Bankruptcy Court Accepts Rationale for Tax Affecting
In a fraudulent transfer case involving S corp, court says valuation should reflect that buyers of S corps would experience a reduction in the value of the corporations' earnings because of the need to pay personal income taxes on those earnings.
High Company-Specific Risk Adjustment Distorts Valuation
In a buyout case, the court finds that, in reselling company, defendants undervalued rollover equity interest by double counting risks specific to the company in order to avoid triggering windfall provision in prior sales agreement favorable to plaintiff.
Use of Asset-Level Deductions Hinges on Business Strategy
State’s high court strikes down district court’s fair value determination, finding reliance on prior law prohibiting use of deductions was misguided where company pursued strategy of selling off real estate and other assets at time of triggering event.
Burtch v. Opus, LLC (In re Opus East, LLC) (I)
In Chapter 7 case, Bankruptcy Court finds trustee expert’s liquidation valuation fails to meet insolvency tests; court says expert’s substantial discounting of debtor’s assets is based on mistaken assumption and incompatible with going-concern valuation.
Kardash v. Commissioner (I)
In transferee liability case, solvency experts use gamut of valuation methods to establish when subject became insolvent; Tax Court does not endorse any one approach but appears to give nod to IRS market-based solvency analysis.
Gallo v. Gallo
Appeals court finds Ohio statute requires trial court to consider income from all sources in calculating spousal support and overrules Heller I to extent Heller imposes a flat prohibition against double dipping; mandate is to ensure fairness and equity.
9th Circuit Calls Tax Court Out Over ‘Imaginary Scenarios’
Ninth Circuit orders Tax Court to recalculate value of decedent’s minority interest in longtime family partnership owning timber assets because Tax Court accorded weight to NAV value based on “imaginary scenarios” that saw some possibility of liquidation.
In re Ancestry
In an appraisal action, Chancery says merger price stemming from robust sales process is best indicator of value; court’s own DCF valuation “is close to the market,” but problematic projections make it more suitable as a check on the sales-derived price.
Expert’s Solid DCF and Industry Research Sway Court
Court discredits respondent expert’s capitalization of earnings calculation and market-based analysis, noting “severe deficiencies” and instead adopts petitioner expert’s valuation but applies DLOM to entire equity value, not just goodwill.
J&M Distrib., Inc. v. Hearth & Home Techs., Inc.
Expert’s use of Revenue Ruling 59-60 for valuation of closely held business and for damages calculation does not render opinion inadmissible under Daubert, court says, noting that scope of revenue ruling goes beyond valuation of estate and gift taxes.
Freihage v. Freihage
Appeals court acknowledges impossibility of duplicating calculations underlying trial court’s valuation of husband’s LLC owning McDonald’s franchises but surmises result hinges on treatment of funds from family trust to LLC as debt, rather than equity.
Gift Tax Case Pivots on Key Assumption Informing Valuations
Taxpayer parents incurred gift tax liability when, based on improper valuations, they agreed to merge their S corp. with their sons’ S corp. and accepted an unduly low interest in the new company while sons received an unduly high interest, Tax Court says ...
Court Relies on DCF to Derive Value of ‘Sui Generis’ Company
NY court rejects comparable analyses to value “truly incomparable” beverage company and relies solely on DCF; court says the fact that expressions of interest to buy the company never became bona fide offers indicates liquidity risk and supports 25% DLOM.
Utah Resources International, Inc. v. Mark Technologies Corp.
State’s high court strikes down district court’s fair value determination, finding reliance on prior law prohibiting use of deductions was misguided where company pursued strategy of selling off real estate and other assets at time of triggering event.
Bank of America, N.A. v. Veluchamy (In re Veluchamy)
In a fraudulent transfer case involving S corp, court says valuation should reflect that buyers of S corps would experience a reduction in the value of the corporations' earnings because of the need to pay personal income taxes on those earnings.
City of Baton Rouge v. Jay’s Donuts, Inc.
Court deems expert’s discretionary cash flow analysis an appropriate formula for determining loss to owner of expropriated business but says compensation calculation may be based on other methods, including rule of thumb guide for selling donut shop.
Charron v. Sallyport Global Holdings, Inc.
In a buyout case, the court finds that, in reselling company, defendants undervalued rollover equity interest by double counting risks specific to the company in order to avoid triggering windfall provision in prior sales agreement favorable to plaintiff.
Estate of Giustina v. Commissioner (II)
Ninth Circuit orders Tax Court to recalculate value of decedent’s minority interest in longtime family partnership owning timber assets because Tax Court accorded weight to NAV value based on “imaginary scenarios” that saw some possibility of liquidation.
Industry Characteristics Bolster Reliance on Net Asset Value
In fight over plan confirmation, court finds nature of industry supports debtors’ reliance on net asset value approach to value Chapter 11 dry bulk shipper but not to the exclusion of more traditional methods; however, court rejects use of DCF.
Wright v. Irish (Hudson Valley Clean Energy, Inc.)
Court discredits respondent expert’s capitalization of earnings calculation and market-based analysis, noting “severe deficiencies” and instead adopts petitioner expert’s valuation but applies DLOM to entire equity value, not just goodwill.
Estate Valuation Can’t Ignore Historical Data, Tax Court Says
Tax court disapproves of estate’s “conflicting expert reports” as to value of decedent’s 100% interest in a C corp. but ultimately adopts estate’s DCF valuation, finding its treatment of personal goodwill is more credible than the IRS’s approach.
Use of Reliable Method Does Not Assure Admissibility
Appeals court finds trial court had discretion under Daubert to exclude expert testimony on future lost profits where expert used the “first mover advantage” as part of his DCF analysis to quantify damages and ended up with an unreliable method.