Ernest H. Van Fossan (1888–1970) was an American attorney and jurist who served as a judge on the United States Tax Court (formerly known as the United States Board of Tax Appeals) for over three decades.
Born on September 6, 1888, in Lisbon, Ohio, Van Fossan pursued his higher education at Oberlin College, earning an A.B. in 1909. He subsequently attended Columbia University, where he received both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1913. Following his graduation, he entered private legal practice in his hometown of Lisbon.
During World War I, Van Fossan served in the United States Army, eventually reaching the rank of Captain in the Judge Advocate General's Department. His administrative and legal service continued after the war; he served as a member of the War Department Claims Board and as a legal advisor to the Governor General of the Panama Canal Zone.
In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge appointed Van Fossan to the United States Board of Tax Appeals. He was reappointed to the position by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and again in 1944. During his tenure, the Board was renamed the Tax Court of the United States (1942). Van Fossan's career on the bench was characterized by his involvement in federal tax litigation during a period of significant expansion in American tax law.
Van Fossan retired from full-time service on June 30, 1956. However, he continued to serve the court in a senior capacity as a recalled judge. He died in August 1970.