Taxation Law Blog | Taxation Law Section

This blog is designed to deliver the latest news, practical advice, and valuable resources that focus on tax matters. Published by the State Bar of Wisconsin's Taxation Law Section.

​The section provides information on federal and state tax issues that directly affect practitioners in Wisconsin. The section monitors and proposes Wisconsin tax and administrative procedures, has an email list, and sponsors and produces CLE sessions.

Members of the State Bar of Wisconsin may join the section by visiting https://www.wisbar.org/formembers/groups/pages/join-a-group.aspx (login required).

Section website: https://www.wisbar.org/forMembers/Groups/Sections/TaxationLawSection/Pages/Home.aspx

Business owners often dread the concept of “succession planning.” Succession planning requires owners to confront their own mortality and the transition of control over their cherished businesses​.

The process can, simply, seem daunting. While succession planning is perhaps considered as much of a necessary evil as visiting a dentist while expecting a cavity, proper planning can help alleviate the transition and facilitate the continuity of the business for the next generation in particularly challenging times.
Where to Begin
Many
Continue Reading Life Insurance Planning to Fund Buy-Sell Obligations

This article was originally published in O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing s.c’s Tax and Wealth Advisor Blog and is published here with the author’s permission. Blog has been edited for publication on WisBar, with author approval. Although tax season may end for many individuals after returns are filed on April 15, for others it may be just the beginning. Many people receive a notice from the IRS as they process returns. These communications from the IRS are common
Continue Reading Understanding Common Notices from the IRS

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act), signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 20, 2019, pointedly changes many requirements for employer-provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts.
While some of the provisions of the SECURE Act may provide taxpayers with great tax savings opportunities, not all the changes are helpful, and there may be steps taxpayers can take to minimize its impact.
Below is a summary of the key provisions of
Continue Reading The SECURE Act’s Impact on Retirement and Tax Planning

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced that, by the end of August 2019, more than 10,000 taxpayers will receive mailed letters relating to virtual currency.
The IRS is sending the letters to taxpayers who may have failed to report income, pay taxes, or properly report virtual currency transactions. For this purpose, virtual currency includes cryptocurrency and non-crypto virtual currency, including Bitcoin, Ether, and JPM Coin.

Kelly Kuglitsch,
DePaul 2002, is an attorney with O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong
Continue Reading IRS Initiates Enforcement of Taxes on Virtual Currency Transactions

Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, new rules were established that allow taxpayers to defer capital gain from the sale of assets to unrelated persons by investing in a Qualified Opportunity Zone.
Qualified Opportunity Zones
Qualified Opportunity Zones are mostly high-poverty, low-income census tracts in which the federal and state governments wish to encourage investments. The aim is to spur economic development and job creation in distressed areas of the country.
In early 2018, governors of
Continue Reading Investing in Communities: A Brief Primer on Qualified Opportunity Zones and Funds

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. et al. on Tuesday, April 17. South Dakota asked the Court to revisit Quill Corp. v. North Dakota’s physical-presence rule and uphold the constitutionality of South Dakota’s sales tax nexus law.

In 1992, the Court ruled in Quill that the Constitution’s dormant Commerce Clause prohibits the states from imposing a sales tax collection obligation on out-of-state retailers that do not have a
Continue Reading Supreme Court Divided on Nexus for Internet Sellers

As the summer breezes begin to bring tourists into Wisconsin, various nonprofit enterprises, like churches and chambers of commerce, are holding their events and enjoying the great Wisconsin outdoors.

Robert A. Mathers (William Mitchell 1990) is a 20-year veteran of the accounting industry. He practices business and tax law as a shareholder at Von Briesen & Roper, S.C., Oshkosh.

While sales tax could not be further from most people’s mind, Wisconsin’s taxation of occasional sales by these entities can
Continue Reading Wisconsin Legislature Eases Sales Tax Burden on Nonprofits

Dear Taxation Section Members,

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new blog for the State Bar of Wisconsin Taxation Section!

This blog is designed to deliver the latest news, practical advice, and valuable resources that focus on tax matters.

Why a Blog?

We chose to create a blog because it combines the benefits of a newsletter with the timeliness and immediacy of online communication.

Blogs bring many advantages:

  • Easy to read
  • Can be updated frequently with the


Continue Reading The Taxation Section Blog: Welcome!