TaxProf Blog

Tax Court Controversy: The Nuts and Bolts of Pro Bono Representation (Oct. 25)
Providing pro bono assistance to low income taxpayers is a valuable service to the community and a rewarding experience. Many tax practitioners are surprised at how transferable tax controversy skills are to their daily tax practice, whether that is transactional work or litigation. However, it can seem overwhelming to get a handle on the basics of a tax controversy case if one has limited experience with the US Tax Court or the IRS. This webcast provides the basics of handling a pro bono tax controversy matter from initial client contact through the various types of cases (audits, appeals, litigation, collections, investigations, etc.).

Panelists
Caroline D. Ciraolo, Rosenberg | Martin | Greenberg (Baltimore)
James Leith, Local Taxpayer Advocate for Maryland (Baltimore)
Catherine B. Engell, DLA Piper (New York)

U.S. Tax Court Pro Bono Programs (Oct. 26)
Tax clinics and Bar-related pro bono programs provide important advice and assistance to many low-income, otherwise unrepresented taxpayers who have disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. This webcast provides information on how these pro bono programs work from varying perspectives of all the key players. In addition, attorneys will receive information on how to get involved or coordinate a United States Tax Court Pro Bono Program in their area.

Panelists
Hon. Peter J. Panuthos (U.S. Tax Court)
Nancy C. Carver (IRS, SB/SE)
Stephen C. Lessard (Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, New York)
Frank Agostino (Agostino & Associates, Hackensack, NJ)

Federal Income Tax Issues Facing Unauthorized Workers and Their Families (Oct. 27)
This webcast will provide a primer on federal income tax substantive and compliance issues facing unauthorized workers residing in America today. The complexity of the federal income tax issues facing these workers and their families is staggering given the intersection of traditional low-income tax matters (e.g., filing status, child tax credits, dependency exemption issues), immigration status, and the challenges of compliance where the taxpayers are not able to obtain a Social Security number.

Panelist
Francine J. Lipman (Visiting Professor, UNLV)