The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 21 - Conservation Easement Donations: Tax Shelter or Charitable Contribution Deduction?
The Koontz Decision: Limits Conditions a Government can Impose on Developers
Two recent tax court cases paint an ominous picture for professionals and investors who participated in listed syndicated conservation easement transactions. Coming on the heels of the Fisher conviction and his lengthy...more
Summary: In September 2016 Dolomite Holdings 251, LLC (Dolomite), acquired a 723-acre tract of land in Virginia. On November 28, 2017, Dolomite contributed 207 acres of this tract (Property) to Cattail in exchange for a 100%...more
Tax Litigation: The Week of December 19th, 2022, through December 23rd, 2022 Starer v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2022-124 | December 20, 2022 |Wells, J. |Docket No. 615-13 Mamadou v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2022-121 | December 20, 2022...more
Less than a month after the heavily followed Green Valley Investors, LLC, et al., decision, the IRS issued proposed regulations to identify certain syndicated conservation easement transactions as listed transactions – this...more
On November 9, 2022, in a 15-2 decision, the Tax Court held that the IRS improperly issued Notice 2017-10 in Green Valley Investors, LLC, et al. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 159 T.C. No. 5. The Notice designated...more
On September 21, 2022, the New York State Attorney General Tish James filed a civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and the Trump organization alleging fraud and misrepresentation. The Complaint described a...more
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice filed the first criminal indictment of promoters, appraisers and accountants connected to an alleged scheme to create syndicated conservation easements. The move followed increased...more
Tax Litigation: The Week of August 29th, 2022, through September 2nd, 2022 Domdom v. Comm’r, T.C. Summary Opinion 2022-17 | August 30, 2022 | Carluzzo, J. | Dkt. No. 18270-17S Pressman v. Comm’r, T.C. Summ. Op. 2022-15 |...more
Tax Litigation: The Week of July 18th, 2022, through July 22nd, 2022 Pettennude v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2022-79 | July 18, 2022 | Buch, J. | Dkt. No. 636-21L Gonzalez v. Comm’r, T.C. Summary Opinion 2022-13 | July 18, 2022 |...more
This Memorandum highlights several important U.S. federal income tax developments in the summer of 2022, including: (i) the Supreme Court agreeing to hear an FBAR penalty case, (ii) the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)...more
On March 28, 2022, President Biden announced his 2023 federal budget (Budget), which is often referred to as the President’s Green Book. While much of the Budget harkens back to the “Build Back Better Framework” (Framework),...more
On May 2, 2022, the Wall Street Journal published two detailed articles authored by Richard Rubin on the subject of syndicated conservation easements: Conservation Tax-Break Deals Keep Flowing Despite IRS Crackdown (WSJ...more
Joint Committee on Taxation Report on Tax Treatment of Charitable Contributions - On March 11, 2022, the Joint Committee on Taxation published its 49-page report (the “Report”) relating to the federal tax treatment of...more
Tax Litigation: The Week of March 14, 2022, through March 18, 2022 Hamilton v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2022-21 | March 15, 2022 |Urda, J. | Dkt. No. 139-19L AptarGroup, Inc. v. Comm’r, 158 T.C. No. 4 | March 16, 2022 |Goeke, J. |...more
The IRS is vigorously litigating cases involving conservation easements they believe are abusive. One such case was Plateau Holdings, LLC v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo 2020-93 (Plateau I). In that case the Tax Court denied the entire...more
The IRS recently concluded its 2021 four-part series of the “Dirty Dozen” tax-related scams. The fourth installment focuses on what the Service refers to as “schemes peddled by tax promoters, including syndicated...more
It is tax season once again. While the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended this year’s filing deadline to May 17, 2021 for individuals, businesses must still file by April 15, and all U.S. taxpayers must ensure that...more
Freeman Law’s “The Tax Court in Brief” covers every substantive Tax Court opinion, providing a weekly brief of its decisions in clear, concise prose. The Week of October 31 – November 6, 2020 - Glade Creek Partners,...more
On March 27, 2019, the Senate Finance Committee launched an investigation into the abuse of syndicated conservation easement transactions. The transactions being investigated involve promoters selling interests in tracts of...more
The IRS has ramped up its enforcement efforts on syndicated conservation easements. On September 10, 2018, the IRS announced five new Large Business and International Division (“LB&I”) compliance campaigns, including a...more
On August 23, 2018 the Internal Revenue Service issued Proposed Regulations regarding the $10,000 cap on the deductibility of state and local taxes imposed under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Code Section 164(b)(6)). ...more
Last month, the IRS issued final regulations entitled “Substantiation and Reporting Requirements for Cash and Noncash Charitable Contribution Deductions,” codified as Treasury Regulation Sections 1.170A-15 (cash), -16...more
There are 12.9 million acres of commercial forestland in South Carolina. More than half of the forestland is family-owned, and 82% of private owners live on the land. The state also has about 25,000 farms, which encompass 4.9...more
Conservation easements may be a great example of "doing well by doing good." They help conserve fish and wildlife, clean water, natural habitats, historic properties, farmland, and timberland. They also provide other public...more
In Notice 2017-10, the IRS has determined that certain conservation easements are now “listed transactions” for purposes of federal tax reporting. “Syndicated” conservation easements are conservation easements donated by a...more