Jones Foster private wealth and tax attorneys David E. Bowers, Alexander M. Parthemer, and Richard C. Vaughan traveled to Washington, D.C. for a week of productive discussions on federal tax policy as part of The Florida Bar Tax Section’s 2025 Annual Meeting.
As members of the Transfer Tax Subcommittee – one of five subcommittees of the Tax Section’s Washington D.C. Committee – William G. Smith (not in attendance), Alex Parthemer, and Richard Vaughan authored and co-authored five of the nine White Papers submitted to agencies and congressional delegations. These White Papers, which are peer-reviewed proposals for legislative and regulatory improvements, were presented to the Joint Committee on Taxation, both parties of the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Tax Court.
The delegation’s visit came at a pivotal time, just weeks before the anticipated release of “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” These meetings provided a timely opportunity for the Transfer Tax Subcommittee to present proposals, seek guidance, and gain insight into evolving priorities under a new presidential administration.
Alex and Richard served as featured speakers and presented several of the White Papers on behalf of the Tax Section’s delegation. As a former Tax Section chair and a Florida Bar Board Certified tax attorney, David Bowers contributed to the substantive discussions, drawing on over 30 years of experience in tax law.
The White Papers authored by Jones Foster attorneys include:
The week of meetings kicked off with approximately 25 members of the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which is comprised of economists, accountants, and attorneys that support Congress by analyzing legislative proposals, advising tax-writing committees, and preparing official revenue estimates for all tax legislation. The Tax Section delegation’s five subcommittees focusing on specific areas of tax presented to the Joint Committee on Taxation, sharing insights on proposed guidance and regulatory priorities. These complex tax policy discussions can inform changes to the federal tax code, resulting in real-world impact.
The team also gained valuable insight into the committee’s responsibilities, including the revenue estimating process and the “revenue baseline” — the benchmark used to measure the fiscal impact of proposed tax law changes —enhancing their understanding of the law and their ability to better serve clients navigating complex tax matters.
The delegation’s agenda also included a highly collaborative meeting with more than 35 representatives from the IRS Office of Chief Counsel and the Department of Treasury. Senior IRS attorney Fred Murray–longtime colleague and former University of Florida LL.M. professor–helped facilitate a productive and well-organized session where Jones Foster attorneys presented and discussed their recommendations directly with agency professionals specializing in transfer tax. Alex led the discussion on community property trust guidance, while Richard addressed key issues highlighted in his co-authored White Paper on Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs).
On Capitol Hill, David, Alex, and Richard met with tax counsel and chief oversight counsel for both the Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means, as well as tax counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Finance to discuss proposals on legislative change to Internal Revenue Code. These conversations offered an inside look into the federal policymaking process and underscored the importance of practitioner involvement in shaping dialogue on complex issues including estate and gift tax reform, which is on the horizon as the exclusion amount is scheduled to drop significantly back to 2017 levels if new legislation does not pass by the end of 2025.
As of this writing, lawmakers have released “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” which extends TCJA tax cuts and includes new tax cuts, along with a several other budget resolutions, signaling a significant shift in policy from the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Biden administration. The reconciliation bill was being actively drafted by the staff members of both committees at the time of the trip.
The Tax Section delegation met with several representatives of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Tax Division, including Angelo Frattarelli, Assistant Chief of the Civil Trial Section – Southern Region; a member from the Southern Region’s Criminal Enforcement Section; and civil litigation counsel for an informative Q&A session. Mr. Frattarelli oversees civil matters relating to tax in the southern U.S., including Florida, handling cases filed against the U.S. or IRS in Court of Federal Claims or District Court.
They also toured the U.S. Tax Court, including its main courtroom, and participated in an engaging Q&A session with several judges.
By actively engaging in the policymaking process and being informed about developing legislative priorities shaping the future of tax law, our Private Wealth, Wills, Trusts & Estates and Corporate & Tax teams are uniquely positioned to anticipate legislative or regulatory changes. Their active role in shaping tax policy not only enhances the profession but equips them with the knowledge to guide clients through a rapidly evolving tax landscape with strategic, informed counsel.
If you have questions about estate planning, tax planning, or business succession planning, please contact a member of our Corporate & Tax or Private Wealth, Wills, Trusts & Estates teams.
Jones Foster Shareholder David Bowers, chair of the firm's Private Wealth, Wills, Trusts & Estates and Corporate & Tax Practice Groups, has more than 30 years of experience in complex tax, trusts and estates, and business planning. David is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Tax and has extensive experience in estate planning, estate and trust administration, including IRS audits and business transactions.
Shareholder Bill Smith concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, taxation, and transactional corporate law. Bill advises individuals and families on current or future transfer of assets to minimize federal gift taxes, estate taxes, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes. He also counsels businesses, private foundations, and charities in matters that include business succession planning, transfers of business interests, LLC and S corporation creation, governance documents, mergers, and Treasury Regulation compliance.
Alex Parthemer focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, tax planning, business planning, and transactional corporate law. He works with individual clients and families to develop personalized estate plans for asset protection and distribution while minimizing estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax impact. Alex’s background in complex tax planning uniquely positions him to represent business owners and family offices in a wide range of corporate matters.
Richard Vaughan concentrates his practice in estate planning, trust and estate administration, business planning, and transactional corporate law. He develops comprehensive estate plans for individuals and families to efficiently preserve their assets, including the use of revocable and irrevocable trusts. Richard is experienced in creating and maintaining corporate structures within the context of a client’s estate plan, including drafting operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, entity restructuring, and related agreements among shareholders and partners.
Jones Foster is a full-service commercial and private client law firm headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices in Palm Beach and Jupiter. Tracing its roots back to 1924, the firm has served as an integral part of South Florida’s growth and prosperity. Through a relentless pursuit of excellence, Jones Foster delivers original legal solutions that help clients, colleagues, and the community to move forward. A significant number of attorneys have received the designation of Board-Certified Specialist by The Florida Bar in their specific practice area. The firm’s practice groups include Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Corporate & Tax; Land Use & Governmental; Private Wealth, Wills, Trusts & Estates; Real Estate; and Trust & Estate Litigation. For more information, please visit www.jonesfoster.com.
