Tax Law Commons^™

Topping V. Commissioner: An Example Of How An Equestrian Taxpayer Can Utilize "Single Activity" To Preclude The Irs "Hobby Loss" Challenge, Anna I. Garcia

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

The Tax Treatment Of Cancelled Interest And Penalties On Consumer Debt, Richard C.E. Beck

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Solving The Problem Of Tax-Treaty Shopping Through The Use Of Limitation On Benefits Provisions, Anna A. Kornikova

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Only A Name? Trademark Royalties, Nexus, And Taxing That Which Enriches, Sheldon H. Laskin

Akron Tax Journal

This Article asserts that the correct constitutional nexus standard for state taxation of royalty income derived from the use of trademarks and tradenames is the well-established business situs rule for taxing intangibles. Pursuant to the business situs rule, a state may, consistent with federal constitutional requirements, levy an appropriately apportioned tax on the trademark royalty income of a business that has purposefully availed itself of the benefits and opportunities of doing business in that state. That is, intellectual property is presumed to have a taxing situs at any location where it is used to realize income. A state may therefore …

Repairing Facade Easements: Is This The Gift That Launched A Thousand Deductions?, Martha Jordan

Akron Tax Journal

This article explores the impact of such a covenant on the characterization for tax purposes of expenditures to maintain the façade. In particular this article explores the following question: Given that the charitable easement holder owns a nonpossessory interest in the façade, which imposes on the charity an obligation to repair and maintain the façade and entitles it to benefit from increases in the value of the façade, is a donor's assumption of the charity's obligation to repair the façade an additional charitable contribution to the charity? If a donor gratuitously makes improvements to property owned outright by a charity, …

Treble Damages In National Health Service Corps Contracts, Public Policy, And Hawronsky V. Commissioner, Richard C.E. Beck

Akron Tax Journal

The main thesis of this article is that Hawronsky v. Commissioner is erroneous and the deduction should be allowed because I.R.C. § 162(f) does not apply. The taxpayer did pay a "fine or similar penalty to the government," but he did not pay it "for the violation of any law," which is a necessary element of I.R.C. § 162(f). The taxpayer merely breached his NHSC contract. This crucial issue went completely unnoticed by the court and the parties. Because I.R.C. § 162(f) does not apply, the treble damages are (except for the original tax-free scholarship itself) a deductible business expense …

Rethinking The Role Of The Judicial Step Transaction Principle And A Proposal For Codification, Yoram Keinana

Akron Tax Journal

Thus, as this article will conclude, the role of the step transaction doctrine has been diminishing over the years from a primary weapon against tax shelters into an alternative test. In order to revive its role, the step transaction principle could be codified. As opposed to the controversial proposed codification of the economic substance doctrine, in my view, the codification of the step transaction principle will be more acceptable. The last part of this article sets forth a basic proposal for such codification.

This article will continue as follows. The first part discusses the fundamentals of the general principle of …

Grasping Smoke: Enforcing The Ban On Political Activity By Charities, Lloyd Histoshi Mayer

Journal Articles

The rule that charities are not allowed to intervene in political campaigns has now been in place for over fifty years. Despite uncertainty about the exact reasons for Congress' enactment of it, skepticism by some about its validity for both constitutional and public policy reasons, and continued confusion about its exact parameters, this rule has survived virtually unchanged for all of those years. Yet while overall noncompliance with the income tax laws has drawn significant scholarly attention, few scholars have focused on violations of this prohibition and the IRS' attempts to enforce it.
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Substance Over Form? Phantom Regulations And The Internal Revenue Code, Amandeep S. Grewal

ExpressO

This paper addresses the appropriate response to tax statutes that call for the issuance of regulations, but that have been ignored by the Secretary. The courts and the IRS have taken the unusual step of treating these statutes as self-executing, notwithstanding the absence of regulations, and have invoked phantom regulations to enforce the statutes. Several commentators have analyzed the Tax Court's and the IRS's approaches, but have focused mostly on cases interpreting delegations found in the Internal Revenue Code. Because those cases themselves are inconsistent, it is not possible to extract a clear rule from analysis of those cases alone. …

Personal And Political Bias In The Debate Over Federal Income Taxation Rates And Progressivity, Richard J. Kovach

Akron Tax Journal

Unlike the commentaries of flat tax proponents, this article will not attempt to dispel the notion of progressive taxation. Rather, this article will first question whether professors who write about tax policy can as a group reach unbiased conclusions about progressivity policy. Next, this article will address a few progressivity concepts that fuel taxation debates. Finally, this commentary will outline some ideas for structuring the federal income taxation system in ways that reduce political rancor and potentially create reasonable acceptance by tax producers, tax beneficiaries, and their respective advocates.

Taxation Of Below-Market Loans Under 7872: This Could Be A Lot Simpler!, John A. Lynch Jr.

Akron Tax Journal

This article will explore § 7872: what it is, why it was enacted, how it has developed judicially and administratively since its enactment, and how it might be improved - mostly by reducing its complexity. It shall be contended generally that the "reform" intended with respect to § 7872 in several instances overshot the mark and serves no useful purpose.

Bright Line, Dim Prospects: Grupo Dataflux V. Atlas Global Group, L.P. Reaffirms A Bright Line Barrier To Diversity Jurisdiction For Limited Partnerships And Other Unincorporated Entities, Amy Friedmann

Akron Tax Journal

This Note examines how these two policy decisions changed the landscape of diversity jurisdiction for limited partnerships and other unincorporated entities. It argues that, despite the Grupo majority's expressed rationale of adhering to time of filing precedent, a rule that requires complete diversity between parties to exist at the time of filing, the majority actually reaffirmed and clarified the scope of the Caterpillar exception to the time of filing rule. This Note further argues that the real impetus for the majority's decision was the fear that any tinkering with the bright-line rule of Carden, which requires courts to count the …

Attaining U.S. Effectively Connected Income In The Aftermath Of The American Jobs Creation Act Of 2004 And Its Aim To Repeal Extraterritorial Income Exclusion, David Lebron

Akron Tax Journal

This paper seeks to propose the construction of ways to facilitate investment in the United States, a suggested mapping, if you will. To that point where U.S. source income is created, it becomes imperative to effect some balance and accomplish an offset regarding the projected decrease in federal revenues resulting from the provisions within the Act, estimated at net $14.5 billion through year 2009, $5.7 billion accounted for in 2005 alone.

Relinquish Control! Why The Irs Should Change Its Stance On Exempt Organizations In Ancillary Joint Ventures, Nicholas A. Mirkay

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Computing Interest On Overpayments And Underpayments: How Difficult Can It Be? Very!, Mary A. Mcnulty, David H. Boucher, Joseph M. Incorvaia, Robert D. Probasco

Faculty Scholarship

Taxpayers often assume that the difficult part of a tax dispute is resolving the tax liability and penalties, while interest computation is fairly straightforward. In the authors' experience, however, interest determinations are as subject to controversy and prone to error as tax liability determinations. The Article explores some of the areas that taxpayers should review carefully in the process of finalizing interest computations.

- Frequent Errors. The Article reviews twelve areas in which, even though the law is settled and the facts are usually clear, the Service's interest computations frequently include mistakes. Taxpayers need to be aware of these provisions, …

Pierce The Privilege Or Give 'Em Shelter? The Applicability Of Privilege In Tax Shelter Cases, Shane Jasmine Young

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Anaylyzing Subpart F In Light Of Check-The-Box, Cynthia Ram Sweitzer

Akron Tax Journal

This article explains the history of the Subpart F compromise and of the CTB regime that beleaguers its application. The paper then evaluates whether Subpart F as an independent system is capable of affecting the policy goals behind its creation. Subsequently, this paper analyzes what is the most prudent and economically sound course of action for healing the U.S. international taxation system. Namely, at issue is whether additional regulation, in the form of a re-vamped Subpart F or a scaled-down CTB, would solve the ailments, or whether the complete revocation of existing policies, such as the U.S. semi-worldwide taxation system …

Congress Giveth And Congress Taketh Away: The Slow Death Of The Sesop, Beckett G. Cantley

Akron Tax Journal

This article discusses in detail each of the S Corp. Employee Stock Ownership Plan (SESOP) skirmishes mentioned above and outlines the practical effect of the outcome of each of them.

Challenging The Finality Of Tax Court Judgments: When Is Final Not Really Final?, Stephen C. Gara

Akron Tax Journal

The present article reviews this statutory finality rule and the development of equitable exceptions to it, particularly the application of the fraud upon the court doctrine. The next section provides an overview of the Tax Court, followed by a discussion of judgment finality and section 7481. Part four discusses the fraud upon the court doctrine and its applicability in reviewing final judgments. The development of other exceptions to section 7481 is analyzed next. The article concludes with an assessment of the current state of the Tax Court's authority to make exceptions to section 7481.

Addressing Imperfections In The Tax System: Procedural Or Substantive Reform?, Leandra Lederman, Stephen W. Mazza

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In his book "Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich - and Cheat Everybody Else", David Cay Johnston, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, covers a wide array of topics, including some that are quite complex, in a very readable way. The federal income tax system generally and tax compliance in particular are important focuses of the book, but the theme that implicitly connects chapters that otherwise appear unrelated is a variety of aspects of income inequality.

Although "Perfectly Legal" does not make a clear case that politicians and …

Tax Simplification: So Necessary And So Elusive, Kenneth H. Ryesky

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] "Cries for tax simplification have long been heard from presidents, legislators, current and former government officials and the public. The judiciary has often expressed its frustrations in comprehending the tax statutes. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) itself has had occasion to hesitate and waver in its interpretation and application of the tax statutes, and indeed, several IRS officials have admitted to retaining professional assistance to prepare their personal income tax returns.

Though nearly everyone seems to advocate tax simplification, the goal remains elusive. Tax litigation continues to abound, and sometimes, where words alone do not suffice, judges augment textual …

The E.L. Wiegand Lecture: Administrability-Based Tax Simplification, Steve R. Johnson

Nevada Law Journal

The Boyd School of Law is a vibrant place, and our trajectory continues to move strongly in the right direction. One of the things that has been so important to us is the excellent support we have received from so many in and around Nevada. An example of that support brings us together tonight. The Wiegand Foundation has endowed a professorship at the Law School to support the study of tax law. I am fortunate to be the current holder of that professorship. This address is the first formal event memorializing the Wiegand Foundation's support for scholarship and for Law …

The Tax Treatment Of International Philanthropy And Public Policy, Robert Paine

Akron Tax Journal

This paper concerns the tax treatment of charitable contributions made to foreign organizations. Specifically, it discusses the current tax structure that governs contributions made by United States taxpayers to charitable organizations located outside the U.S. and its possessions.

Rethinking The Jurisdiction Of Bankruptcy Courts Over Post-Confirmation Federal Tax Liabilities: Towards A New Jurisprudence Of 11 U.S.C. 505, Shu-Yi Oei

Akron Tax Journal

This paper argues that the current approach that bankruptcy courts have taken in circumscribing the reach of § 505 over liabilities that may arise after the plan has been confirmed and discharged is unsatisfactory. Instead of turning to jurisdictional and constitutional sources external to § 505, the reach of § 505(a) should be determined through imposing a bright line limitation internal to § 505 itself. It is the contention of this paper that based on the location of § 505 in the Bankruptcy Code, the overall structure of the Code, and the legislative history of the provision, the authority contained …

Rush Prudential Hmo, Inc. V. Moran: 21 Or Bust! Does Erisa Preemption Give Hmos The Power To Gamble With Our Health?, Stephanie Reinhart

Akron Tax Journal

Section II, Part A of this Note will discuss the history of ERISA law, including a look at what Congress intended to achieve in enacting such a broadly preemptive doctrine. Parts B and C will explain the complicated and highly technical provisions that make up ERISA as it pertains to health care benefits law. Finally, Part D will navigate several key cases leading up to the Rush decision and explain how each case contributed to the Court's decision. Following the background of ERISA law, Section III will discuss the facts of the Rush case, charting the journey that brought this …

The New Dividend Tax Cut; Bush's Prescription For Rescuing The Economy, Beckett G. Cantley

Akron Tax Journal

The purpose of this paper is to cover the Act as passed by Congress and signed by President Bush, discussing each of the major provisions contained within the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act and examining the differing views as to whether it will succeed.

Legislating Morality: The Duty To The Tax System Reconsidered, Watson

Scholarly Works

Four years ago, I presented a paper at a symposium on professionalism jointly sponsored by the University of Kansas Law School and the Kansas Bar Association. That paper espoused the view (contrary to what appears to be the popular view among tax scholars) that tax lawyers owe no special duty to the "tax system" other than to abide by the law and the applicable standards of professional conduct. During the four-year interim since my last visit to Kansas, however, we have witnessed the deleterious effect of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (RRA '98) on IRS enforcement and …

The Canon That Tax Penalties Should Be Strictly Construed, Steve R. Johnson

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Educational Opportunities For Taxpayers, George Salimbas

Akron Tax Journal

Part II is a definitional section for the phrases and terms that are repeatedly used throughout this article. Unless otherwise stated, each phrase and term is defined as listed in this part.

Part III contains a detailed examination of the law for each opportunity. Examples are employed to determine the tax utility of each opportunity, and also provide suggestions for improvement. These results are listed in Appendices One through Five and Ten.

Part IV first determines which taxpayers qualify for the various opportunities by looking solely to the income limitations set forth in each opportunity. Next, it employs a control …

The Internal Revenue Service Collects From An Innocent Spouse In United States V. Craft: Could Business Associates Be Next?, Wade M. Fisher

Akron Tax Journal

Part II of this Note discusses tenancy by the entirety, the history of the federal tax lien statute, and how federal courts have interpreted the federal tax lien statute. Part III discusses the events leading up to the Craft lawsuit, considers the Craft lawsuit itself, and examines the subsequent court decisions. Finally, Part IV analyzes whether entrepreneurs carrying on as unincorporated businesses and closely held corporations have sufficiently similar rights to tenants by the entirety to allow the Craft holding to be applied in the business setting.