Alston & Bird Tax Blog

Kendall Houghton

About Kendall Houghton

Ms. Houghton is a nationally recognized expert whose practice focuses on state and local tax planning, tax controversies and unclaimed property/escheat matters. She leads the Alston & Bird SALT practice and serves on the firm’s Partners’ Committee.

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FAQs on Unclaimed Property Aspects of Retirement Assets

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Our Unclaimed Property Team has created FAQs to stimulate review of the numerous challenges associated with the potential escheatment of traditional IRAs and other tax-advantaged retirement assets. How does ERISA play a part?Why would a custodian voluntarily escheat an ERISA-governed plan asset or distribution?What safeguards can a custodian rely on? Read the full advisory here. [...]Read more

UP Front: A 2021 Sightline for Unclaimed Property Professionals

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Our Unclaimed Property Team provides a line of sight into the developing trends, ongoing policy debates, and litigated disputes that may shape the future of unclaimed property law and compliance. Legislation, both federal (H.R. 8696) and state (RUUPA)State compliance and enforcement programs (audits and VDAs)Holder planning and implementation of compliance and risk-management best practicesHolder/state litigation perhaps no longer a “last resort” Read the full advisory here. [...]Read more

Challenges With Escheatment of Tax-Deferred Retirement Assets, Part 2

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Holders of tax-deferred retirement assets must weigh and balance significant owner-facing risks against a clear set of state-facing compliance requirements and risks. In this installment of “UP Ahead” for Tax Notes State, unclaimed property partners Kendall Houghton and Matt Hedstrom continue their discussion of potential challenges of a holder’s escheat compliance process for traditional and Roth IRAs. To read part one, click here. To read part two, click here. [...]Read more

Pushing Beyond the Limit: Examining the Scope of Subpoenas Issued During Unclaimed Property Audits

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A Delaware court quashed a subpoena aimed at an unclaimed property holder, but the victory may be short-lived. Our Unclaimed Property Team explores the latest court decision addressing a subpoena for records dating back to the 1990s. The subpoena asked for every check issued from 27 accounts over 20 years, including cleared and voided checks and checks issued to payees in other statesThe court found the subpoena too expansive and unreasonableThe third-party auditor’s incentives and motives were called into question Read the full advisory here. [...]Read more

New York Assembly Introduces a Bill on the Escheat of Virtual Currency

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New York Assembly Bill 8314, introduced on June 13, 2019, would provide for the escheat of virtual currency. The bill, which also directs the comptroller to create regulations establishing when electronic communication qualifies as “written contact” from an owner, defines “virtual currency” as “any type of digital unit that is used for  a  medium of exchange or a form of digitally stored value.” The definition is meant to be broadly construed and includes decentralized currencies and those with a central depository or administrator. However, the bill excludes online gaming currencies, [...]Read more