Spotlight on Tax Attorney and Big Law Partner Nicholas Kappas

Our Spotlight series highlights the careers and lives of tax professionals across the globe. This week’s focus is on Nicholas Kappas, a member of Dentons’ Tax practice group.

Kappas concentrates his practice on tax planning for federal and state tax credit transactions and tax-exempt and taxable bonds. He has represented clients on tax credit transactions involving new markets, historic rehabilitation and low-income housing tax credits, as well as on related federal and state tax matters including tax credit syndication and tax-exempt organizations.

In his spare time, you might fine Kappas watching “Death in Paradise,” a British–French television crime drama, reading a good book, or munching on “almonds, carrots, and chocolate together, any time of the day or night.”

What’s your official title and what does it mean? My official title is partner. To me, it is a reflection of my consistent dedication to clients and my desire to continue to learn and improve.

Free time: book, audiobook, or podcast? In my free time, I enjoy a good book. Like many, I spend my day looking at screens, and when the time comes to unplug, words on real paper are refreshing.

Tax is a huge subject. What’s your area of special interest? My areas of specialty are federal and state tax credit transactions—primarily new markets tax credits, affordable housing, historic rehabilitation, and renewable energy, as well as tax-exempt bonds. I love doing work that has community and environmental impacts.

What’s the last movie or show that you watched and loved (DVD, Netflix, or in the theater)? For better or worse, I don’t watch much television or see many movies. I make one exception: “Death in Paradise.” My family loves that show.

What college did you attend and what did you study? I attended Colgate University in upstate New York. Beautiful but cold! I majored in geography, but I still get lost all the time.

Go to pick-me-up: Coffee or tea? My go-to pick-me-up is coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and dessert any time.

What’s the best tax or financial advice that anyone ever gave you? Great question. I’m still waiting for it.

If you weren’t working in the tax profession, what would your dream job be? Before I became a lawyer, I earned a master’s degree in Latin American literature and taught Spanish in high school. When I retire, I would like to go back and earn a Ph.D. in the same field and teach literature anywhere I could. Some of the most fascinating conversations came out of my literature classes.

If you had the opportunity to make one change in the tax world—an extra credit, a disallowed deduction, whatever—what would it be? I would make the new markets tax credit permanent. The program has had such a positive impact, and it still has much to give.

Favorite food, snack, or candy during tax season or other busy time? I enjoy snacking on almonds, carrots, and chocolate together, any time of the day or night.

What tax news or move made the most impact on your practice or clients this past year? The five-year extension of the new markets tax credit program in late 2020 was perhaps the most positive development because it allows for community development investors and lenders to plan longer term rather than repeatedly work with short-term extensions.

If you received a big tax refund check right now, what would you do with it? Given the relentless degradation of human rights across the globe, I would contribute half of it to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The rest would go toward college tuition for my kids.

You can find Kappas on LinkedIn.

You can learn more about Kappas’ firm, Dentons, on its website.

If you’d like to recommend a tax pro to be featured, send your suggestion to rbaker@bloombergindustry.com with the subject: Spotlight. Please include the following information: tax professional’s name, title, email address, and geographic area (city/state/country).