State & Local
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November 12, 2024
Mass. Court Says IRS Deal Didn't Fix Man's State Tax Debt
The former corporate officer of a now-defunct Massachusetts company didn't overpay on his outstanding tax liability despite entering into a settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, a state appeals court said Tuesday.
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November 12, 2024
SD AG Issues Explanation Of Property Tax Hike Limit Initiative
South Dakota's attorney general released a final explanation for an initiative that could appear on the state's 2026 general election ballot and would limit annual property tax assessment increases for nonagricultural property, according to a news release published Tuesday.
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November 12, 2024
Walmart Seeks Arbitration In Fla. Delivery Fee Tax Fight
A class action alleging Walmart unlawfully charged Florida shoppers sales tax on delivery fees should be settled through arbitration as agreed to by the customers before they made any purchases, the retailer told a Florida federal court.
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November 12, 2024
Calif. Total Receipts Through Oct. Beat Forecasts By $9B
California's total receipts from July through October exceeded estimates by roughly $9 billion, according to the state controller.
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November 12, 2024
Missouri Appeals Court Quashes County Cannabis Taxes
The Missouri Constitution bars counties from levying taxes on cannabis sales made inside incorporated municipalities that can impose their own taxes, a state appeals court held Tuesday in ruling in favor of a dispensary that challenged two counties' taxes.
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November 12, 2024
SD Total Revenues Through Oct. Down $42M From Last Year
South Dakota's total revenue collection in July through October fell nearly $42 million compared with the same period last fiscal year, according to a report by the state Bureau of Finance and Management.
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November 08, 2024
Disaster Tax Relief Could Be On Slate In Lame-Duck Session
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump's reelection, and while lawmakers will likely be gearing up for next year's tax negotiations, there are some tax policies that could pass during the lame-duck session, including disaster tax relief.
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November 08, 2024
La. House Panel OKs Constitutional Property Tax Change
The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee advanced a bill Friday that, if approved by the Legislature to be placed on the ballot and then passed by voters, would create a constitutional amendment moving property tax provisions from the constitution to state statute.
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November 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Allows 1-Time Credit For Erroneous Collection
A provider of installation, maintenance and inspection services for fire suppression systems and kitchen hood and ventilation systems that erroneously collected and remitted Virginia sales tax may be eligible for a one-time credit against a use tax assessment, the state tax commissioner said in a letter ruling.
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November 08, 2024
Shutts & Bowen Adds Complex Taxation Pro In Sarasota
Shutts & Bowen LLP has brought on a new partner at the firm's growing Sarasota, Florida, office, bringing close to 20 years of private practice tax law experience to the firm's private client services practice group.
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November 08, 2024
Mass. Hay Farm Not Eligible For Ag Tax Break, Court Affirms
A Massachusetts land parcel that is used for growing and harvesting hay is not eligible for a reduced tax assessment as agricultural land because not enough of the parcel is devoted to the haying operation, the state Court of Appeals affirmed Friday.
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November 08, 2024
Md. Digital Ad Tax Violates 1st Amendment, 4th Circ. Told
Maryland's digital ad tax law violates the First Amendment, a conservative tax advocacy group told the Fourth Circuit, urging it to reverse a ruling upholding the tax against a challenge from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others.
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November 07, 2024
La. House Panel OKs Flat Income Tax, Nix Of Franchise Tax
The Louisiana House tax-writing committee passed legislation Thursday that would create a flat personal income tax rate and eliminate the state's franchise tax, giving initial approval to portions of the governor's broader tax overhaul plan that lawmakers are slated to debate in the coming weeks.
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November 07, 2024
Fla. Counties Say Notice Was Insufficient In $5B Bond Deal
A group of Florida counties and tax collectors asked the Florida Supreme Court Thursday to reverse a decision that found they could not reopen a bond validation judgment issuing $5 billion in bonds for renewable energy and hurricane mitigation projects, arguing they were not given proper notice of the bond validation hearing.
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November 07, 2024
MTC Digital Work Group Eyes Streamlined Sales Tax Approach
The Multistate Tax Commission work group studying how to harmonize state rules for taxing digital products said Thursday that it would investigate another group's model for how to tax products that are sold in a bundle.
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November 07, 2024
Colo. Voters Approve Collection Of Gambling Tax Above Cap
Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that allows the state to keep and spend sports betting tax revenue beyond a previously approved statutory cap and use the money for water projects instead of refunding it to casinos, according to unofficial results provided by a representative of the secretary of state's office Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Minn. Court Nudges $50K Off Tax Value Of St. Paul Home
A Minnesota home was over-assessed and should have its valuation reduced by $50,000, according to the state's tax court, taking into consideration a comparable sales analysis presented by the owners.
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November 07, 2024
Ariz. Textile Launderer Denied Manufacturing Tax Break
An Arizona company that launders, sanitizes and rents textiles to the healthcare industry was correctly denied a use tax exemption because it was not a manufacturing or processing operation eligible for the break, an Arizona appeals court said Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
NJ Bills Seek Tax Amnesty Program To Increase School Aid
New Jersey would offer a tax amnesty program next year in an effort to boost funding for schools under legislation that a trio of Republicans filed in the state Assembly and Senate.
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November 07, 2024
Ariz. OKs Property Tax Credits For Unattended Nuisances
Arizona property owners affected by public nuisances that local governments fail to address could qualify for tax refunds under Proposition 312, a ballot measure approved by state voters.
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November 07, 2024
NY ALJ Upholds Tax On Severance Paid To Hawaii Resident
A Hawaii resident was correctly taxed on a severance payment from a New York employer because her leaving qualified as a taxable termination agreement under state law, a New York administrative law judge determined Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Mass. Court Affirms Nix Of Property Tax Appeal Citing Blight
A Massachusetts homeowner's request for a property tax abatement because of local blight was properly rejected by a state tax board because the owner did not pay the tax at issue as required, the state appeals court ruled Tuesday.
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November 07, 2024
Couple Didn't Establish Fla. Domicile, Owe NY Tax, Judge Says
A couple that owned homes in New York and Florida and began a transition to living full time in Florida were not yet domiciled in that state because they maintained ties and spent significant amounts of time in New York, an administrative law judge ruled in a determination released Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Transparency Act Should Exclude Housing Co-Ops, Court Told
A group of housing cooperatives asked a Michigan federal judge to grant them an exemption from the "dragnet" Corporate Transparency Act, claiming the disclosure requirements will deter members from serving on boards that govern affordable housing developments.
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November 07, 2024
NH General Revenues Drop $1M From Projection
New Hampshire's total receipts from July through October fell $1 million short of estimates, the state Department of Administrative Services reported Thursday.
Expert Analysis
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3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem
The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.
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Less Power To The People: SALT In Review
Starting with a measure that won't appear on the California ballot in November, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule
Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.
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6 Tips For Maximizing After-Tax Returns In Private M&A Deals
With potential tax legislation likely to spur a surge in private business sales, sellers can make the most of after-tax proceeds with strategies that include price allocation and qualified investment options, say Isaac Grossman and Daniel Studin at Morrison Cohen.
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After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1
The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Credit Cards And Trading Cards: SALT In Review
From Mastercard's loss in a South Carolina court case to the taxability of trading cards imported to California, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Calif. Budget Will Likely Have Unexpected Tax Consequences
A temporary suspension of net operating loss deductions and business incentive tax credits, likely to be approved on June 15 as part of California’s next budget, may create unanticipated tax liabilities for businesses that modeled recently completed transactions on current law, says Myra Sutanto Shen at Wilson Sonsini.