Taxation-Federal Commons^™

The Inappropriateness Of The Bad Checks Penalty, Jeffrey H. Kahn, Douglas A. Kahn

Scholarly Publications

In this article, the authors argue that the penalty for sending a bad check to the IRS is excessive and that the reasonable cause exception should apply to any honest factual error.

Designing A Legal Regime To Capture Capital Gains Tax On Indirect Transfers Of Mineral And Petroleum Rights: A Practical Guide, Perrine Toledano, John Bush, Jacky Mandelbaum

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

When a local asset (or a right relating to such asset) is sold, a country will generally have jurisdiction to levy a capital gains tax on the sale, both under domestic law and international treaty. This is called taxation of a “direct” transfer of a local asset. However, taxation becomes increasingly complicated when a company located offshore owns the local asset. Further difficulties arise when the local asset is held by a chain of corporations located in tax havens. An “indirect” transfer occurs when the shares of the domestic subsidiary, the shares of the foreign company with a branch in …

Open Source: The Enewsletter Of Rwu Law 09-22-2017, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Elaine Gagliardi On Uncertain Times: Anticipating Change And Reacting To Recent Wealth Transfer Tax Developments, Elaine H. Gagliardi

Faculty Journal Articles & Other Writings

Looming on the horizon is the very real possibility of estate tax repeal. In the interim for those clients needing to immediately make estate planning decisions, the question becomes what planning strategies best meet client needs in the face of an uncertain estate tax. Acknowledging that the ultimate answer depends on individual circumstances and goals, some common planning strategies nevertheless emerge as better options than others to address particular client goals, especially those of married couples. These planning strategies work well now and can be adapted to work well under the most likely Congressional response to repeal. Republicans have alluded …

The Negative Capital Account Maze, Walter D. Schwidetzky

All Faculty Scholarship

Outside Hubert I and Hubert II, there has been little discussion of negative capital accounts in the tax context and almost no discussion in the nontax context. Nontax law, however, is critically important. This report provides an integrated discussion of the application of tax and nontax law to negative capital accounts.

One of the challenges in writing this report is that it requires a discussion of both the at-risk rules of section 465 and the debt allocation rules of section 752. Complex issues involving sections 465 and 752 and their interaction are worthy of their own articles. Indeed, others have …

The Tax Treatment Of Tokens: What Does It Betoken?, David J. Shakow

All Faculty Scholarship

Digital tokens have been used to raise substantial amounts of money. But little attention has been paid to the tax consequences surrounding their issuance and sale. There are significant potential tax liabilities lurking in the use of digital tokens. But, because of the anonymity inherent in the blockchain structures used for the issuance of tokens and payments for them, there is a significant question as to whether those tax liabilities will ever be collected.

Churches' Lobbying And Campaigning: A Proposed Statutory Safe Harbor For Internal Church Communications, Edward A. Zelinsky

Articles

President Trump, reiterating the position he took during the presidential campaign, has recently reaffirmed his pledge to “get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment,” the provision of the Internal Revenue Code which prohibits tax-exempt institutions from participating in political campaigns. The Code also bars tax-exempt institutions, including churches, from substantial lobbying activities.

Rather than the blanket repeal of the Johnson Amendment proposed by President Trump, I argue for a statutory safe harbor for the internal communications of churches. This limited safe harbor would protect in-house church discussions from both Section 501(c)(3)’s ban on substantial lobbying and from that …

The Fallacious Objections To The Tax Treatment Of Carried Interest, Douglas A. Kahn, Jeffrey H. Kahn

Articles

“The tax treatment of carried interest has become a notorious bete noire for many politicians and some academicians and practitioners. Both 2016 presidential candidates denounced the current tax treatment and vowed to change it. President Obama described the current treatment as a "tax loophole" which should be closed. Others have also characterized the current tax treatment as an abusive loophole.' It is the thesis of this article that those criticisms are unfounded. To the contrary, the current tax treatment accords with sound tax policy and is proper and appropriate. Given the broad approval that attended the attacks on carried interest, …

Newsroom: Donald Trump Vs. Roger Williams 05-09-2017, David Logan

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Rwu First Amendment Blog: David A. Logan's Blog: Donald Trump Vs. Roger Williams 05-08-2017, David A. Logan

Law School Blogs

No abstract provided.

Taxation, Competitiveness, And Inversions: A Response To Kleinbard, Michael S. Knoll

All Faculty Scholarship

In this report, I argue that the inversion situation is more nuanced, complex, and ambiguous than Edward D. Kleinbard acknowledges, and I challenge Kleinbard’s claim that U.S. multinationals are on a tax par with their foreign competitors.

Partnership Tax Allocations: The Basics, Walter D. Schwidetzky

All Faculty Scholarship

This article endeavors to help practitioners who are not partnership tax allocation experts identify when they should consult with those with that expertise. The partnership-allocation Treasury Regulations have been called "a creation of prodigious complexity ... essentially impenetrable to all but those with the time, talent, and determination to become thoroughly prepared experts on the subject." This article is written for those, to date at least, without that time and determination. At the same time, the article provides an introduction to the partnership tax allocation rules for those contemplating making the requisite investment of time and determination.

The term "partnership," …

What Might Tax Reform Look Like?, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"When it comes to tax reform, it has been most consistently successful when lower rates are coupled with reduced complexity and closed loopholes."

Posting about changing American tax plans from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/what-might-tax-reform-look-like/

5 Things You May Not Know About Our Tax System, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Let’s take a look at some important features of our tax system of which you might not be aware."

Posting about current American tax practices from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-our-tax-system/

How Did We Get Our Tax System? (And What Can That Teach Us About Reforming It?), Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"In celebration of the 30^th compliance year of the Internal Revenue Code, I’ve compiled three articles covering the past, present, and future of America’s tax system."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the history of American taxation from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/how-did-we-get-our-tax-system-and-what-can-that-teach-us-about-reforming-it/

Problems With Destination-Based Corporate Taxes And The Ryan Blueprint, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, Kimberly Clausing

Articles

With the election of Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s domination of Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan’s blueprint for fundamental tax reform requires more careful analysis. The Ryan blueprint combines reduced individual rates with a destination-based cash flow type business tax applicable to all businesses. The destination-based business tax at the center of the blueprint has several major problems: It is incompatible with our WTO obligations, it is incompatible with our tax treaties, and it will not eliminate the problems of income shifting and inversions it is designed to address. In addition, these proposals generate vexing technical problems that are …

The Gordian Knot: How The United States, The European Union, And Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development Took Action Against Corporate Tax Avoidance, Katlyn Twomey

Honors Projects in History and Social Sciences

In 2016, the United States had the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Perhaps, the high tax rate could be why American corporations are holding an estimated $2.5 trillion abroad (Cox 2016). According to a study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. firms pay a measly 3% in tax to foreign governments on those profits, rather than the 35% U.S. corporate tax rate. How are these corporations able to legally avoid paying taxes on a large percentage of their profits? Many use various loopholes in the laws to shift profits into other countries or U.S. states referred to …

Carbon Tax Rising, Shi-Ling Hsu

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

Pre-Enforcement Litigation Needed For Taxing Procedures, Stephanie Mcmahon

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

Courts have opened tax guidance to procedural attack. Consequently, taxpayers who are found to owe tax may challenge the validity of the guidance implementing the tax if the procedure used by the Treasury Department in adopting the guidance failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act, in particular, with notice-and-comment. This increased willingness to consider tax guidance's procedural defects offers little to most taxpayers unless they are also given a better means to raise procedural challenges. Under current law and in most circumstances, generally, taxpayers can bring a challenge only after they have been found to owe taxes in an …

"Gambling, Raffles, Door Prizes, And Competitions" From The Pop Culture Business Handbook For Cons And Festivals, Jon Garon

Faculty Scholarship

This article is part of a series of book excerpts from The Pop Culture Business Handbook for Cons and Festivals, which provides the business, strategy, and legal reference guide for fan conventions, film festivals, musical festivals, and cultural events.Games of chance are highly regulated activities, whereas bona fide competitions are generally left unregulated. Both are big businesses. Competitions, drafts, and other events help support the popularity of trading card games. Many nonprofit organizations take advantage of their charitable status to raise funds through various indirect strategies, including raffles, bingo, games of chance, and competitions. For the games of chance, it …

The Importance Of A Participatory Charitable Giving Incentive, Roger Colinvaux

Scholarly Articles

Leading tax reform proposals contemplate a charitable deduction claimed by just five percent of taxpayers. Such a limited deduction would fatally undermine the foundations of a giving incentive that has fostered an altruistic and pluralistic society through its broad-based participation and would seriously harm the charitable sector. Section 501(c)(3) would recede in importance as setting the standard for a public benefit organization. More gifts would go to private benefit and political organizations. The article argues that a charitable deduction for the few should be rejected. Instead, Congress should consider expanding the charitable giving incentive by extending it to more taxpayers …

A Diachronic Approach To Bob Jones: Religious Tax Exemptions After Obergefell, Samuel D. Brunson, David Herzig

Faculty Publications & Other Works

In Bob Jones University v. United States, the Supreme Court held that an entity may lose its tax exemption if it violates a fundamental public policy, even where religious beliefs demand that violation. In that case, the Court held that racial discrimination violated fundamental public policy. Could the determination to exclude same-sex individuals from marriage or attending a college also be considered a violation of fundamental public policy? There is uncertainty in the answer. In the recent Obergefell v. Hodges case that legalized same-sex marriage, the Court asserted that LGBT individuals are entitled to “equal dignity in the eyes of …

Let Prophets Be (Non) Profits, Samuel D. Brunson, David Herzig

Faculty Publications & Other Works

No abstract provided.

Postpartum Taxation And The Squeezed Out Mom, Shannon Weeks Mccormack

Articles

Faced with too-short (or nonexistent) maternity leaves, inflexible work schedules, and the soaring costs of childcare in the United States, many new mothers temporarily leave the workforce to care for their young children. Although media attention has focused on the “opt-out” mom, many more mothers are squeezed out of the external workplace. But mothers that try to return to work may discover that it is difficult to do so, as employers have been shown to be less likely to hire mothers than others. A mother that does reenter may find that even short periods out of work cost (sometimes far) …

Taxing Social Impact Bonds, Orly Mazur

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

An exciting new way to fund social services has recently emerged. This new financing mechanism, called a social impact bond (SIB), has the potential to help us tackle some of our nation’s most challenging social problems. Broadly speaking, a SIB is a type of “pay for success” contract where private investors provide the upfront capital to finance a social program, but only recoup their investment and realize returns if the program is successful. Like any new financing instrument, SIBs create numerous regulatory challenges that have not yet been addressed. One unresolved issue is the tax implications of a SIB investment. …

The Fallacious Objections To The Tax Treatment Of Carried Interests, Jeffrey H. Kahn, Douglas A. Kahn

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

The Expatriation Tax, Deferrals, Mark To Market, The Macomber Conundrum And Doubtful Constitutionality, Henry M. Ordower

All Faculty Scholarship

Taxpayers shift income offshore with lawful devices like operating through a foreign corporation. Taxpayers have enhanced the amount of that income lodged outside the U.S. with transfer pricing strategies. Andtaxpayers have evaded U.S. taxation of their worldwide income by secreting assets and income in tax haven, bank secrecy jurisdictions. Statutes, regulations and litigation seek to limit use of offshore opportunities toavoid the U.S. income tax. Penalties for taxpayers and their foreign hosts have been enacted to prevent thehiding of assets offshore. This article reviews many of those techniques and statutory or regulatory responses in the context of examining the 2008 …

A Consumer Protection Rationale For Regulation Of Tax Return Preparers, Pippa Browde

Faculty Law Review Articles

Of the 150 million tax returns filed each year, approximately fifty-six percent are prepared with the help ofa paid preparer. Although state-licensed lawyers and certified public accountants may prepare tax returns for clients, the vast majority ofpaid tax return preparers are completely unregulated. For low-income taxpayers who are eligible for refundable tax credits, these unregulated tax return preparers do more than just fill out tax returns. Return preparers who serve low-income taxpayers often also market consumer credit products, such as refund anticipation loans or checks. Government agencies and consumer advocates have documented widespread problems with the tax return preparer industry. …

Reforming The Tax Incentives For Higher Education, Camilla E. Watson

Scholarly Works

Federal spending on higher education has long been controversial, primarily because it has grown exponentially since the 1950s but it has produced a system which many regard as too expensive and grossly inefficient. The soaring costs are placing higher education beyond the reach of many Americans, and of those who enter college, less than half complete their degrees. Particular criticism has been directed toward the education tax incentives, enacted mostly in the late 1990s, which shifted federalfunding for higher education from direct benefits to students in the form of grants, loans and work-study programs to indirect benefits through the tax …

Consumer-Based Use Tax Enforcement And Taxpayer Compliance, David Gamage, Adam Thimmesch, Darien Shanske

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This essay explains how current state government approaches to use-tax enforcement undermine tax morale and taxpayer compliance. This essay further argues that these threats to tax morale and taxpayer compliance will become even more severe as many states are moving toward adopting notice and reporting statutes for their sales and use taxes.