Posts

Critical Business Exemption | Minnesota Shelter-In-Place Order

On March 25 , 2020, the Honorable Tim Walz, Governor of the State of Minnesota, issued a “Shelter-In-Place” Emergency Executive Order 20-20. The Executive Order mandates all persons in Minnesota to stay at home or in their place residence, unless they go out to engage in certain activities or do work for a business which is designated as a critical business (in some states, critical business is called “essential business”). I will first discuss the definition of the critical business exemption and its importance; then, I will provide a list of industries that fall under the critical business exemption based on NAICS codes.

Critical Business Exemption: Importance

The critical business exemption is very important for many business and tax reasons. Let’s briefly discuss the two most important of them.

First, from a business perspective, it is very important for business to continue to operate; a shutdown of two weeks may deal a critical blow to a business’ ability to remain profitable and meet all of its clients’ demands. Hence, the very existence of a business may depend on its eligibility for a critical business exemption.

Second, a non-exempt business will have to make a tough choice between laying off all of its employees and paying forced leave of absence. Prior to April 1, 2020, the forced leave of absence will not be compensated by the federal government. Starting April 1, 2020, however, pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), employees are entitled to certain paid leave as well as potentially expanded family and medical leave for COVID-19 related reasons. In return, eligible employers will receive a compensation from the federal government in the form of a Paid Sick Leave Tax Credit.

These are just two of numerous examples of the importance of the critical business exemption.

Critical Business Exemption: Definition Sources

In order for a business to exempt its workers from the requirements of the Governor’s Executive Order 20-20, two conditions must be satisfied: (1) a business must fall within the definition of a critical business, and (2) a worker cannot perform work duties from home.

There are three resources that provide guidance to help you determine if your business is in a critical industry:

  1. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response (“CISA”). This is the federal government’s definition of critical industries.
  2. The aforementioned is Governor’s Executive Order 20-20. The order sets forth all sources of the critical business exemption definition as well as certain general categories of exempt businesses.
  3. The designation of critical industries based on NAICS Codes. This the most detailed and most comprehensive list of critical industries for many businesses. I provided the list below as it existed as of March 26, 2020.

The analysis should start from CISA categories. If your business does not fall within any of the CISA categories, then you proceed with the examination of the categories listed in the Executive Order 20-20. Finally, if neither of the first two sources provides an answer (for example, if you are a tax accountant, this would be the case), then you need to look at the NAICS Codes. If your business falls within any of the critical industry categories described in either of these documents, then, you will satisfy the first condition for exempting your workers from Minnesota Shelter-in-Place order.

Critical Business Exemption: Inability to Perform Work Duties from Home

If a business belongs to one of the critical industries, an employee can leave home to work only if he cannot perform his duties from home. It is important to understand that Executive Order 20-20 requires all employees who can work from home to do so, even if they are eligible for a critical business exemption.

Critical Business Exemption: NAICS Codes

For the convenience of the readers, I provided this list of companies eligible (and ineligible) for Minnesota critical business exemption based on NAICS Codes. This list was originally published by MN DEED (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development); it is up-to-date through March 26, 2020.

As a Minnesota-based US international tax law firm which deals with highly-confidential information, Sherayzen Law Office falls within an exemption under NAICS code 5412.

Industry Description Industry Code Critical Industry
Oilseed and Grain Farming 1111 YES
Vegetable and Melon Farming 1112 YES
Fruit and Tree Nut Farming 1113 YES
Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production 1114 YES
Other Crop Farming 1119 YES
Cattle Ranching and Farming 1121 YES
Hog and Pig Farming 1122 YES
Poultry and Egg Production 1123 YES
Other Animal Production 1129 YES
Timber Tract Operations 1131 YES
Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products 1132 YES
Logging 1133 YES
Fishing 1141 YES
Hunting and Trapping 1142 YES
Support Activities for Crop Production 1151 YES
Support Activities for Animal Production 1152 YES
Support Activities for Forestry 1153 YES
Oil and Gas Extraction 2111 YES
Metal Ore Mining 2122 YES
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 2123 NO
Support Activities for Mining 2131 YES
Residential Building Construction 2361 YES
Nonresidential Building Construction 2362 YES
Utility System Construction 2371 YES
Land Subdivision 2372 YES
Highway, Street and Bridge Construction 2373 YES
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 2379 YES
Foundation, Structure and Building Exterior Contractors 2381 YES
Building Equipment Contractors 2382 YES
Building Finishing Contractors 2383 YES
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 2389 YES
Grain and Oilseed Milling 3112 YES
Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing 3113 YES
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing 3114 YES
Dairy Product Manufacturing 3115 YES
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 3116 YES
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing 3118 YES
Other Food Manufacturing 3119 YES
Beverage Manufacturing 3121 YES
Fabric Mills 3132 NO
Textile Furnishings Mills 3141 NO
Other Textile Product Mills 3149 NO
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing 3152 NO
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing 3161 NO
Sawmills and Wood Preservation 3211 NO
Veneer, Plywood and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing 3212 NO
Other Wood Product Manufacturing 3219 YES
Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Mills 3221 YES
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing 3222 YES
Printing and Related Support Activities 3231 NO
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 3241 YES
Basic Chemical Manufacturing 3251 YES
Resin, Synthetic Rubber and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing 3252 NO
Pesticide, Fertilizer and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing 3253 YES
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 3254 YES
Paint, Coating and Adhesive Manufacturing 3255 NO
Soap, Cleaning Compound and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing 3256 YES
Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing 3259 YES
Plastics Product Manufacturing 3261 YES
Rubber Product Manufacturing 3262 YES
Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing 3272 NO
Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing 3273 NO
Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 3279 NO
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 3312 YES
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing 3313 YES
Foundries 3315 YES
Forging and Stamping 3321 YES
Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing 3322 NO
Industry Description Industry Code Critical Industry
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing 3323 NO
Boiler, Tank and Shipping Container Manufacturing 3324 YES
Hardware Manufacturing 3325 NO
Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing 3326 NO
Machine Shops, Turned Product and Screw, Nut and Bolt Manufacturing 3327 YES
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating and Allied Activities 3328 NO
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 3329 NO
Agriculture, Construction and Mining Machinery Manufacturing 3331 YES
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing 3332 YES
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 3333 YES
Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing 3334 YES
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 3335 NO
Engine, Turbine and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing 3336 NO
Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 3339 NO
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 3341 YES
Communications Equipment Manufacturing 3342 YES
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing 3343 YES
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 3344 YES
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical and Control Instruments Manufacturing 3345 YES
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media 3346 NO
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing 3353 YES
Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing 3359 YES
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 3361 NO
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing 3362 NO
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing 3363 NO
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 3364 NO
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing 3365 NO
Ship and Boat Building 3366 NO
Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 3369 NO
Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing 3371 NO
Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing 3372 NO
Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing 3379 NO
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 3391 YES
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 3399 NO
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 2211 YES
Natural Gas Distribution 2212 YES
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 2213 YES
Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4231 YES
Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers 4232 NO
Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers 4233 YES
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4234 YES
Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers 4235 YES
Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers 4236 YES
Hardware, Plumbing, Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4237 YES
Machinery, Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4238 YES
Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 4239 NO
Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers 4241 YES
Drugs and Druggists’ Sundries Merchant Wholesalers 4242 YES
Apparel, Piece Goods and Notions Merchant Wholesalers 4243 NO
Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 4244 YES
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers 4245 YES
Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers 4246 YES
Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers 4247 YES
Beer, Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers 4248 YES
Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 4249 YES
Wholesale Electronic Markets, Agents and Brokers 4251 YES
Automobile Dealers 4411 NO
Other Motor Vehicle Dealers 4412 NO
Automotive Parts, Accessories and Tire Stores 4413 YES
Furniture Stores 4421 NO
Home Furnishings Stores 4422 NO
Electronics and Appliance Stores 4431 NO
Building Material and Supplies Dealers 4441 YES
Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores 4442 NO
Grocery Stores 4451 YES
Specialty Food Stores 4452 YES
Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores 4453 YES
Health and Personal Care Stores 4461 YES
Industry Description Industry Code Critical Industry
Gasoline Stations 4471 YES
Clothing Stores 4481 NO
Shoe Stores 4482 NO
Jewelry, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores 4483 NO
Sporting Goods, Hobby and Musical Instrument Stores 4511 NO
Book, Periodical and Music Stores 4512 NO
Department Stores 4522 YES
General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters 4523 YES
Florists 4531 NO
Office Supplies, Stationery and Gift Stores 4532 NO
Used Merchandise Stores 4533 NO
Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers 4539 NO
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 4541 NO
Vending Machine Operators 4542 NO
Direct Selling Establishments 4543 NO
Scheduled Air Transportation 4811 YES
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 4812 YES
Rail Transportation 4821 YES
Deep Sea, Coastal and Great Lakes Water Transportation 4831 YES
Inland Water Transportation 4832 YES
General Freight Trucking 4841 YES
Specialized Freight Trucking 4842 YES
Urban Transit Systems 4851 YES
Taxi and Limousine Service 4853 YES
School and Employee Bus Transportation 4854 YES
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation 4859 YES
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 4861 YES
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 4862 YES
Other Pipeline Transportation 4869 YES
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land 4871 NO
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 4872 NO
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4881 YES
Support Activities for Rail Transportation 4882 YES
Support Activities for Water Transportation 4883 YES
Support Activities for Road Transportation 4884 YES
Freight Transportation Arrangement 4885 YES
Other Support Activities for Transportation 4889 YES
Postal Service 4911 YES
Couriers 4921 YES
Local Messengers and Local Delivery 4922 YES
Warehousing and Storage 4931 YES
Newspaper, Periodical, Book and Directory Publishers 5111 YES
Software Publishers 5112 YES
Motion Picture and Video Industries 5121 NO
Sound Recording Industries 5122 NO
Radio and Television Broadcasting 5151 YES
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 5152 YES
Telecommunications Resellers 5173 YES
Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services 5182 YES
Other Information Services 5191 YES
Monetary Authorities – Central Bank 5211 YES
Depository Credit Intermediation 5221 YES
Nondepository Credit Intermediation 5222 YES
Activities Related to Credit Intermediation 5223 YES
Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage 5231 YES
Securities and Commodity Exchanges 5232 YES
Other Financial Investment Activities 5239 YES
Insurance Carriers 5241 YES
Agencies, Brokerages and Other Insurance Related Activities 5242 YES
Lessors of Real Estate 5311 YES
Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers 5312 YES
Activities Related to Real Estate 5313 YES
Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing 5321 NO
Consumer Goods Rental 5322 NO
General Rental Centers 5323 NO
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing 5324 NO
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 5331 NO
Legal Services 5411 YES
Industry Description Industry Code Critical Industry
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping and Payroll Services 5412 YES
Architectural, Engineering and Related Services 5413 YES
Specialized Design Services 5414 NO
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 5415 YES
Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services 5416 YES
Scientific Research and Development Services 5417 YES
Advertising and Related Services 5418 NO
Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 5419 YES
Management of Companies and Enterprises 5511 YES
Office Administrative Services 5611 NO
Facilities Support Services 5612 YES
Employment Services 5613 NO
Business Support Services 5614 NO
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 5615 NO
Investigation and Security Services 5616 YES
Services to Buildings and Dwellings 5617 YES
Other Support Services 5619 NO
Waste Collection 5621 YES
Waste Treatment and Disposal 5622 YES
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 5629 YES
Elementary and Secondary Schools 6111 YES
Junior Colleges 6112 YES
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools 6113 YES
Business Schools and Computer and Management Training 6114 YES
Technical and Trade Schools 6115 YES
Other Schools and Instruction 6116 YES
Educational Support Services 6117 YES
Offices of Physicians 6211 YES
Offices of Dentists 6212 YES
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 6213 YES
Outpatient Care Centers 6214 YES
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 6215 YES
Home Health Care Services 6216 YES
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 6219 YES
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6221 YES
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 6222 YES
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 6223 YES
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 6231 YES
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities 6232 YES
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 6233 YES
Other Residential Care Facilities 6239 YES
Individual and Family Services 6241 YES
Community Food and Housing and Emergency and Other Relief Services 6242 YES
Vocational Rehabilitation Services 6243 YES
Child Day Care Services 6244 YES
Performing Arts Companies 7111 NO
Spectator Sports 7112 NO
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 7113 NO
Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers and Other Public Figures 7114 NO
Independent Artists, Writers and Performers 7115 NO
Museums, Historical Sites and Similar Institution 7121 NO
Amusement Parks and Arcades 7131 NO
Gambling Industries 7132 NO
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 7139 NO
Traveler Accommodation 7211 NO
RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps 7212 YES
Rooming and Boarding Houses 7213 NO
Special Food Services 7223 YES
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 7224 NO
Restaurants 7225 YES
Automotive Repair and Maintenance 8111 YES
Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance 8112 NO
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance 8113 NO
Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance 8114 NO
Personal Care Services 8121 NO
Death Care Services 8122 YES
Drycleaning and Laundry Services 8123 YES
Other Personal Services 8129 YES
Industry Description Industry Code Critical Industry
Religious Organizations 8131 YES
Grantmaking and Giving Services 8132 NO
Social Advocacy Organizations 8133 NO
Civic and Social Organizations 8134 NO
Business, Professional, Labor, Political and Similar Organizations 8139 NO
Private Households 8141 YES
Executive, Legislative and Other General Government Support 9211 YES
Justice, Public Order and Safety Activities 9221 YES
Administration of Human Resource Programs 9231 YES
Administration of Environmental Quality Programs 9241 YES
Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning and Community Development 9251 YES
Administration of Economic Programs 9261 YES
Space Research and Technology 9271 NO
National Security and International Affairs 9281 YES

Israeli IT Tax Breaks | Minnesota International Tax Lawyer and Attorney

Israel continues to solidify its leading positions in the IT market by using tax policy. On January 1, 2017, Amendment 73 to the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments of 1959 entered into force. The main goal of the Amendment is to clarify, extend and improve the Israeli tax breaks for IT companies operating in Israel. Let’s review some of the most important of these Israeli IT tax breaks.

Israeli IT Tax Breaks: Preferred Technological Taxable Income Tax Rates

Starting year 2017, Israel will have three levels of taxation of what is termed as “preferred technological taxable income” (PTTI) of certain companies, referred to as “preferred enterprises” (PE). The tax rates will be as follows: 12% default rate, $7.5% development area A (special Israeli designation for certain areas) and just 6% in the case of a special preferred technological enterprise (SPTE). All of these rates compare favorably to the standard business tax rate in Israel of 24% (which was also lowered as of January 1, 2017 from 25%).

There is an important exception – R&D centers will not be entitled to a reduced corporate tax rate if the controlling shareholders or the beneficiaries are Israeli residents. Control here can be direct or indirect and it is defined as an entitlement to 25% or more of the income or profits of the R&D center.

Israeli IT Tax Breaks: IT Company Owners Dividend Tax Rates

The owners of IT companies get another tax break in the form of dividend withholding rates. Generally, the tax withholding rate for dividends paid to an owner of an IT company will be 20% (subject to any applicable tax treaty). However, the rate goes down to a mere 4% if the dividend is distributed to at least a 90% foreign resident corporate shareholder.

Again, these rate are below the general tax withholding rate of 30-33% for dividends paid out to shareholders who own at least 10% of the company.

Israeli IT Tax Breaks: Certain Capital Gains

The Israeli IT tax breaks also expand to capital gains in certain limited situations. Israeli IT companies that sell IP to a related foreign company will qualify for a reduced 6% capital gains tax rate, but only if the Israeli company developed or acquired the IP from a foreign company after January 1, 2017. Such sales are subject to the approval of the National Authority for Technological Innovation.

A Combined Effort of US and Israeli Lawyers Needed to Properly Plan A US Company’s Expansion to Israel

All of the tax law changes that I mentioned above are described here in a very general manner. There are very specific qualifications that need to be satisfied by a company in order to qualify for the Israeli IT Tax Breaks. This is why a US company will need to contact a specialized Israeli tax attorney to properly plan the expansion of its IT business to Israel.

At the same time, however, the work of the Israeli tax attorney should be coordinated with proper US tax planning, because US companies are taxed on their worldwide income and may potentially even be taxed on the income of their foreign subsidiaries. Therefore, the tax planning efforts of an Israeli tax attorney should be combined with those of a US tax attorney in order to produce a tax plan that will function properly in both jurisdictions at the same time.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional Help With Your Business Tax Planning

If you wish to expand your business overseas, you need to contact Sherayzen Law Office for professional US business tax planning. Additionally, we can also help you with your US annual compliance with respect to your foreign assets and foreign income.

Contact Us Today to Schedule Your Consultation!

Business Tax Lawyers | Certain End-of-Year Tax Deadlines and Reminders (2010)

The following are some upcoming tax deadlines and reminders for the December of 2010. (This list may not include all applicable tax deadlines for your situation, and does not constitute tax advice; please, consult Sherayzen Law Office for more information and assistance with your tax planning needs.)

Selected General Deadline Reminders for Individuals: December 31, 2010

Traditional IRA to Roth IRA Conversion. Last date for taxpayers to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA for the tax year 2010 (provided a taxpayer meets the other applicable criteria).

Keogh plan deadline. Keogh plans must be established by the last date of the year (December 31, for calendar year basis taxpayers) in order for contributions to be deductible for the tax year 2010.

Capital Gains and Losses. Capital gains and losses for individual taxpayers are determined by the last trading date of the tax year. This is the case even though the settlement date (the date the shares-sold are actually exchanged and cash is received by the broker) may be several days later. Thus, even though the settlement date may occur in early 2011 for shares sold on the last trading date of 2010, the capital gains and/or losses will be established in 2010.

Short Sale Gains (But not Losses). Gains on shares sold short are also determined by trading date because of an IRS ruling treating the transaction as a constructive sale. Thus, shares sold short for gain on the last trading date of 2010 will be treated as capital gains for the tax year 2010, even though actual delivery of the shares may occur in 2011. Note, however, that for losses on shares sold short, the losses are not deductible until the shares are actually delivered to a broker. Taxpayers should plan accordingly if a loss is anticipated.

Marital Status. Taxpayers should note in general that marital status as of the last date of the year will determine the status for the entire tax year 2010.

General Tax Calendar Deadlines and Information (From IRS Publication 509)

December 10: Employees who work for tips. If you received $20 or more in tips during November, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070.

December 15: Corporations. Deposit the fourth installment of estimated income tax for 2010. A worksheet, Form 1120-W, is available to help you estimate your tax for the year.

Selected Tax Deadlines for Employers Based on Monthly Deposit Rule

Social security, Medicare, and withheld income tax. If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in November by December 15, 2010.

Non-payroll withholding. If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in November by December 15, 2010.

Employer’s Tax Deadlines: Payroll Due Dates for Deposit of Taxes for 2010 Under the Semiweekly Rule

Nov 24-26: Dec 1
Nov 27-30: Dec 3
Dec 1-3: Dec 8
Dec 4-7: Dec 10
Dec 8-10: Dec 15
Dec 11-14: Dec 17
Dec 15-17: Dec 22
Dec 18-21: Dec 27
Dec 22-24: Dec 29
Dec 25-28: Jan 3
Dec 29-31: Jan 5

Excise Tax Deadlines

December 10: Communications and air transportation taxes under the alternative method. Deposit the tax included in amounts billed or tickets sold during the first 15 days of November.

December 14: Regular method taxes. Deposit the tax for the last 15 days of November.

December 28: Communications and air transportation taxes under the alternative method. Deposit the tax included in amounts billed or tickets sold during the last 15 days of November.

December 29: Regular method taxes. Deposit the tax for the first 15 days of December.

Have more questions about tax deadlines, or need help in planning for your year-end tax decisions? Call Sherayzen Law Office to discuss your tax situation with an experienced tax lawyer!

Fee Agreement Arrangements with Tax Lawyers in St. Paul: 5 Most Important Issues

In this article, I will discuss five most important issues that you need to know before you sign a fee agreement with tax lawyers in St. Paul.

1. How is the lawyer’s fee paid? There are three main models of payment that lawyers use: hourly fee, contingency fee, and flat fee. The hourly fee is the most common form of tax lawyer compensation and it is fairly simple – the tax attorney is paid only based on the time he spends on the case. If you’re paying your tax lawyer by the hour, the agreement should set out the hourly rates of the tax attorney and anyone else in this attorney’s office who might work on the case. The contingency fee arrangement, where the tax attorney takes a percentage of the amount the client wins at the end of the case, is almost never used by tax attorneys in St. Paul. In the unlikely case that this latter type of fee arrangement is used, the most important issue to understand is whether the tax lawyer deducts the costs and expenses from the amount won before or after you pay the lawyer’s percentage. Obviously, you will pay more in attorney fees if your tax lawyer deducts the litigation costs based on the latter scenario (i.e. after you pay the lawyer’s fee). Finally, in a flat fee arrangement, you pay an agreed-upon amount of money for a project. For example, you pay $3,000 to your tax attorney to file delinquent FBARs (Reports on Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) for the past five years. While a flat fee arrangement is possible in a small project, it is generally disliked by tax lawyers in St. Paul because it often lacks the necessary flexibility to account for the client’s individual legal situation. Usually, some sort of an additional payment arrangement is built into such fee agreements to make sure that the balance between the client’s legal needs and the tax attorney’s fees is maintained.

Remember, usually, you will have to pay out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. long-distance calls, mailing costs, photocopying fees, lodging, etc.) and litigation costs (such as court filing fees) in addition to your tax lawyer’s fees.

2. Does the agreement include the amount of the retainer? Most tax lawyers in St. Paul require their client to pay a retainer. Retainer can mean two different fee arrangements. First, retainer may be the amount of money a client pays to guarantee a tax attorney’s commitment to the case. Under this arrangement, the retainer is not a form of an advance payment for future work, but a non-refundable deposit to secure the lawyer’s availability. Second, a retainer is simply the amount of money a tax attorney asks his client to pay in advance. In this scenario, the lawyer usually deposits the retainer in a client trust account and withdraws money from it for the work completed according to the fee agreement. The fee agreement should specify the amount of the retainer and when the lawyer can withdraw money form the client trust account (usually, on a monthly basis).

3. How often will you be billed? Most tax attorneys in St. Paul bill their clients on a monthly basis. Sometimes, however, when the project is not large, the fee agreement will specify that you will be billed upon completion of the case. In a flat-fee scenario, it is likely that the client will be obligated to pay either a half or even the whole amount immediately as a retainer. It is wise for a client to insist in paying some part of the fee upon completion of the case to retain a degree of control over the case completion.

4. What is the scope of the tax attorney’s representation? Most tax lawyers in St. Paul will insist on defining their obligations in the fee agreement. The most important issue here is to state what the tax attorney is hired for without defining it either too narrowly or too broadly. Usually, a fee agreement should specify that a new contract should be signed if you decide to hire this tax lawyer to handle other legal matters.

If you are hiring a large or a mid-size law firm, beware that the partners in a law firm often delegate some or all of their obligations to their associates or even their staff. While the partners retain full responsibility for the case, there is a danger that important parts of it may be delegated to far less experienced associates. Besides the potential quality issues, there is also a concern that you would be paying a large hourly fee for a first-year associate’s work. It is important to insist that the fee agreement specifies what, if any, type of work is being delegated to the associates, the corresponding billing rate of each associate involved, and who carries the responsibility for the whole case.

5. Who controls what decisions? Whether this information should be included in the fee agreement really depends on a case and on an attorney. Generally, tax attorneys in St. Paul let their clients make the important decisions that affect the outcome of the case (such as: acceptance or rejection of the IRS settlement offer, commencement of a lawsuit, business decisions, et cetera). All of the decisions with respect to the legal issues (such as: where to file a lawsuit, what motions should be filed, what negotiation tactics should be employed, how to structure a business transaction from a tax perspective, etc.) are usually taken by the tax lawyers. If there are any changes to this arrangement (for example, you want your lawyer to make certain decisions with the respect to the outcome of the case), you should insist that these modifications be reflected in the fee agreement.

Generally, before you sign the fee agreement, tax lawyers in St. Paul will discuss with you many more topics than what is covered in this article. The five issues explained here, however, are crucial to your understanding of how the tax relationship with your tax attorney will work. Before you sign the fee agreement with your tax lawyer, you should ask at least these five questions and make sure that the answers are complete and to your satisfaction.