February 2019—U.S. Tax Court on Valuation of Conservation Easements and Expert Testimony The U.S. Tax Court issued two valuation decisions in late December 2018 that may be of interest to QuickRead readers. The opinion is 116 pages long and delves into what is a qualified real property easement that qualifies for a charitable deduction, and the 36-page memorandum provides guidance regarding how the court we ...

for State Income Tax Purposes How will the SALT limits impact growth? Demographic trends? In this article, the author looks at current data, considers these issues and other tax matters that complicate residency choices and options. A few years ago Fox News Channel’s commentator and nationally syndicated radio talk show host (both based in New York), Sean Hannity, threatened that he was going to leave New Y ...

of Patent Litigation Damages In the last 18 months, we have seen numerous decisions which will likely have a dramatic impact on the landscape of patent litigation damages. Two of the most impactful decisions, Apple v. Samsung and WesternGeco v. Ion Geophysical, made their way to the United States Supreme Court. However, we will not see the true practical outcome of either of these hallmark decisions for man ...

In an Era of Reform: Value Drivers (Part II of II) As stated in Part I of this II-part series, as the demand for healthcare services continues to grow, the site at which these services are performed is experiencing a simultaneous transformation from the inpatient (e.g., hospital) setting to the outpatient setting—e.g., at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). This article will review the unique value drivers t ...

on Expert Witness Testimony Expert witness testimony has played a vital role in both criminal and civil trials in the United States. Testimony from expert witnesses constantly helps judges and jurors reach conclusions in controversial and complex cases. Therefore, the Daubert Standard is important to know and understand in general, and especially as an expert witness. The Daubert Standard helps courts deter ...

In an Era of Reform (Part I of II) As demand for healthcare services continues to grow, the site at which these services are performed is experiencing a simultaneous transformation from the inpatient (e.g., hospital) setting to the outpatient setting. This transformation is being driven by factors such as: (1) technological advancements; (2) an increasingly consumer-driven and convenience-driven healthcare ...

Or, Why Aren’t You Hosting Your Own Content? (Part I of III) Many of us create content for, and market on, social media platforms—like LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The questions are: Is this a dangerous practice? And if so, what should we be doing instead? Many of us create content for, and market on, social media platforms, like: LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The questions are: Is ...

on Corporate Income Taxes What corporate tax rate should valuation practitioners use going forward given the current environment? Despite corporate rates being “permanent”, is that so?! How should practitioners handle temporary differences? How do we decode a financial statement? In this article, the author shares his thoughts on how valuation professionals should approach a valuation engagement in this unc ...

In Nine Easy Steps You have probably heard how helpful it can be to write blogs, either for yourself or your valuation and accounting firm. If you have never written one, the challenge can seem daunting. But you probably will find it easier than you think—especially if you follow these steps. The article outlines the steps; these are based on a How-To Guide from Hinge University, their online learning platf ...

and an Expert Witness While there are hundreds of Daubert decisions issued every week, only a few go a long way in shaping the way experts are screened by judges in the future. And even fewer times, a multimillion-dollar verdict is hinged solely on the expert witness testimony! In this article, the author discusses the district and appellate court decision in Alaska Rent-A-Car v. Avis Budget Group. ...

December 2018—U.S. Tax Court on Qualified Appraisals and Gill v. Gill, Minnesota’s Supreme Court Rules on the Status of Earn-Outs in Dissolution Cases The U.S. Tax Court issued two valuation memorandums in September and October 2018. Each memorandum serves as a reminder of the importance of attaching a qualified appraisal. The issue in Presley v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2018-171 (October 15, 2018) was whet ...

of the Current Marijuana Business (Part II of II) In November of 2018 there are some 28 thousand marijuana/cannabis businesses in operation and employing about 150,000 people in the United States and they manage and control some nine billion dollars in essentially cash revenues. This industry continues to grow. In this second part, the author illustrates the importance of choice of entity, provides an overv ...

Un-Impeaching Opinions of Calculated Values Valuation or calculation? That is the question asked, answered, and argued by judges, experts, lawyers, and industry thought leaders apropos to whether a calculation of value can be used in litigation. The answer echoed throughout courtrooms across America thus far is a resounding “it depends.” This article offers a synopsis of the debate over calculation engageme ...

of the Current Marijuana Business (Part I of II) In November of 2018, there are some 28,000 marijuana/cannabis businesses in operation, employing about 150,000 people in the U.S., and they manage and control some $9 billion in essentially cash revenues. This industry continues to grow. In this two-part article, the author provides a brief overview of the history of this industry and tax issues CPAs and cons ...

to Your Differentiation Strategy Among executives in the accounting and finance firms, creating and implementing a relevant differentiation strategy continues to be a struggle—however, this does not have to be the case. At its simplest, creating and implementing a differentiation strategy is a five-step process. In this article, Dr. Frederiksen describes these steps. ...

Alexa Voice AI Makes Conversational Valuation Possible What if your valuation reports could have a two-way conversation with your clients? How would that improve the usability of your work product? Could it increase the value of your firm’s intellectual capital? In this, the author discusses how Alexa Voice AI can deliver a calculation report to a client. ...

and Communications If readers accept the premise that technology is here to stay, then the flip phone is our reminder of what can be lost without complete and comprehensive communication. In this article, the author shares five reasons for regretting the loss of the “flip phone” to newer technology and cautions readers to the perils that new technology pose to our ability to communicate. ...

SSFS 1 Announced at AICPA FVS Conference The AICPA just announced the upcoming Statement on Standards for Forensic Services (SSFS 1) engagements. In this article, C. Zachary Meyers offers readers a sneak peek into the three key areas of interest. ...

Obtaining Adequate Information in Small Business Valuations As valuation professionals, one of the challenges we face in valuing small businesses is the quality of the financial information provided by the subject company. The NACVA professional standards require members to exercise due professional care and obtain sufficient relevant data to prepare a conclusion, recommendation, or position. In this articl ...

The Expert Witness Exchange In this article, the Expert Witness Exchange discusses expert witness employment opportunities for CVAs and how to get noticed by attorneys. ...