Federal

  • September 13, 2024

    IRS Monitoring Of Cloud IT Security Lacking, TIGTA Says

    An audit of the IRS' cloud computing systems found that the agency was lacking in several areas, including not keeping up with systems to maintain the security of cloud computing services, according to a report released Friday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.   

  • September 13, 2024

    Weekly Internal Revenue Bulletin

    The Internal Revenue Service's weekly bulletin, issued Friday, included proposed regulations on clean electricity low-income community bonus credits and procedures for obtaining the IRS' automatic consent to change accounting methods to comply with changes to the treatment of research and development costs.

  • September 13, 2024

    Mortgage Co. CEO Gets 11 Years In Prison For Ponzi Scams

    A mortgage company owner was sentenced Thursday to 11 years and three months in prison for defrauding investors, a community bank and the government's pandemic relief program to cover gambling debts and personal expenses like luxury cars, Philadelphia's top federal prosecutor announced.

  • September 13, 2024

    Treasury Proposes Rules Defining Tax-Exempt Tribal Benefits

    Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service released proposed rules Friday that would define what qualifies as tribal welfare benefits exempt from taxable income.

  • September 13, 2024

    IRS Extends La. Tax Deadlines For Francine Storm Victims

    Victims of Hurricane Francine throughout Louisiana will have more time to file some tax returns and make estimated payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced Friday.

  • September 12, 2024

    AGs Ask 2nd Circ. To Revive Their SALT Cap Workaround Suit

    Attorneys general from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut asked the Second Circuit to revive their challenge to an IRS rule prohibiting workarounds to the federal cap on state and local tax deductions, saying the rule was arbitrary and contrary to congressional intent.

  • September 12, 2024

    Convicted Fraudster Seeks To Challenge $21M Restitution

    A Florida man convicted of defrauding hospitals in a payroll fraud scheme urged the Eleventh Circuit Thursday to allow him to challenge a $21 million restitution award while still in prison, saying he wasn't allowed to challenge inaccurate information during sentencing.

  • September 12, 2024

    Wilson Sonsini Hires Tax Pro From Slaughter and May

    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC has recruited a tax specialist from Slaughter and May to its office in London to boost its strengths representing U.K. and European technology and life sciences companies that are expanding in the U.S. and globally.

  • September 12, 2024

    Ex-Mass. State Sen. Tran Convicted Of Pandemic Aid Fraud

    Former Massachusetts State Sen. Dean Tran was convicted Wednesday of fraudulently collecting pandemic unemployment benefits after he was voted out of office and of cheating on his taxes.

  • September 12, 2024

    House OKs Tightening Restrictions On Tax Credit For EVs

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill Thursday that would place further restrictions on qualifications for a tax credit for new electric vehicles amid concerns that current limits don't do enough to keep the benefits from flowing to foreign adversaries, including China.

  • September 12, 2024

    IRS Lacked Way To Track CAMT Comments, TIGTA Finds

    The IRS Office of Chief Counsel did not always track comments it received in response to guidance issued on the corporate alternative minimum tax and did not have detailed procedures in place for the pre-rulemaking guidance process, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported Thursday.

  • September 11, 2024

    Philly Loan Biz Brothers Admit To $100M Investment Scam

    The two brothers helming Philadelphia's Par Funding cash advance company admitted to reaping $100 million through an investment fraud scheme that could land them each over a decade in prison, Philadelphia's top federal prosecutor announced.

  • September 11, 2024

    Tax Court Affirms Sushi Restaurant Owner's Labor Deductions

    The U.S. Tax Court ruled Wednesday that the owner of an Alabama sushi restaurant was entitled to deduct nearly $292,000 in contract labor expenses for 2015 and 2016.

  • September 11, 2024

    Mass. Jury Weighs Raft Of Fraud Charges Against Ex-Pol

    A Boston federal jury resumed deliberations Wednesday in a criminal case alleging a former Massachusetts state senator lied on his taxes and an application for pandemic unemployment aid, after the ex-politico testified in his own defense.

  • September 11, 2024

    Bipartisan House Bill Would Make Short Rail Credit Permanent

    A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would permanently extend a tax credit for regional and short-line railroads that expired at the end of 2017, according to an announcement Wednesday.

  • September 11, 2024

    Worker Credit Moratorium Effectively Killed Claims, Court Told

    An Internal Revenue Service moratorium on processing tax credits for retaining employees during the coronavirus pandemic has effectively disallowed the granting of credits to deserving businesses, a Texas Montessori school told a federal court as it pursued a refund of nearly $200,000 in credits.

  • September 11, 2024

    McCarter & English Recruits EY Tax Pro In New Jersey

    McCarter & English LLP has bulked up its tax and employee benefits team in New Jersey with a longtime Ernst & Young expert at a time when the Garden State's business community is bracing for regulations on a series of corporate tax reforms. 

  • September 11, 2024

    Missouri Man Gets 3 Years In Prison For Fraud, Tax Crimes

    A Missouri man was sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to raid bank accounts and fetching roughly $3 million in corporate tax refunds for a bogus company, Connecticut's top federal prosecutor announced.

  • September 11, 2024

    Latham Hires Senior Tax Pro From Travers Smith In London

    Latham & Watkins LLP said on Wednesday that it has recruited a former head of tax at Travers Smith LLP for its office in London, a blow for the U.K. law firm, which has been hit by the departure of a series of partners.

  • September 10, 2024

    Wealthiest 0.01% Had 34% Average Tax Rate, JCT Says

    The income group constituting the top 0.01% wealthiest individuals had an average federal tax rate of 34% in 2019, the Joint Committee on Taxation said in a report on high-income and high-wealth taxpayers.

  • September 10, 2024

    Werfel Asked To Clarify How To Treat R&D Costs In M&A

    Accounting firm RSM US LLP, in a letter released Tuesday, asked Internal Revenue Commissioner Daniel Werfel to clarify how to treat research and development costs when a taxpayer disposes of an entire business in a mergers and acquisitions transaction.

  • September 10, 2024

    FCC Chair Vows High Court Fight Over Universal Service

    Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel told educators the agency will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a recent Fifth Circuit decision against the Universal Service Fund, the federal program that subsidizes telecom service to low-income and hard-to-reach areas.

  • September 10, 2024

    Trailer Co. Seeks Refund Of $4M In Highway Excise Taxes

    The Internal Revenue Service erroneously assessed federal highway excise taxes on a South Dakota trailer manufacturer even though the agency had already determined that the trailers were exempt from the tax, the company told a federal court as it sought a tax refund of some $4 million.

  • September 10, 2024

    IRS Extends Tax Deadlines For NY, Conn. Storm Victims

    Victims of severe storms and flooding in New York and Connecticut will have more time to file some tax returns and make estimated payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday.

  • September 09, 2024

    IRS Urges 11th Circ. To Affirm Denial Of $18M In Deductions

    A Florida real estate developer was correctly denied $18 million in tax deductions on loans his companies made for residential projects that became worthless, the U.S. government told the Eleventh Circuit on Monday, saying the money went to insiders and didn't qualify as real debt entitled to the write-offs.

Featured Stories

  • 4 Key Complications 3 Years After Pillar 2

    Natalie Olivo

    Three years ago, countries around the world outlined an agreed-upon minimum corporate tax system in an eight-page document that couldn't have foreseen the full scope of complications that later emerged during implementation, including frictions with existing tax laws. Here, Law360 looks at four key issues that countries and multinational corporations are grappling with as Pillar Two turns three.

  • 3 Ways Justices' SEC Fraud Ruling Could Affect Tax Disputes

    Kat Lucero

    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

    David van den Berg

    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.

Expert Analysis

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

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    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    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

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    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

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    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'

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.