Courts Are Alert to Valuations Unmoored From the Facts

by Royer Advisors | Dec 11, 2024 | Court Rulings, Valuations

Cristofano v. Chahal Perhaps experts feel pressure from the hiring attorney or the client, perhaps they are unable to access key documents or information, or perhaps they simply lack valuation and litigation experience. Whatever the reason, case law provides too many...

Balance Your Right to Monitor Communications with Employees’ Privacy Rights

by Royer Advisors | Dec 11, 2024 | Court Rulings

Have you considered monitoring your employees’ communications at work? It’s a delicate balance to create a policy to monitor employees activities and protect your company without violating employees’ legal privacy protections. But you may have legitimate reasons for...

In Controversial Move, Tax Court Tackles ‘Double Inclusion’ Problem 

by Royer Advisors | Dec 11, 2024 | Court Rulings, Valuations

Estate of Powell v. Commissioner  Given the unfavorable optics of a recent case, the Tax Court’s finding that the value of assets transferred from the decedent to a family limited partnership was includible in the value of the decedent’s gross estate is not...

Making Smart Mergers and Acquisitions under Today’s Tax Law

by Royer Advisors | Dec 11, 2024 | Business Plans, Financial Planning

Thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), many businesses in Maine and beyond will pay less federal income taxes in 2018 and going forward. Some of these will spend their tax savings to merge with or acquire another business. Before jumping on the M&A bandwagon,...

Improper Use of Active/Passive Framework Skewers Valuation

by Royer Advisors | Dec 11, 2024 | Court Rulings, Valuations

Bair v. Bair  When confronted with quantifying the appreciation of non-marital property, it is common for valuators first to classify the change in value as “active” or “passive” and then do the valuation. A Florida case shows that, when applied prematurely, this...