Tax

VFH attorneys have broad experience in tax planning for individuals, business organizations and tax-exempt organizations. The attorneys at VFH have expertise in advising clients related to federal, state, and local income taxes, employment and payroll taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, and excise taxes. Tax planning activities include advising on United States and foreign business operations, financings, acquisitions, dispositions, divisions, liquidations, and structuring single-investor and leveraged leases of real and personal property. Our attorneys have represented clients in tax-advantaged transactions, such as tax increment financing transactions, historic rehabilitation tax credit investments, affordable housing tax credit transactions and tax-exempt bond financing. We also have significant expertise in handling federal, state, and local tax controversies. Tax attorneys at VFH work collaboratively with the other attorneys at the firm in a variety of other practice areas, including lending and finance, leasing, business acquisitions and dispositions, franchising, debt and equity recapitalizations, real estate, joint ventures, partnerships and trust and estate planning.

We recognize that tax consequnces are only a part of the fundamental economics of a business transaction and the attorneys at VFH strive to devise alternative structures that may produce more favorable tax results and still accomplish our clients' objectives.  It is our practice to understand first the business objectives of the proposed transaction or, in the case of dispute work, the business context in which the transaction at issue arose. An evaluation of the relative importance of a given tax issue, in the context of the business objective or activity, is vital to providing the type of service that most effectively meets our clients' needs, timetable and budget. Tax work we perform regularly includes:

• Corporate tax planning, tax transactions and structuring for all forms of entities
• Structuring business ventures, transactions and client operations to minimize or defer taxes
• Rendering tax opinions on proposed transactions
• Providing counsel and analysis on minimizing potential tax liabilities
• Obtaining rulings from tax authorities on proposed transactions
• Handling tax controversies and audits by tax authorities
• Litigating tax cases in state and federal Courts in coordination with with trial counsel
• Monitoring and commenting on proposed tax legislation and regulations
• Preparing equity and executive compensation plans
• Structuring cross-border direct and passive investments
• Advising with respect to mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures
• Advising with respect to spin-offs and other divisive reorganizations
• Advising with respect to trust, estate and elder law matters
• Advising with respect to domicile and residency issues for individuals

VFH attorneys assist clients choose among various forms and business combinations, including proprietorship, corporation ("C", "S", etc.), limited liability company, tax exempt and partnership (including limited, limited liability and limited liability limited partnerships).