Registration Open For Summer Ag Income Tax/Estate and Business Planning Seminar

Overview

Registration is now open for this summer’s national ag tax and estate/business planning conference in Deadwood, South Dakota.  The conference is set for July 20-21 at The Lodge at Deadwood.  In today’s post I briefly summarize the conference, the featured speakers and registration.

Deadwood, South Dakota - July 20-21, 2020

The conference will be in Deadwood, South Dakota on July 20 and 21.  The event is sponsored by the Washburn University School of Law.  The Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics is a co-sponsor. Some of the morning and afternoon breaks are sponsored by SkySon Financial and Safe Harbour Exchange, LLC.  The location is The Lodge at Deadwood.  The Lodge is relatively new, opening in 2009.  It is located just west of Deadwood on a bluff that overlooks the town.  You can learn more about The Lodge here: https://www.deadwoodlodge.com/hotel.  The Lodge has great conference facilities and also contains the Deadwood Grille featuring Western dining.  For families with children, The Lodge contains an indoor water playland.  There is also transportation from The Lodge to Main street in Deadwood where the shops and local attractions are located.  Deadwood is in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota.  Nearby is Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Devil’s Tower and Rapid City.  The closest flight connection is via Rapid City.  The Deadwood area is a beautiful area, and the weather in late July should be fabulous. 

Featured Speakers

On Day 1, July 20, joining me on the program will be Paul Neiffer.  Paul has been doing the summer seminars with me for several years now and is affiliated with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP.  We enjoy working together to provide the best in ag tax education that you can find.  We will discuss new cases and IRS developments; GAAP Accounting; restructuring credit lines; deducting bad debts; forgiving installment sale debt and some passive loss issues.  We will also get into advanced tax planning issues associated with the qualified business income deduction of I.R.C. Sec. 199A as well as net operating loss issues under the new rules; FSA advanced planning and like-kind exchanges when I.R.C. §1245 property is involved. 

Also with us as a Day 1 speaker is the honorable Judge Elizabeth Paris of the U.S. Tax Court.  She will provide an informative session on litigating a case before the U.S. Tax Court and the special rules and procedures of the court – what you need to know before filing a case with the Tax Court.  Judge Paris has issued opinions in several important ag cases during her tenure on the court, including Martin v. Comr., 149 T.C. 293 (2017), and is a great speaker.  You won’t want to miss her session.

I will lead off Day 2, July 21, with coverage of the most recent ag-related cases and rulings impacted farm and ranch estate and business planning.  Also joining me on Day 2 will be Prof. Jeffrey Jackson, a colleague of mine at Washburn University School of Law.  He will present a session on gun trusts for holding firearms and the unique issues that passing firearms at death can present.  Prof. Jackson will discuss what a gun trust is and how it works, what it cannot do, and client counseling with respect to passage of firearms by gift or at death.  Prof. Jackson's presentation will be followed by a session involving a comprehensive review of the new rules surrounding retirement planning after the SECURE act by Brandon Ruopp, an attorney from Marshalltown, Iowa.  

Also making a presentation on Day 2 will be Marc Vianello.  Marc is a CPA and the managing member of Vianello Forensic Consulting, LLC.  He is an experienced financial professional with and intensive 30-year history as a forensic accountant and expert witness regarding damages in highly complex litigation, including breach of contract, intellectual property (patent, Lanham, trade secret, copyright), business valuation, franchise, agriculture, Qui Tam and class action, personal injury, employment, casualties, financial crimes, and all other types of income and valuation damages. Marc also has an extensive background regarding the computation of estate and gift tax discounts for lack of marketability.  Marc’s presentation will focus on how practitioners can utilize forensic accounting techniques and expert testimony to bolster a client’s position against the IRS on audit as well as in court.

Other topics that I will address on Day 2 include the common estate planning mistakes of farmers and ranchers; post-death management of the farm or ranch business; and the valuation of farm chattels and marketing rights.

Day 2 will conclude with an hour session on ethics.  Prof. Shawn Leisinger of Washburn School of Law will present a session on the ethical issues related to risk I the legal context and how to ethically advise clients concerning risk decisions. 

Webcast

If you are unable to join us in-person for the two-day event in Deadwood, the conference will be broadcast live over the web.  The webcast will be handled by Glen McBeth.  Glen handles Instructional Technology at the law library at the law school.  Glen has broadcast the last few summer seminars and does a tremendous job producing a high-quality webcast. 

Room Block

A room block has been established at The Lodge for conference attendees under Washburn University School of Law.  The rate is $169 per night and is valid from July 17 through July 22.  The room block will release on June 19.  The Lodge does not have an online link for reservations, but you may call the front desk at (877) 393-5634 and tell them they need to make reservations under the Washburn University Law School room block.  As noted, the room block begins the weekend before the seminar begins so that you can arrive early and enjoy the weekend in Deadwood and the Black Hills area before conference if you’d like. 

Alumni Event

Washburn’s law school will also be holding an alumni event at The Lodge that corresponds with the summer seminar.  There will be a social event for law school alumni and registrants of the summer seminar on Sunday evening, July 19.  That event will be followed the next day with a CLE seminar focusing on law and technology.  This CLE event will also be at The Lodge and will run simultaneously with Day 1 of the two-day summer seminar on July 20.  The summer seminar will continue on July 21.

Sponsorship

If your business is interested in sponsoring a breakfast, break or lunch, and having vending space at the conference, please let me know.  It’s a great event to interact with practitioners that represent the legal and tax needs of farmers and ranchers from across the country that are involved in many aspects of agriculture.

Conclusion

If you have farm or ranch clients that you work with on tax, estate or business planning, this conference is an outstanding opportunity to receive specialized training in ag tax in these areas and interact with others.  The conference is also appropriate for agribusiness professionals, rural landowners and agricultural producers. 

More detailed information about the conference and registration information is available here:  http://washburnlaw.edu/employers/cle/farmandranchtax.html.  I look forward to seeing you in Deadwood or having you participate via the web.