Tax Law

Former Tax Lawyer at Gucci Claims Racism and Cites Rihanna Incident as an Example

A former tax lawyer at Gucci America Inc. claims she was fired after complaining about racist and sexual harassment at the company, and cites an alleged incident involving pop star Rihanna as an example of the problems. The plaintiff is Josephine Robinson, a West Indian woman who formerly worked at…

Jun 8, 2011 3:25 PM CDT

Tax Court Allows Lawyer to Deduct Some Care Expenses for Dozens of Foster Cats

A California lawyer who cared for dozens of foster cats in her Oakland home may deduct part of her claimed $12,000 in expenses, the U.S. Tax Court has ruled. Jan Elizabeth Van Dusen was a volunteer for Fix Our Ferals in 2004, according to the opinion (PDF) released last week.…

Jun 7, 2011 12:18 PM CDT

Supremes Refuse to Hear Wesley Snipes Appeal in Criminal Tax Case; He Had Sought Venue Hearing

Actor Wesley Snipes will stay in jail, where he is serving a three-year sentence for failing to file federal tax returns for several years, after the U.S. Supreme Court today refused to hear his appeal of his conviction on venue grounds. Snipes argued that the feds should have brought the…

Jun 6, 2011 8:26 PM CDT

IRS Scrutinizing Land Records, Looking to See if 709 Forms Were Filed re Transfers to Family Members

A request for a subpoena to get documents from a California state agency has shed light on a little-known practice of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS is conducting sweeping reviews of land-transfer documents in dozens of states to see whether the required Form 709 has been filed concerning gifts…

May 25, 2011 10:15 PM CDT

Supreme Court to Decide if Underreporting Income on Corporate Tax Return Merits Deportation

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a false statement on a corporate tax return justifies deportation of a Japanese couple. The court will hear the appeal by Akio Kawashima and his wife Fusako Kawashima, who ran a successful Japanese restaurant in California, according to the cert petition…

May 23, 2011 4:23 PM CDT

Online Travel Companies Must Rework Pricing Formulas to Pay More Hotel Taxes, Ga. Supreme Court Says

Online travel companies that book Atlanta hotel rooms should rework their pricing formula to pay the city more in occupancy taxes, the Georgia Supreme Court found today. Under the existing structure, the Associated Press reported, a travel site that buys a hotel room for $50 and sells it for $100…

May 16, 2011 8:36 PM CDT

‘Tax Lady’ Roni Deutch Says She’s Broke, Will Close Her Firm, Surrender Law License, Plans to Cry

An embattled California attorney known as the tax lady says she is broke and is closing her law firm of 20 years, which at one point employed 200 people. Roni Deutch also said in a press conference today that she plans to surrender her license to practice law, reports the…

May 12, 2011 11:00 PM CDT

IRS is Looking at Big Donors Who Didn’t Pay Tax on Gifts to Nonprofit Advocacy Groups

Five large donors could be asked to pay gift tax on millions of dollars in contributions to nonprofit advocacy groups. The donors, who aren’t identified, can support campaigns and causes in this manner without being publicly identified. Although the Internal Revenue Service has long had a rule requiring that tax…

May 12, 2011 9:33 PM CDT

Nine O’Melveny Partners in NY Jump to Two Firms

Nine partners from the New York office of O’Melveny & Myers, including two practice group leaders, are jumping to two different law firms. The departures at O’Melveny are “a sizeable blow to its corporate and transactional practices,” the Am Law Daily reports. Among the partners making the move are Gregory…

May 11, 2011 1:34 PM CDT

Aggressive Tax Lawyer or Criminal? Jury to Decide re 2 Ex-Jenkens & Gilchrist Partners

Were Paul Daugerdas and Donna Guerin simply aggressive tax lawyers doing their job by doing their best for their clients? Or, as the government contends, did the two former Jenkens & Gilchrist partners cross the line by advising extremely wealthy individuals, in opinion letters, to participate in fraudulent tax shelter…

May 11, 2011 12:11 AM CDT

Judge Freezes Assets of ‘Tax Lady’ Attorney, Appoints Receiver to Run Her $25M Law Firm

A California judge apparently hasn’t yet decided how to handle the state attorney general’s call for a lawyer known as the “tax lady” to be jailed for contempt of court. However, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang did freeze the assets of attorney Roni Deutch yesterday and appoint a…

Apr 21, 2011 5:11 PM CDT

Calif. AG Says ‘Tax Lady’ Attorney Should Be Jailed for Shredding Documents, Failing to Repay $435K

Updated: The state attorney general is calling for a California attorney known as the “tax lady” to be jailed for contempt of court, contending that Roni Deutch shredded as many as 2.7 million documents and failed to pay clients refunds totaling $435,000 in violation of a court order in a…

Apr 21, 2011 12:26 AM CDT

Lawyers Offer IRS Audit Tips: Be Nice, Be Responsive, But Don’t Say Too Much

‘Tis the season for taxpayers to worry about possible fallout from filing their returns, and lawyers have some straightforward advice to offer those unlucky enough to be audited. Put yourself in the Internal Revenue Service auditor’s shoes, and remember your manners, the Wall Street Journal advises. Would you want to…

Apr 20, 2011 7:54 PM CDT

Montana AG to Probe Charity Portrayed in ‘Three Cups of Tea’

The charity portrayed in the book Three Cups of Tea is under investigation after a 60 Minutes report alleged its founder, Greg Mortenson, exaggerated his achievements and used charity money to promote his books. Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock says news reports have spurred him to investigate Mortenson’s charity, the…

Apr 20, 2011 11:29 AM CDT

Federal Circuit Nixes Wells Fargo Tax Plan Involving Sale-In, Lease-Out Deals

Wells Fargo & Co wrongly claimed $115 million in tax deductions for the 2002 tax year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Friday. The opinion (PDF) addresses Wells Fargo’s attempted use of “sale-in, lease out” transactions, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Those transactions involve…

Apr 15, 2011 7:41 PM CDT