Summer 2014 Class Descriptions
Law of Tax Appraisals (Hon. David Laro)
3 credit(s), Standard Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Taxation (MSLS), LLM in Taxation (LLMT), Taxation (LLMC)
Students will learn about the dynamic and developing tax law as it pertains to the statutes, regulations, and cases relating to qualified appraisers, qualified appraisals, the strict versus substantial compliance doctrines, and the reasonable cause exception. Students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively evaluate appraisers and appraisals taxpayers and their counsel regularly utilize to support tax benefits in circumstances ranging from estates to business transactions. Currently pending in the U.S. Tax Court are approximately 200 cases involving alleged non-compliance with qualified appraiser/appraisal tax regulations. The government estimates that there are billions involved in lost revenue due to taxpayer non-compliance. Finally students will learn the IRS penalties imposed on taxpayers, their attorneys, and appraisers for non-compliance. Students are expected to write short memoranda and make a power point presentation in lieu of a final examination.