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State And Local Tax Takeaways From August

From the Maryland Tax Court striking down the state's digital advertising tax to litigation over taxes on high-val... (more story)

Medical Marijuana Industry Grapples With DEA's New Role

After years of allowing the state-sanctioned medical marijuana industry to operate without interference, the U.S. ... (more story)

4 Factors That May Decide Success Of IRS Easement Office

As practitioners scrambled to meet deadlines to settle clients' disputes over conservation easement tax deductions... (more story)

Federal More

Developer Seeks To Restore $78M In Conservation Tax Perks

The Internal Revenue Service was wrong to disallow two conservation easement deductions worth a combined $78 million based on potential mining activity without adequately explaining why, an Alabama real estate... (more story)

Airbnb Can't Nix IRS Expert In $1.3B Bill Fight, Tax Court Says

The U.S. Tax Court denied Airbnb's bid to strike IRS expert witness reports from discovery proceedings in the company's challenge against a $1.3 billion tax bill, ruling Wednesday that a procedural rule govern... (more story)

Vitamin Co. Can't Duck $1.4M Suit Over Ex-Owner's Tax Lien

A vitamin company and its owners must face a suit by the federal government seeking $1.4 million stemming from a tax lien on a former owner's 20% interest in the company, a Connecticut federal judge ruled.

Lutnick Says Semiconductor Tariffs Are Coming, With Carveouts

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Wednesday said the U.S. is looking to issue a broad tariff on semiconductors, though he also said it would be structured such that companies that commit to U.S. man... (more story)

Siemens Leaders Testify They Were Unaware Of Tax Strategy

Three executives who described how Siemens' digital software business integrated Mentor Graphics' operations after acquiring that electronic design automation company in 2017 seemed oblivious to the tax aspect... (more story)

Investment Co. Disputes IRS' $166M Add-On To Capital Gains

An investment company accused the IRS of mistakenly inflating its 2008 short-term capital gains from certain securities investments to about $170 million from $4 million, telling the U.S. Tax Court the gains w... (more story)

Strip Club Boss Wants Only Probation After $1.5M Tax Penalty

The former boss of a Connecticut strip club who pled guilty to five charges after being accused of hiding $5.7 million from the IRS told a federal court he should serve no prison time since he already coughed ... (more story)

State & Local More

Neb. Justices Urged To Allow $16M Gains Exclusion For Trust

A trust set up by a former Union Pacific executive should receive a $16 million capital gains exclusion despite the shares at issue being indirectly transferred to the trust as part of a corporation, the Nebra... (more story)

NJ Urges Justices To Resolve Kalshi Sports Betting Split

New Jersey regulators on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to address the newly emerged circuit split around prediction market regulation, filing a long-awaited petition that challenged a Third Circuit de... (more story)

Fla. Defends Airline Tax Method Targeted By JetBlue

A Florida state court was right to reject JetBlue's challenges to the state's method for apportionment of airline income, including receipts from flights over offshore areas, the state Department of Revenue to... (more story)

Biz Groups Ask Texas Justices To Bar Tax On Stored Oil

If the Texas Supreme Court rules that counties can levy personal property tax on oil slated for export, the decision could be damaging to the state's economy and a boon for other states, the U.S. Chamber of Co... (more story)

Temporary Tariffs Exceeded Trump's Power, Fed. Circ. Told

President Donald Trump illegally based his temporary tariffs on the misapplication of a law allowing the president to address balance-of-payment deficits, two businesses told the Federal Circuit, pushing the c... (more story)

NY Tax Talk: Evaluating The Sales Tax Vendor Relief Program

New York state’s new penalty abatement and interest discount program, recently enacted alongside mandated sales tax vendor reregistration, may be most useful for vendors that recently lost a protest or have no... (more story)

States Ask Fed. Circ. To Revive Their Temporary Tariff Claims

Two dozen states pushed the Federal Circuit on Monday to revive their specific claims against now-expired temporary tariffs while simultaneously pushing the panel to otherwise back the U.S. Court of Internatio... (more story)

International More

Canadian Group Can't Blend Insurance Businesses' Income

A fraternal benefit society cannot blend its life insurance and accident insurance businesses for tax purposes, Canada's Federal Court of Appeal said, setting aside a lower court's decision.

Firm Must Give Client Docs To Tax Agency, Canada Court Says

A Toronto-based accounting firm must hand over client information to the Canada Revenue Agency, a Canadian appeals court ruled, holding that a lower court erred in giving the firm "a second kick at the can" in... (more story)

EU Council OKs Bloc Customs Modernization Program

A suite of changes aimed at modernizing the European Union's customs administration to help it handle the e-commerce boom is on the precipice of implementation after the Council of the EU approved them Thursda... (more story)

EU Moves To Ease Armenia Tariffs After Russian Restrictions

The European Parliament's International Trade Committee on Thursday advanced a measure that would remove ad valorem duties on a swath of Armenian products to provide aid to the country in the wake of Russian t... (more story)

German Gov't Backs €10B Tax Break, 'Super-Rich Tax'

Germany's cabinet approved a bill Wednesday that would provide €10 billion ($11.6 billion) in tax relief to low- and middle-income taxpayers, partly funded by adding a 47% top rate for individuals that's been ... (more story)

EU Tax Overhaul Isn't Green Light for Evasion, Official Says

Proposals for European Union tax changes designed to support businesses in the region do not mean the bloc has abandoned its fight against tax evasion, a European Commission official said Wednesday.

OECD Official Presses For EU Biz Tax Regime To Go Further

A European Union proposal to improve the business climate in the bloc could be more effective if it included additional provisions related to research and development and loss-offset rules, a senior figure in ... (more story)