Tax Law Commons^™

Australia – Two Political Narratives And One Charity Regulator Caught In The Middle, Myles Mcgregor-Lowndes

Chicago-Kent Law Review

After two decades of debate about the regulation of the nonprofit sector, Australia established a national charity regulator in December 2012. The creation of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (“ACNC”) had as one of its objectives to reduce red tape, and to increase clarity by enacting a statutory definition of charity. Less than two years later, a new government proposed to abolish the ACNC, also in the name of reducing red tape. There appears to be a paradox—or at least diametrically opposed views about red tape reduction and how it can be achieved. With the government nearly two-thirds through …

The Charity Commission For England And Wales: A Fine Example Or Another Fine Mess?, Debra Morris

Chicago-Kent Law Review

The ability of the Charity Commission for England and Wales to regulate the charitable sector effectively has been repeatedly called into question in recent years. At the same time, public sector funding cuts have led to its budget being almost halved in real terms since 2007/08. Numerous official reviews and inquiries into its effectiveness have highlighted its weaknesses and raised concerns about it failing to take sufficient action to prevent abuses of charitable status. In response to the Commission’s claims that it lacks sufficient legal powers to deal with such abuse, new legislation has been passed which will fill some …

Politics, Disclosure, And State Law Solutions For 501(C)(4) Organizations, Linda Sugin

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC, there has been an explosion in section 501(c)(4) organizations active in politics. Unable to effectively process applications, the IRS mishandled organizations with conservative political ties, producing a scandal from which the agency has yet to recover. It proposed regulations that would have helped it more easily determine eligibility for 501(c)(4) exemption, but after massive public outcry, the regulations were withdrawn. No new regulations will be proposed before the 2016 presidential election.

Given the federal government’s inability to address the problem of dark money politicking by 501(c)(4) organizations through …

Fragmented Oversight Of Nonprofits In The United States: Does It Work? Can It Work?, Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer

Chicago-Kent Law Review

The United States is well known for its distinctive, although not unique, division of political authority between the federal government and the various states. This division is particularly evident when it comes to oversight of nonprofit organizations. The historical focus of federal government oversight has been limited primarily to qualification for tax exemption and other tax benefits, with more plenary power resting with state authorities. Over time, however, the federal government’s role has come to overlap significantly with that of the states, and many nonprofits have become subject to regulation by multiple states as their operations and donor bases expand …

Profiles - Ucan’S New Campus Construction Project, Chicago, Illinois, James Hagy, Sahar Nikanjam

Rooftops Project

Funding and constructing a new $41 million facility may be a once-in-a-generation, if ever, event, for many social service not-for-profits. Choosing a site that invests directly in the neighborhood and the people served can have ripple effects far beyond the central purpose of the delivery of services the buildings are designed to support. The Rooftops Project’s Sahar Nikanjam and Professor James Hagy walked the site of UCAN’s new campus construction under way in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

Se(C)(3): A Catalyst For Social Enterprise Crowdfunding, Dana Brakman Reiser, Steven A. Dean

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Contemporary Tax Journal Volume 5, No. 1 – Spring/Summer 2015

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.

Se(C)(3): A Catalyst For Social Enterprise Crowdfunding, Dana Brakman Reiser, Steven A. Dean

Faculty Scholarship

The emerging consensus among scholars rejects the notion of tax breaks for social enterprises, concluding that such prizes will attract strategic claimants, ultimately doing more harm than good The SE(c)(3) regime proposed by this Article offers entrepreneurs and investors committed to combining financial returns and social good with a means of broadcasting that shared resolve. Combining a measured tax benefit for mission-driven activities with a heightened burden on shareholder financial gains, the revenue-neutral SE(c)(3) regime would provide investors and funding platforms with a low-cost means of screening out "greenwashed" ventures.

Realsim Over Formalism And The Presumption Of Constitutionality: Chief Justice Roberts' Opinion Upholding The Individual Mandate, Wilson Huhn

Akron Law Review

In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, Chief Justice John Roberts cast the deciding vote to uphold the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act. Speaking for the Court in Part IIIC of his opinion, Roberts found that the individual mandate was properly enacted pursuant to the General Welfare Clause. Two aspects of his opinion in particular drove this result. In deciding whether the individual mandate constitutes a “tax” within the meaning of the Constitution, the Chief Justice engaged in realistic analysis rather than legal formalism. In addition, Roberts reasoned that, if fairly possible, the statute had to be …

It’S Not That Difficult: The Shared Economic Growth Solution To Tax Reform, Matthew Lykken

Pace Law Review

In this article, I outline the latest version of the Shared Economic Growth package proposal and explain how it accomplishes all of its goals, with reference to some of the recent scholarly works that support it. I then walk through the derivation of the numbers to show that it really works, based on conservative assumptions and without any reliance on economic growth or voodoo, and that it would provide a substantial addition to revenue in the coming years. These numbers are based on 2010 data, the most recent comprehensive data available, and thus prove that the proposal works in the …

How The Über-Wealthy Benefit From Investing Outside Retirement Plans (And How You Can Too), Sergio Pareja

Catholic University Law Review

Current law incentivizes the use of traditional retirement plans, but those plans may not actually produce the best long-term tax situation for the taxpayer. The stepped-up basis at death does not apply to what is known as “income in respect of a decedent” (IRD). Generally, IRD is income that cannot be assigned from one person to another for income tax purposes. This includes pre-tax income set aside in a traditional employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan, as well as contributions to a deductible individual retirement account (IRA). Thus, stock held within a traditional employer-sponsored retirement plan or a …

Income Tax Treatment Of Same-Sex Couples: Windsor Vs State Marriage Bans, Samantha Schmid

Marquette Law Review

In 1996 the United States Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which codified the federal definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. But in 2013 the United States Supreme Court struck down this definition of marriage and, for the first time, the federal government began recognizing same-sex marriages. However, many states, including Wisconsin, continued to have state bans on same-sex marriage, and many of these bans have recently been challenged in state and federal courts. The effect of this has been a patchwork of laws that provide same-sex couples different rights based upon the state in …

The Development Of Foreign Investment Law In Egypt And Its Effect On Private Foreign Investment, George E. Bushnell Iii

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Foreign Investment In The People's Republic Of China: Compensation Trade, Joint Ventures, Industrial Property Protection And Dispute Settlement, Kevin K. Maher

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

In Pursuit Of Bigfoot: Confronting Oil And Gas Mythology In Louisiana, J. Michael Veron

Louisiana Law Review

The article offers information related to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 142 on Oil and Gas in Louisiana. It informs Louisiana Democratic Senator Richard Gallot Junior has introduced Resolution No. 142, with aim to request the Department of Revenue and the Department of Natural Resources to work collaboratively with the Office of the Legislative Auditor for verifying accuracy of payments received by the state for oil and gas severance taxes and mineral royalties.

Should Divorce Be More Taxing?: Structuring Tax Reduction To Reduce Inequality, Stephanie H. Mcmahon

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

Current law makes divorce a time for minimizing some couples’ taxes. The group who benefit from the reduction are unlikely to be those in greatest financial need following divorce. Existing divorce-related taxation focuses on shifting the tax burden between spouses, the implicit and explicit elections that enable this shifting, and the classification of who should be entitled to this tax reduction. This article argues that Congress should focus tax reduction on those with minimal resources following divorce to ensure an equitable distribution of the nation’s tax burden. This article proposes an alternative tax regime more consistent with mitigating inequality. Instead …

United States V. Woods And The Future Of The Tax Blue Book As A Means Of Penalty Avoidance And Statutory Interpretation, Cole Barnett

Florida Law Review

The Blue Book is a “General Explanation” of tax law prepared by the Joint Committee on Taxation, and is commonly relied upon by both taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In United States v. Woods, the U.S. Supreme Court broadly disapproved of judicial deference to the Blue Book when courts are faced with such reliance. Yet, the Court left no guidance on when the Blue Book should or should not prove persuasive. The Court’s decision to summarily undermine Blue Book deference—without further elaboration, sophistication, or nuance—will give taxpayers pause when considering whether to rely on the Blue Book. …

The Agency Exception To The Anticipatory Assignment Doctrine, Jeffrey H. Kahn, Douglas A. Kahn

Scholarly Publications

In this article, the authors discuss the agency exception to the anticipatory assignment of income doctrine and explain the policy justification for the exception.

How Would The Supreme Court Rule On Loving And Ridgely?, Steve R. Johnson

Scholarly Publications

On March 3 the Supreme Court unanimously decided Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl, a case arising under the Tax Injunction Act {TIA). The focus of this article is not on Brohl on its own terms but on the implications of Brohl· for the Loving line of cases and for future cases that may arise out of Loving. I believe Brohl reveals that the Supreme Court would likely uphold the approach taken in Loving were a case of this kind to reach the Court. For that reason, the government was wise not to seek Supreme Court review of Loving. Unless it …

An Introduction To Conservation Easements In The United States: A Simple Concept And A Complicated Mosaic Of Law, Nancy Mclaughlin, Federico Cheever

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

The idea of a conservation easement – restrictions on the development and use of land designed to protect the land’s conservation or historic values – can be relatively easily understood. More significant and more challenging is the complex body of state and federal laws that shapes the creation, funding, tax treatment, enforcement, modification, and termination of conservation easements.

The explosion in the number of conservation easements over the past four decades has made them one of the most popular land protection mechanisms in the United States. The National Conservation Easement Database estimates that the total number of acres encumbered by …