Anchor Savings Bank v. United States
Court finalizes damages award to Winstar bank by adopting plaintiff’s projected tax liability on damages related to government’s breach of contract and by ordering an additional gross up award “to make plaintiff whole.”
K.T. v. M.T.
Appeals court affirms trial court’s ruling finding that, without noncompete from owner-spouse, under FMV standard, financial advisor’s solo practice fetches only net book value of its tangible assets; most of value lies in owner-spouse’s personal goodwill ...
In re Marriage of Hartung
Court rejects income approach for valuing interest in business with low bar of entry and few repeat customers; court also says asset-based valuation following Section 179 tax treatment understates true value of the company and requires upward adjustment.
Tax Court Tacitly Approves of IRS Solvency Assessment
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.
Fox v. CDx Holdings
Chancery says major accounting firm’s merger-related appraisal represents “new low”; to achieve client’s goal of zero corporate tax liability, firm abandoned sound prior approaches and simply copied another accounting firm’s report and called it its own.
Tri Cnty. Wholesale Distribs. v. Labatt USA Operating Co. LLC
Court uses hybrid approach to quantify diminished value in business resulting from franchisees’ loss of beer brands; it means determining FMV of franchise contracts by way of DCF and adding loss in value of other assets directly related to loss of brands.
Valuators in Taking Case Disagree Over Measure of Damages
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.
What Role for Revenue Ruling 59-60 Factors in Valuing Closely Held Business?
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.
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.
Averaging Multiple Appraisals Yields Most Reliable FMV
In ESOP case, court finds trustees unreasonably relied on appraiser’s valuations and overpaid for company stock; court credits parties’ three experts equally and arrives at fair market value by averaging results from experts’ multiple calculations.
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.
Multimillion-Dollar Personal Goodwill Allocation Leaves Court Stunned
Court says defendants were unjustly enriched when they allocated 40% of the price a competitor paid for assets of and to settle lawsuit with their company to personal goodwill where they also received compensation for consulting services and noncompetes.
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.
Expert’s Tax Appraisal Weathers Frontal Daubert Attack
Appeals court says tax tribunal did not abdicate its gatekeeper role under Rule 702 when admitting taxpayer expert’s appraisal, where the expert was qualified and used a reliable methodology; a searching inquiry into the underlying data was not necessary.
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.
High Valuations Complicate Division of Sizable Marital Estate
Appeals court affirms trial court’s above fair market value determinations regarding husband’s interests in various family businesses and the resulting equalization judgment but rejects trial court’s means with which to enforce payment of judgment.
Perez v. Bruister (I)
In ESOP case, court finds trustees unreasonably relied on appraiser’s valuations and overpaid for company stock; court credits parties’ three experts equally and arrives at fair market value by averaging results from experts’ multiple calculations.
Court Spotlights Lack of Control in Oil and Gas Interest Valuation
Appeals court affirms trial court’s discounting for lack of control and marketability in valuing oil and gas interests where trust’s ownership in interests was fractional and indirect and there was testimony regarding IRS’s estate tax discount rates.
A Time Limit on Use of Destruction of Business Method?
Court finds damages expert’s use of destruction of business method is not improper despite a four-year gap between the alleged offending conduct and the company’s demise, and it does not render his calculation inadmissible under Daubert.
Potok v. Rebh
Court says defendants were unjustly enriched when they allocated 40% of the price a competitor paid for assets of and to settle lawsuit with their company to personal goodwill where they also received compensation for consulting services and noncompetes.
Crider v. Crider
Appeals court affirms trial court’s above fair market value determinations regarding husband’s interests in various family businesses and the resulting equalization judgment but rejects trial court’s means with which to enforce payment of judgment.
B & L Development LLC v. City of Norton Shores
Appeals court says tax tribunal did not abdicate its gatekeeper role under Rule 702 when admitting taxpayer expert’s appraisal, where the expert was qualified and used a reliable methodology; a searching inquiry into the underlying data was not necessary.