FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2006 WWW.USDOJ.GOV |
TAX (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 |
STATEMENT OF EILEEN J. O’CONNOR ON THE SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS DECISION IN DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY V. UNITED STATES:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Todays decision in Dow Chemical Company v. United States is a meaningful victory in the Justice Departments effort to combat the abusive tax shelters that undermine the integrity of our nations tax laws. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recognized that the Corporate Owned Life Insurance (COLI) tax shelter Dow had used has no practicable economic effect other than the creation of income tax losses. The courts decision that Dow is not entitled to the $33 million in deductions it claimed in connection with the tax shelter vindicates the governments position that a companys federal tax liability is not reduced by transactions that have no economic consequence aside from the attempted tax savings.
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06-035