State & Local
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September 20, 2024
NY Auctioneer Can't Lower Tax Bill After Price Drop
An auction house can't exclude payment reductions that are granted to a successful irrevocable bidder from its receipts subject to sales tax, the New York state taxation department said.
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September 20, 2024
IRS Special Trial Attorney Joins Hochman Salkin In California
When Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez PC's newest principal, Sebastian Voth, was studying at Emory University School of Law, a former chief counsel for the Internal Revenue Service told students that the IRS was a great place to start their careers. After 15 years as an IRS attorney, Voth found that the agency was also a great place to work, he told Law360 Pulse in an interview Friday.
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September 20, 2024
La. Tax Agency Expands Informal Payment Plans
Louisiana taxpayers with less than $50,000 in taxes due will be able to pay over five years in an informal installment plan, the state Department of Revenue said in a rule that will increase the current threshold.
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September 20, 2024
Nev. Tax Agency Allows Penalty Waivers Due To Agent Errors
The Nevada Department of Taxation can decide to waive penalties and interest for late payments from a taxpayer if the payment was late because of an error made by a taxpayer's agent, the state tax commission said in an updated regulation.
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September 20, 2024
NY Biz Out-Of-State Email Services Not Taxable, Dept. Says
A New York business that subscribes to an out-of-state email hosting service doesn't need to pay sales tax, the state tax department said, as taxing such services isn't allowed under the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act.
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September 20, 2024
NY Curtain Walls Subject To Sales Tax, Dept. Says
Tax is owed on the sales of curtain walls to a contractor for installation in New York buildings regardless of whether the installations constituted capital improvements to the properties, the state tax department said in an advisory opinion.
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September 20, 2024
NY Tobacco And Vapor Taxes Apply To Man's Product Sales
A New Yorker owes the tobacco excise tax and a 20% supplemental tax on vapor products on his sales of product that are similar to electronic cigarettes, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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September 20, 2024
Miss. Revenue Through Aug. Up $3M From Last Year
Mississippi's revenue collection from July through August exceeded last year's total for that period by $3 million, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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September 20, 2024
Mass. Offering Tax Amnesty In November, December
Massachusetts will grant amnesty in November and December to certain delinquent taxpayers under a program authorized by the Legislature, the state Department of Revenue said.
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September 20, 2024
Ill. Revenue Through Aug. Tops Forecast By $245M
Illinois revenue for the first two months of the 2025 fiscal year totaled $245 million more than estimated, according to the Office of Management of Budget.
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September 20, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Gibson Dunn, Holland & Knight
In this week's Taxation With Representation, CACI International buys Azure Summit Technology, Hotel Engine lands a valuation led by Permira, and Knowles Corp. sells its microphone business to Syntiant Corp.
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September 20, 2024
NY Food Waste Removal Taxable, Department Says
Food waste removal from grocery stores, restaurants and other locations is taxable for a New York contractor because the waste has no value, so the service does not qualify as tax-exempt transportation, the state tax department said.
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September 20, 2024
Ore. Couple Denied Tax Deduction For Below-Market Rentals
An Oregon couple were correctly denied income tax deductions for expenses related to rental properties, the state tax court said, because they did not charge the renters market rates, disqualifying the rentals as income-producing properties.
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September 20, 2024
NY Sales Tax Doesn't Apply To Woman's Travel Business
A New York woman who runs a travel business does not need to collect sales tax on the fees she charges for her planning and concierge services, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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September 19, 2024
Ch. 7 Trustee Urges Justices To Uphold Return Of Taxes
The bankruptcy trustee of a defunct Utah transportation company warned the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday that overturning a decision forcing the IRS to return tax payments made by company directors to cover their personal debts would encourage shareholder fraud.
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September 19, 2024
Illinois Voters To Weigh In On Nonbinding Income Surtax
Illinois voters will get to weigh in on whether the state should amend its constitution to create a 3% surtax on millionaire income to fund property tax relief, according to a nonbinding measure the Legislature has referred to the November ballot.
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September 19, 2024
Nev. Clarifies Tax Recordkeeping Rules For Escort Services
Nevada will implement a statutory requirement that the full amount charged for and recorded by an escort service must not include deductions for service costs, interest, losses, gratuities or other expenses, according to updated regulations approved by the state tax commission.
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September 19, 2024
Nev. Nixes Regs To Implement Scrapped Insurance Tax Break
The Nevada Tax Commission has approved the repeal of regulations to implement previously enacted legislation that eliminated a credit against the state's general tax on insurance premiums, according to a notice published in the state register.
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September 19, 2024
Calif. Says FDIC's $20M Tax Refund Bid Must Wait
A California tax collection agency asked a New York federal court to throw out Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. claims seeking a more than $20 million tax refund on behalf of the shuttered Signature Bank, saying the agency is entitled to wait for a potential IRS audit to end.
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September 19, 2024
Nev. Board Explains Commerce Tax Filing Break For Small Biz
Nevada no longer requires small businesses that are exempt from commerce tax to file commerce tax returns, the state Tax Commission explained.
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September 19, 2024
Nev. Reg Explains Expansion Of Voluntary Disclosures
More Nevada taxpayers are able to voluntarily disclose their failures to file taxes to the state tax commission under a new regulation.
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September 19, 2024
Fuel Sent Out Of State Isn't Taxed, Co. Tells Texas Justices
A Texas energy company fighting its franchise tax bill told the state's Supreme Court that the comptroller's sourcing approach for its fuel sales wrongly apportioned a sale to the state that was shipped out of state.
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September 19, 2024
Tax Or Fee, Utility Rates Beyond Review, Ga. Justices Hear
A Georgia city told the state Supreme Court on Thursday that its use of utility fees to bolster city coffers was not an illegal tax, despite a sports bar owner's claims to the contrary, and that a trial court rightly said it could not decide the matter.
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September 19, 2024
Okla. August Revenue Below Estimates By $14M, Office Says
Oklahoma revenue for August was $14.3 million below estimates, the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services announced.
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September 19, 2024
Md. Corp's. Part Owner Not Liable For Unpaid Tax, Court Says
A part owner of a Maryland consulting company was not personally liable for the company's unpaid income tax withholdings because he did not exercise personal control over the corporation's fiscal management, the Appellate Court of Maryland affirmed.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease
This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.
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Why Supreme Court Should Allow Repatriation Tax To Stand
If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't reject the taxpayers' misguided claims in Moore v. U.S. that the mandatory repatriation tax is unconstitutional, it could wreak havoc on our system of taxation and result in a catastrophic loss of revenue for the government, say Christina Mason and Theresa Balducci at Herrick Feinstein.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
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Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law
A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.
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Speaking Of Ideas Hard To Swallow: SALT In Review
From a Pennsylvania bill that would force corporate tax disclosure to a proposed candy tax in California, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.