Tax Law Commons^™

An Overview Of Taxation Of Non-Resident Company In Nigeria, Oluwaseun Viyon Ojo

Oluwaseun Viyon Ojo

Non-resident companies, though not incorporated in Nigeria but deriving income from the Nigerian economic environment, is subject to tax within the nigerian tax environment under the specific circumstances set out in the provisions of the Companies Income Tax Act. Thus, this paper deals with the specific circumstances under which the non-resident companies will be subject to taxes in Nigeria.

King V. Burwell And The Chevron Doctrine: Did The Court Invite Judicial Activism?, Matthew A. Melone

Matthew A. Melone

No abstract provided.

The Moral Undercurrent Beneath The Regulatory Regime Of Investor Protection, Huhnkie Lee

Huhnkie Lee

No abstract provided.

Income Tax Accounting Consistency: Eliminate Accrual And Depreciation, And Revamp The Tax Treatment Of Borrowing, Joseph M. Dodge

Joseph M Dodge

Abstract for

INCOME TAX ACCOUNTING CONSISTENCY: ELIMINATE ACCRUAL AND DEPRECIATION, AND REVAMP THE TAX TREATMENT OF BORROWING

Joseph M. Dodge

Professor Emeritus, Florida State University College of Law

The thesis is that inconsistent tax accounting rules undermine the individual income tax, and the best available move for improving it – given the unassailability of the realization principle - is to eliminate its accrual (and quasi-accrual) features. Specifically, the agenda is to eliminate tax accrual accounting in the conventional sense, revamp the tax treatment of borrowing to (inter alia) abolish the Crane doctrine, and eliminate depreciation deductions for indivisible productive assets. …

Lessons In Fiscal Activism, Mirit Eyal-Cohen

Mirit Eyal-Cohen

This article highlights an anomaly. It shows that two tax rules aimed to achieve a similar goal were introduced at the same time. Both meant to be temporary and bring economic stimuli but received a dramatically different treatment. The economically inferior rule survived while its superior counterpart did not. The article reviews the reasons for this paradox. It shows that the causes are both political and an agency problem. The article not only enriches an important and ongoing debate that has received much attention in recent years, but also provides important lessons to policymakers.

Allocative Fairness And The Income Tax, Joseph Dodge

Joseph M Dodge

Abstract for: Allocative Fairness and the Income Tax

This article seeks to provide a normative justification for the “allocative tax fairness” principle of “objective ability to pay.” First off is a brief overview of norm categories as they relate to taxation. Here, the category of internal-to-tax fairness (“allocative fairness”), referring to how the tax burden should be apportioned among the population, is identified as being distinct from a conception of a good or just society (social equity). Allocative tax fairness is often referred to as “horizontal equity.” Unfortunately, that notion is purely formal, and the remainder of the article develops …

The Family Llc: A New Approach To Insuring Dynastic Wealth, Evan M. Purcell

Evan M Purcell

No abstract provided.

A Whole New World: Income Tax Considerations Of The Bitcoin Economy, Benjamin W. Akins Jd, Llm, Jennifer L. Chapman Jd, Cpa, Jason M. Gordon Jd, Mba

Benjamin W. Akins

Bitcoin is a virtual, cryptocurrency growing rapidly in influence throughout the world. Numerous characteristics associated with the bitcoin system, including low transaction costs and greater user privacy, make it appealing as a medium of electronic payment. The number of users of bitcoin, including merchants accepting the currency as a form of payment, has grown considerably in recent years. Estimates indicate that there are more than 60,000 active bitcoin users as of September 2012, with nearly 11 million bitcoins in existence. According to the latest estimates, bitcoin market capitalization is roughly $9 billion. The growth of bitcoin as an accepted currency …

Definitions, Religion, And Free Exercise Guarantees, Mark Strasser

Mark Strasser

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the free exercise of religion. Non-religious practices do not receive those same protections, which makes the ability to distinguish between religious and non-religious practices important. Regrettably, members of the Court have been unable to agree about how to distinguish the religious from the non-religious—sometimes, the implicit criteria focus on the sincerity of the beliefs, sometimes the strength of the beliefs or the role that they play in an individual’s life, and sometimes the kind of beliefs. In short, the Court has virtually guaranteed an incoherent jurisprudence by sending contradictory signals with …

Strictly Liable, David Randall Jenkins

David Randall Jenkins

The Power Point summarizes the Self-Directed IRA Custodian's Five Deadly Sins and Three Punishments for failing to assure Section 4975 impounded management and investment risk diversification policy compliance.

The Intersection Of Tax And Bankruptcy: The Mccoy Rule, John Ferguson

John Ferguson

No abstract provided.

The Intersection Of Tax And Bankruptcy: The Mccoy Rule, John Ferguson

John Ferguson

No abstract provided.

The Origins Of Affirmative Fiscal Action, Mirit Eyal-Cohen

Mirit Eyal-Cohen

This article highlights an anomaly. It shows that two tax rules aimed to achieve a similar goal were introduced at the same time. Both meant to be temporary and bring economic stimuli, but received a dramatically different treatment. The less efficient or economically inferior survived. Its superior counterpart did not. The article reviews the reasons for this paradox. It shows that the reason is both political and an agency problem. The article not only enriches an important and ongoing debate that has received much attention in recent years, but also provides important lessons to policymakers.

Less Is More: Applying A Modified Reasonable Compensation Standard To Eliminate The Inconsistencies In The Payroll And Net Investment Income Tax Bases, John S. Treu

John S. Treu

The original policy for the implementation of payroll taxes was to impose a tax on wages as both a funding mechanism for, and a limitation to, qualifying for social security. However, the self-employment tax base developed severe inconsistencies with this original policy and among different tax entities by including certain returns on capital investments in the tax base. At present, different payroll tax obligations arise for similarly situated tax payers based solely on the type of entity the owner elects to be taxed as under the check-the-box regulations. These inconsistencies resulted from misguided efforts by congress and the treasury to …

A Market For Tax Compliance, Walter E. Afield Iii

Walter E Afield III

It is becoming increasingly clear that, due to political realities and budgetary constraints, the IRS is going to have to attempt to enforce the tax laws by doing more with less. Current enforcement efforts have yielded a tax gap (i.e., the difference between the amount of taxes that should be paid and the amount that are collected) of roughly $450 billion annually. Faced with this task, one of the steps that the IRS has recently taken is to try to improve the quality in services performed by paid tax preparers, a group that historically has been subject to little IRS …

Legal Mirrors Of Entrepreneurship, Mirit Eyal-Cohen

Mirit Eyal-Cohen

Small businesses are regarded the engine of the economy. But just what is a “small” business? Depending on where one looks in the law, the definitions vary and they differ from one section to another. Unfortunately, what these various size classifications fail to assess, are the policy considerations and the legislative intent for granting regulatory preferences to small concerns to begin with.

In the last century, the U.S. government has been cultivating one such policy of fiscal and economic growth. Consequently, Congress and private institutions have been acting to incentivize, support and reward entrepreneurship through the law in order to …

Protecting Those Who Need It Most: A Call For Change To The Tax Application Of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders When Placed Into Special Needs Trusts, Conor Francis Linehan

Conor Francis Linehan

This note calls for a change to the way the Internal Revenue Code is applied towards qualified domestic relations orders when used to fund or partially fund special needs trusts, specifically irrevocable (d)(4)(B) trusts created under § 1396p.

The current status of the law is that an individual can roll over a qualified domestic relations order into a new retirement account in a tax-free transfer. If an individual elects to not roll over into a new retirement fund, some additional exemptions to various early termination penalties and lump sum payments have already been carved out of the Code.

This note …

Critical Tax Policy: A Pathway To Reform?, Nancy J. Knauer

Nancy J. Knauer

The Global Recession of 2008 and ensuing austerity measures have renewed the urgency surrounding the call for fundamental tax reform. Before embarking on fundamental tax reform, this Article proposes adding a critical lens to existing US tax policy to ensure that any proposals for change are informed, transparent, and responsive to the needs (and abilities) of individual taxpayers. This Article makes the case for a specific method of inquiry – Critical Tax Policy – that is built on the articulation of difference rather than false assumptions of sameness. Critical Tax Policy incorporates the insights of a growing international tax equity …

Pfics Gone Wild!, Monica Gianni

Monica Gianni

No abstract provided.

Partisan Politics And Income Tax Rates, William E. Foster

William E Foster

With income tax reform dominating so much of the current political discourse, now is an optimal time for tax scholars to reflect on the lessons and trends from a century of legislative tinkering with the primary revenue-generating device in the United States. Tax rate changes do not occur in a vacuum, and this article explores one increasingly prominent and often overlooked ingredient in the mixture of variables that can produce or inhibit tax reform―partisan politics. It does so by comparing individual income tax rates with partisan control of federal political bodies. This article reviews majority party status in the House …

The Overlap Of Tax And Financial Aspects Of Real Estate Ventures, Bradley T. Borden

Bradley T. Borden

This article examines the effect partnership tax law has on financial aspects of real estate ventures. It introduces the relevance of the aggregate and entity views of tax partnerships (i.e., LLCs, LPs, and other partnerships) and demonstrates how those views can greatly affect financial projections for each of the members of a real estate venture. It also demonstrates how financial calculations can vary significantly depending upon how closely analysts track a tax partnership’s allocation method. Finally, the article serves as a primer for tax practitioners who are unfamiliar with the financial tools that are so prevalent in real estate analysis, …

From Allocations To Series Llcs: 2011'S Partnership Tax Articles, Bradley T. Borden

Bradley T. Borden

This article reviews the partnership tax articles published in student-edited journals in 2011. The articles comprise a rich output on timely topics and demonstrate that partnership tax is primed for even more scholarly attention.

An Offer In Compromise You Can’T Confuse: It Is Not The Opening Bid Of A Delinquent Taxpayer To Play Let’S Make A Tax Deal With The Internal Revenue Service, Irwin J. Katz

Irwin J Katz

Most articles written about offers in compromises read like how to primers. This article, unlike those other articles, explains what an offer in compromise is and what it is not. Starting with the premise that the IRS’ primary goal is to collect the entire amount of any outstanding tax liability, an offer in compromise is not an opening bid of a delinquent taxpayer to engage in tax gamesmanship with the IRS. On the other hand, although in cases of financial hardship, an offer in compromise is a means for a taxpayer to settle her tax liability for a lesser amount, …

The William O. Douglas Tax Factor: Where Did The Spin Stop And Who Was He Looking Out For?, I Jay Katz

Irwin J Katz

ABSTRACT THE WILLIAM 0. DOUGLAS TAX FACTOR: WHERE DID THE SPIN STOP AND WHO WAS HE LOOKING OUT FOR?

Although much better known for his opinions regarding constitutional law and individual rights, Justice William 0. Douglas also left an indelible mark in tax law. Throughout his thirty-six year tenure on the Supreme Court, Douglas wrote a significant number of majority and dissenting opinions in some of the most famous tax law cases of his day. As the title of the article suggests, most of Douglas's opinions were full of spin from the bias of the party he favored and read …

The Liability-Offset Theory Of Peracchi, Bradley T. Borden, Douglas L. Longhofer

Bradley T. Borden

Peracchi v. Commissioner is a lightning rod for commentators and the bane of students of corporate income tax. In short, the decision makes no sense because it grants the maker of a note a section 1012 basis in the note, violating a fundamental principle of income taxation. Nonetheless, the decision helped preserve a fundamental aspect of corporate taxation—the tax-free formation of and contributions to controlled corporations. Because of its unorthodox application of the section1012 basis rules, the Peracchi decision is the subject of severe criticism. Unfortunately, commentators who criticize Peracchi generally fail to offer an alternative that recognizes general income …

The Allure And Illusion Of Partners' Interests In A Partnership, Bradley T. Borden

Bradley T. Borden

Favorable tax treatment and management flexibility make tax partnerships very popular. For starters, tax partnerships, unlike tax corporations, are not subject to entity-level taxes. Partnership taxable income flows through to the partners, and the partners report their shares of partnership taxable income on their individual tax returns. Partnership tax allocation rules determine the partners’ shares of partnership taxable income. Those rules rely upon the alluring concept of partners’ interests in a partnership. It seems intuitive that partners would know their interests in a partnership and be able to allocate partnership taxable income accordingly. This Article illustrates, however, that the concept …

Mitigating The Distributional Impacts Of Climate Change Policy, Tracey M. Roberts

Tracey M Roberts

Under both a cap-and-trade system and a greenhouse gas tax, the government will regulate energy suppliers and distributors, utility companies, and large manufacturers. These parties will bear the statutory incidence of the regulation. However, the financial impacts of regulating greenhouse gas emissions will be borne primarily by consumers. Consumers will bear the economic incidence of the regulation in the form of increased costs of gasoline, electricity, and home heating fuels and in increased consumer prices for all goods manufactured or distributed using fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas regulation will also generate significant revenue. This Article addresses the question of what should …

Pip Factors: Examine With Low Expectations, Brad Borden

Bradley T. Borden

This article takes a critical look at the factors the income tax regulations use to define partners' intererests in a partnership. The article concludes that the factors do little to help determine partners' interests in the partnership.

The Untold Story Of Crane V. Commissioner Reveals An Inconvenient Tax Truth: Useless Depreciation Deductions Cause Global Basis Erosion To Bait A Hazardous Tax Trap For Unwitting Taxpayers, I Jay Katz

Irwin J Katz

Facts not discussed in the Supreme Court's decision in Crane v. Commissioner (much better known for Footnote 37) reveal an inconvenient tax truth of a hazardous tax trap for unwitting taxpayers (the "Basis Reduction Tax Trap"). For seven years, Beulah Crane operated an apartment building at a loss. For that reason, the substantial amount of allowable depreciation deductions on the building produced minimal tax benefits for her. Notwithstanding the lack of tax benefits, the basis of the apartment building was reduced by the depreciation deductions pursuant to section 1016(a) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under threat of foreclosure, Beulah …

Section 1031 Qualified Intermediaries And The New Economy, Brad Borden

Bradley T. Borden

Industry estimates indicate that, over the past several years, section 1031 qualified intermediaries have lost as much as $700 million of exchange proceeds. Exchangers and their representatives must take steps to help prevent future losses. This article reviews three recent failures and discusses measures that should help reduce the risk of qualified intermediary failure in the new exchange environment. Lawmakers should also consider measures they can take to help prevent such losses in the future.