When TurboTax Isn't Enough:                                                                       What the Huang Case Teaches About Reasonable Cause
Christine Concepcion Christine Concepcion

When TurboTax Isn't Enough: What the Huang Case Teaches About Reasonable Cause

In an increasingly digital world, many taxpayers turn to tax preparation software like TurboTax to file their returns. However, the recent case of Huang v. United States (N.D. Cal. 2025) highlights the risks of relying solely on software—especially for taxpayers with international reporting obligations.

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Protecting Attorney-Client Privilege in IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Submissions: The Role of Kovel Agreements
Christine Concepcion Christine Concepcion

Protecting Attorney-Client Privilege in IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Submissions: The Role of Kovel Agreements

The IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures (which includes the Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures and the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures) offer a critical path to compliance for taxpayers who failed to report foreign financial assets but whose conduct was non-willful. While these procedures provide relief from certain penalties, the decision to come forward is often accompanied by sensitive discussions about intent, omissions, and timing—issues that could be pivotal if the IRS challenges the non-willfulness assertion. This raises an essential question: how do we protect those communications during the disclosure process?

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Part II: An In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Tax Implications for Usufruct Arrangements
Christine Concepcion Christine Concepcion

Part II: An In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Tax Implications for Usufruct Arrangements

Estate planning in many civil law jurisdictions often involves splitting full property ownership into two distinct parts: the right to use and enjoy the property (the usufruct) and the underlying legal title (the bare ownership). Although this method serves both tax and non‐tax objectives abroad, it poses unique challenges under U.S. tax law, where there is no direct counterpart to these civil law concepts. U.S. tax authorities therefore frequently draw analogies—comparing the arrangement to gifts of future interests, testamentary bequests, foreign trusts, or even joint tenancies—to determine its tax treatment.

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Lindy Nowak Lindy Nowak

The One Big, Beautiful Bill: What the 2025 Tax Reform Means for Businesses, Employees, and Investors

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”, a sweeping 2025 tax reform package that redefines the U.S. tax landscape. From new business deductions to expanded health savings account (HSA) eligibility and revised international tax enforcement, this bill has major implications for businesses, employees, and investors.

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Lindy Nowak Lindy Nowak

Corporate Transparency Act Update: Unenforceable Against Only Certain Businesses

In 2021, Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) as part of an anti-money-laundering initiative. The CTA mandates that all entities formed or registered to do business in the US (“Reporting Companies”) and all foreign entities registered to do business in any state, unless exempt, must disclose their beneficial ownership to the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).

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