01/13/2010 - SEC Adopts Amendments to Custody Rule
On December 30, 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) formally published amendments to Rule 206(4)-2 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Custody Rule”). The Custody Rule is designed to increase protections for clients and investors who turn their assets over to an investment adviser registered with the SEC, and it imposes significant new regulatory requirements on advisers with custody of client assets.

06/26/2009 - FURTHER UPDATE: IRS Extends FBAR Filing Deadline in Limited Circumstances
We recently alerted clients to the looming FBAR filing deadline of June 30, 2009. The IRS has now provided a limited extension of the deadline until September 23, 2009 FOR SOME—BUT NOT ALL—TAXPAYERS. 

06/24/2009 - Foreign Account Holders and Persons with Authority over Foreign Accounts – BEWARE! The June 30th U.S. Filing Deadline May Apply to You
Pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, certain U.S. persons are required to disclose information related to foreign financial accounts in which or over which they maintain an interest or some level of control. This information is disclosed by filing Form TD F 90-22.1, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. (This Treasury Department form is commonly referred to as an “FBAR”). The FBAR, which reports a taxpayer’s foreign financial accounts held or controlled during the 2008 calendar year, must be filed by June 30, 2009 (no extension is available) with the U.S. Department of Treasury. The purpose of this Alert is to provide a summary of the scope of an FBAR (including the recent revisions to this form) to assist our clients in complying with the stringent reporting requirements and avoid the onerous penalties relating to the failure to timely file this form.

05/07/2009 - Weathering the Storm: Modifying Your Company’s Debt: Tax Trap or Treasure?
Debtors increasingly are requesting that their creditors modify the terms of their debts because of difficulty or inability to service their debts in accordance with the debts’ existing terms. Faced with the prospect of debtor defaults and having to foreclose on property securing their loans causing the accrual of financial losses, creditors, too, often have an incentive to restructure debt to maximize their returns.

02/27/2009 - Guidance and Relief for Deferred Compensation Arrangements of Certain Foreign Corporations and Partnerships
The Internal Revenue Service has issued interim guidance on deferred compensation paid to U.S. taxpayers by certain foreign corporations and partnerships considered to be “tax-indifferent entities.” To read more about Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) Section 457A click here.

02/25/2009 - Weathering the Storm: Purchasing a Company’s Own Debt - The Tax Consequences May Surprise You
Recently, we have been approached by a number of companies that have expressed an interest in purchasing their own outstanding debt that, in many cases, is trading at a significant discount. While a debt acquisition (redemption) transaction may save cash for a company, unless one of the statutory exceptions is applicable, this type of transaction generally will result in the company immediately recognizing ordinary income. The purpose of this Alert is to provide a summary of the material federal income tax consequences associated with a company’s purchase of its own debt.

02/03/2009 - Legislation Requiring Investment Fund Registration Introduced in the U.S. Senate
On January 29, 2009, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Carl Levin (D-Michigan) introduced the Hedge Fund Transparency Act of 2009 (the “Act”) in the United States Senate with the stated purpose of imposing more extensive regulatory oversight of hedge funds. However, the bill is not limited to hedge funds; it generally would apply to, and dramatically impact, all private funds (including private equity and venture capital funds) that rely on an exemption from registration under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Company Act”).¹

Paying for the Bailout by Currently Taxing Offshore Deferrals
Effective January 1, 2009, the ability of U.S. taxpayers to defer taxation on income earned from certain offshore entities will be severely restricted.

09/24/2008 - A State Government “Hammer” for Non-Paying Taxpayers
News alert that discusses the increase in state tax audits due to the current state revenue shortfalls. 

Texas Tax Reform is Imminent, Including a Possible Substantial Rewrite

07/28/2004 - SEC Proposes Rule Requiring Registration of More Hedge Fund Managers