On June 20, the U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in the closely watched case of Moore v. United States. In a 7-2 decision, the court upheld the constitutionality of the mandatory repatriation tax (MRT), also referred...more
Earlier this week, Treasury and the IRS issued guidance to halt the use of partnership rules in the Internal Revenue Code to engage in abusive basis-shifting transactions whereby tax basis is stripped from certain assets and...more
Earlier this year, the OECD observed there has been a significant increase in global wealth inequality over the last two decades. It also acknowledged that “taxation is a key instrument . . . that governments have at their...more
Since the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has received its supplemental funding under the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has continuously focused on high-income earners, partnerships, and large corporations. Under its most...more
In this review of taxation and the British Virgin Islands, Conyers Corporate Counsel Nicholas Kuria discusses some of the most commonly misunderstood notions relating to the use of offshore jurisdictions, with a focus on the...more
In 2009, the IRS created its Global High Wealth Industry Group, known more familiarly as the “Wealth Squad.” This group starts with an examination of a “key case,” which is typically a wealthy person’s individual tax return,...more
The Internal Revenue Service plans to deploy thousands of new hires to expand audits of partnerships and high net wealth individuals. As part of a larger transformation at the agency, it is using some of the $60 billion in...more
Sometimes when a board is considering a strategic transaction, it may find that a key figure who can influence the deal process — for example, a founder, controller or CEO-negotiator — has a potential conflict of interest....more
Boards routinely confront an array of difficult issues. In this issue of The Informed Board, we tackle four of the thorniest and most topical: - How to preserve the integrity of a deal process where a key fiduciary (say,...more
This month, the IRS announced that it is using the long-term funding approved by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to shift its attention to wealthy taxpayers in an effort to “identify sophisticated schemes...more
Last week, the IRS announced “the start of a sweeping, historic effort to restore fairness in tax compliance by shifting more attention onto high-income earners, partnerships, large corporations and promoters abusing the...more
On September 8, 2023, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Danny Werfel announced the rollout of a coordinated enforcement strategy that will involve audits of returns filed by 75 of the largest partnerships operating...more
On August 9, 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget, which implements a four percent (4%) surtax on income exceeding $1 million. The surtax is effective for tax years beginning...more
Have you ever wondered whether you were barking up the wrong tree? That the solution to a problem may be found, not in the approach to which you were already committed and invested, but in an altogether different direction?...more
At different times over the course of the last thirty days or so, I have seen reports describing various plans to increase income taxes and/or wealth taxes on the “rich” that have either been endorsed or proposed by the likes...more
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Act), which was signed into law on August 16, is intended to fight inflation and address climate change. The Act provides for over $360 billion in energy- and climate-related investments,...more
Tax Alchemy? How many of you remember Section 138509 of the Ways and Means Committee’s markup last September of what would have been the Build Back Better Act? (A moment of silence, please.) Allow me to jog your memory....more
Counting the Days?- We are 302 days away from the national mid-term elections, to be held November 8, 2022, yet the first full week of the new year has already highlighted some of the economic issues with which the...more
Tax the Rich? The President’s plan for a tax regime that would ensure the rich pay their “fair share” of the cost of implementing his programs has come one step closer to being realized . . . maybe . . . well, sort of ....more
It Seemed Like a Good Idea- In July of this year, one of my partners, who chairs the board of a local grantmaking public charity, asked if I would present at a CLE program to be sponsored by the charity on October 28 (last...more
What A Ride- No one anticipated that the Administration’s proposed tax increases would fly through Congress easily – at least no one residing in a state in which the recreational use of marijuana has not been legalized....more
On April 28, 2021, President Biden presented the “American Families Plan” (AFP), an ambitious spending program focused on providing family leave, child care and nutrition, health care, preschool and college education to...more
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Chuck Rettig on April 13, 2021, told a U.S. Senate panel that the tax gap in the U.S. may total $1 trillion per year. In his view, the increase from prior estimates is due, in part,...more
A Night to Remember? Did you listen to the President’s speech last Wednesday? He addressed a joint session of Congress to pitch the Administration’s $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. Due to COVID-related...more
According to Justice Learned Hand, “Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to...more