Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that the IRS plans to clean house and phase out all attorney positions from the Office of Professional Responsibility (“OPR”), an independent arm of the Service tasked with enforcing...more
As discussed in recent blog posts, the Oregon Legislative Assembly recently enacted a Corporate Activity Tax (“CAT”). Governor Kate Brown signed the legislation into law, effective January 1, 2020. Put in simplest terms, the...more
As we reported in our June 4 blog post, Oregon lawmakers had recently enacted a “corporate activity tax” (“CAT”) that applies to certain Oregon businesses. The new law, absent challenge, becomes effective January 1, 2020.
We...more
7/26/2019
/ Business Taxes ,
Commercial Activity Tax ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Governor Brown ,
Income Taxes ,
New Legislation ,
Referendums ,
Repeal ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Legislation ,
Tax Planning
Earlier this week, a local tax practitioner asked us whether it was true that the City of Portland no longer allows depreciation deductions resulting from an election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as...more
We are taking a break from our multi-post coverage of Opportunity Zones to address a recent, significant piece of Oregon tax legislation.
On May 16, 2019, Governor Kate Brown signed into law legislation imposing a new...more
6/5/2019
/ Business Ownership ,
Business Taxes ,
Commercial Activity Tax ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Department of Revenue ,
Goods or Services ,
Governor Brown ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Local Taxes ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Referendums ,
Registration Requirement ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
State and Local Government ,
State Taxes ,
Substantial Nexus ,
Tax Legislation ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Rates ,
Tax Returns ,
Tax Revenues ,
Underpayment ,
Unitary Business
On April 17, 2019, Treasury issued its second installment of proposed regulations relating to Qualified Opportunity Zones (“QOZs”). The regulations are 169 pages in length, and (as suspected) are fairly complex. Nevertheless,...more
4/24/2019
/ Anti-Abuse Rule ,
Asset Management ,
Capital Gains ,
Holding Periods ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investors ,
IRS ,
Opportunity Zones ,
Original Use ,
Partnerships ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Qualified Opportunity Funds ,
Real Estate Transactions ,
S-Corporation ,
Safe Harbors ,
Tangible Property ,
Tax Benefits ,
U.S. Treasury
There has been a lot of “buzz” in the media about Qualified Opportunity Zones (“QOZs”). Some of the media accounts have been accurate and helpful to taxpayers. Other accounts, however, have been less than fully accurate, and...more
3/15/2019
/ Capital Gains ,
Deadlines ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Funds ,
IRS ,
Opportunity Zones ,
Property Owners ,
Qualified Opportunity Funds ,
Real Estate Development ,
Real Estate Investments ,
Sale of Assets ,
Tax Benefits ,
Tax Deferral ,
Tax Planning ,
U.S. Treasury
As with any investment, due diligence is required. Investing in an Opportunity Zone Fund (“OZF”) is not any different.
Historically, we have seen taxpayers go to great lengths to attain tax deferral. In some instances, the...more
2/5/2019
/ Capital Gains ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Due Diligence ,
Intermediaries ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Management ,
Investors ,
IRS ,
Opportunity Zones ,
Popular ,
Real Estate Market ,
Section 1031 Exchange ,
Tax Deferral ,
Tenancy-in-Common
BACKGROUND -
Sections 1400Z-1 and 1400Z-2 were added to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. These new provisions to the Code introduce a multitude of new terms,...more
1/8/2019
/ Capital Gains ,
Community Development ,
Economic Development ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Funds ,
Investors ,
IRS ,
Low Income Housing ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Opportunity Zones ,
Partnerships ,
Pass-Through Entities ,
Qualified Opportunity Funds ,
Real Estate Development ,
State and Local Government ,
Tangible Property ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deferral ,
Tax Incentives ,
U.S. Treasury
In Exelon, the Seventh Circuit held that exchanges by Exelon Corporation (“Taxpayer”) of nuclear power plants for long-term leasehold interests in power plants located in other states were not exchanges qualifying for...more
12/7/2018
/ Appraisal ,
Default ,
Deficiency Judgments ,
IRS ,
Leases ,
Power Plants ,
Public Utility ,
Real Estate Transfers ,
Repurchases ,
Section 1031 Exchange ,
Subleases ,
Tax Court ,
Third-Party
As we discussed in our February 27, 2018 blog post, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("TCJA") eliminated the deduction for entertainment expenses. Despite commentary to the contrary, we have consistently reported that meals continue...more
The Service issued proposed regulations corresponding to IRC § 199A yesterday. As discussed in a prior blog post, IRC § 199A potentially allows individuals, trusts and estates to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income...more
8/9/2018
/ Anti-Abuse Rule ,
Business Income ,
Business Ownership ,
Business Taxes ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Partnerships ,
Pass-Through Entities ,
Proposed Regulation ,
S-Corporation ,
Sole Proprietorship ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Planning
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the state of New York, joined by the states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland, have instituted a lawsuit against the...more
7/18/2018
/ 16th Amendment ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Federal Taxes ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Itemized Deductions ,
SALT ,
Secretary of the Treasury ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tenth Amendment ,
Trump Administration
On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed half a century of legal precedent in a landmark 5-4 decision, South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. Under prior law, a state was forbidden from collecting sales tax against...more
6/25/2018
/ Appeals ,
Commerce Clause ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Internet Retailers ,
Interstate Commerce ,
Out-of-State Companies ,
Physical Presence Test ,
Quill ,
Reversal ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
SCOTUS ,
South Dakota v. Wayfair ,
Substantial Nexus
As we have been discussing these past several weeks, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) drastically changed the Federal income tax landscape. The TCJA also triggered a sea of change in the income tax laws of states like...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) will significantly impact merger and acquisition (“M&A”) activity. Although billed as tax reform, the TCJA did not reform or simplify the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”).
Virtually none of...more
4/9/2018
/ Acquisitions ,
Alternative Minimum Tax ,
Commercial Real Estate Market ,
Controlled Foreign Corporations ,
Corporate Taxes ,
EBITDA ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Corporations ,
International Tax Issues ,
Mergers ,
Net Operating Losses ,
S-Corporation ,
Section 1031 Exchange ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Reform
Charitable organizations work hard to maintain exempt status. These organizations operate in a highly regulated landscape: In exchange for enjoying freedom from income taxes, they must comply with strict organizational and...more
3/28/2018
/ Business Taxes ,
Charitable Donations ,
Charitable Organizations ,
Colleges ,
Endowment Funds ,
Estate Tax ,
Excise Tax ,
Executive Compensation ,
Fringe Benefits ,
Gift Tax ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Itemized Deductions ,
Standard Deduction ,
Tax Benefits ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Exempt Entities ,
Tax Exemptions ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
Universities ,
Unrelated Business Income Tax
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) creates the need for tax planning with respect to several major life-changing activities individuals may encounter, including marriage, divorce, home ownership, casualty losses, medical...more
3/9/2018
/ Alimony ,
Alternative Minimum Tax ,
Child Tax Credit ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Itemized Deductions ,
Local Taxes ,
Medical Expenses ,
Mortgage Interest ,
Personal Exemptions ,
Standard Deduction ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Exemptions ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Rates ,
Tax Reform ,
Tax Refunds ,
Trump Administration
BACKGROUND -
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) creates, modifies or eliminates a number of employment and employee fringe benefit related provisions of the Code. Both employers and employees need to be aware of these...more
2/28/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Covered Employees ,
Deferred Compensation ,
Employee Relocations ,
Fringe Benefits ,
Income Taxes ,
Individual Mandate ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Meal and Entertainment Expenditures ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
Repeal ,
Tax Benefits ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Reform ,
Transportation Costs ,
Trump Administration
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be...” or at least, if you insist on borrowing (and we understand the appeal), we are here to help you stay abreast of the new rules on deducting interest.
BACKGROUND/PRIOR LAW -
Interest...more
2/7/2018
/ Borrowers ,
Business Expenses ,
Business Taxes ,
C-Corporation ,
Carry Forward ,
Carve Out Provisions ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Debt ,
EBITDA ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment ,
IRS ,
Lenders ,
Net Operating Losses ,
Partnerships ,
Pass-Through Entities ,
S-Corporation ,
Shareholders ,
Small Business ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Planning ,
Taxable Income ,
Termination
BACKGROUND -
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) adopted a new 20% deduction for non-corporate taxpayers. It only applies to “qualified business income.” The deduction, sometimes called the “pass-through deduction,” is...more
1/30/2018
/ Business Income ,
Business Taxes ,
C-Corporation ,
Compensation ,
Deduction Limitations ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Landlords ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Pass-Through Entities ,
Property Owners ,
S-Corporation ,
Shareholders ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Penalties ,
Tax Reform ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Trump Administration ,
W-2 ,
Wage and Hour
BACKGROUND/PRIOR LAW -
PartnershipUnder IRC § 708(a), a partnership is considered as a continuing entity for income tax purposes unless it is terminated. Given the proliferation of state law entities taxed as partnerships...more
1/23/2018
/ Business Assets ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Limited Liability Partnerships ,
Mergers ,
Partnerships ,
Repeal ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Reform ,
Termination ,
Trump Administration
BACKGROUND -
On February 21, 2014, then House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Michigan) issued a discussion draft of the “Tax Reform Act of 2014.” The proposed legislation spanned almost 1,000 pages and...more
As indicated at the end of 2017, I intend to provide our readers with an in-depth review of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”). With the help of two of my colleagues, Steven Nofziger and Miriam Korngold, we will do this in a...more
In November 2016, the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, Illinois, passed (by a slim margin of one vote) the Sweetened Beverage Tax Ordinance (“Soda Tax”). It imposed a tax at the rate of one-cent-per-ounce for all...more