In these days leading up to Election Day 2016, it’s hard not to talk about political issues. For Section 501(c)(3) organizations, it can be tempting to speak up on issues that affect their mission. Indeed, for many, not speaking out may seem contrary to their mission. Because the presidential candidates have indicated their stance on […]
Reynolds Cafferata was one of the members of the legal team honored with a Clay Award from the Daily Journal and callawyer.com for ground-breaking legal work in the Estate of Duke. In the Estate of Duke, the California Supreme Court held that a will with unambiguous terms can be reformed to reflect the testator’s true […]
In a Private Letter Ruling released on February 13, the IRS denied an open source software project’s 501(c)(4) exemption application using a rationale sure to invite Monday morning quarterbacking. Rather than simply denying the application on the straight up the middle basis that the open source software project was carrying on a business with the […]
A discussion that occurs at nearly every board meeting (not to mention audit, grants and finance/investment committee meetings) of a private foundation is whether the investments and grants for the year can be “managed” to reduce the excise tax on net investment income to 1 percent. Since the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of […]
At Rodriguez, Horii, Choi & Cafferata LLP we have been drafting more charitable remainder trusts in the last year than had been the case for the past decade or so. Three things are driving client interest in a charitable remainder trust. First, as the economy continues to recover, clients have seen their assets appreciate significantly […]