State & Local
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April 23, 2024
Ill. Total Revenues Through March Beat Estimates By $486M
Illinois' total revenues from July through March were higher than budget estimates by $486 million, according to a monthly report by the state Office of Management and Budget.
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April 23, 2024
Wis. Pro Gamblers Limited In Wagering Loss Deduction
A Wisconsin couple deemed professional gamblers by the state Department of Revenue may deduct gambling losses only to the extent of their gains, the state Tax Appeals Commission ruled.
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April 23, 2024
Vt. General Fund Revenues Through March Up $10M
Vermont's general revenue collection from July through March was $10 million higher than the same period last year, according to a report by the state's Agency of Administration.
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April 23, 2024
Va. Tax Head Finds Man's Ties To State Justify Assessment
A man with significant ties to Virginia remained subject to its income tax because he failed to prove that he cut those ties as of the tax year at issue, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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April 23, 2024
Utah Justices Won't Boost Delta Aircraft Valuation
Utah's most populous county failed to show that a state law for valuing aircraft undervalued property belonging to Delta Air Lines and violated the state constitution, the state Supreme Court ruled.
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April 23, 2024
Okla. House OKs Expanding Industrial Development Tax Break
Oklahoma would expand a tax credit for qualified economic development expenditures in industrial parks, removing a limit on the credit, under a bill passed in the House and headed to the governor.
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April 23, 2024
Disney, IBM Stuck With Tax On Royalties, NY Top Court Holds
New York's highest court rejected Disney and IBM's arguments that the state unconstitutionally denied their attempts to take tax deductions on royalties received from foreign affiliates, holding Tuesday that the law at issue didn't discriminate against interstate commerce.
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April 23, 2024
Dentons Adds Ex-Jones Walker SALT Atty To Ala. Office
Dentons Sirote said it has added a state and local tax shareholder who was previously a partner at Jones Walker LLP to the tax practice in its Birmingham, Alabama, office.
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April 23, 2024
Ark. Sales Tax Applies To Flight Tours, Dept. Says
A company that operates aircraft sightseeing tours out of an Arkansas airport is properly charging sales tax on each reservation, the state Department of Finance and Administration said in a letter.
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April 23, 2024
Colo. Panel OKs Ballot Measure To Cap Property Tax Hikes
Colorado voters could decide whether to limit local property tax revenue growth under a ballot measure proposed in a resolution approved by a House panel.
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April 23, 2024
Pa. Sales Tax Applies To Sparkling Water, Court Affirms
Pennsylvania's sales tax applies to purchases of sparkling water because the water is considered a soft drink that is subject to tax, a state court affirmed.
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April 23, 2024
Ky. To Exempt Some EV Charging Stations From Excise Tax
Kentucky will exempt electric vehicle charging stations with a charging capacity of less than 20 kilowatts from the state's excise tax on electric vehicle power under a bill signed by the governor.
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April 22, 2024
Seattle Property Owners Can't Use COVID To Stop $160M Tax
A Washington appeals court said on Monday that Seattle can keep a $160 million property tax to pay for waterfront improvements, in an opinion that rejected an argument that diminished property values after COVID-19 should force the city to recalculate the tax.
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April 22, 2024
Pepperidge Farm Says P.L. 86-272 Bars Ill. Tax On NJ Affiliate
Pepperidge Farm asked the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal to vacate a roughly $944,000 corporate tax assessment, arguing that P.L. 86-272 shielded an out-of-state affiliate's sales-related activities from Illinois income tax.
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April 22, 2024
Colo. Sales Tax Can't Touch Netflix Subscriptions, Judge Says
A Colorado judge has sided with Netflix Inc. in a fight with the state over whether its streaming service subscriptions are subject to sales tax, finding that because the subscriptions can't be physically touched, they don't fit the law's definition of "tangible" property.
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April 22, 2024
NY Creates New Affordable Housing, Conversion Tax Breaks
Developers in New York City could qualify for new property tax abatement programs for building affordable housing and converting office buildings into affordable housing units under the New York state budget that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hocul signed into law.
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April 22, 2024
Iowa Lowers Tax Rates For Captive Insurance Premiums
Iowa will lower the tax rates imposed on some captive insurance companies' reinsurance premiums under a bill signed into law by the governor.
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April 22, 2024
La. Water Pump Charge Dispute Will Go To Trial
A trial will be needed to decide whether two Louisiana water companies are correct in arguing that a conservation district's charges for pumping water are considered taxes, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled.
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April 22, 2024
North Carolina Revenue Through March Up $434M
North Carolina's total revenue collection from July through March was $434 million higher than during the same period last year, according to a report by the state controller office.
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April 22, 2024
Miss. Tax Collections In March Top Previous Year By $34M
Mississippi collected $34 million more in tax revenue from July through March compared with the same period last year, the state Department of Revenue said.
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April 22, 2024
Alaska High Court Blocks City From Collecting Back Tax
An Alaskan city that successfully challenged the state's oil and gas property tax system can't assess taxes on the property from the start of the appeal nearly 20 years ago, the state's high court ruled.
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April 22, 2024
Minn. Tax Panel OKs Corp. Disclosures, Reporting Study
Minnesota would require disclosure of some tax information of large corporations and would examine the state's corporate tax base, including the prospect of worldwide combined reporting, under legislation approved by a House committee.
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April 22, 2024
Colo. To Forgive Underpayments Caused By State's Bad Info
Colorado will hold vendors harmless for underpayments of sales or use tax caused by errors in a state Department of Revenue information system database under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
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April 22, 2024
Ex-NJ Mayor Used Office To Get Job From Atty, AG Says
The former mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey, has been indicted on new charges accusing him of using his elected position to obtain a job from a city attorney and of not paying state taxes on his earnings from that position, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Monday.
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April 22, 2024
Colo. Will Standardize Booking Sites' Reporting Requirements
Accommodation intermediaries used to book lodging in Colorado would be treated the same as a marketplace facilitator and won't be required to do additional reporting under a bill signed by Gov. Jared Polis.
Expert Analysis
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Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Potential Calamities, Greatly Exaggerated: SALT In Review
From fears of judicial upheaval to a tax break for space travel, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Preparing Your Legal Department For Pillar 2 Compliance
Multinational entities should familiarize themselves with Pillar Two of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s BEPs 2.0 project and prepare their internal legal tracking systems for related reporting requirements that may go into effect as early as January, says Daniel Robyn at Ernst & Young.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Another Ark. Tax Cut And Chicago Transit: SALT In Review
From yet another income tax cut in Arkansas to proposed extra funding for Chicago transit, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Taking Up The Dormant Commerce Clause
Attorneys at Frost Brown examine whether the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to review Foresight Coal Sales v. Kent Chandler to consider whether a Kentucky utility rate law discriminates against interstate commerce, and how the decision may affect dormant commerce clause jurisprudence.
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TCJA Workarounds And A Misstep In Va.: SALT In Review
From federal SALT deduction workarounds to Virginia's missed opportunity, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.