In this week’s New York Business Divorce, read about the history and development of the doctrine of tax estoppel, including two strands of competing case law emanating from a pair of New York State Court of Appeals decisions reaching opposite conclusions about the extent to which one may prove ownership status in a closely-held business based upon estoppel.
Continue Reading The Doctrine of Tax Estoppel in Ownership Status Disputes

“Is she or isn’t she a shareholder? Only her tax preparer knows for sure.” It may not be quite as catchy as the famous Clairol commercial, but it’s a good entreaty to read this week’s New York Business Divorce highlighting a recent appellate ruling in a dissolution case in which the petitioner unsuccessfully relied on tax returns to prove his shareholder status.
Continue Reading Form K-1s Do Not Always a Shareholder Make

When it comes to documenting ownership of closely held corporations, as Art Linkletter would have said, shareholders do the darndest things. There’s no better illustration of this than Matter of Sunburst Associates, Inc. decided last week by the Appellate Division, Third Department, in a judicial dissolution proceeding brought by a putative 50% shareholder. This week’s New York Business Divorce has the story.

Continue Reading Inconsistent Documents and Conflicting Testimony Cloud Stock Ownership Issue in Corporate Dissolution Case