The Court of Federal Claims applied rules on theft loss subject to recovery in a holding that recognized a deduction later than it was initially claimed by a taxpayer but, for a portion of the loss, sooner than the IRS had allowed. Casualty and theft losses are deductible under IRC
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Post-Transaction Adjustments
More and more, global companies are discovering that year-end adjustments to intercompany transfer pricing can improve the accuracy of their transfer pricing tax reporting and, potentially, help prevent overpaying taxes by millions of dollars. However, increasing scrutiny by tax authorities in the United States and other key countries makes it
Tax Software Survey To-Dos
I’d like to make a few suggestions for next year’s tax software survey (“Users Grade Tax Software ,” Oct. 07, page 34). For example: Ask how well the software handles multistate corporate returns. Ask if the alternative minimum tax adjustments and preferences seem to flow. Ask how well the error
All in the Family?
The Tax Court recently held that a note does not constitute a qualified family-owned business interest (QFOBI) for purposes of IRC § 2057, which allows an estate to deduct up to $675,000 from its value for estate tax purposes. To qualify for the deduction, the value of the QFOBI at
When “Happily Ever After” Ends – Get It in Writing
After the perfect wedding, the happy couple looks forward to sharing a lifetime of happiness. Life, however, does not always go as planned. Divorce happens. In addition to the emotional aspects, there are tax consequences to deal with as well. If the parties intend to have one spouse receive alimony,
Contested Buyout Doesn’t Bar Gain
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the Tax Court’s decision that a cash-method shareholder’s forced buyout triggers gain recognition in the year that the buyout payment is received, even if the shareholder continues to dispute the buyout in court. Additionally, the shareholder must recognize any interest income from investment
Now’s the Time to Comply With NQDC Regs
In April 2007, the IRS issued final regulations under section 409A pertaining to nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans. The regulations represent a culmination of efforts to bring uniformity to a field that Congress perceived was too prone to abuse of income timing, especially by executives and other highly compensated individuals.
Safe Harbor for Home Swaps
Revenue Procedure 2008-16 provides a method for section 1031 like-kind exchanges of homes that are rented out or otherwise held as income-producing properties but also used occasionally by taxpayers for personal purposes. Dwellings will be considered held for productive use in a trade or business or for investment if, in
Capone Tax Records Released
TAX NOTES In a rare move, the IRS made records relating to the three-year tax evasion investigation of Al Capone available to the public. Posted on www.irs.gov, the documents include two 1931 letters from Special Agent Frank Wilson, updating Elmer Irey, chief of
Third Circuit Silences National Muffler, Pumps Chevron Deference
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the validity of Treas. Reg. § 1.882-4(a)(3)(i), which disallows deductions by a foreign corporation that fails to file a U.S. tax return within 18 months of the normal due date. When assessing the validity of the regulation, the Third Circuit applied the
All Bundled Up
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Knight v. Commissioner (101 AFTR2d 2008-380), the IRS permitted full deduction of “bundled” commissions or fees paid to a trustee or executor of a nongrantor trust or estate for tax years 2007 and previously without parsing portions that qualify for “above
New Split-Interest Return Form
The IRS recently issued a revised Form 5227, Split-Interest Trust Information Return, for use in preparing returns for tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2007. Among its numerous changes, the most significant are: Charitable split-interest trusts are no longer required to file Form 1041-A, Trust Accumulation of Charitable
IRS Targets High-Income Taxpayers, S Corps
One out of 11 individuals with an income of $1 million or more faced an audit in fiscal year 2007, when the number of audits for these high-income taxpayers increased 84%, from 17,015 in 2006 to 31,382. Overall, audits of individual returns rose by 7%,
Like a Good Neighbor
The Ninth Circuit has affirmed a district court and held that termination payments received by a retiring insurance agent were not capital gain but were taxable as ordinary income. The court thus joins the Seventh Circuit in so ruling on similar facts. See Warren L. Baker Jr. v. Commissioner, 92
GAO: Offshore Remittances Underwithheld
Despite the IRS’s eight-year-old qualified intermediary (QI) program, billions of dollars in U.S.-source income continue to flow overseas without proper tax withholding, the Government Accountability Office said. QIs are foreign financial institutions that contract with the IRS to provide withholding of U.S. tax and administer treaty provisions. However, they figure
Rebates to Relieve Debt
When it comes to tax rebate checks, American consumers may not be so eager to spend, spend, spend. A CCH and Harris Interactive survey asked 2,020 adults what they would do with a broad-based tax rebate. Their responses were: Pay down debt – 47% Save it – 32% Spend it
FLPs That Flop
In several recent cases, the IRS successfully challenged attempts to exclude from taxable estates assets transferred to family limited partnerships (FLPs, or “flips”) in which a decedent had retained the right to enjoy the property or income from it. Besides reducing estate taxes, purposes of FLPs include liability protection and
Charity Begins With Ownership
The Tax Court ruled that a criminal defense attorney who donated case materials in a prominent case to the University of Texas did not have sufficient ownership rights to the materials to claim a charitable deduction under IRC § 170. Even if the taxpayer did exhibit proper ownership, section 170(e)(1)(A)
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