National Taxpayer Advocate Reports Grim Conditions Faced by US Filers Seeking Customer Service

With tax season just around the corner, the annual report from the National Taxpayer Advocate Service (“TAS”) is making headlines – for all the wrong reasons. This federally appointed office within the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) is responsible for assisting American taxpayers who are in burdensome, complex, and/or financially strenuous disputes with the IRS. In …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2015/01/national-taxpayer-advocate-reports-grim-conditions-faced-by-us-filers-seeking-customer-service/

Don’t Leave a Hole in Your Damages Timeline

The difficulty when calculating damages caused by production cutoffs was aptly demonstrated in TransPerfect Global, Inc. (“TransPerfect”) v. MotionPoint (“MotionPoint Corporation”), a recent case involving language translation patents. The fact that the jury award did not clearly describe the damage measurement adopted or period covered likely left significant damages on the table. During discovery, MotionPoint …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2015/01/dont-leave-a-hole-in-your-damages-timeline/

How Hollywood Sees “The Accountant”

As recently reported by Variety, a new Warner Brothers film will put a face to the role of average mild mannered accountant.  Apparently, he looks like Ben Affleck. Of course, this particular accountant also moonlights as an assassin.  As one might.  And presumably hangs out with Anna Kendrick (role undefined) and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (your run …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2015/01/who-hollywood-thinks-should-play-the-accountant/

Specialized Judges to Handle Complex Business / Commercial and Construction Litigation

Effective Jan. 1, 2015, the NJ Judiciary will be utilizing a Complex Business Litigation Program to address complex business, commercial and construction cases with damage calculations exceeding $200,000.  Cases with smaller damage calculations may otherwise qualify based on the complexity of legal or factual issues a large number of parties complex discovery issues, including large volumes of documents …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2015/01/specialized-judges-to-handle-complex-business-commercial-and-construction-litigation/

New Option Available for Accounting for Intangible Assets

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued new rules pertaining to accounting by private companies for identifiable intangible assets in a business combination, based on a consensus of the Private Company Council. Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-18, Business Combinations (Topic 805), was issued in December 2014. Under the new rules, an eligible entity is no …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2015/01/new-option-available-for-accounting-for-intangible-assets/

IRS Continues to Overpay Billions on the EITC

In accordance with Executive Order 13520, Reducing Improper Payments and Eliminating Waste in Federal Programs, Federal agencies are accountable for reducing improper payments while still providing access to beneficiaries.  The IRS estimates that the participation rate under the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was nearly 80 percent, but this comes at a high cost.  A recent …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2015/01/irs-continues-to-overpay-billions-on-the-eitc/

New Rules For Patent Royalties?

Royalty arrangements within patent licenses have long been constrained by an almost 50 year old Supreme Court decision in Brulotte v. Thys Co that prevents collection of royalties after a patent has expired. The Justices have now agreed to revisit the precedent set by that often-criticized ruling in a current case, Kimble v. Marvel Enterprises, …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/12/new-rules-for-patent-royalties/

Whistleblower Protection Has Limits

The efforts to encourage and protect whistleblowers have been wide-reaching. However there are differences between the rewards and the protections based on the agency and laws involved. A recent case entitled Gary Vander Boegh v. EnergySolutions, Inc. demonstrated that not all protections are equal. Mr. Vander Boegh had previously engaged in a range of protected …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/12/whistleblower-protection-has-limits/

Forty Under 40 Honored by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts

Forty “rising stars” in the field of business valuation and forensic accounting were recently honored by The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (“NACVA”). Following a nationwide examination of practitioners in the field, the NACVA named its “Forty Under 40” list of top, up-and-coming valuation experts. The honorees exemplified the founding principles of the NACVA, …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/12/forty-under-40-honored-by-the-national-association-of-certified-valuators-and-analysts/

A Fishy Application of the Sarbanes Oxley Act

The Supreme Court has been asked to decide the case of a commercial fisherman accused of harvesting fish too small to meet federal fishing guidelines.  The reason the highest court in the US will hear the case?  Federal prosecutors have applied provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in trying their case. The scope of such application is …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/12/a-fishy-application-of-the-sarbanes-oxley-act/