The dollar amounts allowed for various federal tax benefits are subject to change every year based on legislation and inflation adjustments. Here are some important tax figures for 2017, compared with 2016, including Social Security wage base, qualified retirement plan and IRA contribution limits, the estate tax exemption, driving deductions, and allowable business write-off amounts  Continue Reading »

Recently, a new version of Form I-9, “Employment Eligibility Verification,” has been issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It’s dated November 14, 2016 and has an August 31, 2019 expiration date. Beginning on January 22, 2017, employers must use the new form, but until then, the version dated March 8, 2013 may also  Continue Reading »

Hanckel v. Campbell (In re Hanckel), 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 4202 (Dec. 11, 2015) Prior to filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the debtor, who owned a stake in a family business, transferred his share to his father, the co-owner. Subsequently, the Chapter 7 trustee proved the transfer was a fraudulent conveyance, and the court declared it  Continue Reading »

Recently, the IRS announced that it is extending one of the deadlines for providing 2016 Affordable Care Act (ACA) information statements to recipients. Specifically, the due date for furnishing to individuals the 2016 Form 1095-B (Health Coverage) and the 2016 Form 1095-C, (Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage) is extended from January 31, 2017, to March  Continue Reading »

If you are an employee, a partner, a partner who doesn’t know it, or a combination of these classifications, there may be serious tax implications. Here are some recent developments that you need to know if you participate in a business that’s operated as a partnership or a limited liability company. IRS Position on Dual Status  Continue Reading »

The 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law by President Obama on December 13, 2016. In addition to funding medical research, accelerating cutting-edge treatments for rare diseases and adding significant reforms to the mental health system, the new legislation allows small employers to provide standalone Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) to employees without paying penalties  Continue Reading »

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) is a nonpartisan Congressional committee that, among other things, assists in the analysis and drafting of proposed federal tax legislation and prepares reports that interpret newly enacted federal tax legislation. The JCT recently issued the Overview of the Federal Tax System as in Effect for 2016. Here are some interesting trends  Continue Reading »

Merion Capital LP & Merion Capital II LP v. BMC Software, 2015 Del. Ch. LEXIS 268 (Oct. 21, 2015) Don’t second-guess the result of a robust, arm’s-length sales process! That’s the view the Delaware Court of Chancery has been taking lately in statutory appraisal actions—and it recently did so again. ‘Wildly divergent’ DCF results The  Continue Reading »

The specialty of business valuation is evolving, and one recent development is the emergence of investment value as the appropriate standard of value in some divorce cases, rather than fair market value. This trend is important to monitor to ensure your valuation expert estimates the correct standard of value. If not, a court may disregard his  Continue Reading »

Generally, corporations can deduct interest on debts for federal tax purposes, and a valid obligation exists if the parties intended to create a debt, and the debt is enforceable and unconditional. A capital contribution, in contrast, is a direct or indirect contribution of cash or other property to the capital of a business entity. The contributor  Continue Reading »