In a unanimous judgment, the UK Supreme Court has given final confirmation that VAT incurred on adviser fees connected with an exempt share sale is not recoverable, endorsing the Court of Appeal’s strict application of the “direct and immediate link” test. The decision brings finality to an area that had…

I.          Introduction

On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) and the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) published final regulations (the “Final Regulations”) and proposed regulations (the “Proposed Regulations”) under section 892.[1] The Final Regulations finalize, with modifications…

I.          Introduction

Should courts respect a transaction for tax purposes, when it otherwise complies with the technical requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations? When should a court take the next step and consider the economic substance of a transaction and its motivations?

In two highly-awaited court decisions…

Earlier this year, a New York City Administrative Law Judge found that the taxpayers’ sale of a tenancy-in-common (“TIC”) interest in real estate qualified for section 1031 “like-kind exchange” treatment even though the underlying property had been owned that very same day by a partnership, which distributed the…

I. Introduction

On October 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) and the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued proposed regulations (the “Proposed Regulations”) that would helpfully revoke the current “look-through rule” for domestic C corporation shareholders to determine whether a “real…

On September 10, 2025, California’s Franchise Tax Board (“FTB”) adopted final regulations (“Final Regulations”) amending the rules regarding market-based sourcing for sales other than sales of tangible personal property.  This brings to an end the FTB’s long-running process toward formally adopting the amendments first approved in…

Compensation is generally subject to federal income tax and FICA tax when compensation is actually paid to an employee. However, nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) may be subject to FICA taxation before federal income taxation under a FICA tax special timing rule. The scope of NQDC subject to FICA taxation is…

On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the District Court decision holding that the Mayo Clinic is entitled to an $11.5 million refund of certain unrelated business income taxes imposed on it due to it being an “educational organization” under section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii).[1]…

I. Introduction

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Act”) into law.[1] The Act is similar to the Senate Finance Committee’s draft legislative text (the “SFC Bill”) (released on June 16, 2025), with several modifications and omissions. The Act’s key differences from…