A recent Tax Court opinion[1] highlights one of the risks of serving as executor or administrator of an estate, potential liability for a decedent’s tax obligations. The case involves application of the federal priority statute[2] applicable to fiduciaries.[3] That statute provides, in relevant part, that “a representative of a person or an estate (except a…
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In a recent Tax Court case, the Court determined that corporate officers were indeed employees of the corporation entitled to reasonable compensation, and as such, the corporation is liable for employment taxes on reasonable compensation imputed to the corporate officers.[1] Mr. and Mrs. Hacker, who owned 51% and 49% of Blossom Day Care Centers (“Blossom”)…
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In the recent Complex Media[1] case, the Tax Court addressed a taxpayer’s ability to recast the form of a transaction under the “substance over form” doctrine. Since taxpayers typically control the form their transactions take, tax decisions routinely stick taxpayers with the consequences of that form. Some courts have precluded taxpayers from even raising substance…
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On March 3, 2021, the Tax Court issued a new opinion in Pankratz v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo 2021-26. This case is a good reminder of some of the good faith and reasonable reliance rules to avoid penalties. The opinion, authored by Judge Holmes, was a typical Holmes’ opinion. It told a detailed story of the…
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Many know the old adage of “it’s the thought that counts” when it comes to gifting. According to a recent Tax Court opinion, when it comes to charitable contributions, what the recipient receives is significantly more important than what is given by the donor. Charles Allen previously discussed this issue in his article on the…
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When starting a new business, an important consideration to is to determine at what point expenses become deductible as a business expense under §162[1] as opposed to being classified as startup expenditures which must be amortized over 15 years under §195[2]? In general, expenses eligible to be deducted as an ordinary and necessary expense of…
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In a recent case from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Mann v. U.S., 127 AFTR 2d 2021-XXXX (4th Cir. Jan. 6, 2021), the Court determined that the donation of a house which was subject to demolition failed to satisfy two requirements under Section 170 of the Code. First, the taxpayer failed to donate the…
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Hobby loss tax rules of IRC § 183 are nothing new. However, there are a couple of recent developments that make the application of those rules especially relevant: Starting in 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) went into effect. Under the TCJA, taxpayers lost the ability to take miscellaneous itemized deductions. Previously, taxpayers…
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In a newly released Chief Counsel Advice opinion[1], the transfer of assets from a foreign entity referred to as the “Foundation” directly to a third party (the “Recipient”) at the request of the beneficiary of the Foundation (the “Beneficiary”) was deemed to be a gift from the Beneficiary to the Recipient. This is a logical…
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In a recent opinion out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the Court affirmed the Tax Court’s decision denying taxpayers loss on the sale of a residential property as well as depreciation deductions on property that was purportedly used in taxpayer’s business.[1] Additionally, the Court upheld the imposition of the…
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