North Carolina General Statutes Section 50-20(b) (4) defines divisible property. Divisible property covers certain values created post-separation. A husband that continued to work in a dental practice post-separation did not create active appreciation. Husband did not change anything about his business methods to increase business. The growth between the date…
Articles Posted in tax
A Lost Alimony Deduction by Linking to Child Support
Watch out for those hurried, last minute North Carolina agreements that link alimony and child support termination; you could get an unintended tax consequence and the loss of the tax deduction. While the Johnson case, discussed herein, is not a North Carolina case, it could be. Guys and gals, you…
Technicalities on “Death Termination” for Alimony Deduction (Wignall v. Comm’r)
by Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVANorth Carolina alimony statutes and state case law make technicalities on the “death” element of alimony under federal tax law difficult, and one needs to exercise extreme care when drafting a private alimony agreement or contract in North Carolina. Unlike many states, all alimony awards in North Carolina are not…
So the Wife ends up in Tax Court for Mixing Alimony and Child Support…Don’t Do This! (Schilling v. Comm’r)
by Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVASchilling v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2012‑256, 2012 WL 3848477 (2012) (a) Facts: The parties settled their divorce case by signing a separation agreement. The agreement awarded the wife $2,450 per month on spousal support for six years. It, further, provided that the wife’s spousal support would drop by specified amounts…
A Summary on Current law regarding Innocent Spouse and Thoughts on how this affects a North Carolina Divorce : Part 4 of 4 Parts
By Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVAThis article is part 4 of a series of articles regarding Innocent Spouse. This final blog on the basics of the current Innocent Spouse tax law will do two things: 1) summarize changes discussed in the first three articles; 2) give some practical guidance to attorneys, CPAs, and clients in…
Requirements for Discretionary Innocent Spouse Relief : Part 3 of 4 Parts
by Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVAPart 3 of a 4-Part Series on Innocent Spouse Basics (a) The Former Requirements: Rev. Proc. 2003-61, 2003‑32 I.R.B. 296, 2003 WL 21708514 (Aug. 11, 2003) (b) The New Requirements: Rev. Proc. 2013-34, 2013‑43 I.R.B. 397, 2013 WL 5179241 (Oct. 21, 2013) (1) This is the new Revenue Procedure setting…
Statutes of Limitations for Innocent Spouse Actions : Part 2 of 4 Parts
by Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVAThis article is part 2 of a 4 part series on Innocent Spouse basics. Be sure to read all four parts. Also, check this blog regularly for new information on innocent spouse law, as I will write about it frequently. I’ll keep you posted of new cases and developments from…
Innocent Spouse: the Basics of I.R.C. § 6015 : Part 1 of 4 Parts
by Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVAI have always said: “the Internal Revenue Service is the third party to the North Carolina Divorce”. It is, therefore, incumbent upon parties to a divorce, their counsel, and their CPAs in North Carolina to understand the Innocent Spouse rules of the Internal Revenue Code, particularly if there are tax…
Innocent Spouse, an Important Aspect of Family Law Taxation: An Innocent Husband Wins in Tax Court
By Carolyn J. Woodruff, North Carolina Family Law Specialist, CPA, CVAIn North Carolina, as well as nationwide, family law and divorce cases are filled with bad tax returns. Let’s face it, generally one spouse handles the finances and the other spouse doesn’t. Enjoy Santa as the Tax Court finds this husband innocent. Santa v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2013178, 2013 WL…