Taxation & Estate Planning

Krawiec: Tax Implications of Markets in Virginity and Medical Marijuana

Posted on February 15, 2010
I previously blogged Bridget Crawford's new paper, Taxation, Pregnancy and Privacy, 17 Wm. & Mary Bill of Rts. J. ___ (2009). Kimberly D. Krawiec (Duke) discusses Bridget's paper in blogging "the potential tax implications of the growing markets in virginity, medical marijuana, and other strange goods and services," based in...

Texas Supreme Court to Decide Constitutionality of 'Pole Tax'

Posted on February 15, 2010
The Texas Supreme Court has decided to decide the constitutionality of a $5 per-person "pole tax" on patrons of strip clubs and other adult entertainment venues. Combs v. Texas Entertainment Ass?n, No. 03-08-00213-CV (Tex. Ct. App. June 5, 2009). Austin American Statesman Dallas Morning News Houston Chronicle Prior TaxProf Blog...

TaxProf Blog Weekend Roundup

Posted on February 15, 2010
Saturday: Tax Extenders: The K Street Kickback Escape From New Jersey (Taxation) Anderson: § 121 -- A Real Estate Tax Swindle Carbon Tax: The French Connection Alabama Prof Kills Three at Faculty Meeting After Being Denied Tenure Sunday: Nothing Says Happy Valentine's Day Like ...

Bank & Cheffins: The Corporate Pyramid Fable

Posted on February 15, 2010
Steven A. Bank (UCLA) & Brian R. Cheffins (University of Cambridge, Faculty of Law) have posted The Corporate Pyramid Fable on SSRN. Here is the abstract: In many parts of the world, it is commonplace for wealthy families and successful entrepreneurs to parlay a relatively small financial investment into control...

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Williams & Denning: The 'New Protectionism' in State & Local Taxes

Posted on February 15, 2010
Norman R. Williams (Willamette) & Brannon P. Denning (Cumberland) have published The "New Protectionism" and the American Common Market, 85 Notre Dame L. Rev. 247 (2009). Here is the abstract: For nearly two centuries, the U.S. Constitution through the dormant Commerce Clause has protected the American common market from protectionist...

The Tax Treatment of Olympic Athletes

Posted on February 15, 2010
Every two years, a topic of conversation among tax folks is the tax treatment of Olympic athletes. The United States Olympic Committee pays athletes for winning Gold ($25,000), Silver ($15,000), and Bronze ($10,000) medals under its Operation Gold program -- these payments clearly constitute income...

Pepperdine Dean Ken Starr Named President of Baylor

Posted on February 15, 2010
Pepperdine announced today that Ken Starr is leaving on June 1, 2010 after five years as Dean to become President of Baylor University: Pepperdine president Andrew K. Benton congratulated Starr and thanked him for his five years of distinguished service to Pepperdine, saying, "Ken has had a tremendous impact on...

Tax Prof Novelist

Posted on February 15, 2010
Tax Prof Daniel N. Shaviro (NYU) has a forthcoming novel, Getting It (iUniverse, 2010): Bill Doberman is a liar. He's also a conniver, a phony, a hypocrite, and a cad -- and those are his good points. But will it all be enough to save him on the Night of...

$11/Gallon Gas Is the Answer

Posted on February 14, 2010
Andrew D. Appleby (Tax LL.M. 2010, Georgetown) has published Pay at the Pump: How $11 Per Gallon Gasoline Can Solve the United States? Most Pressing Challenges, 40 Cumb. L. Rev. 3 (2009). Here is the abstract: The United States of America currently faces unprecedented challenges...

The Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act: A Unilateral Solution to a Multilateral Problem

Posted on February 14, 2010
Anthony D. Todero (J.D. 2010, Minnesota) has published The Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act: A Unilateral Solution to a Multilateral Problem, 19 Minn. J. Int'l L. 241 (2010). Here is the Conclusion: Globalization, the September 11th attacks, and two recent scandals have put tax havens in the legislative crosshairs...

Nothing Says Happy Valentine's Day Like ... Discounts on Tax Prep Software

Posted on February 14, 2010
H&R Block is offering a Valentine's Day promotion: We believe there's more to love about tax season than most people realize. To spread the love, H&R Block is offering what may be your smartest Valentine's date ever. Make a date with H&R Block this Valentine's and pay only $14 for...

Top 5 Tax Paper Downloads

Posted on February 14, 2010
There is a bit of movement in this week's list of the Top 5 Recent Tax Paper Downloads, with a new paper debuting on the list at #5: 1. [328 Downloads] The Regulatory Systems for Employee Benefits, by Brian A. Benko (McDermott Will & Emery, Washington, D...

WSJ: No Estate Tax May be a Killer

Posted on February 14, 2010
Wall Street Journal, Why No Estate Tax Could Be a Killer, by Laura Saunders: Congress shocked everyone by letting the estate tax lapse on Jan. 1. Now, here is the real stunner: For many, the lapse actually will raise taxes. Under last year's law, estates up to $3...

Swiss Threatens

Posted on February 14, 2010
Following up on my previous post, Germany to Buy Stolen Swiss Bank Data to Catch Tax Scofflaws: A Swiss parliamentarian said he would aim to expose German public figures over alleged tax manipulations, if Berlin goes ahead with plans to buy stolen data on tax-evaders with Swiss bank accounts...

My Two Valentines

Posted on February 14, 2010

Anderson: § 121 -- A Real Estate Tax Swindle

Posted on February 13, 2010
Bradford P. Anderson (California Polytechnic State University, Orfalea College of Business) has published Welcome to My Flipperhood: A Call to Repair the Residential Real Estate Tax Swindle, 7 Geo. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 415 (2009). Here is the Conclusion: The 1997 revisions to the federal tax code have spawned a...

Carbon Tax: The French Connection

Posted on February 13, 2010
Éloi Laurent has published Carbon Tax: The French Connection, The Economists' Voice: Vol. 6 : Iss. 13, Article 2 (2009). Here is the abstract: In early 2010, France will introduce a carbon tax, becoming the largest economy in the world to do so. According to Éloi Laurent, the introduction of...

Tax Extenders: The K Street Kickback

Posted on February 13, 2010
The Huffington Post, The K Street Kickback: The Giveaway That Reid Stripped From The Jobs Bill: The GOP is outraged that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spiked the bipartisan jobs bill unveiled on Thursday, dropping some of its major provisions...

Escape From New Jersey (Taxation)

Posted on February 13, 2010
Wall Street Journal editorial, Escape from Taxation: A New Study Shows that Wealth Flees After Taxes Rise: New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie must be following the economic news from Greece. Its tattered reputation for fiscal control has turned Greece into an international financial nightmare and laughingstock...

U.S. News Responds to ABA's Decision to Study Law School and Law Firm Rankings

Posted on February 12, 2010
Following up on Wednesday's post, ABA to Study Law School and Law Firm Rankings: Robert Morse, Director of Data Research at U.S. News & World Report, responds: What is our take on the ABA resolution? U.S. News and Best Lawyers welcome the opportunity to discuss both our law school and...

Zolt: Taxing and Spending Patterns of State and Local Governments

Posted on February 12, 2010
Eric M. Zolt (UCLA) has published Inequality, Collective Action, and Taxing and Spending Patterns of State and Local Governments, 62 Tax L. Rev. 445 (2009). Here is the abstract: Scholars have examined how inequality influences the development of different types of institutions...

CTJ: It's Time to Review Tax Expenditures

Posted on February 12, 2010
From Citizens for Tax Justice: [L]ast year, CTJ published a report examining the lack of scrutiny directed toward tax expenditures, and the repeated promises to address this problem made by past Administrations. [Judging Tax Expenditures: Spending Programs Buried within the Nation?s Tax Code Need to be Reviewed] Unfortunately, the President's...

Cliff Fleming Named Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Vienna

Posted on February 12, 2010
From a BYU press release: J. Clifton Fleming, Jr., holder of the Ernest L. Wilkinson Chair at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, has been appointed to the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Department of Public Law and Tax Law at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna,...

Marsan: FBAR -- What Every Tax Advisor Needs to Know

Posted on February 12, 2010
Dean Kirk Marsan (former Senior Tax Counsel, Lehman Brothers) has posted Foreign Bank Accounts - FBAR Reporting Obligations, Enforcement Exposures and Managing the Risk: What Every Tax and Compliance Advisor Needs to Know Now!, 87 Taxes 35 (Nov. 2009), on SSRN.

Borden: Profits-Only Partnership Interests

Posted on February 12, 2010
Bradley T. Borden (Washburn) has published Profits-Only Partnership Interests, 74 Brooklyn L. Rev. 1283 (2009). Here is the abstract: Profits-only partnership interests grant service-providing partners an interest in the profits of a partnership but not its capital...

Grayson McCouch Named Endowed Professor at San Diego

Posted on February 12, 2010
Grayson McCouch has been named the 2010-2011 Class of 1975 Endowed Professor at San Diego. From the press release: The award was established by the Class of 1975 at its 25-year reunion gift to the law school to recognize meritorious teaching, leadership and academic accomplishments of a professor in the...

Israel Gives Supermodel Tax Deal

Posted on February 12, 2010
A Blog For All, Bar Rafaeli Gets Tax Deal From Israel: Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli, who is currently dating Leonardo DiCaprio, has made a deal with the Israeli Tax Authority. She had been hoping to get a full exemption from Israeli taxes because she was no longer living in Israel...

New York City Offers Free Online Tax Preparation and e-Filing

Posted on February 12, 2010
New York City is offering free online tax preparation and e-filing for residents earning less than $58,000. (Hat Tip: Web CPA.)

Polsky & Hellwig: Taxing Structured Settlements

Posted on February 12, 2010
Gregg D. Polsky (Florida State) & Brant J. Hellwig (South Carolina) have published Taxing Structured Settlements, 51 B.C. L. Rev. 39 (2010). Here is the abstract: Congress has granted a tax subsidy to physically injured tort plaintiffs who enter into structured settlements...

Harold Ford Wants to be NY's Senator, but Hasn't Paid NY Taxes

Posted on February 12, 2010
Gawker, Harold Ford's Tennessee Tax Dodge: When it comes to his shadow run for Senate, Harold Ford is a New Yorker through and through. When it comes to paying taxes, though, he's still a Tennessean ? he's never filed a New York return. Ford claims to have moved to New...

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