State & Local
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November 05, 2024
Ga. Voters Approve Expanded Reach Of State Tax Court
Georgia voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday that will give the state's administrative tax court jurisdiction with the state's superior courts with an amendment to the state constitution.
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November 05, 2024
Washington Voters Reject Repeal Of State Capital Gains Tax
Washington state voters declined Tuesday to repeal the state's embattled tax on capital gains, voting 1,610,148 to 937,050 with 64% of the vote counted against Initiative 2109 and thus allowing the capital gains tax to stand.
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November 05, 2024
Wash. Voters Reject Repeal Of State Cap-And-Trade Law
Washington state voters declined to repeal the state's cap-and-trade program Tuesday, turning down Initiative 2117 by a vote of 1,566,065 to 972,623 with 64% 0f the vote counted.
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November 05, 2024
Ga. Voters Approve Increase To Personal Property Exemption
Georgia will increase its personal property exemption to $20,000 under a referendum approved by voters Tuesday.
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November 05, 2024
Ga. Voters Approve Local Option Homestead Exemption
Georgia will give localities the ability to opt out of a statewide homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes under a ballot measure approved by voters Tuesday.
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November 05, 2024
Calif. Couple Can't Carry Back Or Carry Forward Loss
A California couple's loss in 2017 did not generate a net operating loss that could be carried back to 2015 and 2016 and carried over to 2018 and 2019, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled, upholding the Franchise Tax Board.
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November 05, 2024
Calif. Seller Can't Retroactively Report Real Estate Gain
A California seller of a $10.6 million property in Beverly Hills may not retroactively choose to report the gain on the sale of the property on an installment basis, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled, siding with the Franchise Tax Board.
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November 05, 2024
Ill. Dept. Floats Regs To Clarify Aviation Fuel Tax Discount
The Illinois Department of Revenue proposed regulatory amendments to clarify that a sales tax discount isn't allowed for a portion of taxes paid on aviation fuel that is subject to use requirements under federal transportation statutes governing aviation programs.
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November 05, 2024
Montana General Revenues Through Oct. Down $6M
Montana general revenue collection from July through October fell roughly $6 million compared with the same period in the last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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November 05, 2024
Florida Net Revenue Through Sept. Beats Estimate By $226M
Florida's net revenue collection from July through September beat revenue estimates by $226 million, according to a report by the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
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November 05, 2024
Iowa Net Receipts Through Oct. Drop $6M From Last Year
Iowa net receipts from July through October fell $6 million from the total for the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Legislative Services Agency.
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November 05, 2024
Calif. OTA Says Ga. Biz Owner Owes Income Tax
A Georgia resident is required to file and pay taxes on California income from a company he partly owned, the California Office of Tax Appeals ruled Tuesday, sustaining the findings of the state Franchise Tax Board.
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November 05, 2024
Ohio House Bill Would Eliminate Income Tax On OT Wages
Ohio would exempt overtime wages from the state's personal income tax under a bill filed in the state House of Representatives.
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November 05, 2024
On The Ground: How Attorneys Safeguarded The Election
Attorneys worked tirelessly Tuesday to support citizens and election workers on the final day of voting in one of history's most contentious presidential contests.
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November 04, 2024
Fla. Judge Denies Bid To Halt Repeal Of Homeless Tax Idea
A Florida state court judge has denied a bid to stop the repeal of a Miami Beach tax proposal placed on the ballot to pay for homeless services days before the general election Tuesday, citing the court's inability to "second-guess" a political decision made by a legislative body.
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November 04, 2024
Conn. Justice Warns Against 'Amelia Bedelia' Tax Law Reading
Whether a Connecticut judge properly restored a batch of tax appeals after dismissing them could center on the meaning of the word "may," a state Supreme Court justice said Monday, while also cautioning against an "Amelia Bedelia" approach to statutory construction, citing a children's book character known for her hyper-literalism.
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November 04, 2024
DC Makes Housing Tax Break Competitive Process Permanent
The District of Columbia made permanent its temporary authorization of a competitive process for tax abatements for housing developments under legislation signed by the mayor, though the measure is subject to congressional review before it becomes law.
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November 04, 2024
Colo. Urges Appeals Court To Toss Netflix Sales Tax Ruling
Netflix subscriptions in Colorado are tangible personal property subject to sales tax under long-standing state law, the state tax department told an appeals court, urging it to reverse a trial court ruling.
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November 04, 2024
Ark. Revenue Outpaces Estimate By $23M Through Oct.
Arkansas' net general revenue fund collection from July through October surpassed a forecast by roughly $23 million, according to a report released Monday by the state Department of Finance and Administration.
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November 04, 2024
Texas Revenues Through Oct. Up 2.6% From Last Year
Texas' net revenues collection from September through October outpaced last year's total for the same period by 2.6%, according to a report from the state comptroller's office.
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November 04, 2024
Ohio Tax Dept. Floats Updated Regs For Depreciable Assets
Ohio would clarify that taxpayers don't need to file a claim for a property tax deduction for every tax return in which business property assets are included at a depreciated value under regulatory updates proposed by the state Department of Taxation.
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November 01, 2024
Colo. Gov. Proposes Tax Credit To Woo Sundance Festival
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wants the state to offer a new tax credit to lure the annual Sundance Film Festival, he said Friday in a presentation of his proposed $46.1 billion state budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
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November 01, 2024
Ohio Makes Play To Enter Cleveland Browns' Stadium Suit
Ohio asked to join Cleveland as a defendant in a suit filed by the Cleveland Browns alleging that a state law impeding the NFL team's plan to move to another city within the state is unconstitutional.
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November 01, 2024
Ind. Tax Dept. Says Co. Timely Filed Amended Returns
A company doing business in Indiana timely filed for an income tax refund, the Department of State Revenue said, finding that an advance pricing agreement between the company and the Internal Revenue Service counts as a federal modification.
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November 01, 2024
Mich. Senate Votes To Allow LLC Status For Telecom Cos.
Michigan would allow telecommunication companies to convert to limited liability companies while continuing to be considered corporations for state tax purposes under a package of bills passed in the state Senate.
Expert Analysis
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Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.
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It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers
Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.
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Frames Of Deference: SALT In Review
From a challenge to New York state regulations that follows on the end of Chevron deference to a court ruling siding with the Nebraska Revenue Department's view of a tax deduction, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls
Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Local Taxes And Repercussions: SALT In Review
From a study of local taxes to news that corporations will relocate to tax-friendlier places, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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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.