Two Republican lawmakers are warning the Treasury Department against making a change in tax policy that would favor trial lawyers who handle lawsuits on a contingency basis and want to deduct loans to clients.
House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Senate Finance Committee ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a
The issue arose after Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Michael F. Mundaca confirmed that the Treasury Department is considering reversing its policy that trial lawyers may not deduct loans to clients as business expenses in certain contingency cases. While the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that such deductions are allowable 15 years ago, the IRS has continued to enforce its rule disallowing such tax deductions in all other Circuits across the country.
We urge you not to make such changes in the governments enforcement of the tax laws, absent a clear direction from Congress or to comply with court decisions, wrote the senior Republicans on the House and Senate tax-writing committees.
Grassley and Camp said they are concerned that the Treasury might be establishing a pattern of unilaterally making tax changes in contravention of congressional intent. In November 2008, Treasury and the IRS came under fire from Grassley and others for giving a tax break that allowed banks to acquire one another. The Treasury ruling helped to accommodate the sale of the Wachovia Corporation to Wells Fargo. Grassley questioned whether Treasury had the authority to bestow such a tax break independently of congressional action.
Regarding the legal expenses issue, Camp and Grassley noted that no other Circuit Court has affirmed the Ninth Circuit decision. On other matters, the IRS has maintained its policies despite unfavorable decisions from multiple Circuit Courts, they added, and despite the introduction of provisions in both the House and Senate to affirm the Ninth Circuit Court decision, Congress has thus far failed to enact such a law.
In questioning the Obama administrations decision to impose a tax policy benefiting a narrow group of taxpayers a tax break that would cost the government $1.572 billion over 10 years, Camp and Grassley requested copies of all legal memoranda or other documentation, including e-mails and records of conversations, documenting the Treasurys authority to issue such regulations or guidance. They also want copies of all drafts of such regulations or guidance and an indication of when these are expected to be effective and whether these were expected to be released for public comment before becoming effective.
In addition, they want to see an explanation of when and why such regulations or guidance were deemed to be urgent and necessary since the issue does not appear to be included in the March 16, 2010, Treasury update of the 2009-2010 Priority Guidance Plan. They also asked for copies of all communications, including e-mails, letters and records of conversations, between the Treasury and outside parties regarding the issuance of such regulations or guidance.
