IRS Appeals forms new office

The IRS Independent Office of Appeals has created the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program Management Office (ADR PMO), which will collaborate with business operating divisions to help taxpayers resolve tax disputes earlier and more efficiently. ADR PMO will remove barriers to participating in Post-Appeals Mediation – a program that introduces a new mediator if the parties are unable to reach agreement during traditional Appeals settlement negotiations.

“This new office will revitalize existing programs and pilot new initiatives as part of IRS transformation efforts in alignment with the IRS Strategic Operating Plan,” IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said in a statement. “We’re committed to providing taxpayers who wish to resolve their issues without litigation a choice of early resolution options, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program Management Office will ensure taxpayers are aware of those options.”

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Chamber, business groups sue FTC to block noncompete ban–The Hill

BY TAYLOR GIORNO

Business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), challenging its decision to ban noncompete agreements.

The FTC voted 3-2 Tuesday to pass the rule blocking new noncompete agreements. The rule also requires employers to throw out existing noncompete agreements and notify current and former workers they won’t be enforced, though the final rule carved out an exemption for senior executives, who still may be subject to the agreement.

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Read US Chamber Complaint…

“Can Incentives Increase the Writing of Wills?”

Aubry, Jean-Pierre, Alicia H. Munnell, and Gal Wettstein. 2024. “Can Incentives Increase the Writing of Wills?” Issue in Brief 24-9. Chestnut Hill, MA: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

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Writing a will can improve the transmission of wealth across generations by preventing the dissipation of assets – such as a family home divided among multiple heirs – and by encouraging donors to save for their beneficiaries.  Despite the advantages of having a will, the percentage of households with a will is surprisingly low.  For those ages 50+, less than half of household heads have a will.  By age 70, that share increases to 67 percent, but the shares are much lower for less wealthy households and for Black and Hispanic households.  The question is whether targeted bequests can be increased through an intervention that promotes will-writing.  

To answer that question, this brief, which is based on a recent study, reports on the results of an online survey and experiment administered by NORC at the University of Chicago.1  The participants are asked a series of questions about whether or not they have a will and why.  Those without a will then participate in an experiment where they are randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups to determine whether various incentives would encourage them to write a will.  

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School-Based Mental Health Clinic Resources–NYSED

  • As part of a commitment to address youth mental health statewide, Governor Kathy Hochul has allocated resources for providers to establish an Office of Mental Health-supported mental health clinic satellite at all willing schools.
  • School-based mental health clinics are satellite sites or extensions of the main community-based clinic. The satellites are established and operated without costs to schools.
  • For more information about satellite operations and funding, please visit the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) School-Based Mental Health Clinics webpage.
  • Schools that are interested in partnering with an OMH clinic provider to establish a school-based mental health clinic can reach out directly to eligible OMH clinic providers or to the OMH to get started.
  • If you already know the provider agencies with child/adolescent-serving clinic programs within your district, you can contact them to explore a potential partnership. If you need assistance with locating a clinic, please use this searchable directory to access all OMH-licensed programs by county.
  • For additional questions, please contact OMH at omhchildclinics@omh.ny.gov.

NY AG asks Trump civil fraud judge to declare $175M bond ‘without effect’–The Hill

BY ELLA LEE

The New York attorney general’s office has asked a judge to void the $175 million bond former President Trump secured to put off paying the larger monetary damage award in his civil fraud case.

State lawyers said in court filings Friday that the former president and his co-defendants — the Trump Organization and its top executives, including his two eldest sons — failed to prove the surety Trump used to obtain the bond actually has the money to back it.

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Apple pulls WhatsApp and Threads from App Store on Beijing’s orders–Associated Press

BY ZEN SOO

HONG KONG (AP) — Apple said it had removed Meta’s WhatsApp messaging app and its Threads social media app from the App Store in China to comply with orders from Chinese authorities.

The apps were removed from the store on Friday after Chinese officials cited unspecified national security concerns.

Their removal comes amid elevated tensions between the U.S. and China over trade, technology and national security.

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Claude

I asked:  Please provide a brief description of “Claude” suitable for a newsletter.

Claude answered:

Here is a brief description of “Claude” that could be used in a newsletter:

Claude is an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, honest, and harmless. Claude has a broad knowledge base and can assist with a variety of tasks including writing, analysis, research, math, coding, and answering questions on many topics. Claude aims to provide responses that are clear, concise, and tailored to the specific needs of each user. While Claude has advanced capabilities, it remains humble and ethical, always striving to be a beneficial presence for the humans it interacts with.

Claude adds a caveat:

Claude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

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You may want to try the free version to see if Claude can benefit you.

Supreme Court lets Idaho enforce law criminalizing gender-affirming care for minors–The Advocate

By TRUDY RING

Idaho can enforce its law making it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to transgender minors while a lawsuit against it proceeds, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.

A federal district court had issued an injunction against the law last year, blocking it from enforcement while the suit is heard, as the court found the suit likely to succeed on its claim that the law is unconstitutional. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the injunction in January. But the high court said lower courts had erred in blocking the law’s application to all state residents instead of just those who brought the suit. The Supreme Court’s decision Monday allows the law to apply to all Idahoans except those who sued.

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Dirty Dozen: IRS warns tax pros, individuals to be cautious of ongoing scams designed to steal valuable information–IRS

The IRS continues to share its Dirty Dozen list of tax scams reminding taxpayers and tax professionals to remain vigilant and protect themselves against fraudsters’ attempts intended to steal valuable information and file false tax returns. The IRS and the Security Summit partners urge tax pros and taxpayers to watch out for:

“It’s crucial for tax professionals and businesses to be wary of creative and evolving cyberattacks designed to access sensitive systems,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. The IRS urges individuals to report unscrupulous promoters and tax preparer

Judge tosses Nassau County suit defending ban on trans women playing sports: NY AG–Gothamist

By 

Charles Lane

A federal judge on Friday tossed out a pre-emptive lawsuit from Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who sought to stave off legal action by New York Attorney General Letitia James over his decision banning transgender women from playing sports at county-owned facilities, James’ office said.

“This decision is a tremendous victory for justice and the rule of law, but our work here is not done,” said Alexis Richards, a spokesperson for James. “It’s past time for Nassau County to rescind this order and treat all our communities with the basic respect and dignity they deserve.”

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