State & Local
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May 09, 2024
Court Split Warrants Review Of Philly Credits, Justices Told
A split among state courts over whether state and local taxes must be aggregated when evaluating their constitutionality is more significant than Philadelphia has suggested, a city resident told the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday in seeking review of the city's refusal to credit her taxes paid to Delaware.
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May 09, 2024
Okla. To End Moratorium On Local Sales Tax Hikes On Food
Oklahoma will end a moratorium barring counties and municipalities from increasing local sales taxes on food under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 09, 2024
Iowa Streamlines Abandoned Property Delivery To Owners
Iowa streamlined its procedure for the delivery of abandoned property by allowing the state treasurer to deliver such property directly to a person determined to be its owner under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 09, 2024
NY Tribunal Affirms Couple Can't Claim Real Estate Deduction
A New York couple was correctly denied a real estate deduction on their personal income tax returns because the husband didn't qualify as a real estate professional, the state Tax Appeals Tribunal affirmed in a decision released Thursday.
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May 09, 2024
Mass. Tax Board Axes Home's Value Based On Similar Sales
A Massachusetts home was overvalued, the state Appellate Tax Board ruled, finding evidence of comparable sales presented by the homeowner to be persuasive.
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May 09, 2024
Ala. To Give Employers Tax Credit For Offering Child Care
Alabama employers that offer a child care facility for their employees will be able to claim an income tax credit up to $600,000 per year under a bill enacted by the governor Thursday.
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May 09, 2024
Ore. Tax Court Drops Valuation Of Mobile Home Park
An Oregon mobile home park should be reduced in value from $2.3 million to $1.7 million because an income analysis presented by the owners reflected the property's real market value better than a local assessor's method, the state's tax court said.
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May 09, 2024
Colo. Lawmakers Approve Extended Property Tax Cuts
Colorado would extend its current temporary property tax rate reductions into 2024 and would lower tax rates for future years under legislation passed by Colorado lawmakers that could save property owners about $1 billion in its first year.
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May 09, 2024
Va. Cos.' Agent Can Add Info In Tax Suit, Commissioner Says
A taxpayer who served as the buying agent for companies that provide mobile communications services to customers in Virginia may offer additional documentation to resolve a disputed retail sales and use tax assessment that resulted from an audit, the state tax commissioner said.
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May 09, 2024
NYC Pizzeria Owes Sales Tax On Bulk Sale Purchase Of Biz
A New York City pizzeria is liable for sales tax owed to the state by a business it purchased, an administrative law judge said in a determination released Thursday.
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May 09, 2024
Treasury's Energy Tax Credit Regs Leave Room For 'Chaining'
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has said it is prohibiting the practice known as chaining that links two new ways to monetize clean energy tax credits, but recent final rules governing the two methods left the door open to possible exceptions.
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May 09, 2024
NY Tribunal Upholds Tax On Temp Agency's Software Sales
A company owes New York sales tax on sales of software that helped businesses gather and manage temporary employees, the state Tax Appeals Tribunal ruled in a decision released Thursday, saying the transactions were sales of tangible personal property instead of nontaxable services.
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May 09, 2024
La. Lawmakers OK Local Tax Break For Certain Eye Meds
Louisiana would expand a local sales tax exemption to include prescriptions used to treat eye-related conditions under a bill that was unanimously passed by the state Senate and next goes to the governor.
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May 09, 2024
Ind. Tax Review Board Says Home Isn't Tax-Exempt Parsonage
An Indiana home owned by a religious organization doesn't qualify for a property tax exemption granted to religious organizations because the property was shown to be used for nonreligious purposes, the state Board of Tax Review said.
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May 09, 2024
Mo. Lawmakers Approve Opt-Outs To Pass-Through Entity Tax
Missouri would allow members of pass-through entities to opt out of the state's entity-level tax that bypasses the $10,000 federal cap on state and local tax deductions under a bill that state lawmakers passed Thursday, sending it to the governor.
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May 09, 2024
NH Revenues Through April Up $142M Over Budget Forecast
New Hampshire general fund receipts were $142 million higher than budget estimates in July through April, according to a report by the state Department of Administrative Services.
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May 09, 2024
Va. Builder's Sand Purchases Found Subject To Sales Tax
A Virginia homebuilder that purchased dirt and sand must pay sales tax on those purchases because both are tangible personal property, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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May 09, 2024
Chamberlain Hrdlicka Rehires Tax Atty From Atlanta Boutique
Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry PC has rehired one of its former tax attorneys, who joins the firm in Atlanta after working at a tax law-focused boutique, the firm announced Wednesday.
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May 09, 2024
Va. Sales Tax Applies To IT Co.'s Purchases, Tax Head Rules
A Virginia information technology company that bought various assets for use in an exam-room device owes sales tax on those purchases, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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May 08, 2024
NY AG Says $6M NRA Verdict Should Stand
A New York state court should not undo a jury's finding that the National Rifle Association allowed its officers to misappropriate $6.4 million of donor money, the state's attorney general has argued, saying trial evidence abundantly laid out evidence of misconduct and organizational failures.
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May 08, 2024
Credit Suisse Urges Mich. Panel To Reverse Biz Loss Denial
A Credit Suisse attorney pressed the Michigan Court of Appeals on Wednesday to clarify how the state's tax laws account for losses from real estate mortgage investment conduits, saying a lower court incorrectly denied its attempt to carry forward $21.3 million in losses.
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May 08, 2024
Ark. Curbs Finance Dept.'s Power To Challenge Tax Rulings
Arkansas will limit the state Department of Finance and Administration's ability to challenge the state Tax Appeals Commission's decisions in sales and use tax disputes as part of a bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
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May 08, 2024
Calif. Justices Weigh Striking Anti-Tax Ballot Initiative
California Supreme Court justices sought to understand Wednesday if a measure approved for the November ballot that would make it harder to raise taxes would eliminate lawmakers' ability to tax and would illegally revise — rather than amend — the state constitution.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Allows Modified Apportionment For Manufacturer
The Virginia tax commissioner abated most of a company's corporate income tax assessment after finding the business was eligible to use a modified apportionment method for manufacturers.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Rental Tax Doesn't Apply To Co.'s Long-Term Leases
A company that leases mobile and construction equipment from its parent company doesn't owe Virginia motor vehicle rental tax because the leases aren't short-term rentals, the state tax commissioner ruled.
Apple Tells Court Md. Digital Ad Tax Violates Federal Law
Maryland's tax on digital advertising unlawfully discriminates against electronic commerce and violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, Apple told the Maryland Tax Court during oral arguments Thursday.
Calif. Senate Committee Recommends Data Extraction Tax
California would levy its 7.25% state sales and use tax on large online companies with digital advertising revenue above $2.5 billion and use the tax revenue to fund a credit regime for local news outlets under a bill passed by a Senate committee Wednesday.
La. House OKs Constitutional Convention For Tax Overhaul
The Louisiana House of Representatives approved legislation that would call a convention to rework some elements of the state constitution, including moving certain tax provisions into state statutes to give lawmakers more flexibility to address a looming budget deficit.
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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Treasury's Energy Tax Credit Regs Leave Room For 'Chaining'
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has said it is prohibiting the practice known as chaining that links two new ways to monetize clean energy tax credits, but recent final rules governing the two methods left the door open to possible exceptions.
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Tax Credit Transfer Regs Show IRS Caution In Rulemaking
The IRS and Treasury's final rules on the sale and transfer of green energy credits maintained a strict reading of the statute while making few changes, a sign of caution by regulators amid judicial scrutiny of the government's rulemaking authority.
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The Tax Angle: TCJA Teams, Dear Colleague Letters
From a look at House GOP efforts to prepare for next year's expiration of their 2017 tax overhaul to ongoing attempts by lawmakers to draw attention and support for their own tax legislation, here's a peek into a reporter's notebook on a few of the week's developing tax stories.
Expert Analysis
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Budget Focus Cools Tax Reform Efforts
There were some noteworthy tax developments during Kentucky’s legislative session — like the revival of local tax reform and enactment of another tax amnesty program — but major tax initiatives, like those seen in recent years, were largely tabled as legislators focused on establishing the state’s two-year budget, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
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NY Tax Talk: Primary Function Is Key Analysis For Sales Tax
Two sales tax cases recently decided by New York's Appellate Division illustrate why both taxpayers and the state's Department of Revenue subscribe to the primary function test, a logical way to determine whether business transactions are subject to sales tax, say Elizabeth Cha and Jeremy Gove at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Time To Fix NYC's Broken Property Assessment System
A New York appellate court's decision to revive Tax Equity Now New York v. City of New York may force the city to revamp its outdated and unfair real estate tax assessment system, which could be fixed with a couple of simple changes, says Seth Feldman at Romer Debbas.
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Strange Notions Bubble Up: SALT In Review
From an assault on North Carolina's phaseout of its corporate income tax to a court ruling on the taxability of sparkling water in Pennsylvania, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Consider 2 Alternative Exit Plans In RE Distress Scenarios
In the face of an impending wave of foreclosures, lenders and borrowers alike should consider two exit strategies — deed-in-lieu of foreclosure and consent foreclosure — that can mitigate potential costs and diminution in property value that could be incurred during a lengthy proceeding, say attorneys at BCLP.
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SC's Courts Have It Wrong On Amazon Marketplace Sales Tax
The South Carolina Supreme Court should step in and correct the misguided change in tax law effectuated by lower court rulings that found Amazon owes state sales tax for marketplace sales made prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair v. South Dakota decision in 2018, says Hayes Holderness at the University of Richmond.
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Constitutional Shenanigans And Other Sports: SALT In Review
From a challenge to New York's end run on a federal law to voters' rejection of a sales tax that would aid Kansas City's major league teams, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues
Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.