In Taylor Lohmeyer Law Firm P.L.L.C. v. United States, No. 19-50506, 2020 WL 1966844 (5th Cir. Apr. 24, 2020), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that a Texas-based estate and tax-planning law firm (“Taylor Lohmeyer” or the “firm”) could not invoke the attorney-client privilege to quash a summons by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) seeking the identities of firm clients.  In affirming the district court’s decision, the Court of Appeals ruled that Taylor Lohmeyer could not use the privilege as a “blanket” to circumvent compliance with the summons, but may have viable arguments to shield disclosure of specific documents through the use of a privilege log.
Continue Reading Fifth Circuit Holds that Law Firm Cannot Claim Privilege Over Client Identity in IRS Probe

As part of the federal government’s efforts to soften the economic effects from the Covid-19 pandemic, on Wednesday the IRS issued Notice 2020-17 announcing that federal income tax payments for the 2019 tax year otherwise due on April 15th may be postponed until July  15th 2020 without incurring interest or penalties on the amount due.  In addition, the Notice also postponed to July 15th the due date for quarterly estimated federal income tax payments otherwise due on April 15th.  Earlier statements by government officials had not indicated that the due date for quarterly estimated tax payments would also be extended.
Continue Reading Updated: Treasury and IRS Extend Time to both File and Pay Federal Income Taxes to July 15th; States Taking Their Own Approaches on Income and Similar Taxes