Meghan Biss joined Caplin & Drysdale’s Exempt Organizations practice group as Of Counsel in January 2018 after more than a decade with the Internal Revenue Service. She draws on that experience to help charities, other tax-exempt organizations, and donors navigate IRS processes and achieve their programmatic and philanthropic goals.
Serving as the sole technical advisor to the Director of Exempt Organizations at the IRS from 2015 to 2018, she advised on all matters involving tax-exempt organizations, including an overhaul of the application process and enhancements to the data-driven approach to examinations. Ms. Biss played a critical role in drafting administrative policies and procedures implemented pursuant to congressional recommendations and worked closely with the IRS Commissioner’s Office on its report to Congress on these measures, as well as on other projects.
Ms. Biss collaborated with IRS Chief Counsel and the Treasury Department in the development of regulations and guidance on donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, equivalency determinations, and political campaign intervention activities. She worked closely with IRS Division Counsel and the Department of Justice on exempt organization litigation. In addition, Ms. Biss oversaw the implementation of legislation impacting tax-exempt organizations, and she represented Exempt Organizations in interactions with congressional committees, the inspector general’s office, and other federal agencies.
Earlier in her government career, Ms. Biss worked on a broad range of issues, including disaster relief, unrelated business income tax (UBIT), excess benefit transactions, charter schools and private schools, and environmental issues.
Ms. Biss is a frequent speaker on legal matters pertaining to exempt organizations. Before going to law school, Ms. Biss worked in corporate recovery of insurance proceeds for claims arising from environmental contamination.