February 27, 2017 | Court Rulings, Valuations
In re Appraisal of Dell Inc., 2016 Del. Ch. LEXIS 81 (May 31, 2016) The Delaware Court of Chancery’s favoring the value derived from a post-merger discounted cash flow analysis over the deal price in the Dell statutory appraisal action stunned the world of high finance. How was it possible that the merger price did Continue Reading »
February 10, 2017 | Court Rulings, Valuations
Pattridge v. Starks, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 315 (Feb. 24, 2016) An economic damages case stemming from the breach of a non-compete agreement features a noteworthy discussion on the difficulty of quantifying losses where the injured company is of a “volatile nature.” The plaintiff’s’ expert used commonly accepted valuation methods for his calculation, but the Continue Reading »
January 30, 2017 | Court Rulings, Divorce Litigation, Valuations
Grant v. Grant, 2016 Tenn. App. LEXIS 327 (May 12, 2016) Appraisers rely on clear directives from the courts to produce sound valuations, but they may not always get them. A recent Tennessee appellate ruling in a divorce dispute is a case in point. The issue was whether it was appropriate to use a marketability Continue Reading »
January 23, 2017 | Court Rulings, Financial Planning, IRS Regulation, Tax Planning, Tax Preparation
When federal income tax and/or federal employment taxes are withheld from employee paychecks but aren’t handed over to the government, a “100% penalty” can be assessed against a responsible person. The purpose of this Trust Fund Recovery Penalty is to collect withheld but unpaid federal taxes from individuals who had control over an employer’s finances. It got Continue Reading »
January 13, 2017 | Court Rulings, Valuations
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 »
January 6, 2017 | Business Plans, Court Rulings, IRS Regulation, Tax Planning, Tax Preparation
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 »
December 30, 2016 | Court Rulings, Valuations
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 »
December 23, 2016 | Court Rulings, Financial Planning, IRS Regulation, Tax Planning
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 »
December 16, 2016 | Court Rulings, Valuations
In re Mercury Cos., 2015 Bank. LEXIS 3443 (Oct. 9, 2015) (In re Mercury II) After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the plaintiff claimed the sale of certain subsidiaries to the defendant entities was an avoidable fraudulent transfer. The Bankruptcy Court considered the valuations the parties’ experts presented at trial for the subsidiaries “useful but Continue Reading »
December 2, 2016 | Court Rulings, Valuations
Lane v. Lampkin, 2015 Miss. LEXIS 503 (Oct. 8, 2015) (Lampkin II) It’s not uncommon for a trial court to decide a valuation issue by “splitting the baby”—that is, reaching a compromise somewhere in the middle of the opposing figures. Often the decision, however puzzling, stands because the appeals court is reluctant to find an Continue Reading »