Led by Senior Partner Barry Fink, a former U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division senior litigator, the Firm’s tax attorneys have extensive experience resolving tax controversies and representing clients before administrative agencies. They are also highly effective in the litigation of federal income and estate tax matters. Taxation attorneys handle state and local tax controversies such as insurance premium taxes, real estate taxes and sales and use taxes. The tax group also provides business and transactional planning and negotiation, as well as personal wealth and estate planning. Many clients retain these attorneys for their creative, “out-of-the-box” thinking and their ability to solve difficult structural, transactional and family estate planning issues. Mr. Fink has also appeared specially in resolving tax controversies and obtaining administrative rulings in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and South Africa. The lawyers in the tax group also counsel U.S. clients on tax strategies for international operations. The Firm regularly represents foreign and domestic clients in the purchase, sale and merger of businesses worldwide. The Firm’s tax lawyers have successfully negotiated, structured and closed multinational corporate and business transactions in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Africa, Poland and throughout the European Union member nations.
The Firm’s tax attorneys also provide estate, gift and expatriate tax services to clients of the Firm. These services include sophisticated planning for clients subject to multiple tax jurisdictions as well as the transfer of wealth to younger generations.
Attorneys in the tax group have also provided legal services to nonprofit clients since the Firm’s inception. The practice assists charitable, educational, and other tax exempt organizations with all organizational and operational aspects of obtaining and maintaining tax exempt status. Taxation attorneys also provide ongoing counsel to tax exempt clients regarding compliance with public charity and private foundation rules, and assisting with nonprofit business transactions, executive compensation, and other issues special to the nonprofit field. To obtain the services of the tax lawyers at Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP, contact Barry Fink to schedule an initial consultation.
State and Local Income Tax Matters
It is no secret that the State of California imposes a complex web of taxes on business and non-business income, property, sales, insurance, gaming, fuel and numerous other activities. The Firm prides itself in being able to help clients structure and operate in the most tax efficient manner possible. The Firm’s lawyers routinely resolve a myriad of issues arising out of the character of income, sales and property tax exemptions and the existence of tax situs. Our clients include citizens of foreign countries who derive income from California based transactions, foreign investors in California real estate and international financial institutions, as well as U.S. businesses and and residents of other states who are doing business in California.
Trust/Estate Planning, Operation and Compliance
The Firm represents high net-worth individuals who often require advice and counsel to minimize estate and gift taxes and planning for the transfer of wealth to future generations. Our estate and gift team specializes in constructing trusts and other estate planning instruments to be used for such purposes, and also is frequently called upon to advise banks, trust companies and other corporate fiduciaries in connection with their administration of such vehicles. The Firm’s trust and estate lawyers are highly familiar with California probate law, not only the tax aspects, but also as it pertains to the administration of estate plans.
Charitable and Exempt Organizations
The Firm’s tax staff also frequently establishes tax-exempt organizations and qualified 501(c)(3) organizations for the use of clients and various agencies of government. The Firm has had the privilege of being instrumental in the formation and ongoing operation of some of our country’s largest philanthropic and charitable organizations, as well as private charitable foundations. We also frequently are called upon to advise organizations sponsored by police, fire and other agencies of government to form charitable foundations, to provide benefits to public servants and their families. In addition, the Firm represents museums, religious institutions and community organizations, providing advice on all tax related issues.
Entertainment Tax Strategies
The Firm has deep roots in the entertainment and music industries, going back more than 30 years to its historical representation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, American Broadcasting Company and other significant entities whose creative product shaped what is broadly known as the entertainment industry. The Firm’s tax attorneys have significant expertise crafting tax strategies specific to the nuances of motion picture, television and other new media production in the U.S. as well as Canada and other foreign venues.
Lawers in the Firm’s taxation group are well versed in tax laws affectingtransactions designed to finance the production and development of motion pictures, television programming, the broadcast of international sports events and other new media enterprises. This expertise enhances the work of the entertainment law practice at the Firm by offering insight into the important tax implications and alternatives available in a transaction. Taxation lawyers at the Firm also offer federal, state and foreign tax planning for performing artists, working in music, acting, electronic arts and other mediums.
Structuring Transactions & Business Strategies
The core of the Firm’s tax practice is creative tax planning. Representing clients in mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, structuring real estate developments and other business endeavors, the Firm takes pride in its ability to formulate business strategies that are both economically sound and tax-effective. The Firm also represents a diversified client base resident in foreign countries, as well as multi-national business persons who require sophisticated services to balance the tax and legal requirements of multiple countries and tax venues.
International Tax Matters
Global trade has an ever increasing importance and impact upon both U.S. and non-U.S. businesses alike With a long history of transactions involving partners of different countries of origin, the Firm has developed a particularly refined ability to advise Asian and EU businesses are importing or exporting goods utilizing U.S. entities as trade partners. We seek to balance the tax systems of various countries (and in the U.S., various states) in order to maximize tax efficiency and enable our clients to maximize profitability. The diversity of lawyers in the Firm provides unique abilities to understand the diverse linguistic, business and cultural differences that influence these transactions and enable us to provide “value added” legal advice in appropriate instances.
Tax Controversies, Appeals & Litigation
The Firm’s tax lawyers represent a diverse range of individual, corporate and institutional clients in California and throughout North America. The Firm’s attorneys include seasoned tax litigators who effectively represent clients in audits by the IRS and various state taxing agencies and when necessary, successfully litigate those matters in the appropriate federal, state and administrative courts. The Firm also has an extensive expertise in the litigation of state and local taxes, which includes the contest and litigation of property taxes assessed against commercial developments such as resorts, golf courses, sanitary landfills, refineries, shopping centers and similar commercial and industrial properties. The Firm also effective handled disputes involving insurance premium taxes, gaming taxes, sales and use taxes, and the application of various municipal business license and franchise taxes.
