FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
Lauren M. Kurtz, Esq., Editor
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FEBRUARY 12 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT ARTICLES FOR THE BULLETIN
If you're interested in writing an article for the Spring 2024 issue of the Tax Section Bulletin, we want you! Articles are a minimum of 500 words on topics of interest to Florida tax attorneys. The next issue deadline is Monday, February 12, so if you have a topic to be considered for publication, please email Lisa Gallagher or Christy Whittemore.
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FEBRUARY 21 FREE CLE FOR TAX SECTION MEMBERS
Back by popular demand, please join us on February 21 at noon for the 2024 Heckerling Update by Mark R. Brown and Christopher C. Weeg of Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun LLP. This presentation will cover highlights from the 58th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning held January 8-12 in Orlando. There will be important estate planning and tax updates that affect your practice, including discussions of new cases, rules and regulations, and IRS rulings.
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Course number 8206 is approved for 1 CLE and 1 certification credit each in Tax Law and Wills, Trusts, & Estates. Tax Section members register free of charge. Non-section members register for only $75, which includes section membership. | |
TAX SECTION 2024 ANNUAL MEETING: ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS | |
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Registration opens soon for the Tax Section Annual Meeting. The tentative schedule is below; we hope to see you in the Bahamas!
Thursday, May 2: Directors’ Committee Meeting and Dinner
Friday, May 3: CLE and Chair’s Welcome Reception
Saturday, May 4: Division, Committee, and Executive Council Meetings
Surrounded by the bluest ocean and five miles of private white-sandy beaches, Atlantis Paradise Island invites you to experience an unrivaled array of unforgettable water and marine adventures, exciting activities, world-class dining, and so much more.
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HELP US NAME THE PAST CHAIRS COMMEMORATIVE CUP | |
Former Tax Section chairs with 2022-2023 Chair Mark R. Brown. From the left are William R. Lane, Jr., Harris L. Bonnette, Jr., Janette M. McCurley, Michael D. Minton, Brown, Cristin C. Keane, Joel D. Maser, D. Michael O’Leary, and Michael A. Lampert. | |
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Please suggest a name for the cup that commemorates former Tax Section chairs. The Tax Section celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022. During the Organizational Meeting at Amelia Island, 2022-2023 Chair Mark R. Brown unveiled a cup that holds individual plaques for each member who has served as chair since the section was organized in 1952. The cup is a visual reminder of the section's history and honors the service of each former chair. It is updated annually before the organizational meeting and is a special section tradition.
We want to honor this tradition with a name for the cup that reflects its importance. Please email your ideas to Program Administrator Whitney Bledsoe at wbledsoe@floridabar.org.
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11TH ANNUAL FLORIDA TAX INSTITUTE (NON-SECTION EVENT)
Join your Tax Section colleagues in Tampa on February 14-16 for the 11th Annual Florida Tax Institute. The 3-day conference features programming devoted to individual income tax, entity tax, and estate planning. The Institute will draw attorneys, trust officers, accountants, insurance and financial planners, and planned-giving professionals from across Florida and the United States and will build on the exceptional success of the previous conferences. REGISTER
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The Florida Tax Institute is sponsored by the Florida Tax Education Foundation, Inc., with proceeds to benefit the University of Florida Levin College of Law Graduate Tax Program. | |
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JUDGES NEEDED: NATIONAL TAX MOOT COURT COMPETITION
For more than 30 years, The Florida Bar Tax Section has hosted an annual National Tax Moot Court Competition to invite law students from across the country to demonstrate their written brief and oral argument skills. Participation in the competition provides law students with excellent opportunities to sharpen their skills and to network with attorneys from across Florida.
The competition consists of three preliminary rounds, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, consolation, and final rounds.
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Members of The Florida Bar Tax Section serve as judges for preliminary oral argument rounds, while United States Tax Court judges hear the final and consolation round arguments.
Judges are needed for the Preliminary Round 1 (March 7 from 8:15 AM to 12:15 PM), and Preliminary Round 4 (March 8 from 12:45 to 4:45 PM).
If you are interested in serving as a judge, please email Professor Brooke J. Bowman at bowman@law.stetson.edu.
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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: BUSINESS VALUATION ANALYSTS
Business Valuation Analysts, LLC concentrates its professional services in the valuation of private businesses and business interests for two broad purposes, valuations prepared for federal tax and corporate transactional purposes.
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BVA focuses its efforts on providing services that best meet the needs of its clients.
The company was founded in 2007 and has had successful completion of over 1,500 engagements. BVA’s work is routinely accepted by governmental agencies such as the IRS, and preeminent law and accounting firms across the country. The company offers broad industry experience and has assisted hundreds of clients and professional advisors. BVA professionals frequently present and publish on the topic of business valuation. For more information, please contact BVA President and Senior Analyst Timothy K. Bronza at tbronza@bvanalysts.com or (407) 599-2825.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
February 21: FREE CLE for section members. 2024 Heckerling Update by Mark R. Brown and Christopher C. Weeg of Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun LLP. REGISTER
March 7–9: Tax Section National Tax Moot Court Competition. Live at Stetson University College of Law.
May 2–5: Tax Section Annual Meeting at Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas (includes CLE).
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TAX SECTION PLANS TRIP TO D.C.
To continue providing members opportunities to broaden their scope of knowledge and have an impact on Federal legislation and regulations, Section Chair-elect Mark Scott has decided to take the Tax Section back to Washington, DC. The trip to D.C. is scheduled for April 22–27, 2025, and is appropriate since many Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax provisions will sunset, resulting in significant financial ramifications to taxpayers.
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Similar to the Section’s last visit to DC, we plan to meet with the IRS, DOJ, Treasury, Tax Court, and members of the Florida Congressional delegation.
A substantive committee, chaired by Steve Hadjilogiou, includes Michael Minton, Mitch Horowitz, Fred Murray, Mike Wilson, Adam Smith, and Mark Scott. The committee is currently meeting and looking for individuals interested in participating in the substantive planning, including identifying code sections and regulations that can be further researched and vetted, and developing white papers and talking points to discuss with the relevant groups and individuals in DC. If you would like to participate, please contact Steve Hadjilogiou (steveh@mwe.com), or any committee member mentioned above.
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If you have health and wellness content that we can post to the website, use in the newsletter, and share on social media, please email Patricia Carbone at patricia@carbonelawpa.com. | |
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NEW TAX LAWYERS FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE: APPLY NOW
The New Tax Lawyers Committee awards fellowships to new tax lawyers who are members of the Tax Section to provide an annual financial subsidy of up to $2,500 to attend Tax Section meetings and events. Learn more here.
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ONLINE SEMINARS AND DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO, 24/7 THROUGH FLORIDA BAR INREACH
Looking for some great Tax Law CLE? Check out the InReach catalog of courses. We’ve even created an easy-to-remember link—bit.ly/Tax_CLE—that takes you straight to Tax programs.
Here are some links to a few of our recent presentations:
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- (7899) Estate and Tax Planning with Closely Held Businesses
- (7162) Carried Interest Estate Planning for Fund Principals and Private Equity
- (6849) Taxation of Business Deals and M&A Transactions
- (6217) Real Estate Tax Conference
- (6377) Essential Planning Now for the Clawback
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FREE ZOOM CLE ON YOUTUBE
The Tax Section's monthly free CLE series is a benefit of your section membership. The programs are recorded on Zoom so you can watch them at any time.
Here are the latest additions to the section's YouTube Channel:
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- (8204) Navigating Burnout and High Conflict People for Professionals
- (8196) Outbound Tax Planning for Closely Held Businesses
- (7669) Tax Lien Remedies
- (7667) Social Security Disability Insurance & Medicaid
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(7665) Cross-Border Divorces in a Post-Tax-Reform World
- (6591) Dead But Not Done: Post-Mortem Planning
- (7661) FBAR Penalties After Bittner v. United States
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FLORIDA BAR JOURNAL AUTHORS NEEDED
If you’re interested in writing an article for The Florida Bar Journal, please email Charlotte Erdmann at charlotte@erdmannlaw.com to discuss your proposed topic.
Here are the Bar Journal submission guidelines.
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BE A PRESENTER
Free CLE is a benefit of membership in the Tax Section, and we need your help to continue providing excellent programming. If you volunteer, you'll present on Zoom.
Interested? Please email Zoom CLE Chair Jennifer A. Migliori at JMigliori@duanemorris.com or call her at (305) 960-2235.
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TAX SECTION HALL OF CHAMPIONS PODCAST SERIES
The Tax Section's Hall of Champions podcast series is free on Stitcher, Libsyn, and Google and Apple podcasts.
The purpose of the interview series is to "record and preserve the wisdom of those lawyers who have meant so much to the development of tax law and policy in Florida." Each of the episodes features a tax attorney who has served in a leadership role in the section or who has won the Gerald T. Hart Outstanding Tax Attorney of the Year.
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TAX PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES
Florida's Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) assist low-income taxpayers with IRS controversies, including, collections, liability disputes and Tax Court petitions. Studies show that representation significantly increases positive outcomes for low-income taxpayers. If you are interested in representing a low-income taxpayer, please contact the LITC nearest you.
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Volunteers needed for the U.S. Tax Court Pro Bono Calendar Call Program. The program is designed to have local tax practitioners volunteer their time to pro se taxpayers during calendar call sessions without entering their names as the attorneys of record. If you are interested in participating in the Calendar Call Program, please contact a Tax Section member listed below. | |
There are also opportunities to volunteer during "Settlement Days," held a few weeks prior to calendar call. During a "Settlement Day," pro bono practitioners work with a petitioner to try and resolve a case with representatives from the IRS Office of Appeals and IRS Chief Counsel. Neither opportunity requires you to file an appearance in Tax Court if you do not wish to represent the petitioner before the Court. | |
You received this email because you are a member of the Tax Section of The Florida Bar or you have an affiliation with our section. You may click below at any time to unsubscribe. | | |
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