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Most Recent Posts

Inadvertent Termination

Inadvertent Termination

Much to my surprise, the IRS has ruled this to be an inadvertent termination. I suppose if you drove blind folded that any crashes you had would be inadvertent too, but I don’t recommend it. The shareholders have to amend their individual returns to pick up a deemed dividend for the amount of the earnings and profits. Also they have agreed that on receipt of the ruling they will make payments to bring distributions to shareholders into proportion with ownership. Why the stiffed shareholders are waiting till then is beyond me, but that’s the deal.

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Courts and Value Billing

Courts and Value Billing

The disdain for professional imprimaturs unsupported by work has moved beyond the Son of Boss unbalanced entries to a deal that tax professionals felt deserved a bit more respect. Canal Corporation and Subsidiaries was a deferral deal. Instead of selling a subsidiary the taxpayer contributed it to a partnership and took a large distribution. The debt that funded the distribution was allocated to the contributing partner, which avoids the disguised sale rules. Of course, they didn’t really want a liability, so the guarantee that supported the allocation was pretty tenuous.

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Time to Face the Music

Time to Face the Music

The statute of limitations was closed on years prior to 2004. So the service took the position that the accruals had constituted an impermissible accounting method. This required a cumulative adjustment for all the accruals hitting the couple with just shy of $300,000 in tax and $60,000 in penalties for the 2004 year.

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What’s It Worth To Say Your Wine is From Long Island ?

What’s It Worth To Say Your Wine is From Long Island ?

We have concerns about how a taxpayer would value the right to use an AVA designation. It is unclear whether the value of the right to use an AVA designation attaches to an acquisition of a particular vineyard within an AVA. The benefit in value from the right to use an AVA designation accrues to all land whose highest and best use is as a vineyard within such designated viticultural area. Consequently, all of the closest comparable vineyards share the same intangible benefit thereby making an appraiser’s determination of the increment of value assigned to the intangible benefit and finding comparable vineyards outside of the particular AVA factually difficult.

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Chief Counsel Reiterates Dependency Option for Same Sex Couples

Chief Counsel Reiterates Dependency Option for Same Sex Couples

In order for someone to be your dependent you must meet three tests – relationship, support and gross income.  One of the possible relationships is “member of your household” (with the quaint caveat that the household composition not violate local law).  So if Robin provides more than 1/2 of Terry’s support and Terry’s gross income is below the threshold (currently $3,650) Terry can be Robin’s dependent.  This will qualify Robin for the more favorable head of household rates and exempt from payroll and withholding the health benefits that Robin’s employer provides to Terry.

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FLP Good for the Family Business – But Maybe not the Family Jewels

FLP Good for the Family Business – But Maybe not the Family Jewels

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the Tax Court’s conclusion that the restrictions upon the children did not serve a bona fide business purpose because the partnership was not a ““business,” active or otherwise.” Id. at 770. In so holding, the Holman court distinguished a line of cases where active, ongoing business interests were preserved by the transfer restrictions at issue.S

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Wag The Dog

Wag The Dog

In the end, the capital gains tax had to be paid and apparently a 40% gross valuation overstatement penalty.  Not to mention all the fees which were estimated to be around 20% of the “tax savings”.  The really interesting question, though, is how much was lost due to stock being sold at less favorable prices than might have been obtained without the complications of the shelter planning? 

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Debit by the Window – Credit out the Window

Debit by the Window – Credit out the Window

Mr. Krause was a tax attorney and CPA who built his own Son of BOSS shelter.  I have to wonder if he has two sides to his personality. Right now the CPA side is yelling “Language of 752, language of 752 – I knew it couldn’t work.  The entry didn’t balance.  You can’t get all that basis without crediting something.”  The tax attorney side has answers. I can show you an example of a CPA making beautifully balanced entries that make no impression on judges, who are lawyers.

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