Tax Law Commons^™

Taxation Without Limitation: The Prohibited Pretext Doctrine V. The Sebelius Theory, Brett W. Hastings

Brett W Hastings

The Article posits that the Supreme Court erred in its ruling regarding the Affordable Care Act by overlooking a well established constitutional principle, dubbed the Prohibited Pretext Doctrine. This doctrine, which prohibits the exercise of a prohibited power through the pretextual use of a power granted, faded from memory due to the post Lochner era expansion of the Commerce Clause. Nevertheless, the doctrine remains valid law. In overlooking the Prohibited Pretext Doctrine, the Supreme Court established a new and contradictory doctrine, dubbed the Sebelius Theory. The Sebelius Theory turns the Prohibited Pretext Doctrine on its head by explicitly allowing the …

Korean Tax Policy Favors Increasing Progressivity, Mee-Hyon Lee

Mee-Hyon Lee

Korean Tax Policy Favors Increasing Progressivity

Mee-Hyon Lee

With the growing demand for increased social welfare benefits which started to surface in recent years, the welfare budget demands started to increase steeply so that maintaining the nation’s fiscal soundness has become another major goal of Korean tax policy these days. Against this backdrop, a large portion of recent tax amendments in Korea have been geared towards collecting more taxes to increase tax revenue. This article covers some of these recent changes in the following areas having rather significant impact on the economy and eventually on the taxpayers: (1) Income Tax …

"Shut Up. Pay More. This Is What You Voted For." Why You Don't See Me At San Francisco's Hall Of Justice., David D. Butler

David D. Butler

This 2,285 essay combines California's often violent history with European and American high and low culture to explain my decision to leave San Francisco in the 1970's and to study and practice law in other states. At the time, I was platflorm man (operator) on the 30 Stockton electric trolley through South of Market, the Financial District, Chinatown, Pacific Heights, and the Marina. Nevertheless, at the time the Nation of Islam had at least one armed group, the Zebra killers, murdering Whites, often slowly with machetes. I joined the White, Middle-Class, Taxpaying majority in their diaspora to safer places. My …

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 …

Moving Money: International Financial Flows, Taxes, Money Laundering & Transparency, Richard Gordon, Andrew P. Morriss

Andrew P Morriss

Recent publicity over enormous estimates of “missing” wealth and the use of sophisticated tax strategies by companies like Apple, Google, and Starbucks have produced a demand that the wealthy pay a “fair” amount of tax regardless of their compliance with the letter of tax laws. In particular, the Tax Justice Network’s claim that $21-$32 trillion of “hidden” wealth remains untaxed has garnered considerable attention. In this paper we argue that these claims rest on poor data and analysis and mistakes about how financial transactions work. We further argue that the disputes are about fundamentally conflicting visions of how financial transactions …

The Problem Of Nonprofit Executive Pay?: Evidence From U.S. Colleges And Universities, Brian D. Galle, David I. Walker

Brian D. Galle

Nonprofit organizations suffer from agency problems that are similar to or perhaps even more severe than those observed at for-profit companies. As a result, one might expect the executive pay setting process in the two sectors to reflect similar deficiencies. This Article explains why the managerial power theory that was developed to help explain for-profit executive pay is plausibly applicable to nonprofits. More importantly, this Article offers new evidence based on data from a large panel of colleges and universities collected across a nine year period that supports the idea that potential stakeholder outrage plays a role in limiting nonprofit …

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 …

An Exploratory Study Of Investment Compliance Management In The Enron Collapse, Valencia Tamir Johnson Dr.

Valencia T Johnson

This paper is to critique a thesis titled An Exploratory Study of Investment Compliance Management in the Enron Collapse (2013). This thesis can be found on the IBLS database, and on the Thomas Jefferson School of Law record database. This paper mentions the Enron scandal that played a major role in shaking investors’ and stakeholders’ confidence, in part because the corporation’s administrators were able to conceal its losses for nearly five years. This thesis examines the history of Enron and describes the circumstances leading up to its collapse in 2001, paying particular attention to the violation of corporate governance laws …

Notable Partnership Tax Articles Of 2012, Bradley T. Borden

Bradley T. Borden

This Article reviews several partnership tax articles published by academic journals in 2012. The subjects of the articles range from broad reform proposals to taxation of reorganizations to taxation of carried interest to issues affecting partnership liabilities.

Dirt Lawyers And Dirty Remics, Bradley T. Borden, David J. Reiss

Bradley T. Borden

It is appropriate that the day-to-day practice of real estate law did not touch on the intricacies of the securitization of mortgages, let alone the tax laws that apply to mortgage-backed securities. Securitization professionals did not, however, account for the day-to-day practices of real estate lawyers as they relate to the transfer and assignment of mortgage notes and mortgages when structuring mortgage-backed securities. The consequences of this may turn out to be severe for investors, underwriters, and securitization professionals.

One of the consequences of the sale of a negotiable note not done in accordance with the requirements of the holder …

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 …

Still On The Repayment Of Indirect Taxes, Hugo B. Machado

Hugo de Brito Machado Segundo

The repayment of indirect taxes raises questions in many parts of the world, mainly because of the so called “passing-on defense”. Brazilian Courts has given inadequate treatment to this subject, which, in fact, denies the judicial review of the tax relationship, violating the the idea of rule of law. European Court of Justice has different concerns when examining the matter, recognizing that the shift of the tax burden is very difficult to determine and measure. It happens in relation to all taxes, to a greater or lesser extent, and should be taken into consideration by the legislature in fixing the …

Transparency, Independence And Diversity: Does The United States Have It Better?-A Comparative Analysis Of The Process Of Appointment Of Judges To The Supreme Court In The United States And India., Varun Vaish

Varun Vaish

The rise of legal realism has made it manifestly clear that the background and worldview of judges influence cases.This is evidenced in the United States where the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary is believed to be, at least in some measure, predicated upon the proximity of the political ideology of the judge with that of the appointing party. This influence is acknowledged, questioned and somewhat mitigated against by the process of appointment wherein the Senate ratifies the president’s choice. However the lack of acknowledgement of this influence and its consequent securitization, in the appointment of judges is where …

The Unruly World Of Tax: A Proposal For An International Tax Cooperation Forum, Noam S. Noked, Mohamed S. Helal

Mohamed S. Helal

International cooperation in tax policy is deeply fractured. Inconsistencies, loopholes and ineffective mechanisms—that could be avoided if efficient collaboration between countries existed—have created significant inefficiency losses for decades. This paper focuses on the institutional infrastructure underlying international cooperation in tax issues and argues that the current forums in which international cooperation in tax issues occurs do not provide an adequate platform in which countries with similar interests can effectively promote collaborative effort. To facilitate cooperation, this paper puts forward a proposal to create a new institution that is currently missing from the international tax policy-setting arena: an informal forum for …

Slump Sale Transactions - Taxation Issues In India, Mubashshir Sarshar

Mubashshir Sarshar

No abstract provided.

Pfics Gone Wild!, Monica Gianni

Monica Gianni

No abstract provided.

Presentación "El Procedimiento Administrativo", Norma E. Pimentel

Norma E Pimentel

Presentación al módulo 2

Conserving A Place For Renewable Power, Jacob P. Byl

Jacob P. Byl

Promoting renewable power and conserving land are often conflicting goals because renewable power requires a lot of land. The conflict is becoming an important issue on lands encumbered by conservation easements. I argue that the current legal rule allowing oil and gas development, but not wind and solar development, on conserved land does not make sense in light of the threats of climate change. The best way to encourage renewable power while respecting the intent of landowners is to have the Internal Revenue Service promulgate rules that explicitly allow renewable power going forward and interpret existing easements with a set …

The Social Security Benefits Formula And The Windfall Elimination Provision: An Equitable Approach To Addressing ‘Windfall’ Benefits, Francine J. Lipman, Alan Smith

Francine J. Lipman

Please find attached our article and draft bill. Thank you so very much for your interest in our work.

Coase V. Pigou: A Still Difficult Debate, Enrico Baffi

enrico baffi

This paper examines the positions of Coase and Pigou about the problem of the externalities. From the reading of their most two important works it appears that Coase has a more relevant preference for a evaluation of efficiency at the total, while Pigou, with some exception, is convinced that is possible to reach marginal efficiency through taxes or responsibility. It’s interesting that Coase, who has elaborated the famous theorem, is convinced that is not possible to reach the efficiency at the margin every time and that sometimes is necessary a valuation at the total, that tells us which solution is …

Holodomor: Implications On A Neo-Soviet Ukraine, Laura Umetsu

Laura Umetsu

This paper delves behind the Holodomor as genocide, its ties to the lingering tensions between the Ukrainian and Jewish communities, and proposed introduction of its history into modern classrooms.

Economists Are From Mercury, Policymakers Are From Saturn, Roberta F. Mann

Roberta F Mann

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus is a book about communication between different types of people in a relationship. Lawyers and economists are different types of people who come together in the legislative and policymaking realm. Although legislators come from many backgrounds, law has been the most common profession of both House members and Senators since 1945. Sometimes policymakers rely on economic analysis to make decisions. Sometimes policymakers use economic analysis to support decisions already made. In particular, economic analysis has played a large role in the formation of tax and budgetary policy. Not only do economists and …

The Political Feasibility Of A Global E-Commerce Tax, Rifat Azam Dr.

Rifat Azam Dr.

In its strongest statement yet on progressive tax reform, the UN has recently called on countries to introduce a global carbon tax and financial transaction tax (FTT). In my recent article entitled Global Taxation of Cross Border E-commerce Income (31 Virginia Tax Review 639 (Spring 2012)), I proposed to impose a global e-commerce tax on cross border e-commerce income by a new supranational institution, The Global Tax Fund, to be established by countries through international treaty. According to my proposal, the global e-commerce tax revenues shall be spent to fund global public goods. I argued normatively that the proposed regime …

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 Key Stone In The Carbon Tariff Wall: The Alberta Oil Sands And The Legality Of Taxing Imports Based On Their Carbon Footprint, Mark L. Belleville

Mark L. Belleville

Can one nation—consistent with international trade law—tax imports or otherwise treat them differently based on the CO2 emitted in another country during production of the import? This Article analyzes the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), relevant World Trade Organization (WTO) decisions, and the considerable amount of scholarship regarding Border Tax Adjustments (BTAs) and concludes that such treatment of imports is legally permissible. In early 2013, the European Union (E.U.) will vote on a proposed rule that seeks to classify crude oil coming into E.U. refineries based on “life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions,” including CO2 emitted during extraction. Canada, seeking …

Ley 26.680 De Exteriorización De Divisas Y Su Reglamentación, Martin Paolantonio

Martin Paolantonio

Análisis descriptivo de la reciente normativa de blanqueo de capitales y su reglamentación

The Mandatory Disclosure Provisions Of The Uniform Trust Code: Sill Boldly Going Where No Jurisdiction Will Follow - A Practical Tax-Based Solution, John S. Treu

John S. Treu

Twelve years have passed since NCCUSL first proposed the Uniform Trust Code ("UTC") which has now been adopted in twenty-five jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the successful adoption of the majority of the provisions of the UTC in each of these jurisdictions, the mandatory disclosure provisions of the UTC have been universally rejected. These mandatory disclosure provisions are reform-based and beneficiary-friendly and have been widely criticized for contradicting the settlor's intent as stated in the plain language of the trust instrument. The majority of UTC adopting jurisdictions have simply deleted the mandatory disclosure provisions altogether and have adopted only the default disclosure provisions. …

Carried Interest Reform For Hedge Fund Managers, John Ye

John Ye

Private investment managers’ compensation has been a hot topic since the 2012 presidential campaign. Candidate Romney’s tax returns were highly publicized by the media. Romney’s effective tax rate for his recent 2011 tax year was a paltry 14%. Compared to the notional tax rates on ordinary income from 10% to 40%, this would seem too low for a well-off member of our society who made over $13 million in 2011.

Romney’s response was simply that it was not unfair because most of his income was derived from his investments. To discuss fully about the rationale behind why our tax system …

Carrots, Sticks, And Salience, Brian D. Galle

Brian D. Galle

This Article considers the second-best design of Pigouvian taxes and subsidies in the presence of agents who are imperfectly aware of the instrument. Until very recently, the price instrument literature has assumed perfect rationality, and even the handful of prior attempts to account for “hidden” prices focus mainly on the income tax. I extend these efforts in several directions. First, I show that the best available instrument for correcting negative externalities is often one whose price is partially adjusted upwards -- or, in the case of subsidies, downwards -- to counter-act the neglect of irrational actors. In addition, I argue …