An author, teacher, advocate and trusted advisor, Lew Taishoff is a New York City-based attorney with 55 years of experience in corporate and individual tax and real estate matters. He is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court. He was formerly, for ten years, an Enrolled Agent, examined and admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service. Lew Taishoff provides a high level of legal service to clients in the areas of tax and real estate. Individuals and businesses looking to buy, sell or lease property in the City as well as those trying to navigate the ever-evolving and complex tax landscape find experience, knowledge and dedication from Lew Taishoff.
You can learn more about Lew Taishoff at his website - https://taishofflaw.com/.
This month I’ve decided to change format. I’m grouping Tax Court thumbnails by category. Not every reader deals with every issue. But coverage is still useful even where only a few specialize. Click here to read the latest happenings!
The latest Federal Tax Court news, updates, and hot topics!
Lots going on at Tax Court in February, 2023. Here are my highlight picks…
January brought some new wrinkles. Even tax practitioners whose endeavors are far from Tax Court can find useful information there. My usual reminder: I cover Tax Court exclusively. Tax Court decisions get appealed routinely, and reversed sometimes, so check before citing as authority…
Much happening, even in August. This has hardly been a lazy hazy summer.
This roundup will spend a lot more space than usual on one story, because it’s the biggest of the year in Tax Court so far…
Much of what happens in Tax Court is run-of-the-mill. Once the tax general practitioner learns the jurisdictional limits and procedural moguls, s/he can advise clients whether to spend the sixty bucks and the certified mail fees when TAS, Examination or Appeals can’t deliver an acceptable result. Following the Court’s orders and opinions for a while should do that. I try to present the less-than-usual, below-radar points for generalists and specialists.
It’s been said that the United States Tax Court is “a vital cog in the financial machinery of the country,” and October proved that point yet again.
A very mixed bag this month: IRS shifting ground on the eve of trial, plenty of discovery, loyalty programs, the end of the road for meaningful Section 6751(b) supervisory approval, and arrival of a new Special Trial Judge. And, as always, a lot of questions.
Once again, Tax Court provides slices of life as well as hyper-technical drilldowns into convoluted legal conundrums. To any who say that tax law is dull, I refer them to the annals of 400 Second Street, NW, where anything goes.
What one Judge called “the wrinkled skin of tax law” is on display in US Tax Court again. This month was a technician’s bento box, a variety.
As always, much has happened in the tax courts this past month; let’s jump right in!
February brings us Groundhog Day, but there are always new developments in Tax Court, as well as refreshers to keep practitioners current.
February was Discovery Month at Tax Court. The high-deficiency, high-profile conservation easement cases coming from IRS crackdown put a premium on the old continuing legal education staple “win your case at discovery.” But it doesn’t go so well for shotgun demands, nor for broad-spectrum claims of privilege. Of course, more was resolved than just discovery disputes, but I’ll get to those.
A mix of old and new this month, obvious miscues and arcane strategies, an old protester/defier, and the perennial discovery jousts.
No dramatic developments this month, but some technical inputs worth noting. A good practitioner is always learning; it’s so much better to learn from other peoples’ mistakes than one’s own.
Month’s-end brought signs of things to come. Earlier we saw clarification of the non-jurisdictional limit in employee classification cases, a new IRS tactic in syndication conservation easements, and, as always, sharpeners for the practitioner’s toolkit.
No holiday break for US Tax Court, as fresh developments arise, and some old doctrines need reenforcing. As usual, we’ve got both common problems and arcana on the radar, with one potential blockbuster.
The last month of 2023 featured more technical expositions than policy discussion. Practitioners will find insights worth their time. Generalists shouldn’t overlook some nuggets here. As always, Tax Court sees and deals with more varieties of income taxation than any other court.
When we enter upon a new Administration, we wonder at the shape of things to come. But surely since 1916, we have never had an incoming Administration promise us a repeal of the income tax and the reestablishment of the import tariff as the principal source of Federal funding. I would not, however, immediately cease to follow the proceedings of the US Tax Court.
New year, new rules, the changing features of United States Tax Court practice and procedure confront the tax practitioner (even those who don’t practice in Tax Court themselves), who must keep current among all the demands on our time, especially as the season opens. Let’s jump in.
Just a few new developments out of United States Tax Court in November. Technical issues predominate in this short working month.
Despite the five days off for the two Federal holidays this month, there’s plenty from Tax Court, for both specialists and general practitioners. No other Court gets as deep into the “wrinkled skin” of US tax law. As always, there’s something for (almost) everyone.
What seemed to be a slow month turned out to have some intriguing developments, a new online petition generator for self-representeds, and new Judges joining the Tax Court bench (at long last).
The dog days, the doldrums, the get-out-of-town days…they’re here. The United States Tax Court is not immune, as the blockbuster cases and newsletter headliners have largely vanished. Still, there are report-worthy stories, despite the call of seashore and mountain meadow.
Some new developments arose in March and some new gimmicks. The current hot topics, microcaptive insurers and syndicated conservation easements, remain on the front burner.
Tax Court concludes tax season this year with a webinar on Practical Perspectives on Discovery, chaired by Judge Greaves, on April 16, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. With all the discovery jousting accompanying conservation easements and other high-dollar litigation, this is a must for all practitioners, so I’m headlining it. Information and registration on the Tax Court website.
Another active month, with plenty of variety and practice tips. And new Tax Court Rules announced…
Here’s the latest filings and tax court cases for July, 2023!
I’m new here, but I know enough not to try to do what everyone else does. I won’t try to cover the wider tax picture. I cover United States Tax Court on my blog, so here’s a brief round-up on what went on in Tax Court during the last month that I think is of interest to the tax planner and practitioner…
Tax season is prosperous, summer is dry until extension season. Do you find yourself in that cycle? Clients are “easy” to get during tax season when taxes are top of mind. Then the direct deposits go dry by June, and you are looking for what’s next. Stop the search, you don’t have to add another service. You need better marketing to highlight the service that you offer and specialize in. This will allow you to have a predictable client pipeline. You can do tax preparation, planning, and or representation all year long.
This article focuses on the OBBB from the House offering a variety of observations to help understand the range of changes, relevance to compliance and planning, process considerations and some unexpected provisions. While the final OBBB will not include all of the House provisions or will modify some of them, there are lessons to learn to understand the tax legislation process and results now and in the future.
In the competitive accounting world, where trust and reliability are paramount, client retention is not just a success metric—it’s a vital strategy for sustainable growth. For Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), accountants, and bookkeepers, maintaining a solid relationship with existing clients can unlock new business opportunities, turning satisfied clients into powerful referral sources.
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Tax season is prosperous, summer is dry until extension season. Do you find yourself in that cycle? Clients are “easy” to get during tax season when taxes are top of mind. Then the direct deposits go dry by June, and you are looking for what’s next. Stop the search, you don’t have to add another service. You need better marketing to highlight the service that you offer and specialize in. This will allow you to have a predictable client pipeline. You can do tax preparation, planning, and or representation all year long.
This article focuses on the OBBB from the House offering a variety of observations to help understand the range of changes, relevance to compliance and planning, process considerations and some unexpected provisions. While the final OBBB will not include all of the House provisions or will modify some of them, there are lessons to learn to understand the tax legislation process and results now and in the future.
In the competitive accounting world, where trust and reliability are paramount, client retention is not just a success metric—it’s a vital strategy for sustainable growth. For Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), accountants, and bookkeepers, maintaining a solid relationship with existing clients can unlock new business opportunities, turning satisfied clients into powerful referral sources.
When you own business properties, they will occasionally require repairs; that’s just a fact of business ownership. So, whether you need to make repairs on your place of business or your rental buildings, keep these simple truths in mind: You can either increase your net worth with tax-favored repairs, or you can decrease your net worth with tax-impaired improvements. Which would you prefer?
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Cross-border ventures can unlock exciting destinations for growth and investment, but they also come with some heavy-duty baggage -- think IRS paperwork, withholding headaches, and estate tax landmines. If you're a tax planner gearing up for this global expedition (especially if it's your first trip), this guide is your passport to smoother travels.
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A mix of old and new this month, obvious miscues and arcane strategies, an old protester/defier, and the perennial discovery jousts.
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Networking is vital to any profession and is no different for us Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). Attending conferences and seminars can be a game-changer, offering opportunities to learn, connect, and grow your professional network. These events are not just about business but also about personal and professional growth. However, to truly benefit from these events, it's essential to have a strategy in place.
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In an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) effortlessly handles the computational heavy lifting of tax preparation, the role of the accountant is evolving into something far more profound. The Post-Cognitive Accountant emerges not as a number cruncher but as a holistic advisor, transforming mundane tax documents into gateways of deep personal and financial insight. The once straightforward Form 1040 is now a rich tapestry, each box a doorway into the unique narrative of an individual's life. Let's embark on a journey through the 1040, reimagined as a portal to new dimensions of understanding and opportunity.
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There are a few tax tips for people with disabilities that I think are not as well-known as they should be. They can also be applicable to their parents or others who care about them. This is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of how taxation and disability interact. Rather it is to alert you to some things I think should be more widely known. One thing to keep in mind is that some of the parents and grandparents of disabled adults don’t necessarily share this part of their personal life, so you may be surprised at how this information might be valuable and appreciated by some of your clients.
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Taxes are scary enough, even without the threat of scammers involved. While technology has in some ways made taxes easier than ever, like any tool ever invented by humans, these new technologies have also become the plaything of scammers looking to pull off cons. Elderly clients who often have large life savings can be easy targets for scams, whether because of social isolation or emotional and cognitive problems, or maybe just because they didn’t keep up with the latest IRS or FBI warnings about being careful on the internet. Some elderly victims learn too late that it takes serious effort to resolve thefts of money – and potentially years to fix identity theft. These clients need to be extra vigilant. Here’s what to tell them.
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In the competitive accounting world, where trust and reliability are paramount, client retention is not just a success metric—it's a vital strategy for sustainable growth. For Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), accountants, and bookkeepers, maintaining a solid relationship with existing clients can unlock new business opportunities, turning satisfied clients into powerful referral sources.
Read More
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