State & Local
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May 09, 2024
Va. Builder's Sand Purchases Found Subject To Sales Tax
A Virginia homebuilder that purchased dirt and sand must pay sales tax on those purchases because both are tangible personal property, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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May 09, 2024
Chamberlain Hrdlicka Rehires Tax Atty From Atlanta Boutique
Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry PC has rehired one of its former tax attorneys, who joins the firm in Atlanta after working at a tax law-focused boutique, the firm announced Wednesday.
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May 09, 2024
Va. Sales Tax Applies To IT Co.'s Purchases, Tax Head Rules
A Virginia information technology company that bought various assets for use in an exam-room device owes sales tax on those purchases, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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May 08, 2024
NY AG Says $6M NRA Verdict Should Stand
A New York state court should not undo a jury's finding that the National Rifle Association allowed its officers to misappropriate $6.4 million of donor money, the state's attorney general has argued, saying trial evidence abundantly laid out evidence of misconduct and organizational failures.
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May 08, 2024
Credit Suisse Urges Mich. Panel To Reverse Biz Loss Denial
A Credit Suisse attorney pressed the Michigan Court of Appeals on Wednesday to clarify how the state's tax laws account for losses from real estate mortgage investment conduits, saying a lower court incorrectly denied its attempt to carry forward $21.3 million in losses.
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May 08, 2024
Ark. Curbs Finance Dept.'s Power To Challenge Tax Rulings
Arkansas will limit the state Department of Finance and Administration's ability to challenge the state Tax Appeals Commission's decisions in sales and use tax disputes as part of a bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
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May 08, 2024
Calif. Justices Weigh Striking Anti-Tax Ballot Initiative
California Supreme Court justices sought to understand Wednesday if a measure approved for the November ballot that would make it harder to raise taxes would eliminate lawmakers' ability to tax and would illegally revise — rather than amend — the state constitution.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Allows Modified Apportionment For Manufacturer
The Virginia tax commissioner abated most of a company's corporate income tax assessment after finding the business was eligible to use a modified apportionment method for manufacturers.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Rental Tax Doesn't Apply To Co.'s Long-Term Leases
A company that leases mobile and construction equipment from its parent company doesn't owe Virginia motor vehicle rental tax because the leases aren't short-term rentals, the state tax commissioner ruled.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Finds Royalties Ineligible For Full Exception
A corporation filing in Virginia that paid royalties to an affiliate wasn't entitled to a state income tax exception for the full amount of the expense, the state tax commissioner said, citing a state Supreme Court ruling and concluding that the company's refund claim couldn't be granted.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Won't Change Taxpayer's Apportionment Factor
A Virginia taxpayer that owns more than 10% of a limited partnership's interest is still not entitled to an alternate apportionment method, the state tax commissioner said in a letter ruling.
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May 08, 2024
Calif. Senate Committee Recommends Data Extraction Tax
California would levy its 7.25% state sales and use tax on large online companies with digital advertising revenue above $2.5 billion and use the tax revenue to fund a credit regime for local news outlets under a bill passed by a Senate committee Wednesday.
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May 08, 2024
Ind. Youth Center Rightly Denied Tax Exemption, Board Says
An Indiana youth center was correctly denied a religious tax exemption because the property is used to the benefit of the adopted children of the organization's founder, the state Board of Tax Review said in a decision published Wednesday.
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May 08, 2024
La. Board Says Class Claims On Solar Credits Need Tax Pleas
Louisiana residents who have joined in a class action seeking damages from deferred solar panel tax credits that were capped annually must amend their claims to include tax violations, the state Board of Tax Appeals said.
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May 08, 2024
Colo. House OKs Temporary Income Tax Cut, Refund Changes
Colorado would temporarily lower its flat income tax rate for the current tax year and could reduce the rate in upcoming years based on the levels of future state surpluses under legislation approved Wednesday by the state House of Representatives.
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May 08, 2024
NJ Utility Co. Appeals Tax Assessment On Labor Fees
A utility company based in New Jersey asked the state tax court to set aside a roughly $342,000 sales and use tax assessment, arguing that the Division of Taxation included labor charges that were not taxable.
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May 08, 2024
La. House OKs Constitutional Convention For Tax Overhaul
The Louisiana House of Representatives approved legislation that would call a convention to rework some elements of the state constitution, including moving certain tax provisions into state statutes to give lawmakers more flexibility to address a looming budget deficit.
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May 08, 2024
A Foley Hoag Co-Chair Joins Litigation Firm As Name Partner
Litigation and dispute resolution firm Elliott Kwok Levine & Jaroslaw LLP will operate under a new name after welcoming as its newest name partner a former federal prosecutor who most recently co-chaired Foley Hoag LLP's white-collar crime and government investigations practice.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Biz's Forklift Exempt From Use Tax, Commissioner Rules
A forklift owned by a business engaged in electronics dismantling and recycling qualifies for a use tax exemption because it was used for industrial processing, the Virginia tax commissioner said.
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May 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Denies Exceptions For Receivables Factoring
The Virginia tax commissioner said a corporation that sold invoices to another entity doesn't qualify for an expense exception for factoring costs because it was unable to prove there was a valid business purpose other than the avoidance of tax.
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May 08, 2024
Colo. Lawmakers Approve Film Tax Credit Extension
Colorado's film production tax credit would run through 2031 and make changes to the credit under legislation passed Wednesday by the state Senate and headed to the governor.
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May 08, 2024
Mass. Dept. Says Part Of Bundled Phones' Value Not Taxable
Consumers buying discounted mobile phones in Massachusetts as part of a bundled package owe sales tax only on the amount actually paid, the state tax department said, responding to a 2023 court ruling.
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May 08, 2024
Colo. Lawmakers OK Historic Structure Tax Credit Extension
Colorado's tax credit for rehabilitation of historic structures would be extended and apply to structures as young as 30 years old under legislation approved by the Senate and headed to the governor.
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May 07, 2024
LA Cannabis Co. Owes $216K In Taxes, City Says
Los Angeles has slapped a Venice cannabis shop with a lawsuit accusing it of shirking a more than $200,000 tax obligation, asking a state court for to force the dispensary to pay up.
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May 07, 2024
SD Unapportioned Use Tax Unconstitutional, US Justices Told
South Dakota's imposition of an unapportioned use tax on a construction company's movable construction equipment — some of which was used in the state for one day — violates the fair apportionment requirement of the commerce clause, the company told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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Wash. B&O Tax Proposal Is A Step In The Right Direction
The Washington Tax Structure Work Group’s proposal to swap the state’s problematic business and occupation tax for a Texas-style margins tax is far from a perfect solution, but it has opened the door for a long-overdue conversation about B&O tax changes that would provide much-needed administrative relief, says Nikki Dobay at Greenberg Traurig.
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This Year's Top 10 Developments In State And Local Tax
Attorneys at Grant Thornton rank the 10 biggest state and local tax issues of 2022, including the adoption of state pass-through entity taxes, Maryland's digital advertising tax and American Rescue Plan Act litigation.
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What To Expect In 2023: SALT In Review
Starting with predictions for the coming year, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Texas Tax Talk: What To Know About The Prefiled Bills
Many of the Texas tax bills prefiled ahead of the state's January 2023 legislative session predictably reduce property tax, but it remains unclear how online sales tax sourcing will be addressed, and an expiring school district property tax incentive program will be reimplemented, say Matt Larsen and Alison Andrews at Baker Botts.
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Tax Cuts In Both Dakotas: SALT In Review
From tax-cut proposals in the Dakotas to a New Mexico artist who tried to represent himself, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Where Art Thou Kentucky Amnesty?
Attorneys at Frost Brown unpack the reasons why Kentucky's tax amnesty program never got off the ground this year, why implementation in 2023 won't be impeded by similar hurdles and how administration of the program may affect other Department of Revenue services once it gets going.
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5 Proof Of Domicile Takeaways From Calif. Tax Appeals Ruling
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The California Office of Tax Appeals' recent Beckwith decision, which boiled down to a dispute over when a taxpayer moved from Tennessee to California for income tax purposes, provides valuable lessons on the evidence needed to establish the ties and intent that underlie tax domicile and residence, says Eric Coffill at Eversheds Sutherland.
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The Tax Comity Doctrine And Other Oddities: SALT In Review
From the little-known tax comity doctrine to governments' continuing pursuit of streaming services, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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State AGs Are Realizing Power Of False Claims Statutes
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State attorneys general appear to be ramping up investigations, prosecutions and interventions using long-underappreciated state and municipal false claims statutes, and early indications signal an increasing focus on cybersecurity misrepresentations, private equity firms' misconduct and securities fraud, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Foreign Tax Credit Proposal Is Some Help, But More Is Needed
New foreign tax credit regulations proposed by the U.S. Treasury Department provided some measure of relief on cost recovery and royalty withholding, two of the most troublesome aspects of the 2021 final foreign tax credit regulations, but the final regulations are still harmful to many taxpayers, making litigation inevitable, say attorneys at Fenwick.
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Expect Seamless Transition To Controversial Ariz. Flat Tax
The unexpectedly early implementation of Arizona's new 2.5% flat income tax rate in January should be a painless and welcome change for individual taxpayers, even as the long-term impact on state and local economies is the subject of debate, say Karen Jurichko Lowell and Pat Derdenger at Lewis Roca.
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Tax Cuts Hither And Yon: SALT In Review
From proposed tax cuts in Mississippi and Montana to a new, voter-approved limit in Arizona, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Midterms And Powerball: SALT In Review
From the midterm election results to the latest Powerball winner, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.