Like other fields of human activity, tax law has its own specialized vocabulary. Sometimes the words used have very particularized meanings that require some explanation to make sense. Consider the term “border adjustments.” The term is in play because the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a plan that would, […]
Category: Tax Controversy
When active duty and reserve personnel are added together, Texas has more than 173,000 military personnel. This is the second most of any state, behind only California. There are of course also many veterans in Texas. If you are a service member or former service member, or are from a […]
In recent years, it’s almost become an annual ritual, waiting to find out at the end of the year whether Congress will continue various temporary tax breaks known as “tax extenders.” It happened last year and the year before that. This year, however, things are a bit different. Congress adjourned […]
Sometimes tax litigation can’t be avoided. When the IRS is being unreasonable, you need to protect your interests. In other situations, however, it may make sense for both sides to come to an agreement. The IRS seems to realize this too and recently made changes to its mediation procedures. More […]
A multinational World Trade Organization panel recently found that Washington State offered aviation company Boeing nearly $9 billion in “prohibited” tax breaks, benefits and subsidies to keep production of the massive 777x aircraft within its borders. The WTO panel investigated the arrangement as part of an ongoing business dispute between […]
Many changes await Americans next month when a new presidential administration and a new Congress take office. It’s no secret that those changes are likely to include a tax cut. But it’s also important to be aware that an overhaul of how deductions are handled is also under serious discussion. […]
It seems so basic: Did you file a return or didn’t you? Rather remarkably, however, even this seemingly straightforward question can result in litigation. In this post, we will discuss a recent case in which one of the issues was proving that a return was filed. The case is called […]
Federal regulation of businesses is poised to change with the new administration, with important implications for tax compliance. President-elect Trump has promised to roll back business regulation across the board. And with his surprising victory this week, he is in a position to put that promise into practice. But it […]
Yesterday news broke about the merger of AT & T and Time Warner. The deal is worth a reported $85 billion, so understandably there’s a lot of buzz. There are all sorts of deals, however, involving little media attention but important tax issues. In this post, we will discuss a […]
No one would deny there are generational differences. For example, in the realm of music, Baby Boomers of course had their rock ‘n roll. But other generations have their own preferences, from hip hop to a host of other genres. What about taxes? In this two-part post, we will take […]