http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-24T08:50:18-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/irs_official_takes_fifth_in_house_testimony_but_did_she_waive_her_right_to_/ After invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to testify Wednesday, when she was called before a House committee looking into special Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of tax exemptions sought by conservative groups, an IRS official was put on administrative leave Thursday. But some observers are questioning whether Lois Lerner, who… Constitutional Law, Executive Branch, Legislation & Lobbying, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, States, District of Columbia Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:10 -0500 44347.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/seyfarth_and_ex-partner_face_tax-shelter_suits/ A former partner of Seyfarth Shaw and the law firm itself are facing some two dozen Illinois lawsuits over distressed-asset tax shelters the plaintiffs contend they collected "exorbitant" fees by promoting. The ex-partner, John E. Rogers, left Seyfarth several years ago and is now in practice in his own firm.… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, States, Illinois Mon, 20 May 2013 05:55:08 -0500 44260.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/obama_says_acting_irs_chief_will_resign_following_news_that_conservative_gr/ Responding to widespread criticism after news that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted groups with "tea party" and "patriot" in their names for extra scrutiny in their applications for tax-exempt status, President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Steve T. Miller, would resign.… Constitutional Law, Executive Branch, Tax Law Wed, 15 May 2013 18:10:06 -0500 44210.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/inmate_indicted_in_claimed_murder-for-hire_plot_against_federal_judge/ Phillip Monroe Ballard still hasn't been tried on the federal charges he faces for allegedly holding himself out as a lawyer and advising others that they don't have to pay income tax. But on the front burner, it appears, is the murder-solicitation prosecution the Texas inmate is facing for allegedly… Criminal Justice, Judiciary, Court Security, Tax Law, 5th Circuit Court, States, Texas Wed, 15 May 2013 17:40:00 -0500 44209.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/irs_singling_out_of_conservative_groups_was_not_confined_to_cincinnati_docu/ Updated: A disclosure on Friday about the flagging of tea party and patriot groups for extra scrutiny in their applications for tax-exempt status has led to a promise of congressional investigations and a report that the targeting was not confined to just one city. There was… Tax Law Tue, 14 May 2013 13:45:39 -0500 44162.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/top_tax_court_judge_should_be_suspended_9_months_without_pay_review_panel/ A review panel has recommended that the chief judge of the Minnesota Tax Court be censured and suspended without pay for nine months, because he routinely exceeded the three-month deadline for submitting his opinions and falsified dates to try to obscure his noncompliance. Nonetheless, Judge George Perez was known for… Judiciary, Legal Ethics, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, States, Minnesota Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:34 -0500 44158.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/irs_official_apologizes_for_singling_out_tea_party_and_patriot_groups/ Updated: An Internal Revenue Service official apologized today for agency workers who flagged groups that used the key words “tea party” or “patriot” in their applications for tax-exempt status. Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt groups, said the flagged groups were subjected to additional reviews, the… Tax Law Fri, 10 May 2013 10:38:18 -0500 44126.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/widow_who_owed_21.6m_to_feds_gets_effectively_5_seconds_of_probation_as_jud/ An elderly Palm Beach, Fla., widow with a high school education got "effectively five seconds" of probation from a federal judge in an offshore tax-evasion case after paying a $21.6 million penalty and back taxes. Mary Estelle Curran, 79, had inherited $43 million in Swiss bank accounts from her husband,… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 11th Circuit Court, States, Florida Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:50:51 -0500 43933.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/irs_gives_3-month_filing_extension_to_those_affected_by_boston_marathon_bom/ After Monday's fatal bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, the Internal Revenue Service has announce that the April 15 income tax filing deadline will be extended by three months for those affected by the crime. Those who live in Suffolk County, Mass., where the marathon was held,… Tax Law Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:30:01 -0500 43782.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/swiss_lawyer_is_accused_of_helping_americans_evade_taxes_on_income_from_off/ A Swiss lawyer who is also licensed in New York is being accused of helping Americans hide money in overseas accounts. An indictment in Manhattan federal court describes lawyer Edgar Paltzer as a partner in a Swiss law firm. He is charged with one count of conspiracy, report the Banking Law, Criminal Justice, Tax Law Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:37:44 -0500 43772.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/oral_arguments_suggest_doma_will_be_overturned_scotusblogs_goldstein_says/ A tweet by SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein sums up his prediction of how the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal benefits for same-sex married couples. “Final update,” Goldstein tweeted after oral arguments on Wednesday. “#scotus 80% likely to… Constitutional Law, Family Law, Government Law, Tax Law, U.S. Supreme Court Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:50:59 -0500 43455.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/jury_convicts_irs_worker_of_masterminding_bogus_tax_refund_scheme/ A federal jury in Philadelphia on Wednesday convicted a former Internal Revenue Service employee of masterminding a scheme to collect fraudulent tax refunds while working at the IRS, often using straw filers. Aware that the IRS didn't check telephone tax credit requests from filers owed less than $1,500, or ask… Criminal Justice, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 3rd Circuit Court, States, Pennsylvania Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:36:41 -0500 43271.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ex-partner_of_jenkens_gilchrist_gets_8_years_in_tax_shelter_case_is_ordered/ A former partner of the now-defunct Jenkens & Gilchrist law firm was sentenced Friday to eight years in federal prison for her role in what federal prosecutors have billed as the largest criminal tax fraud case ever. Donna Guerin, who pleaded guilty last year after winning a retrial, was also… Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Tax Law, 2nd Circuit Court, States, New York Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:55:51 -0600 43070.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/parent-owned_practices_pays_tax_benefits/ Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Tax Law, Business of Law Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:10:22 -0600 42765.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/due_to_fiscal_cliff_slowdown_irs_delays_first_day_for_income_tax_filing_to_/ The usual April 15 deadline for filing federal income tax returns still applies. But last-minute fiscal cliff negotiations over stalled federal budget issues prompted the Internal Revenue Service to delay by eight days the beginning of the tax-filing season. Those who are organized enough to file early can now do… Executive Branch, Tax Law Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:47:25 -0600 42281.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/work_on_your_retirement_plans_choices_depend_on_firm_size_and_income/ Benefits/ERISA, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Tax Law, Business of Law Tue, 01 Jan 2013 02:40:15 -0600 41969.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/longtime_nev._lawyer_gets_33_months_for_tax_evasion1/ A longtime Las Vegas practitioner has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after being convicted last year of two counts of tax evasion. Ian Christopherson, 57, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Miranda Du to pay restitution of over $728,000 in the Nevada case, the Criminal Justice, Sentencing/Post Conviction, White Collar Crime, Tax Law, 9th Circuit Court, States, Nevada Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:34:56 -0600 42098.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/georgetown_law_prof_sees_fiscal_cliff_as_lesser_evil/ Georgetown law professor David Super isn’t optimistic that a compromise to avert the fiscal cliff will be good for the nation. Going over the cliff is the better alternative, Super writes in a New York Times op-ed. “If we are going to have… Law Professors, Tax Law Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:34:17 -0600 42083.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/fiscal_cliff_means_new_strategies--and_more_business--for_law_firms_deferre/ There is a new reason why law firms want clients to quickly pay their bills before the end of the year. The fear is that the fiscal cliff will result in higher tax rates next year, Reuters reports. Firms want to shift income to this year, and that… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Tax Law Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:00:46 -0600 42069.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/tax_time_bomb_awaits_student_loan_debtors_in_forgiveness_programs/ There's a potential "tax time bomb" awaiting those who are current on their student loan debt, in programs that forgive the remaining principal balance of the loan after a period of years usually totaling a decade or two, or even longer. While they are current on their debt and maintaining… Education Law, Tax Law Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:57:08 -0600 42071.abajournal.com