March 2007 Liability Suits Over Sales of Unclaimed Stocks Getting Past Dysfunction to Plan a Family Business’ Estate Unmined Gold for Your Clients: Location-Based Credits and Incentives Protecting and Preserving Wealth in Today’s Litigious Society Will the Democratic Majority Impact Tax Policy? Liability Suits Over Sales of Unclaimed Stocks All 50 states have unclaimed property laws governing the billions of dollars worth of escheat property held by each state. A potentially costly problem for businesses acting as holders arises when the owner claims his stock after it has been reported and remitted to the state, and the state has sold the stock. Josie Lowman and Phyllis J. Shambaugh take a closer look at holder liability and a pertinent California case in their article in Corporate Business Taxation Monthly. Read this article from Corporate Business Taxation Monthly Related publications of interest include: Unclaimed Property: Laws, Compliance and Enforcement Property Tax Alert U.S. Master Property Tax Guide Was this article useful? Send us your comments: CCH-FocusOnTax@cch.com Getting Past Dysfunction to Plan a Family Business’ Estate Estate planning for members of a family that owns a business together may appear to be a Pandora’s box waiting to spill resentment, bitterness and past feuds. Advisors may even want to seek out other professionals who can facilitate effective family communication that does not result in “Primal Scream Therapy.” David Lansky’s column in the Journal of Practical Estate Planning guides the professional and his clients toward stated goals and ground rules that can focus discussions on improving the future rather than rehashing the past.  Read this article from the Journal of Practical Estate Planning Related publications of interest include: Drafting the Estate Plan: Laws and Forms Price on Contemporary Estate Planning Practical Guide to Estate Planning Was this article useful? Send us your comments: CCH-FocusOnTax@cch.com Unmined Gold for Your Clients: Location-Based Credits and Incentives  “Location, location, location” has been the mantra of realtors since the beginning of time, yet millions of dollars in location-based tax incentives go unclaimed by professionals in the tax arena. The highly competitive California incentive credits market, for instance, has less than 10 percent of eligible businesses participating, while the participation level in most other states appears to be even lower. Yet Charles Swenson in a Journal of State Taxation article shows how with just a little education, tax attorneys, CPAs and corporate CEOs, CFOs and tax directors can quickly recognize the ease and value of utilizing location-based equipment credits, tax holidays, property tax breaks and perks available in enterprise zones in 39 states. Read this article from the Journal of State Taxation Related publications of interest include: Oil and Gas: Federal Income Taxation State Income Tax Alert Sales & Use Tax Alert Was this article useful? Send us your comments: CCH-FocusOnTax@cch.com Protecting and Preserving Wealth in Today’s Litigious Society In today’s litigious society, resting solely upon liability insurance for protection of your client’s wealth against personal liability claims may be a huge mistake given the exclusions and limits of some policies and the problem of predicting how much coverage is needed. Consequently, the prudent approach is to examine other planning solutions to fill in any possible protection gaps that might exist with liability insurance coverage. James P. Weller’s article in the Journal of Retirement Planning discusses the pros and cons of four wealth protection planning solutions that go beyond liability insurance:  1) family limited liability companies; 2) offshore trusts; 3) domestic wealth protection trusts; and 4) flexible spendthrift trusts. Read this article from the Journal of Retirement Planning Related publications of interest include: Wealth Management Library Asset Protection Planning Guide Wealth Management: A Concise Guide to Financial Planning and Investment Management for Wealthy Clients Was this article useful? Send us your comments: CCH-FocusOnTax@cch.com Will the Democratic Majority Impact Tax Policy? Tax and finance executives at Fortune 100 companies and U.S.-based multinationals believe the change in control of Congress will have a significant impact on tax policy for business in specific industries, according to a comprehensive new survey. Broad-based tax reform is probably not imminent, but 68% of respondents believe tax policy for business will be significantly impacted. Perceptions about how the change in control will affect tax policy vary according to industry. Take a look at how your fellow tax and business experts predict revenue raisers under the pay-as-you-go policy will hit corporations in this article in Executive's Tax & Management Report.  Read this article from the Executive's Tax & Management Report Related publications of interest include: Federal Tax Course Letter M&A Tax Report Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure Was this article useful? Send us your comments: CCH-FocusOnTax@cch.com Corporate Business Taxation Monthly Stay informed on key new business taxation developments Journal of Practical Estate Planning Valuable advice and practical insights from experienced estate planning practitioners to help you help your clients Journal of Retirement Planning Practical, timely information on one of the most important aspects of financial planning—packed with tips and techniques for optimizing your clients’ retirement goals Journal of State Taxation Guidance and workable solutions from leading tax specialists on how to reduce your company’s or client’s state and local tax liabilities Executive’s Tax & Management Report Wealth-building strategies plus late-breaking news Transfer Pricing Issues Audio Seminar Learn about current trends in transfer pricing compliance and controversy  Thursday, March 29th at 1pm Eastern, noon Central. Register now for this insightful program!