We provide tax compliance services for qualified settlement funds, most of the major claims administration & distribution firms, administrative agencies, and law firms. The firm also provides support and services to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Fair Funds which allow for the efficient and accurate distribution of money to injured or defrauded investors.
Additionally, the firm serves as the tax administrator for many other settlement funds, including those resulting from government enforcement actions, self-directed distributions, and class-action settlements.
We advise lawyers and litigants on the tax issues raised by settlements, judgments, enforcement actions, and funds of money established to resolve claims.
Funds of money established to resolve claims include:
Our partners have earned a national reputation as experts and thought leaders in the taxation of qualified settlement funds. We work with courts, public agencies, law firms, escrow agents, and settlement fund administration firms. Our partners have served as the tax administrator for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Funds since 2005. Our experience includes providing advice on distributions and consulting on settlement agreement tax consequences. We provide advice on the taxation of attorney’s fee awards from the client’s and the attorney’s perspective. We act as an independent advisor, free of conflicts of interest, when evaluating structured settlements.
We provide services for many types of qualified settlement funds and mass tort funds including those involving securities regulation, environmental pollution, consumer redress, property damage, regulatory actions, and personal injury and employment relationships. Currently, we provide income tax compliance services for over 750 qualified settlement funds annually and since 1990, we have prepared over 10,000 income tax returns for qualified settlement funds.
We have obtained more than 30 rulings from the Internal Revenue Service and others from State Tax Agencies on issues related to Qualified Settlement Funds and other funds of money established to resolve claims.
We have designed and taught classes on the taxation of qualified settlement funds. We are a qualified MCLE provider in several states, including California and New York. We have taught the leading law firms and attorneys in this field in a variety of settings, including the SEC staff, ATLA, ABA, and state and local bar education groups.
We provide our clients with expert tax strategies regarding:
- Discharge of indebtedness
- Short-period elections
- Recovery penalties
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 11
- Business reorganizations
