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This decision is a short and sweet reminder that once an order of incapacity is entered removing a ward’s right to contract, that ward no longer has the ability to independently hire counsel for him or herself.

05 May 2019

Economic Substance Requirements and Tax Haven Jurisdictions

Not receiving much attention are new economic substance requirements that have recently been enacted in several tax haven jurisdictions, including the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the British Virgin Islands.

Tax planning structures often involve the use of corporations and other entities formed in tax haven jurisdictions. To give one example, tax haven companies are often used as blocker holding companies to insulate foreign persons from U.S. estate taxes on their U.S. assets. These new economic substance requirements threaten to complicate such planning structures.

The new requirements are an outgrowth of pressure from the EU and OECD to limit the use of tax haven companies for tax planning and base erosion purposes, especially where the companies have little or no activity. . .

28 Apr 2019

Does a Disclaimer of Real Property Require a Legal Description in Florida?

In a recent case, a disclaimant signed a disclaimer that purported to include real property owned by a decedent, but did not provide a legal description for the real property. After entering into the disclaimer, the disclaimant apparently had a change of heart and desired to retain the disclaimed real property, claiming the disclaimer was invalid.

Here are the key statutory provisions (emphasis added). . .

12 Apr 2019

NFL Draft Day and Federal Income Tax

Two concepts that you don’t often see together!

While only of direct interest to a few taxpayers, a Revenue Procedure addressing draft picks and player contracts issued this week does make for interesting reading.

Tax professionals know that the sale or exchange of property gives rise to taxable gain or loss if the amount received is more or less than the taxpayer’s basis in the property, absent the application of a nonrecognition provision of the Internal Revenue Code. Player contracts and draft picks are property. Therefore. . .

29 Mar 2019

The End to Agency Deference in Florida Tax Disputes [Florida]

Many a Florida taxpayer has disagreed with the Department of Revenue’s interpretation of a tax statute. I recently was involved in an audit where it was clear to us that the Florida Administrative Code provisions were not supported by the statutory provisions.

A taxpayer seeking to challenge the DOR’s interpretation in court have had the deck stacked against them under the concept of agency deference. This gives the DOR the benefit of the doubt in its interpretation of the law. . .

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