The Internal Revenue Services is looking for some lawyers.
Specifically, the IRS Office of Chief Counsel announced plans to hire up to 200 more attorneys to help the agency combat syndicated conservation easements, abusive micro-captive insurance arrangements and other tax schemes.
These positions will be available nationwide. First announcements for these positions have been posted on the federal government job website,
The IRS said that promoters have been “particularly active developing and marketing tax shelter schemes” and said that the hires will help manage the increasing caseload in the agency’s multiyear effort to stamp out these schemes.
Abusive syndicated conservation easement deals generally use inflated appraisals of undeveloped land and partnerships devoid of legitimate business purpose designed to generate inflated and unwarranted tax deductions. Abusive micro-captive insurance arrangements are generally sold to owners of closely held entities and commonly lack many of the necessary attributes of insurance, have excessive premiums, insure highly improbable risks and have no connection to genuine business and insurance needs.
“This is an excellent opportunity for attorneys with experience in litigation, partnership tax law and planning complex transactions,” said IRS principal deputy chief counsel William Paul in a statement.
The legal positions will be in more than 50 locations, including Washington, D.C. Those hired will provide legal advice to IRS professionals as they conduct audits of complex corporate and partnership issues and increasingly sophisticated and abusive transactions. New hires will work in a variety of areas, including handling cases in the U.S. Tax Court, as well as serving on trial teams. They will also work with the Department of Justice Tax Division, which handles refund cases in district courts and the Court of Federal Claims. Others will serve in the IRS national office with a focus on developing global regulatory solutions and providing specialized advice to litigation teams.
More information is available at the site of the
