correctly denied a compromise by the Internal Revenue Service.
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November 05, 2024
Trump Victory Boosts GOP Push To Extend 2017 Tax Law
Former President Donald Trump's projected reelection early Wednesday gave GOP lawmakers a strong boost in their efforts to renew major parts of the 2017 tax law that will expire next year, further dimming Democrats' hopes of promoting tax fairness by increasing rates on wealthy corporations and individuals.
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November 05, 2024
Trump Has Official Immunity. What About His Aides?
Whether the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity extends to subordinates who follow a president's orders has become a more pressing question in the wake of Donald Trump's projected election win, according to legal experts.
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November 05, 2024
How Trump Can Quash His Criminal Cases
Donald Trump's projected victory at the polls also translates to a win in the courts, as the second-term president will have the power to end both of his federal criminal cases. And the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity would shield him from any consequences for ordering his charges to be dismissed, experts say.
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November 05, 2024
An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist
With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.
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November 05, 2024
GOP's Senate Win Hands Future Of The Judiciary To Trump
Republicans were projected to take back the White House and Senate and possibly the House early Wednesday, putting the GOP in position to back Donald Trump's agenda and his slate of young, conservative judicial nominees.
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November 05, 2024
The Firms With An Inside Track To A New Trump Admin
Law firms that have represented Donald Trump and the Republican Party on everything from personal legal woes to election-related lawsuits could see the risks of that work pay dividends as Trump is projected to secure a second term in office.
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November 05, 2024
Father, Daughter Attys Ask To Avoid Prison For Tax Scheme
Father and daughter attorneys convicted of participating in a multimillion-dollar tax avoidance scheme asked a North Carolina federal court to spare them prison sentences, with the daughter saying her father should have protected her and the father highlighting his mental illness.
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November 05, 2024
11th Circ. Says IRS Summons Doesn't Violate 5th Amendment
A Florida federal court didn't err when it upheld an Internal Revenue Service summons, the Eleventh Circuit said, saying it was unconvinced by a taxpayer's argument that the summons violated his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Expert Analysis
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Navigating ACA Reporting Nuances As Deadlines Loom
Stephanie Lowe at Liebert Cassidy walks employers through need-to-know elements of Affordable Care Act reporting, including two quickly approaching deadlines, the updated affordability threshold, strategies for choosing an affordability safe harbor, and common coding pitfalls.
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6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media
In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.
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Why Biz Groups Disagree On Ending Chevron Deference
Two amicus briefs filed in advance of last month's U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo highlight contrasting views on whether the doctrine of Chevron deference promotes or undermines the stable regulatory environment that businesses require, say Wyatt Kendall and Sydney Brogden at Morris Manning.
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US-Chile Tax Treaty May Encourage Cross-Border Investment
Provisions in the recently effective U.S.-Chile bilateral income tax treaty should encourage business between the two countries, as they reduce U.S. withholding tax on investment income for Chilean taxpayers, exempt certain U.S. taxpayers from Chilean capital gains tax, and clarify U.S. foreign tax credit rules, say attorneys at Kramer Levin.
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A Look Ahead For The Electric Vehicle Charging Industry
This will likely be an eventful year for the electric vehicle market as government efforts to accelerate their adoption inevitably clash with backlash from supporters of the petroleum industry, say Rue Phillips at SkillFusion and Enid Joffe at Green Paradigm Consulting.
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A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise
After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.
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SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap
As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.
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Planning A Defense As IRS Kicks Off Sports Losses Campaign
Sports team owners and partnerships face potential examination under the Internal Revenue Service’s recently announced sports industry losses campaign, and should be preparing to explain what drove their reported losses and assembling documentation to support their tax return positions and accounting methods, say Sheri Dillon and Jennifer Breen at Morgan Lewis.
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What New Calif. Strike Force Means For White Collar Crimes
The recently announced Central District of California strike force targeting complex corporate and securities fraud — following the Northern District of California's model — combines experienced prosecutorial leadership and partnerships with federal agencies like the IRS and FBI, and could result in an uptick in the number of cases and speed of proceedings, say attorneys at MoFo.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders
The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.