State & Local
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December 17, 2024
Mo. Appeals Court Won't Rethink Quash Of County Pot Taxes
The Missouri Court of Appeals said it will not reconsider its ruling that barred counties from levying taxes on cannabis sales within municipalities, rejecting a request by two counties seeking to impose such taxes.
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December 17, 2024
Pa. Supreme Court Says Judge's Side Job Sinks Tax Rulings
A Pennsylvania state judge who held a side job on a Philadelphia tax appeals board had nullified rulings he made on a local hospital's tax cases, the state's Supreme Court said Tuesday, reasoning that holding both jobs was a "constitutionally impermissible conflict of duties."
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December 17, 2024
Ex-Pol Can't Shake Fraud Rap Over Jury's Racial Makeup
A Massachusetts federal judge denied a Vietnamese-American former state senator's bid to undo his conviction for unlawfully accepting unemployment assistance and filing a false tax return, rejecting claims that jury selection was tainted by "racial animus" on the part of prosecutors.
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December 16, 2024
NY Courts Shifting Bundled Transaction Precedent, Attys Say
A New York state appeals court ruling from earlier this year that upheld a sales tax assessment on usage agreements for laser medical equipment created a presumption of taxability for bundled transactions that is difficult for businesses to overcome, practitioners said Monday.
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December 16, 2024
Va. Gov. Proposes Income Tax Exemption For Workers' Tips
Virginia would exempt income from tips from state income tax as part of a budget proposal from Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the governor's office announced Monday.
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December 16, 2024
NY Gov. Vetoes Change To Property Tax Interest Rates
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation that would have linked the state's interest rates for delinquent residential property taxes to the prime rate and lowered the minimum rate from 12% to 2%, with a cap of 16%.
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December 16, 2024
Ga. Tax Agency Overvalued Railroad Property, Tribunal Finds
A Georgia short-line railway was overvalued for property tax purposes, the state's tax tribunal said, adopting the company's proposed per-mile value for its leased track and reducing the overall valuation from $4.1 million to $2.6 million.
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December 16, 2024
Mich. House OKs Raising Detroit-Area Hotel Tax
The tax on certain hotel stays in the Detroit metro area could be increased from its current 2% rate under legislation passed unanimously by the Michigan House of Representatives, potentially reaching 4% in 2031.
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December 16, 2024
Ohio Tax Board Floats Regs To Streamline Appeal Resolution
The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals proposed a regulation amendment to clarify its authority to issue orders in response to several common, rarely contested types of filings and streamline the resolution of tax disputes in such cases.
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December 16, 2024
Mich. Appeals Court OKs Poverty Tax Break For Resident
A Michigan resident qualified for a poverty tax break on property taxes, the state Court of Appeals ruled, saying the state Tax Tribunal incorrectly relied on the federal poverty guidelines instead of its own alternative income guidelines under state law.
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December 16, 2024
High Court Won't Review Ore. Tax On Out-Of-State Co.
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it will not review an Oregon Supreme Court finding that an out-of-state tobacco company was liable for state taxes, letting stand a decision that the company's Oregon activities negated protections against state taxation in federal law.
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December 13, 2024
Supreme Court To Review Wis. Catholic Charity Tax Case
The U.S. Supreme Court plans to examine whether a group of Catholic charities is exempt from Wisconsin's unemployment tax, agreeing Friday to review a state Supreme Court finding that the organizations are not operated primarily for religious purposes.
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December 13, 2024
NC Justices Grant Philip Morris Win On Tax Credit Cap
North Carolina's $6 million cap on cigarette export tax credits limits only the credits that can be claimed in a year, not the amount of credit that can be generated, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Friday, handing a victory to tobacco giant Philip Morris.
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December 13, 2024
Amazon Was A Taxable Seller Before Wayfair, SC Agency Says
Amazon's sales of third-party products in South Carolina were subject to taxation even before the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Wayfair decision, the state Revenue Department told the state Supreme Court on Friday, urging it to uphold an appeals court decision.
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December 13, 2024
Ark. Justices Back Biz's $4M Refund In Apportionment Fight
An Arkansas motor fuel company is eligible for a $4 million income tax refund after amending its corporate income tax returns to apportion all its interest expenses to the state, the Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed, saying the expenses were nonbusiness expenses that could be deducted.
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December 13, 2024
Tax Pact Group Fleshes Out Voluntary Disclosure Plan
A proposal for a voluntary disclosure program that allows remote sellers to limit their back sales tax liabilities to the past two years was expanded to include sellers that have inventory in member states during a Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board meeting Friday.
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December 13, 2024
NJ Revenue Collection Through Nov. Up $309M
New Jersey's major revenues from July through November rose $309 million compared with the same period last fiscal year, according to a report by the state Department of the Treasury.
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December 13, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Davis Polk, Wachtell
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Google and TPG Rise Climate partner with Intersect Power, Gen Digital Inc. acquires MoneyLion Inc., Patient Square Capital acquires Patterson Companies Inc., and the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins sell minority ownership shares to private equity firms.
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December 13, 2024
La. Tax Board OKs Resale Exemption For Used Car Dealer
The sale of a new car to a licensed used car dealer in Louisiana was not subject to state sales tax because the car was intended for resale to another entity, a state tax board ruled Friday.
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December 13, 2024
Minn. Senior Home's Tax Appeal Nixed For Lack Of Info
A Minnesota senior living community failed to provide a local assessor with required income and expense information related to its property tax appeal, the Minnesota Tax Court said, dismissing the case.
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December 12, 2024
IRS Wants Choice Retained In Dual Loss Rules, Official Says
The Internal Revenue Service is working to preserve flexibility for taxpayers in rules aimed at preventing companies from using the same economic loss twice after concerns were raised about how the rules could negatively interact with the Pillar Two global minimum tax, an official said Thursday.
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December 12, 2024
IRS Chief Makes Case To Restore $20B Funding Shortfall
Congress should reverse a $20 billion IRS funding gap in a year-end budget bill to help the agency modernize its technology, improve customer service and collect unpaid taxes from wealthy businesses and individuals, Internal Revenue Commissioner Daniel Werfel said Thursday.
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December 12, 2024
Wash. Justices OK Tax Break For Pharmacy Benefits Manager
A Washington pharmacy benefits manager is exempt from a state business tax on its services for Medicaid patients because its corporate sibling paid premium taxes in connection with the same services, the state's high court affirmed Thursday.
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December 12, 2024
Va. Says Additional Income Tax Owed After IRS Adjustment
A woman is liable for additional income tax assessed by Virginia after the Internal Revenue Service adjusted her federal adjusted gross income, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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December 12, 2024
Va. Income Tax Assessments For 1997-1999 Ruled Collectible
Virginia individual income tax assessments issued to a man for 1997, 1998 and 1999 are collectible because the state Department of Taxation initiated collection actions within the applicable statute of limitations, the state tax commissioner said.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.
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4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.
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Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.
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Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent
Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.
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Neb. Justices Should Weigh IRC Terms In Dividend Tax Case
Nebraska’s highest court, which will hear oral arguments in Precision CastParts v. Department of Revenue on April 1, should recognize that the Internal Revenue Code provides key clues to defining “dividends received or deemed to be received,” and therefore limits Nebraska’s tax on foreign-sourced corporate income, says Joseph Schmidt at Ryan.
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Strange But True, Here And There: SALT In Review
From a confusing proposal to relocate the Louisiana Tax Commission to a perplexing legislative vote on a citizen initiative in Washington state, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Judicial Independence Is Imperative This Election Year
As the next election nears, the judges involved in the upcoming trials against former President Donald Trump increasingly face political pressures and threats of violence — revealing the urgent need to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law, says Benes Aldana at the National Judicial College.