Business & Tax Blog

A recent ruling by the Florida Department of Revenue indicates when sales tax will be imposed on leasehold improvements required to be made by a tenant pursuant to a commercial lease. In Technical Assistance Advisement 13A-023, the Department concluded that such leasehold improvements would be considered rent subject to sales tax…

We have discussed a structuring technique real estate investors use to protect the lower-federal-income-tax-rate-long-term-capital-gain treatment of real estate gains, before property is converted to an active development purpose that creates higher-tax-rate income. The structuring requires property transfers and the use of multiple business entities, which decreases transparency for the government…

The Internal Revenue Code prescribes minimum imputed interest rates and time-value-of–money factors applicable to certain loan transactions and estate planning techniques. These rates are tied formulaically to market interest rates. The Internal Revenue Service updates these rates monthly. These are commonly applicable rates in effect for June 2014: Short Term AFR…

Governor Rick Scott recently signed legislation providing for three separate sales tax holidays in 2014 for purchases of hurricane supplies, school supplies, and energy-efficient appliances. The sales tax holiday for hurricane supplies runs from May 31 through June 8, 2014, and covers (a) portable self-powered light sources selling for $20…

In January we noted a new Tax Court case, Pool v. Commissioner, addressing the boundaries of a structuring technique real estate investors use to protect the lower-federal-income-tax-rate-long-term-capital-gain treatment of real estate gains, before property is converted to an active development purpose that creates higher-tax-rate income. Tax Court Sets Boundaries For Predevelopment Capital…