State & Local
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June 06, 2024
NRA Can't Undo $6.4M Misconduct Verdict In NY AG Case
A New York judge on Thursday rejected a request by the National Rifle Association and its longtime executives to set aside a jury's $6.4 million verdict that found they misspent charitable funds, saying Attorney General Letitia James provided sufficient evidence for the jurors to rule in her favor.
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June 06, 2024
Vt. Conforms State Law To Fed. Income, Estate Tax Statutes
Vermont conformed its income tax law to federal income tax and estate tax statutes and will allow municipalities to enact local-option taxes without charter amendments that require approval by the state General Assembly under a bill signed by the governor.
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June 06, 2024
Colorado To Study Simplification Of Local Lodging Taxes
Colorado will expand the scope of a task force responsible for simplifying the state's sales and use tax regime to improve the local lodging tax system as part of a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 06, 2024
Ind. Tax Court Backs Lower Valuation For Department Store
The value of an Indiana Dillard's store was correctly reduced to about $5 million for tax years 2018 through 2020 by the state tax board after taking into consideration the owner's income approach analysis, the state's tax court ruled.
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June 06, 2024
NY Lawmakers OK Change To Tax Tribunal's Client Rep Rules
New York would allow individuals to choose from an expanded list of representatives in matters before the Tax Appeals Tribunal under a bill passed by the state Legislature that goes next to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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June 06, 2024
Fox Rothschild Brings On Tax Pro From Atlanta Boutique
Fox Rothschild LLP has added an attorney in Atlanta from tax law boutique Wiggam Law to strengthen the firm's taxation and wealth planning department.
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June 06, 2024
Colorado Extends Contaminated Land Cleanup Tax Credit
Colorado will extend its environmental remediation of contaminated land income tax credit for five years under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 06, 2024
NY Senate OKs Bill Expanding Digital Gaming Credit
New York would expand its income tax credit for digital gaming production by lowering the production cost required to qualify and eliminating the in-state production cost threshold under a bill passed by the Senate.
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June 06, 2024
Mass. Tax Collections Beat Estimates By $700M Through May
Massachusetts' total tax collections from July through May were $700 million higher than expected, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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June 06, 2024
NJ Corp. Tax Overhaul Regs Expected By Nov., Director Says
New Jersey is on track to release regulations this fall on an omnibus law from last year that changed several provisions of the state's corporate income tax system, the state Division of Taxation's acting director said Thursday.
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June 05, 2024
Citibank Can't Avoid Paying $6M Wash. Biz Tax
Washington's high court won't spare Citibank from a $6 million business tax bill, declining to revisit a ruling that the bank's money-making activities amounted to a physical presence in the state despite not having any local branches open at the time.
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June 05, 2024
Colo. To Exempt Modular Homes From Sales Tax
Colorado will exempt new modular home sales from state tax under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 05, 2024
Calif. OTA Says Avis Owes $12.6M Tax On Asset Acquisition
An acquisition by car rental company Avis of an indirect affiliate's vehicle management business does not constitute a merger and is therefore subject to tax, the California Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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June 05, 2024
Colo. To Allow Tax Credit For Employee-Owned Businesses
Colorado will allow new businesses that are employee-owned to claim an income tax credit for business expenses under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 05, 2024
NY Gov. Indefinitely Halts Manhattan Congestion Pricing
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday shelved congestion pricing just weeks before officials were set to implement a fee for vehicles entering Manhattan's busiest corridor, in a dramatic about-face following intense backlash and litigation from residents and business owners grappling with the high cost of living.
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June 05, 2024
Hawaii To Adjust Income Tax Brackets, Up Standard Deduction
Hawaii will adjust its individual income tax brackets and increase its standard deduction to account for inflation and will exempt certain medical services from the state's general excise tax under bills signed by the governor.
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June 05, 2024
Minn. Justices Back Doctor's Penalty For Frivolous Tax Claim
Minnesota's penalty for filing a frivolous tax claim is constitutional, and the penalty as applied to a nonresident doctor and his wife over nearly $1.2 million in undeclared income is also sound, the Minnesota Supreme Court said Wednesday.
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June 05, 2024
Win May Embolden IRS Use Of Economic Substance Doctrine
The IRS' successful wielding of the economic substance doctrine to characterize multinational telecommunications corporation Liberty Global's sophisticated set of intercompany deals as an abusive tax shelter could encourage the agency to apply similar analysis to even the most basic tax transactions.
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June 05, 2024
Ohio Senate Bill Seeks To Double Film Tax Credit Cap
Ohio would double the amount of film and theater production tax credits it can award annually and eliminate its credit for film and theater capital improvement projects under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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June 05, 2024
Colo. To Look At Federal Taxable Income As State Basis
Colorado is directing its state auditor to evaluate its use of federal taxable income as the basis for state taxable income under legislation signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis.
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June 04, 2024
Recreational Marijuana To Be On SD Ballot For 3rd Time
Recreational marijuana advocates have successfully put a measure on South Dakota's November ballot, giving state voters a third shot at legalizing the drug just two years after they declined to do so.
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June 04, 2024
Mastercard Owes $7.7M In SC Income Tax Case, ALJ Rules
Mastercard's network, which allows cardholders to buy goods and services and withdraw money, is its income-producing activity, occurs within South Carolina, and thus obligates the company to pay about $7.7 million in taxes, fees and interest, a state administrative law judge ruled in a decision posted Tuesday.
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June 04, 2024
NY Senate OKs Tax Break For Mobile Internet Access Gear
New York would exempt from property tax equipment used for the transmission and switching of radio signals to provide commercial mobile radio service or mobile internet access service under a bill approved by the state Senate.
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June 04, 2024
La. Officials Aim To Salvage Redo Of Constitution's Tax Rules
An effort to open the door for Louisiana's Legislature to make wholesale changes to the state's tax system might take center stage this summer during a tax-focused constitutional convention that could be called after a broader convention was shelved amid concerns about its scope and pace.
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June 04, 2024
Calif. Use Tax Applies To Man's Trading Cards, OTA Says
A California man who bought trading cards from Germany is liable for use tax on the purchase after failing to prove the purchase was made for resale, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
Generative AI Poses Novel State Tax Questions, Tax Pros Say
Open questions are swirling around state tax rules for the usage of generative artificial intelligence platforms, including whether they should be treated as canned or custom software, tax professionals said Thursday.
State Digital Tax Rules Lack Consistency, Clarity, Tax Pros Say
Courts have reached different conclusions over whether state definitions of tangible personal property encompass certain elements of the digital economy, underscoring the inconsistent tax treatment of digital transactions and a need for guidance on the issue, tax professionals said Thursday.
Ill. Budget Has Higher Cap On NOLs, Sports Betting Tax Hike
Illinois will extend a cap on corporate net operating loss deductions, increase its sports betting tax and reduce sales tax rebates for retailers under a $53.1 billion fiscal year 2025 budget signed Wednesday by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Editor's Pick
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Law360 Revenue Report Map Tracks Health Of State Coffers
As state coffers fluctuate because of federal pandemic aid drying up, demographics shifting and remote work becoming commonplace, Law360 Tax Authority is providing up-to-date coverage on state tax revenue with the launch of its Revenue Report Map.
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Nev. Sales Tax Revenue In Jan. Rises $23.8M From Last Year
Nevada brought in $23.8 million more in sales tax revenue in January than in the same month last year, the state Department of Taxation said in a monthly report.
Featured Stories
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La. Officials Aim To Salvage Redo Of Constitution's Tax Rules
An effort to open the door for Louisiana's Legislature to make wholesale changes to the state's tax system might take center stage this summer during a tax-focused constitutional convention that could be called after a broader convention was shelved amid concerns about its scope and pace.
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Taxes Take Center Stage In Pot Industry Amid Fed. Policy Shift
The federal government's move to loosen restrictions on cannabis is expected to trigger a wave of mergers and acquisitions structured as asset deals in the industry, especially among struggling retail operations willing to restructure in order to raise profits and lower their tax liabilities.
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Calif. Tax Director Sees AI Aiding Tax Administration
Nicolas Maduros, as director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, is leading an effort to modernize sales tax administration through the use of artificial intelligence. He's also president of the board of trustees of the Federation of Tax Administrators. Law360 spoke to him about both roles.
Expert Analysis
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Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Ohio Tax Talk: The Legislative Push For Property Tax Relief
As Ohio legislators attempt to alleviate the increasing property tax burden, four recent bills that could significantly affect homeowners propose to eliminate replacement property tax levies, freeze property taxes for longtime homeowners, adjust homestead exemptions annually for inflation, and temporarily expand the homestead exemption, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.
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Looking South With A Smile: SALT In Review
From Mississippi's long walk toward repealing its personal income tax to a welcome stroke for open government in Kentucky, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case
The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.
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Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content
From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.
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Tax Assessment: Recapping Georgia's Legislative Session
Jonathan Feldman and Alla Raykin at Eversheds Sutherland examine tax-related changes from Georgia’s General Assembly — such as the governor’s successful push to accelerate income tax cuts — and suggest steps to take before certain tax incentives are challenged in the state's next legislative session.
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Geothermal Energy Has Growing Potential In The US
Bipartisan support for the geothermal industry shows that geothermal energy can be an elegant solution toward global decarbonization efforts because of its small footprint, low supply chain risk, and potential to draw on the skills of existing highly specialized oil and gas workers and renewable specialists, say attorneys at Weil.
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Bad Ideas That Won't Go Away: SALT In Review
From California's latest move toward a digital ad tax to Kansas' proposed tax credits for film production, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance
A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.