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We have heard a lot about large, publicly-traded U.S. corporations that have parked trillions of dollars overseas to avoid the payment of U.S. income tax. We have heard how the tax system must be seriously broken to have so incentivized so many of these corporations to “relocate” overseas.
Continue Reading Reporting A Closely Held U.S. Corporation’s Overseas Activities

Having worked with many families in the administration of their loved ones’ estates, I can report anecdotally that over the last decade, tax-deferred retirement assets have constituted an ever-increasing share of individual wealth, even for those estates that fall below the estate tax exemption amount. Such tax-deferred assets come in many different forms; some of…

The owners of closely-held businesses are among the greatest benefactors of charitable organizations in this country. Although their contributions to charity are usually effectuated through the transfer of cash or marketable securities, it is often the case that the only asset available to satisfy an owner’s charitable inclinations is his or her interest in the…

It Happens All The Time

A business owner dedicates every waking moment to the growth and well-being of the business. Invariably, the owner is motivated, in no small part, by the desire to provide for his or her family. After years of effort, and maybe some luck, the business succeeds. The owner and his or…

The Goals

The owners of interests in closely-held businesses have long sought out ways by which they can remove the future appreciation of such interests from their gross estates for estate tax purposes, but without incurring gifts taxes and income taxes.

One popular method to achieve these goals has been the sale of the closely-held…

In today’s cautionary tale, we hear about a doctor, his self-directed simplified employee pension (“SEP”) individual retirement account (“IRA”), the investment of IRA funds in a business, and the consequences of crossing over the perilous line between “direction” and “control.”

The Facts

Dr. V., an anesthesiologist, ran a medical practice with three partners (the…

The employee-owner of a corporate business will sometimes ask his or her tax adviser, “How much can I pay myself out of my corporation?”

The astute tax adviser may respond, “First of all, you are not paying yourself. The corporation is a separate entity from you, its shareholder. That being said, the corporation can pay…

There is nothing like an old proverb to remind you of the obvious. Unfortunately, too many taxpayers need to be reminded all too often. It’s one thing when the reminder comes from the taxpayer’s own advisers – at that point, the taxpayer may still have an opportunity to “correct” his or her actions. It is…