Throw a stone into a room full of law professors, and it is virtually impossible to hit someone who will defend perpetual trusts. This essay takes up the most recent objections lodged by Lawrence Waggoner, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Law, and Reporter for the...

At a moment when Australia -- and the world -- finds itself at a 'critical juncture' as it reckons with a global pandemic as well as the inequalities that COVID-19 has laid bare, voicing -- and listening to -- critical tax perspectives has become more vital than ever. The economic impact of...

When is the nonpayment of taxes justified by conscientious objections? Legendary Catholic social activist Dorothy Day refused to pay federal income taxes, because she was an avowed pacifist who also cautioned against government overreach into the lives of citizens. This article asks whether the...

In this Special Report for Tax Notes, the authors explain the variety of income and gift tax deductions, credits and exclusions for higher education, and the tax consequences of educational debt relief programs. They recommend steps the federal government could take to make higher education more...

As more states legalize cannabis sales, estate planners may increasingly be called upon to advise clients with interests in cannabis-related businesses. This essay seeks assist estate planners in two ways. First, it aims to raise general awareness of cannabis business owners’ unique concerns....

This short column is part of the annual Tax Notes issue that highlights noteworthy law review articles published during the previous year. In this piece, I identify articles relating to estate and gift tax taxation that practitioners likely will find of interest, not withstanding Chief Justice...

This book deals with the federal income tax as it bears on gratuitous transfers and with the federal wealth transfer taxes. The federal wealth transfer taxes presently consist of a partially unified estate and gift tax and a generation-skipping tax. The federal transfer tax system is separate...

The IRS has heard every possible excuse for missed deadlines. Like teachers, IRS personnel inevitably listen to tales of dogs who eat important documents dogs, computers that crash and grandmothers who die (sometimes repeatedly). So when a taxpayer offers “my attorney got sick” as an excuse...