Christopher Ferguson and Michael Waalkes write in a recent CPA Journal article about the increased popularity of decentralized finance (“DeFi”) and the complicated tax issues triggered by DeFi activity. DeFi is a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer system that is used for conducting financial activity without the need for third-party intermediaries or financial
Christopher Ferguson, Daniel Davidson, and Samuel Tadmiri write in a recent Law360 article about the future of enforcement against alleged fraud in economic relief programs passed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The article notes that the CARES Act turned 5 years old in March
Caroline Ciraolo and Todd Welty Named “Leading Partners” NEW YORK (June 23, 2025) — Kostelanetz LLP has been named a leading U.S. tax controversy firm by Legal 500 for 2025. In addition, partners Caroline D. Ciraolo and Todd Welty have been named to the Legal 500 “Leading Partners” list for
Bill Would Bar ERC Claims Filed After January 31, 2024 Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Included among the sweeping 1,000-page legislative package are provisions (Section 112205: Enforcement Provisions with Respect to COVID-Related Employee Retention Credits) that, if enacted into law, will invalidate all
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have now issued guidance to corporations providing concrete benefits that companies, their shareholders, boards, and customers can earn by voluntarily self-reporting misconduct to the DOJ. DOJ Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary
Chris Ferguson was quoted in a Tax Notes article titled “The IRS Is Getting Fewer FOIAs. Why Aren’t Response Times Improving?” Chris noted that the IRS’s FOIA Office historically has done a decent job in processing requests with the resources it has and that delays are often attributable to human
Join Caroline Ciraolo, Bryan Skarlatos, Jay Nanavati, Christopher Ferguson, Michael Sardar, Don Fort, and Abigail Burke for their reflections about what issues will be front and center for the tax community, the Internal Revenue Service, and the courts in the year to come!
Kostelanetz partner Christopher M. Ferguson was quoted in a Forbes article about the end of the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) voluntary disclosure program (the ERC-VDP). The ERC-VDP, which ended on November 22, 2024, was an IRS initiative that permitted businesses to return refunds they erroneously received on questionable ERC claims
Kostelantz Partner, Christopher Ferguson announces last call for the Internal Revenue Service’s Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Voluntary Disclosure Program. The second iteration of the Internal Revenue Service‘s employee retention credit (“ERC”) voluntary disclosure program (the “ERC-VDP”) is set to expire next Friday, November 22, 2024. The first iteration of the program
Kostelanetz partner Christopher Ferguson will speak at the IRS Representation Conference on November 8, 2024. He is a panelist for the session “Enforcement Trends: What’s Hot and What’s Not” that will be held from 10:15 AM to 11:05 AM Eastern. The panel will cover a variety of tax enforcement topics,
