News & Analysis as of

Tax Liability Conservation Easements Charitable Donations

Polsinelli

Tax Court Strikes out Smoltz and Klesko’s Big K SCE, but Provides Relief for Those Facing Fraud Allegations

Polsinelli on

In the late 1990s, former Atlanta Braves players John Smoltz and Ryan Klesko formed Big K Farms (“Big K”), a partnership that, over the years, acquired approximately 1,500 acres of land in Georgia for around $4 million. From...more

Polsinelli

Easement Fund Victory on Perpetuity Will Result in More Attention on Valuation

Polsinelli on

In the latest victory for taxpayers, the Tax Court determined that the Treasury failed to follow federal law in enacting a conservation easement perpetuity rule known as the “proceeds regulation.” The majority opinion held...more

Polsinelli

Bare Knuckle Conservation Easement Brawl Leaves Participants in Limbo

Polsinelli on

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

Polsinelli

Conservation Easements: Palpable Fraud or Honest Mistakes? A Federal Jury Returns a Split Verdict

Polsinelli on

On September 22, 2023 a federal jury convicted two promoters, CPA Jack Fisher and attorney James Sinnott, in the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) first criminal trial over allegedly abusive syndicated conservation easements...more

Polsinelli

Slogans and Insults: Fisher Defendants Respond to the Government’s Novel Conservation Easement Case

Polsinelli on

Last week, the first federal criminal trial related to syndicated conservation easement (“SCE”) deals began with impaneling the jury and opening statements. Each of the Fisher defendants on trial, Jack Fisher, James Sinnott,...more

Polsinelli

First Criminal Syndicated Conservation Easement Trial Begins this Week

Polsinelli on

Polsinelli’s Government Investigations and Tax attorneys continue to follow the well-known Fisher case, the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) first criminal indictment related to syndicated conservation easements. The trial is...more

Freeman Law

Tax Court in Brief | Cattail Holdings, LLC v. Comm’r | Conservation Easement “Protected in Perpetuity” and Supervisory Approval of...

Freeman Law on

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

Polsinelli

$1.7 Trillion Spending Bill Drops the Hammer on Conservation Easements

Polsinelli on

Only months after the U.S. Tax Court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the IRS failed to adhere to the Administrative Procedures Act when it promulgated Notice 2017-10 and designated most Syndicated Conservation...more

Freeman Law

Tax Court in Brief | Brooks v. Comm’r | Charitable Contribution Deductions for Conservation Easement; Contemporaneous Written...

Freeman Law on

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

Freeman Law

Correction to APA Non-Compliance | IRS Issues Proposed Regulations for Syndicated Conservation Easements

Freeman Law on

On December 6th, the IRS proposed regulations (and comment period for same) that would require participants and promoters of syndicated conservation easement transactions to make certain disclosures relating conservation...more

Polsinelli

SCOTUS Could Vacate Conservation Easement Regulations

Polsinelli on

As the IRS and the Department of Justice continue to focus enforcement efforts on conservation easements, the Supreme Court has been asked to settle a dispute regarding the validity of the “protected in perpetuity”...more

Freeman Law

Tax Court in Brief | Oxbow Bend, LLC v. Comm’r | Conservation Easement and “Initial Determination” of Penalties

Freeman Law on

Tax Litigation: The Week of March 21, 2022, through March 25, 2022 Oxbow Bend, LLC v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2022-23 | March 21, 2022 |Lauber, J. | Dkt. No. 12718-19 Short Summary: This case involves a charitable contribution...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

Bipartisan House Bill Addresses Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Shelters

Last week, Representative Mike Kelly (R) of Pennsylvania and Representative Mike Thompson (D) of California introduced the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act of 2017 as H.R. 4459. The Act is simple;...more

Baker Donelson

Lessons Learned in Conservation Partnerships

Baker Donelson on

The Internal Revenue Code has provided an incentive under Section 170(h) for charitable conservation gifts. Since at least 2002 there has been an interest in combining through partnership those land owners who may have little...more

14 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide