Michele F.L. Weiss, Senior Counsel at Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin, will be speaking at the California Lawyers Association, Women in Tax Committee meeting on February 26, 2021. Michele will be presenting on the topic: “IRS Campaigns: Syndicated Conservation Easements and Cryptocurrency.” Michele will provide an insightful status update and discussion on these two topical tax issues.
The IRS has been increasing its enforcement efforts against charitable contributions of conservation easements undertaken by syndicated conservation easements. The FTB also has a Conservation Easement Project to increase enforcement efforts against California members of conservation easement syndicates who claim charitable contributions for the syndicate’s conservation easement contributions. The IRS is also increasing its efforts to track cryptocurrency transactions for tax enforcement purposes.
Michele Weiss is a tax litigator who focuses on representing businesses and business owners in disputes with the IRS and other taxing authorities. She has over 20 years of experience in tax controversy and litigation matters. For more than 11 years, Michele was a Senior Attorney in the Large and Mid-Sized Business Division of the IRS. After leaving the IRS, Michele joined KPMG as Director of Tax Controversy Services. Since 2014, Michele has been working at Holtz, Slavett & Drabkin, a law firm that exclusively represents taxpayers in their tax disputes.
Michele’s primary area of focus is defending businesses, business owners and investors in connection with their civil and criminal tax matters with federal, state and local taxing authorities including the IRS, FTB, EDD and the state Board of Equalization. Michele also represents businesses in connection with property tax appeals before County Assessors’ offices throughout California. Michele was on the adjunct faculty of Golden Gate University School of Taxation. She is the membership vice-chair of the California Lawyers Association Women in Tax Committee and the Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association Tax Section.