Paul L. Caron
Dean
Pepperdine Caruso
School of Law
Tax News
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SCOTUSblog Founder Tom Goldstein Trial: Taking the Stand
This week, Tom Goldstein took the stand to testify in his own defense. The superstar Supreme Court advocate and founder of SCOTUSblog is charged with tax evasion and false statements on a loan application, among other charges. On direct, Goldstein presented a narrative of financial mismanagement and reliance on advisers rather than willful tax crimes—only
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Politico on the Tariff Votes
On Wednesday, the House voted to terminate the drug-related national emergency declaration that the Trump Administration’s used to support tariffs on Canada. Six Republicans joined all but one of the House Democrats on the winning side of this vote. Additional House votes on President Trump’s signature policy are expected in the coming weeks. Politico has
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NY Times: Americans Are Paying the Bill for Tariffs, Despite Trump’s Claims
Ana Swanson & Sydner Ember, Americans Are Paying the Bill for Tariffs, Despite Trump’s Claims (New York Times, Feb. 12, 2026): President Trump has frequently claimed that foreign countries were paying for his tariffs, not Americans. But as economists predicted, that is largely turning out not to be the case. Research published on Thursday by economists at
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WSJ: Federal Tax Revenue Soars, but So Does Entitlement Spending
WSJ Editorial Board, Federal Tax Revenue Soars, but So Does Entitlement Spending (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 9, 2026) It’s time for your periodic check on the federal fisc, and the latest results tell the tale of our political choices. Tax receipts are rolling in, discretionary spending is ebbing, but entitlements keep soaring, and thus the
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Book Presents “Transformative Technology and Shortening the Statute of Limitations Applicable to Taxpayers” (co-authored with Jay Soled) Today At Georgia
Leslie Book (Villanova) presents Transformative Technology and Shortening the Statute of Limitations Applicable to Taxpayers (co-authored with Jay Soled) at Georgia today, as part of its Tax Policy Colloquium Series hosted by Assaf Harpaz: When it comes to submitting tax returns and paying taxes, most taxpayers understand the nature of their civic duties and do so dutifully, if not
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Tax Notes: Doughnut Hole or a Different Kind of Pastry? Tariffs, Taxes, and Regulation
Glenn C. McCoy, Jr. & Jonathan Geiger, Doughnut Hole or a Different Kind of Pastry? Tariffs, Taxes, and Regulation, 119 Tax Notes St. 451 (Feb. 9, 2026):
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NYU Tax Law Center: The Tax System Explained
The Tax Law Center at NYU Law has launched The Federal Tax System Explained, a series of explainers breaking down tax administration, regulation, and litigation topics for a general audience. The effort has the following focus: “While the tax system reflects the tax laws Congress enacts, tax administrators and the courts shape how those laws
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WSJ: When One Man Tried to Organize a Pro-Billionaire Rally
Laura J. Nelson, “What Happened When One Man Tried to Organize a Pro-Billionaire Rally” (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2026): Derik Kauffman’s biggest challenge in organizing a march in support of California’s billionaires: convincing the public it’s not a joke. The March For Billionaires, held Saturday in San Francisco, was a response to a controversial
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WSJ: “How AI Can, and Can’t, Help With Your Taxes This Year”
Laura Saunders (WSJ): How AI Can, and Can’t, Help With Your Taxes This Year This is no ordinary tax season. More filers than ever before—individuals and pros alike—are using artificial intelligence to help prepare tax returns. To learn more about AI and taxes, I recently asked the free version of three prominent platforms—Gemini, ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Claude (Anthropic)—a range
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Tax Notes: “Florida Man Wrestles an Alligator: Property Tax Edition”
Marie Sapirie (Tax Notes): Florida Man Wrestles an Alligator: Property Tax Edition Although this story won’t involve an alligator or a man kayaking down a public road attached to the tow hitch of a Ford F-150, it features things that only typically happen at scale in Florida — like lawmakers trying to eliminate property taxes
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DOJ Tax’s Dissolution Forces a High-Stakes Reset for IRS and DOJ
Bloomberg Law, DOJ Tax’s Dissolution Forces a High-Stakes Reset for IRS and DOJ: With the Department of Justice’s Tax Division now formally dissolved, US tax enforcement is entering a new era. Given the Division’s central role in maintaining the delicate balance between voluntary compliance and effective enforcement—a balance that underpins the entire tax system—a post-mortem
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Sports Gambling Meets Prediction Markets at the Super Bowl
Super Bowl Sunday is the single largest day in sports betting, with more than $1.7B in legal wagers expected for the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California. But will the handle be lower this year, as prediction markets vie for market share with conventional sportsbooks? A Q&A-style update,
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SCOTUSblog Founder Tom Goldstein Trial: Week 4
Week 4 has ended in the federal tax evasion trial of Tom Goldstein, superstar Supreme Court advocate and founder of SCOTUSblog. The prosecution’s case is coming together, and the defense has previewed some of its likely arguments. The hot issues from Week 1 remain, well, hot (Week 1 analysis here). What’s happened in three weeks
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WSJ: New Tax Break for Private-School Scholarships Sets Off Power Struggle
Richard Rubin, New Tax Break for Private-School Scholarships Sets Off Power Struggle (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 4, 2026) WASHINGTON—A new federal school-choice tax credit is poised to funnel billions of dollars to scholarships for students attending private and parochial schools. The big question now: Who gets to set the rules and control where the money goes? Congress
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WHCEA: The Economic Impact of State Income Tax Elimination
The White House Council of Economic Advisers has published a new report titled, The Economic Impact of State Income Tax Elimination. From the report’s executive summary: For years, no-income-tax states like Texas, Tennessee, and Florida have often led the pack in attracting and retaining residents looking to put down roots where they do not have
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California’s Wealth Tax and Billionaire Psychology
Rogé Karma has a new piece in the Atlantic on California’s proposed wealth tax (“If You Tax Them, Will They Leave?“) that includes some interesting back-and-forth and some takes from academics on the issue of capital flight. Here is a taste: The tax’s designers . . . think they’ve come up with a clever solution
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Trump IRS Lawsuit Puts Him on Both Sides of the Case
Richard Rubin, C. Ryan Barber, and Annie Linskey, “Trump Lawsuit Against IRS Puts Him on Both Sides of the Same Case,” Wall Street Journal (Feb. 1, 2026): President Trump’s lawsuit against the government that he runs presents a mind-bending minefield of conflicts that could end with the president’s appointees approving a federal payout to him.
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More States Cracking Down on the Montana Vehicle Registration Tax “Loophole”
Michael J. Bologna (Bloomberg Law): More States Cracking Down on Tax Losses From Montana LLCs At least four states are developing tougher enforcement strategies against the “Montana loophole,” which encourages drivers to register expensive assets in other states to skirt their in-state sales tax and vehicle registration obligations.
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A Pause on Student Loan Collections for a Record Refund Season
Filing season has begun, and it promises to be a humdinger. The OBBBA’s July 2025 tax cut should send refunds soaring, as taxpayers reconcile their final liability against withholdings that largely reflect pre-change law. Savvy planners may have even lower final tax bills—and even bigger refunds—if they leveraged the OBBBA’s transition timelines to their advantage.
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Bloomberg Tax: Global Tax Deal Sparks Fear US Law Will Be Tougher to Change
Treasury expressly framed January’s side-by-side package as “recogniz[ing] the tax sovereignty of the United States over the worldwide operations of U.S. companies.” Although Pillar Two may have survived, the side-by-side package complicates the OECD’s multilateral framework and may give the United States a competitive advantage. But what if the side-by-side package actually constrains U.S. sovereignty,
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National Taxpayer Advocate Delivers Annual Report to Congress
National Taxpayer Advocate delivers Annual Report to Congress; finds taxpayer service was strong in 2025 but foresees challenges for taxpayers who encounter problems in 2026 (IR-2026-15, Jan. 28, 2026) WASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her 2025 Annual Report to Congress, finding that taxpayers generally fared well in their dealings with the
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Bloomberg: Treasury Eyes Guidance on Book Tax’s Effect on 2025 Tax Law
Bloomberg, Treasury Eyes Guidance on Book Tax’s Effect on 2025 Tax Law: The Treasury Department is working on guidance to address concerns that the corporate book-income tax may limit the benefits that companies derive from last year’s giant tax-and-spending law. “We are hoping to issue guidance with respect to this issue,” Deborah Tarwasokono, a Treasury
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New Reports by NYSBA Tax Section
The New York State Bar Association’s Tax Section has recently released two new reports concerning (1) various issues arising under section 704(c)(1)(A) and (2) IRS Notice 2025-72, which addressed the repeal of section 898(c), The Report provides comments and certain recommendations of the Tax Section regarding section 704(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, which governs
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Solana: The Great California Wealth Exodus
Mike Solana, “The Great California Wealth Exodus,” The Free Press (Jan. 25, 2026): Over the last week, I spoke with 21 billionaires about the looming prospect of a wealth tax. We discussed whether they left or are planning to leave California (most of them are), what a wealth tax means for the technology industry, and
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WSJ: Leaving California
WSJ: The Hardest Part About Being a Billionaire in California: Proving You Left A proposed billionaire tax has some of the richest Californians eyeing the exits. First they’ll have to contend with the state’s dogged tax collectors. California has one of the nation’s highest personal income-tax rates on high earners. It’s also home to officials who pore