Author Archives: 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. Read More →

Unclaimed Property Challenges in the Health Care Industry

▪ Written by Kendall Houghton and Matt Hedstrom

States across the country are undertaking unclaimed property audit campaigns. These audits are targeting large national health care providers and insurance companies. Learn from Unclaimed Property partners Kendall Houghton and Matt Hedstrom why these audits raise HIPAA and unclaimed property concerns for the health care sector. Click here to read the article. [...]Read more

What Is the Future State of Unclaimed Property?

▪ Written by Kendall Houghton

Over the past two years, a series of sea-change developments in the unclaimed property compliance arena has impacted corporations in the U.S. As part of this series of articles produced by Duff & Phelps asking what's next, Kendall Houghton considers how investment assets will continue to generate audit disputes and litigation. Read the articles here. [...]Read more

IRS Ruling on IRAs Raises Numerous Unclaimed Property Issues for Holders, Owners, and States Alike

▪ Written by Kendall Houghton, Michael Giovannini and Kathleen Cornett

Many states have begun to treat IRAs as unclaimed property even before the owner can take a tax-free distribution. But now the IRS has ruled that escheatment is equivalent to a distribution and subject to federal income tax withholding and reporting requirements. Our Unclaimed Property Group dives into this dilemma for holders, owners, and states alike. Revenue Ruling 2018-17 concludes that escheatment of an IRA is a designated distribution Holders must honor federal tax withholding and reporting rules upon escheat States are aggressively auditing IRAs Potential negative impact on [...]Read more

The Supreme Court Weighs a New State Tax Nexus Standard, Again

▪ Written by Kendall Houghton and Clark Calhoun

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the latest challenge to Quill’s physical-presence standard for collecting state use taxes. Our State & Local Tax Group provides a first-hand account of the lively debate and analyzes the Justices’ willingness to overturn the 25-year-old standard. South Dakota takes up Kennedy’s suggestion What is the real-dollar impact? Retroactivity becomes an issue Read the full advisory here. [...]Read more

Predicting the Possible “Perfect Storm” of Unclaimed Property Trends in 2018

▪ Written by Michael Giovannini and Kendall Houghton

Our Unclaimed Property Group looks ahead to 2018’s perfect storm of holder- and state-initiated litigation and more. Litigation – what happened and what’s next Adopting the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act The ABA’s Model Unclaimed Property Act Delaware’s VDA program Read the full advisory here. [...]Read more

Unclaimed Property ADVISORY: Delaware Moves to Revamp Its Unclaimed Property Law

▪ Written by Michael Giovannini and Kendall Houghton

Our Unclaimed Property Group explores legislation introduced in the state Senate that if enacted, would prompt a sea change in Delaware law governing abandoned and unclaimed property.

Read the full advisory here.