• QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Taxpayer Loss

    Lessons to be learned by Valuators from Cavallaro v. Commissioner Cavallaro v. Commissioner holds some valuable lessons for valuation experts. Following a tax-free merger of two companies owned between different family members, the children of the petitioners (and owners of one of the companies, pre-merger) received 81 percent of the stock in the merged entity. Differences arose between one set of accountants and Hale & Dorr, the law firm that assisted the founders with estate planning. The key issue was whether valuable technology was owned by the company controlled by the parents or the company owned by the children. The…

  • Case Law - QuickRead Featured

    Federal Case Law: Fifth Circuit and Tax Court Rule on Penalties, Charitable Deductions

    Fifth Circuit Disallows 40% Valuation Misjudgment Penalty, OKs 20% Negligence Penalty The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit disallows a 40% valuation misjudgment penalty in Bemont Invs., LLC v. United States, but affirms a Texas Court’s 20% negligence penalty.  Judge Goeke at the Tax Court draws distinctions on when charitable deductions are allowable in Dunlap v. Commissioner.

  • Case Law - QuickRead Featured

    Georgia Case Turns on Memorandum of Agreement Establishing Valuation Methodology

    More: A Case in Texas Turns on a Husband and Wife with Differing Appraisals of a Business That’s Declined in Value Peter Agrapides gathers recent federal cases bearing on valuation and family law. In Georgia, a county issues bonds to finance a regional warehouse built by the corporation; the parties agree to use a certain valuation methodology, and since agreement is mentioned in the lease, the Georgia Court of Appeals finds full compliance with that methodology is in fact part of the lease.