Tax Law Commons^™

Back To The Future: A Time For Rethinking The Test For Resident Alien Status Under The Income Tax Laws, David Williams, Ii

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

If the sole object of our tax law is certainty, then the quest for a bright-line, mechanical test would appear to be justified. Fairness, however, is an equally important objective. If fairness is sacrificed in our rush to formulate a bright-line test, then the law is not fully successful. The trade-off between certainty and fairness attains particular significance for non-United States citizens earning income in this country. Under United States tax laws, these individuals may be taxed as either resident aliens or nonresident aliens. This classification can be crucial because the resident alien is taxed on his worldwide income; the …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

GOOD FAITH EXCEPTION TO THE EXCLUSIONARY RULE EXTENDS TO FOREIGN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS WHERE UNITED STATES NARCOTICS AUTHORITIES REASONABLY RELIED ON FOREIGN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS' REPRESENTATIONS THAT SEARCH COMPLIED WITH THE FOREIGN COUNTRY'S LAW--United States v. Peter-son, 812 F.2d 486 (9th Cir. 1987).

ASSETS OF A WHOLLY-OWNED FOREIGN INSTRUMENTALITY ARE NOT SUBJECT TO ATTACHMENT TO SATISFY JUDGMENT AGAINST A FOREIGN STATE UNLESS PLAINTIFF OVERCOMES PRESUMPTION OF INDEPENDENT STATUS--Hercaire Int'l, Inc. v. Argentina, 821 F.2d 559(11th Cir. 1987).

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT HAS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OVER MEXICAN CONSULAR OFFICIALS FOR THEIR ALLEGED ATTEMPTS TO SUPPRESS CRITICAL DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE MEXICAN CONSULATE IN …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Neither Private Refugee Assistance Agency Nor its Members have Standing to Contest U.S. Interdiction of Foreign Vessels on High Seas Carrying Undocumented Aliens Haitian Refugee Center v. Gracey, No. 85-5258, slip op. (D.C. Cir. Jan. 9, 1987).

Separation of Citizen Children from Illegal Alien Parents Should be Considered when Determining Extreme Hardship Deportation Proceedings -Cerillo-Perez v. INS, 55 U.S.L.W.2457 (9th Cir. 1987).

California State Court's Exercise of Personal Jurisdiction over Japanese Manufacturer to Indemnify Taiwanese Company is Unreasonable and Unfair in Violation of Due Process. Asahi Metal Industry Co. v. Superior Court of California, 107 S. Ct.1026 (1987).

Nondiscriminatory Ad …

The Personal Income Tax As A Component Of State Tax Structure, William F. Fox

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Article evaluates the pros and cons of a state individual income tax from the perspective of an economist. The Article examines the income tax as one component of a tax structure that is best suited for raising a given level of revenues. The important assumption in the analysis is that the level of state public expenditures is determined by residents' demand for public services. This assumption does not preclude the tax structure from allowing greater or lesser expenditures than are demanded during any single year; rather, the assumption is that over time tax levels provide revenues that are in …

Collection Of The Use Tax On Out-Of-State Mail-Order Sales, Paul J. Hartman

Vanderbilt Law Review

The states' inability to collect taxes on out-of-state mail-order sales constitutes a major fiscal problem. The federal government's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations estimates that states are losing as much as 1.5 billion dollars each year in unpaid out-of-state mail-order purchase taxes.'

In addition to raising revenue, the compensating use tax serves two purposes: (1) The use tax helps local sellers to compete with retail dealers in other states who are subject to a lesser tax burden;and (2) the use tax avoids the likelihood of draining the taxing state's revenue by removing buyers' incentive or temptation to go bargain hunting …

Significant Sales And Use Tax Developments During The Past Half Century, Jerome R. Hellerstein

Vanderbilt Law Review

Sales and use taxes have been the great growth taxes of state and local governments during the past half century. The general sales tax, along with selected levies on gasoline, tobacco, and liquor, has had phenomenal growth during the past fifty years. In 1932 only Mississippi imposed a general sales tax. It produced seven million dollars, less than one percent of Mississippi's total tax revenues. Taxes once introduced, however, tend to grow at least until widespread dissatisfaction leads to a taxpayers' revolt,such as California's Proposition 13' or the election of President Ronald Reagan and the ascendancy of political conservatism and …

State And Local Taxation Of Financial Institutions:An Opportunity For Reform, C. James Judson, Susan G. Duffy

Vanderbilt Law Review

Forces at work in both public and private sectors may soon change the way state and local political subdivisions tax financial institutions. The market for financial services is changing dramatically. Governments have expanded substantially the scope of activities in which financial depositories may engage. The competitive environment for financial activities also is changing as general business corporations enter the financial services field, an area previously considered the exclusive domain of financial institutions. Financial institutions have increasing opportunities for interstate activity, which offers both risks and challenges. These changes have occurred during a period in which the extensive framework of state …

The Computer's Role In Simplifying Compliance With State And Local Taxation, Ray Westphal

Vanderbilt Law Review

I recently polled several tax managers of large corporations that engage in a multi-state business and asked them whether their companies could stay in reasonable compliance with state and local tax law without using the computer. All said that it would be impossible to meet the compliance requirements of the states and localities without heavy dependence on computers. This reliance on the computer is not surprising given the amount of data that firms must reference to keep up with the thousands of taxing jurisdictions throughout the United States. The many different types of taxes that governmental bodies impose further complicate …

Discriminatory Demands And Divided Decisions: State And Local Taxation Of Rail, Motor,And Air Carrier Property, Scott M. Schoenwald

Vanderbilt Law Review

To prevent the unreasonable burdening of interstate commerce that results from discriminatory state and local taxation of rail, motor, and air carrier property, Congress enacted section 306 of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (4R Act), 1 section 31 of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, and section 532(b) of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982.' These statutes represent the result of two decades of congressional deliberation over property tax discrimination against interstate carriers. Because Congress enacted the 4R Act first and because tax discrimination against rail carriers has been the most egregious,the overwhelming majority …

Book Review, Allaire U. Karzon

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This slim volume' is for the international tax connoisseur. The author, an English barrister and member of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn, has designed his book for tax professionals already expert in their own jurisdictions who seek information on the tax systems of other countries so that they can take advantage of multijurisdictional planning. Because he assumes his readers know the rudiments of international tax principles, the author explores more innovative advanced techniques. With his British perspective and evident familiarity with the United Kingdom and continental tax systems, he suggests many approaches that United States authors frequently omit because …

The Perils Of Panama--Are United States Employees Of The Panama Canal Commission Exempt From United States Income Taxation?, Pamela P. Bond

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Since the enactment of the Panama Canal Treaty (the Treaty) on October 1, 1979, United States citizens employed by the Panama Canal Commission have come to the United States federal courts seeking exemption from income taxation. The Commission employees have based their claims on an executive agreement which accompanied the Treaty. Specifically, they have relied on the language found in article XV of the Agreement in Implementation of Article III of the Panama Canal Treaty (the Implementation Agreement).

Tax Expenditures And Tax Reform, Allaire U. Karzon

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Review will focus primarily on the conceptual issues affecting the composition of the tax expenditure list and their relevance to current proposals for new tax legislation. In this context,the tax expenditure theory has been preeminently successful in shaping tax reform. The Review will not delve into the other aspect of Surrey's thesis, which calls for executive and congressional action to alter the budget procedure by integrating direct spending programs with the indirect tax expenditure programs and by adopting one amalgamated budget for the purpose of controlling overall federal spending. This facet of the Surrey thesis has not yet gained …

United States Taxation Of Its Citizens Abroad: Incentive Or Equity, Renee J. Sobel

Vanderbilt Law Review

The United States, unlike many sovereignties, has exercised worldwide income tax jurisdiction over its individual citizens since the inception of the income tax. Since 1926, however, United States citizens working abroad have received special treatment in the taxation of their foreign earned income. By the use of a tax credit, direct double taxation has been avoided. In addition, various exclusions and deductions have been permitted. Such tax preferences have been justified on the grounds that they promote tax equity and that they serve as incentives to encourage Americans to work overseas.

This Article considers whether the special treatment of United …

Books Received, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Books Received

The Human Rights of Aliens in Contemporary International Law By Richard B. Lillich Dover, New Hampshire: Manchester University Press, 1985. Pp. xii, 126. $38.00

Banking on the Act of State By Carsten Thomas Ebenroth Universitdtsverlag Konstanz Gmbh: 1985. Pp. 101.DM66,80.

The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, 1981-1983 Edited by Richard B. Lillich Charlottesville, Virginia: The University Press of Virginia, 1985. Pp. viii, 156. $25.00

Emerging Standards of International Trade and Investment Edited by Seymour J. Rubin and Gary Clyde Hufbauer Totowa, New Jersey: Rowman & Allanheld, 1984. Pp. ix,196

The World of International Tax Planning By Milton Grundy New …

Attribution Of A Multinational Corporation's Net Income: The Position Of Unitary States Regarding Combined Reporting, William D. Dexter

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

A complex and controversial aspect of state taxation of business income involves the attribution of a multinational corporation's (MNC's) net income. This Article examines the nature and scope of the controversy that stems from the conflicting views of states that promote a unitary taxation system, and MNCs as well as the Department of Treasury (Treasury) that oppose this position. Section IV illustrates why the unitary business principle is currently the only viable, fair, and feasible method available to the states for the geographical assignment of an MNC's net income. Section V analyzes the MNCs' arguments both against worldwide combined reporting …

The Tax Benefit Rule -- A Judicially Broadened Tool For Transactional Tax Equity, Jerry N. Smith

Vanderbilt Law Review

In light of the recent Supreme Court holding in United States v. Bliss Dairy, Inc.10 that the tax benefit rule requires income recognition by a corporation when it distributes previously expensed assets in complete liquidation, this Note assesses the dubious continued vitality of the tax benefit rule's single taxpayer construct-that is, the requirement that the same individual or entity serve as both the deducting and the recovering taxpayer. As the following analysis indicates, expansion of the tax benefit rule into a multiple taxpayer construct potentially requires some form of "recapture" in numerous factual settings previously considered non-taxable under existing nonrecognition …

The Taxation Of Defamation Recoveries: Toward Establishing Its Reputation, David D. Willoughby

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Recent Development advocates that courts adopt the Ninth Circuit's Roemer approach to determine the nature of dam-ages for injury to reputation by focusing on the attack rather than the effects of the injury, but suggests that courts replace the Ninth Circuit's reliance on state law with a uniform standard. Part II of this Recent Development traces the evolution of the personal in-jury exemption and the confusing judicial treatment that courts have accorded economic damages which result from personal injuries. Part III of this Recent Development discusses the most recent treatment of economic damages by examining the Tax Court's decisions …

Irish Tax Law And The Foreign Investor, Conor Crowley, Paul Mcgowan

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

For over twenty-five years, successive Irish Governments have actively sought and encouraged foreign investment in Ireland. With the exception of the insurance industry, Irish statutes grant foreigners the same rights as citizens of Ireland to establish whatever type of business they desire. A minimum native Irish interest in any business is required only for the issue or transfer of shares to, or the establishment of, a business branch operation by nonresidents. Although these transactions require Exchange Control approval, that approval is usually a formality for investments expected to bring an economic benefit to Ireland.

United States Investment In Ireland, Eugene P. Fanning

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article will examine in general the structure of the Irish Government relating to foreign investment, and describe the role of the government agencies that provide incentives for foreign direct investments. The Article will focus on the negotiation process between those government agencies and foreign investors, and examine the typical investment contract entered into by United States investors. The Article will also describe some important aspects of the typical forms of direct investment in Ireland: manufacturing, service industry, and joint venture investments. This Article will examine the concept of tax-advantaged lending in Ireland, Ireland's foreign exchange control regulations, and its …

State Taxation Of Foreign Source Income Through Worldwide Combined Reporting, Thomas C. Pearson

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The primary alternative to worldwide combined reporting is the method used by the United States Government--the arm's length method of taxing foreign source income. Following the explanation of the arm's length method, this Note will outline briefly the due process and commerce clause limitations on a state's jurisdiction to tax and will describe the methods states have chosen to apportion the business income of a unitary business in order to comply with the commerce clause. The impact of worldwide combined reporting depends upon the apportionment formula adopted by the state and the state's definition of the terms "unitary business" and …

A Tax Policy Analysis Of Bob Jones University V. United States, Charles O. Galvin, Neal Devins

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Article questions the tax policy model that the Court articulated in Bob Jones University. The authors believe that the Court's recognition of the primacy of IRS rule making is undesirable because the IRS, as an executive agency, is susceptible to the influence of the incumbent administration's policy objectives. Further, even though the life-tenured status of judges insulates the courts from external political pressures, significant problems a real so present in a model in which the courts occupy a primary role in formulating tax policy. In sum, Congress is better suited than either the courts or the IRS to determine …

The Deductibility Of Daily Transportation Expenses To And From Distant Temporary Work Sites, Michael D. Rose

Vanderbilt Law Review

In the Article Professor Rose addresses the uncertainty that has characterized judicial application of Internal Revenue Code provisions to daily transportation expenses to and from distant temporary work sites. Although the Internal Revenue Code disallows deductions for commuting expenses to and from work, transportation expenses between work sites are deductible. The courts have had some difficulty applying these principles to distant temporary work sites. Professor Rose argues that the United States Tax Court in Turner v. Commissioner has fomented much of this confusion. Although the court reached the correct determination on the facts, its rationale is flawed. According to Professor …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

EMPLOYEE WHO SPENDS "SOME PORTION OF WORK TIME IN MARITIME ACTIVITIES" IS AN "EMPLOYEE" COVERED BY THE LONGSHOREMEN'S AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT-Schwabenland v.Sanger Boats, 683 F.2d 309 (9th Cir. 1982)

UNITED STATES CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA ACT EXEMPTS DEFENDANT FROM LIABILITY FOR SHIP DAMAGE INCURRED WHILE DISCHARGING CARGO--Seven Seas Transportation Ltd. v. Pacifico Union Marina Corp. [1982] 2 Lloyd's L.R. 465

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE DISTRICT DIRECTOR IS ENTITLED TO BROAD DISCRETION IN WEIGHING CRITERIA FOR PAROLE DETERMINATION OF UNADMITTED ALIENS--Bertrand v. Sava,684 F.2d 204 (2d Cir. 1982)

THE RACKETEER INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS ACT DOES NOT APPLY TO …

Legal Issues Relating To The Canadian National Energy Program, Jean-Paul Lacasse

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Since its unveiling on October 28, 1980, Canada's National Energy Program has been commented upon abundantly in government circles, newspaper articles, trade magazines, and financial industry seminars, drawing both oil industry and foreign reactions. It has received less notice in scholarly publications, however, perhaps because it is a complex and continuously changing program that did not become effective until legislation was enacted. The purpose of this Article is to sketch a broad picture of the National Energy Program (NEP) while focusing on its Canadianization aspects, the new oil and gas taxation situation, and the Program's various transnational law implications. As …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

APPLICATION OF UNITED STATES LAW TO A FOREIGN SEAMAN'S SUIT DEPENDS UPON THE SUBSTANTIALITY OF THE FOREIGN DEFENDANT'S CONTACTS WITH THE UNITED STATES--Szumlicz v. Norwegian America Line, Inc., 698 F.2d 1192 (11th Cir. 1983).

RECOVERY PURSUANT TO THE FISHERMEN'S PROTECTIVE ACT FOR LOSSES RESULTING FROM SEIZURE OF VESSLS FISHING IN DISPUTED WATERS Is NOT LIMITED TO CITIZENS AND RESIDENT ALIENS OF THE UNITED STATES-CrUZ V. Zapata Ocean Resources, Inc., 695 F.2d 428 (9th Cir. 1982).

UNITED STATES SUPPORT OF CANADIAN SEARCH OF UNITED STATES VESSEL ON THE HIGH SEAS DID NOT VIOLATE DEFENDANT'S FOURTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS--United States v. Hensel, 699 …

Books Received, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Casebook on Carriage by Sea.

By E.R. Hardy Ivamy

London: Lloyd's of London Press, 1982. Pp. xxxix, 203. £11.50.

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Casebook on Shipping Law

By E.R. Hardy Ivamy

London: Lloyd's of London Press, 1982. Pp. xxx, 205. £11.50.

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Regional Development Agencies in Europe

Edited by Douglas Yuill

Hampshire, England: Gower, 1982. Pp. vii, 449.$44.50.

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United States Trade Policy Legislation: A Canadian View

By Rodney de C. Grey

Montreal: The Institute for Research on Public Policy, 1982. Pp. xvii, 130. $7.95.

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Transfer of Technology: U.S. Multinationals and Eastern Europe

By Marilyn L. Liebrenz

New York: Praeger Publishers, 1982. …

International Tax Evasion: Spawned In The United States And Nurtured By Secrecy Havens, Allaire U. Karzon

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The United States system of income taxation is predicated upon the voluntary self-assessment and payment of tax. Voluntary compliance, in turn, depends upon the confidence of United States citizens that the taxation system is basically fair, that the tax burden essential to maintain the government is shared by all in proportion to their net income, and that those who cheat are discovered and prosecuted. Circumstances that allow certain taxpayers to escape their proper tax liability successfully tempt others to seek tax evasion devices for themselves, and, more importantly, demoralize the conscientious majority who pay their just share of taxes but …

United States Employment Taxation Of German Nationals Working In The United States, John L. Gornall, Jr., Kevin Conboy

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article begins with a discussion of the general application of FICA, SECA, and FUTA to nonresident aliens. Knowledge of the ordinary United States employment taxation scheme is necessary for an understanding of how the totalization agreement works.

The second part of this Article explains how totalization agreements between the United States and certain foreign countries--including the Federal Republic of Germany--have altered the United States employment taxation of nonresident aliens. These agreements generally provide the following: (1) the foreign worker and employer may pay taxes and receive benefits from either the home country or the temporary host country, but in …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

FORCED ENTRY OF THE SINGLE CABIN OF A 27-FOOT SAILING SLOOP TO CONDUCT A DOCUMENT AND SAFETY INSPECTION Is NOT AN UNREASONABLE SEARCH--United States v. Thompson, 710 F.2d 1500(11th Cir. 1983).

EXCLUDABLE ALIENS HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A HEARING AFTER THE INITIAL PERIOD OF DETENTION--Fernandez-Roque v. Smith, 567 F. Supp. 1115 (N.D. Ga. 1983).

EXCLUSIONARY RULE BARs USE IN DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS OF EVIDENCE OBTAINED BY INS OFFICERS IN VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT--Lopez-Mendoza v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 705 F.2d 1059 (9th Cir. 1983) (en banc).

LABOR UNION HAS STANDING TO MAINTAIN ACTION FOR VIOLATION OF DUE PROCESS RIGHTS …

Federal Limitations On State And Local Taxation, William R. Anderson

Vanderbilt Law Review

Federal Limitations on State and Local Taxation presents a central question about how usefully and how legitimately courts have dealt with the issues of state taxing powers. The United States Supreme Court has assumed a role as the principal architect of this component of federalism. State legislatures and tax officials have, of course, played roles, but they have always operated under the shadow of judicial doctrine. While Congress has not been wholly inactive, its role has been derivative, interstitial, and hesitant. Perhaps Congress' fact-finding role has been larger than its legislative role.'