In May 2026, a federal court of appeals handed Flight Options (now an affiliate of fractional operator Flexjet) a victory in a long-running dispute over federal excise tax on fractional-program fees. The IRS sought payment of $39 million (which included interest and penalties) for Flight Options’ failure to collect 7.5% federal excise tax (FET) on fractional program monthly management fees (and membership fees for a now-defunct jet-club program). It’s important […]
Los Angeles County is a popular destination for private aircraft. A hub for the entertainment and aerospace industries, the county counts nearly 10 million people as residents. LAX, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Burbank, Hawthorne, Torrance and Santa Monica are the primary airports used by private aviation. Many (most?) aircraft that are available part-time for Part 135 charter to the public end up visiting L.A. County. In March 2026, the L.A. […]
Kevin Austin went to work in the aviation industry nearly 50 years ago running tours, mopping floors and emptying garbage cans at Boeing’s 747 manufacturing facility while going to school at night. He later negotiated aircraft purchase agreements with the world’s airlines. He then attended Stanford Law School and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business where he focused on international transactions, tax strategy and securities law. For the last 25 years […]