Jim Rourke

James P. (Jim) Rourke is an Associate in the firm’s Tax Practice Group. 

His law practice is focused on matters related to federal taxation, state and local taxation, and employee benefits.

Mr. Rourke assists businesses and organizations with:

• Tax planning and compliance
• 401(k), profit sharing, pension and other qualified retirement plan administration
• Insurance and other fringe benefits
• Obtaining tax-exempt status

Mr. Rourke earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, in History and Literature of America from Harvard University.  In 2010, he earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Wig and Robe.  While in law school, Mr. Rourke served as both a Member Editor and Articles Editor for the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal and worked as a law clerk for Nexsen Pruet.  In May 2011, he received his LL.M degree in Taxation from New York University.

A native of Wilmington, Massachusetts, Mr. Rourke worked as a special assistant in the Public Affairs department of the Boston Red Sox for five years and as a whitewater rafting guide on the Chattooga River prior to attending law school.

Publications

• Federal Tax Consequences of State Economic Development Incentives, presented to Columbia Tax Study Group, March 31, 2010 (co-authored with Burnet M. Maybank III)
• Letters of Inconsistency: Southeast Resource Recovery, Inc. v. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and Local Loss of Landfill Development, 17 Se. Envtl. L.J. 397 (2009).

• Southeastern Environmental Law Journal - Articles Editor
• Recipient of CALI Award in Legal Writing II, Veterans' Rights Seminar, and Veterans' Rights Clinic

• Nexsen Pruet Expands Tax Practice; James P. Rourke Joins Columbia Office
  Rourke returns to Columbia after earning a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from New York University. His law practice will focus on assisting businesses with issues related to federal taxation, state and local taxation, and employee benefits.

• South Carolina Supreme Court Rules on Tax Exemptions in Bodman v. South Carolina
  Close to a year and a half after hearing oral arguments in Bodman v. South Carolina, the South Carolina Supreme Court has upheld the “seven caps” and “eighty seven exemptions” found under the State’s sales tax. (Op. No. 27248 filed May 8, 2013).
• Tax Alert: 'Medical Device Tax' Now in Effect
  The accounting departments of many hospitals and medical practices are preparing for increased costs on medical supplies.
• Multi-state Taxpayers in South Carolina, Take Note
  Businesses operating as multi-state taxpayers in South Carolina should take note of a recent ruling by the state’s Court of Appeals. In CarMax Auto Superstores West Coast, Inc. v. South Carolina Department of Revenue, Op. No. 4953 (filed March 14, 2012), the court reversed an Administrative Law Court (“ALC”) decision.
• Client Alert: 2010 Tax Act Provides Portability to Reduce the Estate Taxes Paid by Couples
  The IRS is offering a new way for surviving spouses to reduce their estate tax bill if their spouse passed away after December 31, 2010.
• Client Alert: The Taxation Treatment of Employer-Provided Cell Phones
  The Internal Revenue Service has issued long-awaited guidance that clarifies the taxation treatment of employer-provided cell phones or other similar telecommunications equipment.
• Client Alert: A Low Cost Option to Voluntarily Reclassify Workers
  In September, The IRS announced the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP), a voluntary initiative allowing taxpayers the opportunity to change the prospective classification of their workers at a low cost. Taxpayers seeking to apply to the VCSP for the fourth quarter of 2011 must act quickly to meet the initial deadlines set by the IRS.