The updated Circular 230, revised to reflect the new return preparer oversight program and other changes, is now available.

When Christian Lopez caught Derek Jeter’s historic 3,000th hit on July 9, he most likely thought that he was just being a nice guy by giving it back to the Yankee shortstop. In that moment, Lopez probably didn’t realize that his incredibly selfless gesture could lead to potentially negative tax consequences.

Did Lopez give the ball to Jeter as a gift? That could mean that Lopez made a taxable gift equal to the fair market value of the ball. How much is that ball actually worth? Fair market value is defined as the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller for the ball. You can buy an official Rawlings MLB baseball on amazon.com for $17.30. Chump change. However, some people are estimating that Lopez could have sold Jeter’s ball for up to $250,000. Now we’re talking

For years, estate planning practitioners have encouraged Congress to pass a bill authorizing portability of a married couple’s estate tax exemption (allowing a surviving spouse’s estate to add her deceased spouse’s unused estate tax exemption to her own). Now, with the passage of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the “2010 Act”), estate planning practitioners are now wondering if, instead of being grateful that Congress finally listened, they should be thinking “be careful what you wish for.” Here is our take on the good, the bad and the ugly of portability.

The Good:

Prior to the passage of the 2010 Act,