State & Local
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November 21, 2024
Fla. Nonprofit's Admission Fees Tax-Exempt, Dept. Says
A Florida nonprofit corporation that charges admission and membership fees for use of its facilities does not owe sales tax on the fees, the Florida Department of Revenue said in an advisement released Thursday.
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November 21, 2024
MTC Panel Shelves Real-Time Sales Tax Audit Proposal
The Multistate Tax Commission's Audit Committee opted not to proceed with considering a tax practitioner's proposal to develop a real-time sales tax audit program, but the project could be revisited after the intergovernmental organization fills vacant auditor positions, the panel's chair said Thursday.
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November 21, 2024
Minn. Tax Court Won't Revisit Stipulated $1M Property Value
The Minnesota Tax Court rejected a challenge to a $1 million property valuation, saying it had already set that value to reflect a stipulation reached between the local assessor and the previous owner for the assessment date at issue.
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November 21, 2024
Florida Co.'s Purchases For Attractions R&D Are Exempt
A Florida taxpayer's research and development expenses related to the development of new engineered attractions qualify for the state's research and development exemptions, the state Department of Revenue said in an advisement released Thursday.
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November 21, 2024
Miss. Collections Through Oct. Down $39M From Last Year
Mississippi's general revenue collection from July through October underperformed the same period in the last fiscal year by $39 million, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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November 20, 2024
Fla. Couple Ask To Revive Suit Over Unclaimed Property
A Florida couple asked the Eleventh Circuit Wednesday to revive their proposed class suit against the state's chief financial officer over a law that allows officials to hold unclaimed money indefinitely, arguing that it is a taking without just compensation because the state never pays interest on the amount held.
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November 20, 2024
NY Agency Says Ex-CUNY Employee's Payout Is Tax-Exempt
A pension payment from the City University of New York to an employee who left CUNY before being vested in the retirement program is still tax-exempt retirement income, the state's tax department said.
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November 20, 2024
NY Dept. Finds Partnership Distributions Not Tax-Exempt
Distributions from a certified public accounting firm to a retired partner incur New York state personal income tax, the state tax agency said, finding the distributions don't conform to the definition of retirement income under federal statute and aren't considered tax-exempt annuity payments under state regulations.
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November 20, 2024
NJ Court Must Revisit Assessor's Workplace Retaliation Claim
A New Jersey trial court must revisit a municipal tax assessor's workplace retaliation claim as the case used by the court in its decision doesn't exempt assessors from the state's employee protection law, an appellate panel ruled Wednesday.
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November 20, 2024
Va. Tax Applies To Co.'s Service Fees, Tax Commissioner Says
A furniture business that sells to customers in Virginia owes sales tax on delivery and installation fees because the services are provided in conjunction with products, the Virginia tax commissioner ruled.
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November 20, 2024
NY Finds Gov't Worker's Retirement Distributions Subtractable
A distribution from a federal government retiree's thrift savings plan is not subject to New York state income tax, the state's tax department said.
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November 20, 2024
NY Says Changes To Fed. Tax Return Reset Refund Timeline
A couple living in Switzerland for part of each year timely filed their claim for overpaid New York state income taxes dating back to 2011 soon after winning double-taxation relief under the Swiss-U.S. tax treaty in 2018, the state's tax department said.
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November 20, 2024
NY Tax Withholding Not Needed For Foreign Board Member
A New York company that appointed an Italian citizen to its board of directors does not have to withhold state income tax for payments made to that board member, the state's tax department said.
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November 20, 2024
Pennsylvania Justices Nix Alcatel-Lucent's $4M Tax Refund
Recent precedent should not be applied retroactively when deciding if a flat-dollar cap on Alcatel-Lucent's net loss deduction violated the Pennsylvania Constitution, the state's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, nixing the company's $4 million income tax refund granted by a Commonwealth Court panel.
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November 20, 2024
NJ Power Broker, Attys Demand Wiretap Docs In RICO Case
George E. Norcross III, a politically influential insurance executive in New Jersey, and others accused alongside him of a massive racketeering scheme demanded Wednesday that state prosecutors turn over complete wiretap application information dating back to 2016, arguing that those details form the core of the state's case against them.
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November 20, 2024
NY Says LLC's Partners Can Subtract Payroll Expense Shares
Partners of a New York limited liability company may subtract from their state taxable income their distributive shares of payroll expenses that were not allowed to be deducted from their federal income, the state's tax department said.
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November 20, 2024
NY Says Couple Can't Carry Forward Charitable Deduction
A New York couple cannot carry over a deduction for a charitable donation to subsequent tax years as there is nothing in the state's statutes that allows for such a move, the state's tax department said.
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November 20, 2024
Boston Mayor Touts Property Tax Relief Bill Before Panel
Massachusetts lawmakers should allow Boston to adjust its property tax calculations to stabilize the share borne by residences, mitigating an impending tax hike, and boost a business personal property tax exemption, Boston's mayor told a legislative panel Wednesday.
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November 20, 2024
La. Total Revenue In Oct. Falls $242M From Last Year
Louisiana revenue in October fell $242 million from the total for the same month last year, according to a report from the state Department of Revenue.
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November 20, 2024
Neb. Revenue Collection Through Oct. Matches Estimate
Nebraska's total net revenue from July through October was level with estimates, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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November 20, 2024
NY Resident Owes Tax On Bonuses For Work Out Of State
A New York resident who lived out of the country until late 2018 owes state and New York City tax on bonuses and stock units that were paid in 2019 for work done in prior years, the state tax agency said.
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November 20, 2024
Ill. Revenue Through Oct. Beats Forecast By $415M
Illinois' general revenue collection from July through October outpaced a government forecast by $415 million, according to the state Office of Management and Budget.
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November 20, 2024
Va. Furniture Retailer Correctly Taxed, Commissioner Rules
A Virginia furniture retailer that entered a lease agreement with a vendor for the use of product-imaging equipment but failed to remit the required sales and use tax was correctly issued an assessment, the state tax commissioner ruled.
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November 19, 2024
MTC Form Aims To Placate Tax Leery Post-Wayfair Sellers
The Multistate Tax Commission hopes to finalize a form that certifies that marketplace facilitators will collect taxes on behalf of marketplace sellers, a commission director announced Tuesday, saying the document would assuage concerns from sellers who are reluctant to halt their tax responsibilities.
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November 19, 2024
MTC Partnership Group Eyes Sourcing Of Business Income
The Multistate Tax Commission group working on the state taxation of partnerships pondered Tuesday how to source the business income of partnerships, especially those with complex structures.
Expert Analysis
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Financial Incentives May Alleviate Affordable Housing Crisis
There is a wide array of financial incentives and assistance that the government can provide to both real estate developers and individuals to chip away at the housing affordability problem from multiple angles, say Eric DeBear and Madeline Williams at Cozen.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
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Portland's Gross Receipts Tax Oversteps City's Authority
Recent measures by Portland, Oregon, that expand the voter-approved scope of the Clean Energy Surcharge on certain retail sales eviscerate the common meaning of the word "retail" and exceed the city's chartered authority to levy tax, say Nikki Dobay at Greenberg Traurig and Jeff Newgard at Peak Policy.
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How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.
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Assessing The Practicality Of Harris' Affordable Housing Plan
Vice President Kamala Harris' proposed "Build the American Dream" plan to tackle housing affordability issues takes solid recommendations into account and may fare better than California's unsuccessful attempt at a similar program, but the scope of the problem is beyond what a three-point plan can solve, says Brooke Miller at Sheppard Mullin.
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Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Specific Attacks On A Vague Tax Law: SALT In Review
From legal assaults on California's vague new sales-factor law to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's record on tax policy, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.