Tax and trust and estate lawyers discuss ­current developments at ABA joint meeting

Representatives from the government and private practitioners will gather for high-level discussions on the most important issues facing tax and trust and estate lawyers today, including the latest federal tax policies, initiatives, regulations, legislative forecasts and planning ideas.

The ticketed joint section luncheon at noon on Saturday features keynote speaker Michael J. Graetz, the Columbia Alumni Professor of Tax Law at Columbia Law School. The event takes place in the Hilton Austin Grand Ballroom, Salon H, 6th Floor.

Before joining Columbia in 2009, Graetz was the Justus S. Hotchkiss Professor of Law at Yale University, where he had taught since 1983. His most recent books are "The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right" (2016) and "Follow the Money: Essays on International Taxation" (2016).

Program highlights:

"Tax Bridge on the Road" -The Tax Bridge series provides introductions to various tax practices as well as interviews with tax practitioners. The fall program features a career panel that includes junior and mid-level attorneys as they share their experiences across various tax practices.

"Collection Workshop" - A soup-to-nuts workshop on representing taxpayers in collection matters. Attendees will learn strategies and techniques for effectively resolving collection matters before the IRS without litigation. A panel of experienced government and private bar attorneys will discuss techniques and strategies for responding to IRS collection notices, for presenting financial information to the IRS and for presenting various collection alternatives, such as offers in compromise on the ground of doubt as to liability, doubt as to collectability and effective tax administration, installment agreements, currently not collectible status and innocent spouse.

"Beyond Bitcoin: Blockchain and the Tax System" - Blockchain, a distributed ledger technology, promises to change the way banks and other industries do business. This panel will provide an introduction to Blockchain and then discuss ways in which Blockchain may change the determination and collection of taxes. The panel will discuss virtual currency, secure identity, international payments and other applications.

"Tax Aspects of Healthcare Reform" - The White House, Congress and even some states have recently advanced new healthcare proposals to replace (or supplement) the Affordable Care Act, all of which have large revenue impacts. Our panel of tax and healthcare professionals will discuss recent healthcare reform proposals, with a focus on funding and the policy implications of paying for healthcare reform.

"Pro Bono & Tax Clinics" -These panels will cover everything from private debt collection to tax issues facing international low-income families, and includes a discussion on recent developments.

Published: Thu, Sep 07, 2017