New Book From CCH Details How Professionals Can Avoid Tax Malpractice

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., October 11, 2000) – A casual conversation on a golf course, the inexperience of seasonal office help or a carelessly worded advertisement can all lead to embarrassing and costly claims for tax malpractice, according to CCH INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading provider of tax and business law information and software. To alert practitioners to the dangers of malpractice claims, and educate them on effective steps to fend them off, CCH has published Avoiding Tax Malpractice, by Robert Feinschreiber and Margaret Kent, an eye-opening explanation of the sources of tax malpractice cases with practical suggestions to eliminate or mitigate their effects. ($75, 320 pages. To order, call CCH at 1-800-248-3248 or visit the CCH online store at http://tax.cchgroup.com/onlinestore.)

The toll of tax malpractice litigation can be significant even if the practitioner prevails. Legal costs, injury to reputation and substantial disruption to one's practice and personal life are just a few of the painful consequences. When a malpractice claim succeeds, compensatory and punitive damages can be substantial. Increasing exposures, escalating costs and growth in frequency of claims all suggest that prudent practitioners and firms need to address the issue before the issue addresses them.

Feinschreiber and Kent point out that no type of tax practice is immune from claims of malpractice – from simple returns to corporate and estate tax work.

Avoiding Tax Malpractice not only spells out how to avoid and limit tax malpractice problems, but also illuminates the wide range of actual situations that have led to problems in the past. Readers will discover some of the surprising causes for malpractice litigation and learn that avoiding tax malpractice is far from intuitive.

Generous "how-to-avoid" practices are clearly discussed and practical guidance is given in the form of helpful checklists. Insights on causes and cures are provided throughout. Chapters include:

Tax Compliance Malpractice
Tax Advice Malpractice
Corporate Tax Malpractice
Tax Shelter Malpractice
International Tax Malpractice
State Tax Malpractice
Compensation Issues
S Corporation Tax Malpractice
Estate Tax Malpractice
Divorce Tax Malpractice
E-Commerce Tax Malpractice

Because it exposes the dangers lurking just below the surface of so many facets of practice, this book is bound to be one of the most compelling reads of the year for many tax professionals.

About the Authors

Robert Feinschreiber is a partner in Feinschreiber & Associates, Key Biscayne, Fla. In addition to practice in such areas of the Internal Revenue Code as DISC, FSC, transfer pricing and the research credit, Mr. Feinschreiber has focused on malpractice in areas such as estate tax, corporate tax shelters and similar malpractice specialties.

Margaret Kent is also a partner in Feinschreiber & Associates, specializing in such areas as Latin American transfer pricing, escheat, estate planning and audit techniques. Her tax malpractice specialty is in the spoilation of evidence.

Availability and Pricing

For more information or to order the 320-page Avoiding Tax Malpractice, contact CCH at 1-800-248-3248 or visit the CCH online store (http://tax.cchgroup.com/onlinestore). Single copy price is $75 plus applicable tax, shipping and handling. Quantity discounts and school adoption pricing are available.

About CCH INCORPORATED

CCH INCORPORATED, headquartered in Riverwoods, Ill., was founded in 1913 and has served four generations of business professionals and their clients. The company produces more than 700 electronic and print products for the tax, legal, securities, insurance, human resources, health care and small business markets. CCH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer North America. The CCH web site can be accessed at www.cch.com. The CCH Federal and State Tax web site can be accessed at http://tax.cchgroup.com.

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EDITORS NOTE: For members of the press, a complimentary review copy of Avoiding Tax Malpractice is available by contacting: Leslie Bonacum, 824-267-7153 or bonacuml@cch.com.