Estate planning can be a risky business. Some of those risks were on full display in a recent tax case, Nelson v. Comm'r. Read more >>

When Michael Jackson died, his image and likeness was besmirched and yet, once competent executors took charge, they were able to make a lot of money for the estate in the immediate post-death years. The issue was to what extent this subsequent development could factor into the image-and-likeness valuation. In explaining his high valuation, the IRS’ expert offered a theory of “foreseeable opportunities” that the U.S. Tax Court found unpersuasive. Read more >>

The conference season is well underway, and Business Valuation Update has been on the virtual road, collecting the latest insights on a wide variety of topics. Here are some interesting takeaways from the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) Business Valuation and Litigation Services Conference, held May 17. Topics included emerging issues (SPACs, cryptocurrency, Zoom as a practice-builder) and some new perspectives on evergreen topics (estate valuations, cannabis, distressed firms, and collaborations). Read more >>

In the long-running litigation between the estate of the late megastar Michael Jackson and the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Tax Court recently issued its opinion on the value of Jackson’s image and likeness, as well as the value of his interest in two music publishing assets. Overall, this much-anticipated decision is a major win for the Jackson estate. The court’s momentous decision includes an expansive analysis of the rivaling valuation testimony. Read more >>

One of the key takeaways from the recent ENGAGE 2020 conference sponsored by the AICPA was one of particular interest to business valuers. “The pandemic has created some temporary financial planning opportunities,” says Steve Siegel, JD, LLM, president of The Siegel Group. “If you have a client who plans to pass their business along to a child one day—while business values are low, this is a useful time to get a new business appraisal. If you wait, values may recover, and federal tax laws may be less generous to business owners seeking to transfer their interests to family members.” Read more >>

One aspect that has valuators excited about the Kress v. United States gift tax case is that the federal court that ruled on the taxpayers’ challenge to the IRS’s gift tax assessment accepted valuations from both parties’ experts that applied a C corporation tax rate to value minority shares in an S corporation. Read more >>

Comments are due by Aug. 7, 2017 on an IRS notice that puts the proposed Section 2704 regs on the chopping block. Read more >>

In an estate and gift tax case, the U.S. Tax Court recently sided with the Internal Revenue Service when the court found the value of assets transferred from the decedent to a family limited partnership was includible in the value of the decedent’s gross estate. The real surprise lay in the court's decision to propose a new way of calculating the includible amount. Read more >>

A recent Tax Court case rejects an appraiser's valuation of an estate asset, and the undervaluation is enough to normally trigger penalties under IRC Section 6695A. Read more >>

BV experts take the stand in a high-stakes Tax Court case that pits the IRS against the estate of Michael Jackson. Read more >>

For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the late actor Peter Cushing was “digitally resurrected” and appears as the future Death Star commander. Some stars are now taking action, such as having themselves scanned, so they, too, can provide for their heirs when they’re in the hereafter and enhance the value of their right of publicity. Read more >>

Social media, audiobooks, music and video files, bitcoin, and other digital assets pose estate planning and valuation challenges, explains a new paper. A handy checklist is also provided. Read more >>

IRS and Treasury officials on the hearing panel felt compelled to make a few remarks in response to the strong concerns of valuation experts, attorneys, wealth planners, and family business owners who testified. Read more >>

Over the past week, over 100 new comments have been submitted to the IRS about the controversial proposed Section 2704 regs designed to rein in estate tax valuations. That brings the total comments to almost 200, but it's hoped that many more will come in before the due date of November 2. Read more >>

At the ASA Advanced Business Valuation Conference last week in Boca Raton, Fla., valuation practitioners told us that they are seeing an increase in valuation engagements triggered by the proposed Section 2704 regulations. They expect the increased business to gain steam as the regs continue to sink in with attorneys, wealth planners, and clients. Read more >>

The accounting, valuation, and legal professions are hard at work to defeat the Treasury Department's proposed Section 274 regulations. The new regs would curtail, if not entirely eliminate, valuation discounts in family-controlled entities. Read more >>

Well-crafted comments can change the course of the controversial proposed IRC Section 2704 regs designed to curb estate valuation discounts. There's a concern that, if these regs are finalized as proposed, the federal government will go after valuation discounts in other contexts. Comments are due by November 2, and there's a public hearing in Washington on December 1. Read more >>

In an estate tax dispute that has lasted for over five years, the Tax Court recently revalued the decedent’s minority interest in an Oregon family business by order of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The recalculation proved a boon to the taxpayer. Read more >>

The Treasury has released long-awaited proposed IRC Section 2704 regulations designed to curb estate valuation discounts. It appears that the proposed regulations eliminate almost all minority discounts for closely held entity interests, including operating businesses owned by a family. The proposed regs have triggered a strong response from the valuation community, legal profession, and others. Read more >>