Registration & Continental Breakfast

Just Bloggin’: A Year in Review

MC Talks Tax—Ever heard of it? Well, you should have. Since March of 2015, Meadows Collier attorneys have been blogging about the latest and greatest developments and points of interest in the world of tax. This presentation will review and dig deeper into the most significant—or just plain interesting—blog posts over the past year. Topics will include new IRS guidance, court decisions, legislative changes, and other developments in the federal tax world. Those of you interested in only Texas tax matters, feel free to hit the snooze button and arrive to the conference late. Is this a shameless plug, an invitation to stay on top of current events, or both? You make the call.

Speaker:
Anthony P. Daddino, J.D.

Criminal Tax: Crossing the Line—Tax Avoidance v. Tax Evasion

This presentation will cover recent trends in criminal tax enforcement and the distinction between civil versus criminal tax enforcement

Speakers:
Michael A. Villa, Jr., J.D., LL.M.
R. Damon Rowe, J.D., LL.M.

Break

Top Tax Tips for Estate Administration

Executors are often thrown into the fire and face many difficult decisions. Actions (or inactions) on the part of the executor could have significant implications on the estate and its beneficiaries. Other decisions could subject the executor to personal liability. This presentation will cover some of the many decisions facing an executor and his or her advisors during an estate administration and provide helpful tips to avoid some common (and perhaps costly) mistakes.

Speakers:

Alan K. Davis, J.D., CPA
Eric D. Marchand, J.D., LL.M.

Here, There and Everywhere: Beatles Song or Texas Franchise Tax Apportionment? 

The apportionment factor continues to be perhaps the most significant source of controversy in Texas franchise tax. The Texas Supreme Court’s decision in the SiriusXM case earlier this year has resulted in the Comptroller issuing proposed revisions to Rule 3.591. This presentation will discuss these and other recent developments impacting Franchise Tax Apportionment. This presentation will also discuss potential opportunities and pitfalls for taxpayers and practitioners to consider in analyzing apportionment issues.

Speakers:
David E. Colmenero, J.D., LL.M., CPA
Alex J. Pilawski, J.D.

Lunch Presentation

Guess Who’s Back? The Latest and Greatest from the IRS Trenches

With the recent substantial increase in IRS funding, all IRS divisions are primed for increased levels of activity. We have seen first-hand the IRS’s renewed commitment to fulfilling their mission. This presentation will focus on practical observations and tips relating to current IRS activity and expected future IRS efforts in IRS examination, appeals, and litigation.

Speakers:
Josh O. Ungerman, J.D., CPA
Mary E. Wood, J.D.

Lunch provided for only in-person conference participants. However, the lunch
presentation is provided for all conference attendees both in-person and webcast.

Estate Planning: Current Developments and Updates

This presentation will discuss the current environment of wealth transfer planning, including notable case law, recent applicable legislative changes, and ways that you can provide value to your clients in light of continued uncertainty in this area of tax law.

Speaker:
Jana L. Simons, J.D., LL.M., CFP®

Section 1202 Gain Exclusion from the Sale of Qualified Small Business Stock–Potential Opportunities and Pitfalls

This presentation discusses Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code, which potentially enables taxpayers to permanently exclude for federal income tax purposes the gain recognized from sales of qualified small business stock. Specifically, this presentation discusses the many requirements and limitations that must be addressed in order to fully utilize the Section 1202 exclusion. This presentation also focuses on important planning opportunities that exist for maximizing eligibility for the Section 1202 exclusion, as well as how to navigate around the traps that could eliminate the Section 1202 benefit altogether.

Speakers:
Stephen A. Beck, J.D., LL.M.
Annie E. McGinnis, J.D., LL.M.

Break

Crime and Punishment: An Update on Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties and IRS Enforcement Trends

Tax problems can go from bad to worse when the IRS proposes stiff civil penalties on top of any additions to tax—or worse, pursues criminal charges. Unfortunately for taxpayers, Congress has empowered the IRS with an extensive tool chest of penalties and crimes to wield against taxpayers in nearly every situation. But the IRS often overreaches on penalties, proposing penalties in cases where they do not apply or should not apply. For this reason, taxpayers and tax professionals should have a general understanding of penalties and when to push back. Additionally, the IRS has announced new criminal enforcement initiatives that practitioners should be familiarized with. This presentation offers a practical overview of common penalties and tax crimes, their application, IRS procedural requirements, and what defenses may be available to taxpayers. It discusses not only the “what", but the “how" when it comes to penalty and criminal defense. The presentation also provides an update on recent administrative and case law developments concerning penalties, tax crimes, and IRS enforcement trends this past year.

Speakers:
Paul M. Budd, J.D., LL.M.
Ryan C. Dean, J.D., LL.M.

Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets: A White Collar and Tax Overview

Cryptocurrency has now been around for over a decade and is likely here to stay. More taxpayers own cryptocurrency or other digital assets each passing year, and institutional money is still flowing into the sector. Despite this fact, Congress and the IRS have been slow to introduce guidance to help taxpayers navigate their compliance obligations. As a result, many taxpayers may have compliance deficiencies. While most people aim to meet their compliance obligations, other people may have no desire to report their cryptocurrency transactions to the IRS. The IRS is aware of this and is prioritizing enforcing the tax laws against those people. This presentation will provide an introduction to digital assets (including cryptocurrency) and some real world uses for blockchain technology. The presentation will also provide a legislative update, a discussion of related income tax and compliance considerations, and updates on government enforcement initiatives

Speakers:
R. Damon Rowe, J.D., LLM.
Jeffrey M. Glassman, J.D., LL.M.