Timothy H. Gillis’ Post

We are excited to announce that Robert C. Morris, co-leader of the tax practice at Norton Rose Fulbright, will be speaking at the 2025 STEP Orange County Conference, taking place on February 11-12 at Balboa Bay Resort. Rob is renowned for his expertise in tax controversy matters, representing clients through every stage of IRS interactions—from examinations and mediations to litigation in the U.S. Tax Court. His extensive practice also includes state tax disputes, transfer pricing issues, tax fraud allegations, and criminal tax charges. As a Certified Public Accountant and former “Big Four” accounting firm professional, Rob brings a comprehensive understanding of tax issues. Clients praise his “common-sense approach” and “fantastic, technically excellent” service. His reputation has earned him numerous accolades, including recognition in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, Texas Super Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America. At the 2025 STEP Conference, Rob will provide invaluable insights into navigating complex audits for high-net-worth families, offering both a legal and practical perspective. Key Topics Rob Morris Will Cover: - “Audits from Hell” – IRS examinations of high-net-worth families - What it’s like to face a Global High Wealth Audit from both the IRS and taxpayer perspectives - The impact of the IRS's Strategic Operating Plan and how current and projected funding will shape audits - Special challenges in GHW audits, including corporate jet usage and other high-net-worth audit issues - Partnership audits—past, present, and key considerations at the outset of a BBA audit - Managing statute of limitations, resolving audits, and leveraging alternative dispute resolution methods Rob’s session is a must-attend for those looking to better understand the intricacies of IRS audits and tax law. Don’t miss out—register now to secure your spot! Register here: https://lnkd.in/g-6TW-yb Conference Dates: February 11-12, 2025 Venue: Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach, CA #Audit #HighWealthAudit #IRS #GHWaudits #PartnershipAudits #STEPOC #taxcontroversy #ContinuedEducation

Greenberg Traurig Tax Practice Co-Chair G. Michelle Ferreira will speak on the San Francisco Tax Club program “Privilege Protections and Ethical Issues in Attorney-Accountant Collaboration" Sept. 19. The program will cover attorney-client and -work product privilege and ethical issues regarding collaborations between accountants and lawyers in audit matters. Ferreira will also discuss other ethical issues that arise out of working with both the legal and accounting fields. Read the firm press release here: https://buff.ly/47mE7lV. #Tax #TaxLaw #GTLawWomen

Check out Janette's Women's History Month Q&A spotlight below!

Check out Janette's Women's History Month Q&A spotlight below!

💡 Insightful Expertise on Taxation Law from the University of Dayton's Sarah Webber 💡 The recent Texas court ruling halting the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act has left many small business owners uncertain about what comes next. Fortunately, Sarah Webber, Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of Dayton, offers clarity on this complex issue. Drawing from her expertise in taxation law, Webber highlighted the challenges small businesses face, emphasizing the act’s well-intentioned goals and the practical difficulties of compliance. "We’ve seen similar issues with tax legislation before," Webber explained. "Accountants play a critical role in guiding business clients, but the burden often falls on owners to navigate these rules on their own." The University of Dayton School of Business Administration (SBA) is proud to be home to knowledgeable experts like Sarah Webber, who provide valuable insights into their fields and prepare students and businesses alike to navigate complex challenges. 📖 Read the full article below to learn more about her perspective and the potential impact on small businesses #TaxLaw #ExpertInsight #UDAccounting #CorporateTransparencyAct #UDSBA

A federal court ruled against the FTC and in favor of Ryan regarding a lawsuit filed last April, in which Ryan opposed the FTC's ban of non-competes. This is very interesting news for our industry. Non-competes have been a common tool used in industry for decades at this point and with somewhat mixed results. They are also coming up against serious challenges here nationally and at a state level - for example they are effectively not enforceable for employees in CA. As someone who has been in consulting his entire career and also a founder and leader of a consulting firm, I understand both sides off this argument. The firms point to high levels of compensation, the platform and support of a broader firm that was provided to these individuals, investment in recruiting and developing them, etc. The reality is that if people are not leaving simply for a non-compete, you have a talent and culture problem. In light of these legal developments but also market developments, some firms are taking aggressive actions with deferred compensation programs with major penalties for someone leaving to work for a competitor - even if this someone was forced into retirement...again the penalty approach is not one that I would recommend for a strong talent culture, but I do understand how large firms simply feel like they have to do this given the reality of their cultures. I look forward to watching how this all plays out on the legal and cultural side of our industry. #FTC #culture #courtruling #federalcourt #talent #businessservices #consulting

“We’ve saved so much time!” Thank you Teigan Risley from Leavitt Walmsley Associates Ltd (LWA). Chartered Certified Accountants for our glowing video testimonial! Leavitt Walmsley Associates previously used a client portal, but clients were always forgetting their login details which caused a lot of frustration. Since switching to Glasscubes, clients are sending information back much quicker. “It’s worked really well, it was really effective during the busy periods.” https://lnkd.in/eBSRbq9R If you would like to reduce your workload and meet deadlines quicker, take a look at our information request tool: https://lnkd.in/edVv6biB #accountancy #personaltax

New: Several Big Law firms are treating nonequity partners like real partners when it comes to taxes and healthcare costs. Even though they don't get a share of their firms' profits, these lawyers have to pick up the tab for Medicare, Social Security and other levies usually covered by employers. They get a K-1 tax form, rather than a W-2. The deal has already prompted lawsuits against Duane Morris LLP and Thompson Hine LLP. But Kirkland & Ellis — the country's largest law firm, which ushered in the nonequity partner trend — also uses the K-1 classification for those partners. So does Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. Firms that previously used the classification include A&O Shearman and McDermott Will & Emery, which decided to switch NEPs back to W-2 employees a few years ago. Justin Henry has more for Bloomberg Law.

We receive so many questions from business owners and tax payers asking what are the common triggers of IRS audits in California. Vanst Law LLP Partner and Tax Attorney Allison D.H. Soares, Esq. looks at the red flags in tax returns and other common scenarios that cause IRS audits. #VanstLawLLP #SanDiego #taxlaw #taxattorney #IRS #IRSaudit #audit

It’s out!!! Released and unredacted!! PwC Australia and Kevin Burrowes and Patricia Carney’s complaint about me to Wollongong University, for hurting CEO Kevin Burrowes’ feelings (I kid you not). Filed under bogus confidentiality provisions in March of this year, has finally been released. But not before I had to litigate at NCAT to get it released, unredacted. So instead of dealing with the tax scandal (partners committing treason by selling Australia’s tax secrets to multi-national tax evaders), or demands by Parliament that the firm stop lying and deceiving, or multiple AFP, ATO and Tax Practitioners Board investigations, the CEO tried to sik his lawyers on me, for quoting Neil Chenowyth in the The Australian Financial Review, who said he had a face like a resting bulldog. To be clear, I don’t blame Wollongong Uni. They were doing their best to uphold university protocols that allow for confidential complaints to be made. My colleagues in HR were magnificent in the manner in which they tried to negotiate the minefield laid by PwC. And they were fair and judicious and came with an open mind at every turn. I tip my hat to them. Nor do I have a beef with the Uni’s lawyers, Sparke Helmore Lawyers, who were a model of professionalism, courtesy and collegiality. They are a credit to the legal profession. But those protocols that allow for confidential complaints are intended to protect the weak and vulnerable against the mighty and powerful. For example, a tutor on a fixed-term contract, barely surviving on a meagre income, who observes an Executive Dean breaking the law, should be allowed to report what they’ve seen without fear of reprisals. PwC, being as unethical as they are, twisted that protocol to try to intimidate me. They, by implication, tried to cover themselves in confidentiality as the “weaker, vulnerable party”!!?? This is (or was, till they set fire to themselves), the biggest of the big four audit and assurance firms, with 1,000 partners and 6,000 employees, $3 billion in annual revenue (enough to make them an ASX top 20 company) with — and let me emphasise this — their own, internal law firm. Versus me!!?? And they’re the weaker party that desperately needs protection!!?? What this demonstrates is that they have learned nothing. They are immoral and amoral. They will twist the law to serve purposes that it was clearly never intended to. They will bully, lie, cheat, steal and betray whenever it suits them. They are a cancer. A malignant, weeping, supurating, puss-oozing, fetid, stinking tumour on the body politic. Facilitating tax evasion and destroying this country by turning it into an inequitable society that will eventually be at war with itself. Much like America, where they have form. Stay tuned, Michael West and Anthony Klan will shortly be publishing the unredacted complaint. You can then read it for yourself: a whinge without a cause…. That alone is probably worth millions in consulting fees!!