The IRS takes a strict position on travel and entertainment (T&E) deductions, and there’s a good chance an agent will take a hard look at those items if you claim them on your tax return and you’re audited. The challenge will be more focused on whether you kept the proper records than whether or not  Continue Reading »

Donations from a will may not actually get to your organization for some time because of probate and estate administration. That raises the issue of what value and what date to use in issuing the official tax receipt. When a will contains a gift in kind to be donated, the timing for when the organization actually receives  Continue Reading »

LongPath Capital, LLC v. Ramtron International Corp., 2015 Del. Ch. LEXIS 177 (June 30, 2015) The Delaware Court of Chancery was a hive of activity during summer 2015. In two months, the court issued a number of key valuation decisions—all long and deep. The following statutory appraisal ruling falls in line with a suite of  Continue Reading »

Employment statistics ended 2015 on a positive note, and many businesses are planning to hire new employees this year. In addition, roughly 242,000 new jobs were added in February and the unemployment rate fell to 4.9%, its lowest level in eight years. Several recent studies indicate that the hiring momentum will continue in 2016. In Maine,  Continue Reading »

The IRS must learn in-house terminology being used by the business when they begin auditing or examining, as well as how the business maintains their records. In the case of executive compensation, the IRS is especially interested in arrangements in which the company deducts the high salary of one of its top executives using an  Continue Reading »

Tri County Wholesale Distributors v. Labatt USA Operating Co. LLC, U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81914 (June 24, 2015) What is the best way to calculate the loss of well-known beer brands to a distributor whose franchise contract was lawfully terminated? This question, implicating Ohio’s Alcoholic Beverage Franchise Act, recently produced an important ruling on beer brand  Continue Reading »

The IRS recently published a series of press releases to make tax payers aware of the “dirty dozen” tax scams for this year. The list is not entirely surprising, but it’s important to note that these scams have become increasingly technology-driven in recent years. Taxpayers can use this list to avoid becoming the victim or  Continue Reading »

When determining fair market value (FMV), valuing donations other than cash or equivalents is rarely easy. Typically, FMV is the highest value that can be obtained for a gift in kind between a seller and a buyer who are acting independently from each other in an unrestricted market. For example, a work of art would  Continue Reading »

Many of us have bought stock in a company that later failed over the years. While you may prefer to forget such an investment, don’t forget to claim your rightful capital loss deduction on your tax return. But beware that figuring out when to claim a worthless stock loss can be tricky. Here are the two ways  Continue Reading »

Owen v. Cannon, 2015 Del. Ch. LEXIS 165 (June 17, 2015) A joint fiduciary duty and statutory appraisal suit provided an opportunity for the Delaware Court of Chancery’s new chief, Chancellor Bouchard, to rule on the issue of tax affecting. In discussing the choices that informed his discounted cash flow analysis, the chancellor explained in  Continue Reading »