On July 1, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service published Revenue Ruling 2021-13, which provides guidance on three important issues related to the income tax credit for carbon oxide sequestration found in section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code.  Recall that section 45Q provides for a credit against a taxpayer’s income tax liability based on the amount of carbon oxide (a) captured using carbon capture equipment, (b) placed in service at a qualified facility and (c) disposed of, injected, or utilized in a specified manner.  For more information on carbon capture and section 45Q tax credits, see here, here and here.
Continue Reading New IRS Revenue Ruling Provides Opportunities for Financing Carbon Capture Equipment

On October 26, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) published a notice seeking comment on two Loan Necessity Questionnaires (Form 3509 for “for-profit” entity borrowers and Form 3510 for “non-profit” entity borrowers) that are to be submitted by borrowers who have received Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and are seeking forgiveness of those loans pursuant to section 1106 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”).
Continue Reading SBA and IRS Create Further Uncertainty with the Federal Income Tax Deductibility of Certain Expenditures Paid for with Funds from a PPP Loan

In an April 17, 2020 post to the Liskow Energy Law Blog, we advised our clients and friends that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) had published guidance on how refunds attributable to the CARES Act newly-permitted 5-year carryback of NOLs in section 172 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the accelerated use of AMT Carryforward Credits in section 53(e) of the Code can be obtained.   See, J. Bradford, New IRS Guidance on Obtaining Refunds for Net Operating Loss Carrybacks, Corporate AMT Carryforward Credits and Filing Amended Returns for Partnerships (the “Prior Blog Post”).[1]  Since that time, the IRS has published on its website additional guidance in the form of frequently-asked questions and responses (“FAQs”) regarding the implementation of the temporary policy allowing (1) corporations to file by fax Form 1139 – Corporation Application for Tentative Refund (“Form 1139”) to obtain a tentative refund for a prior tax year to which an NOL is carried back pursuant to the new NOL carryback rules and to obtain a tentative refund attributable to implementing the new accelerated use of AMT Carryforward Credits and (2) individuals to file by fax Form 1045 – Application for Tentative Refund (“Form 1045”) to obtain a tentative refund for a prior tax year to which an NOL is carried back.[2]
Continue Reading IRS Updates Guidance on Temporary Procedures to Fax Forms 1139 and 1045 to Obtain Quick Tentative Refunds due to NOL Carrybacks and Accelerated Use of AMT Carryforward Credits

In a previous post to the Liskow website, we advised clients and friends that the CARES Act, P.L. 116-136, enacted modifications to the rules for the use of net operating losses (“NOLs”) and corporate alternative minimum tax carryforward credits (“AMT Carryforward Credits”) for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2021.  See, J. Bradford and J. Birdsong, CARES Act Makes Significant Changes to Four Key Business Tax Provisions Enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[1]  The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) now has published guidance on how refunds attributable to the newly-permitted 5-year carryback of NOLs in section 172 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the accelerated use of AMT Carryforward Credits in section 53(e) of the Code can be obtained.  The IRS also has published guidance allowing business entities classified as partnerships for federal income tax purposes to file amended partnership income tax returns, including Form 1065 and Schedule K-1, to help individual and corporate taxpayers who are partners in those partnerships take advantage of changes in the federal income tax law enacted in the CARES Act.
Continue Reading New IRS Guidance on Obtaining Refunds for Net Operating Loss Carrybacks, Corporate AMT Carryforward Credits and Filing Amended Returns for Partnerships

Background

The Coronavirus Pandemic has wreaked havoc on small and mid-sized businesses (“SMBs”) throughout Texas and the rest of our country.  Many SMBs have had to close their doors due to mandatory stay-at-home orders and other social distancing orders and requirements.  The CARES Act and other recent legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump contain several programs designed to assist these businesses in their efforts to make it through the hardships of the next several months.  But what about the longer-term capital needs for SMBs as the pandemic subsides and these businesses emerge from the mandatory stay-at-home and other orders and begin to move forward again?Continue Reading Emerging on the Other Side of the Coronavirus Pandemic: Raising Structured Capital for Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Day-to-day life has been dramatically impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and many businesses have been forced to close or limit their service to slow the spread of COVID-19. In response, Congress has passed several pieces of legislation to assist individuals and businesses affected by the virus.

Continue Reading COVID-19 Federal Legislative Response

On Friday, March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the CARES Act, which contains many provisions designed to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on businesses. Those provisions include the following four significant changes to the business tax provisions contained in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.Continue Reading CARES Act Makes Significant Changes to Four Key Business Tax Provisions Enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

Shale drilling transactions typically involve (1) a party who holds oil and gas leases with underlying shale formations but who may not have the risk capital or expertise to explore such formations (the “Lease Party”) and (2) a party who has the risk capital and the expertise to drill and complete successful horizontal wells in shale formations using hydraulic fracturing techniques (the “Drilling Party”).

In these transactions, the Drilling Party pays for or “carries” all or a substantial portion of the Lease Party’s share of the costs of drilling and completing one or more wells on the leases (“Earning Wells”).  If an Earning Well is completed as a well capable of producing hydrocarbons, the Lease Party will assign a portion of its working interest in the lease or spacing unit to the Drilling Party.
Continue Reading Five Lessons Learned from Executing Shale Drilling Transactions

John Bradford’s article “Tax Planning for Oil and Gas Joint Operations”, originally prepared for the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation’s 2016 Special Institute on Joint Operations and the New AAPL Form 610-2015 Model Form Joint Operating Agreement, has been selected for publication by the University of North Texas Institute of Petroleum Accounting in its Petroleum Accounting and Financial Management Journal.  Part 1 of the article appears in the 2017 Spring, volume 36, no. 1 edition, while part 2 will follow in the 2017 Summer edition.
Continue Reading A Key Resource For Structuring Oil & Gas Joint Operations

The extended downturn in the oilfield economy is showing up in some taxpayers’ inability to pay their Texas real property and personal property ad valorem taxes when those taxes become due.  This note reminds taxpayers what happens when the ad valorem taxes are not timely paid.  It also reminds lenders with security interests in real