On May 26, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Lauber to serve as a Judge of the United States Tax Court, to the seat vacated by Judge Stephen J. Swift, who had resigned from the court. His nomination received a hearing before the United States Senate Committee on Finance on December 11, 2012 and was reported favorably on December 21, 2012. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 1, 2013.[4] He received his commission on January 31, 2013. His commission will expire on January 30, 2028, at which time his fifteen-year term will end.[2][3]
In August 2018, Lauber determined that Illinois Tool Works owed no tax on over $356 million in repatriated funds from its foreign subsidiaries because the transactions had been sufficiently structured as debt.[5][6] Lauber also decided two high-profile transfer pricing cases, Amazon v. Commissioner[7] and Coca-Cola v. Commissioner.[8] He assumed senior status on January 1, 2020.