State & Local
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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.
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April 22, 2024
Trump, NY AG Reach Deal To OK $175M Fraud Appeal Bond
Donald Trump's lawyers agreed Monday to bond conditions requiring the former president to give up control of his $175 million cash deposit pending appeal of a $465 million civil fraud judgment, staving off scrutiny from both the New York attorney general and the judge who entered the award.
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April 22, 2024
NY Offers Tax Credits To News Cos. For Employee Costs
New York will offer income tax credits to independently owned print and broadcast news companies for job creation and retention under a budget bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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April 22, 2024
Mo. Tax Board Says Horse Breeding Farm Is Agricultural Land
A Missouri property used to breed and care for horses that are shown at shows should have been classified as agricultural instead of commercial, the state tax commission ruled.
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April 22, 2024
Ohio City Tax Applies To Deloitte Remote Worker, Board Says
A former Deloitte employee who lived and worked outside Cincinnati during the coronavirus pandemic is liable for the city's income tax during the period after the Ohio Board of Tax Appeal ruled Monday that recent precedent in a similar case applied.
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April 22, 2024
Mass. Justices Say For-Profit Biz Can't Duck Billboard Tax
A for-profit advertisement company cannot get a tax exemption for its management of billboards owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, the state's high court said Monday.
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April 22, 2024
Colo. House OKs Ballot Measure On Betting Tax Revenue
Colorado voters would decide whether to let the state keep and spend certain sports betting tax revenue rather than refunding it to casinos under legislation passed by the state House to place the question on the November ballot.
Expert Analysis
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7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves
As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.
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DC's Housing Tax Break Proposal: What's In It, What's Missing
Proposed Washington, D.C., rules implementing the Housing in Downtown Tax Abatement program — for commercial property owners who convert properties into residential housing — thoroughly explain the process for submitting an application, but do not provide sufficient detail regarding the actual dollar value of the abatements, says Daniel Miktus at Akerman.
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Location, Location, Location: SALT In Review
From a possible replacing of Florida's property tax to Cincinnati's taxing of remote workers, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media
In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.
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A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise
After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.
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How 3 New Laws Change Calif. Nonprofits' Legal Landscape
Legislation that went into effect on Jan. 1 should be welcomed by California’s nonprofit organizations, which may now receive funding more quickly, rectify past noncompliance more easily and have greater access to the states’ security funding program, say Casey Williams and Brett Overby at Liebert Cassidy.
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SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap
As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.
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Thinking Big And Soaking The Rich: SALT In Review
From a bold and broad tax plan in Louisiana to proposed legislation targeting the well-to-do in Rhode Island and Michigan, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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High Court Case Could Reshape Local Development Fees
If last month's oral arguments are any indication of how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, it's unlikely the justices will hold that the essential nexus and rough proportionality tests under the cases of Nollan, Dolan and Koontz apply to legislative exactions, but a sweeping decision would still be the natural progression in the line of cases giving property owners takings claims, says Phillip Babich at Reed Smith.
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Nebraska Should Abandon Proposed Digital Ad Tax
If passed, Nebraska’s recently proposed Advertising Services Tax Act, which would finance property tax relief by imposing a 7.5% gross revenue tax on advertising services, would cause a politically risky shift of tax burdens from landowners to local businesses and consumers, and would most certainly face litigation, say attorneys at McDermott.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders
The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.