State & Local
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October 21, 2024
Madigan Part Of 'Corruption At The Highest Levels,' Jury Told
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his loyal right hand Michael McClain engaged in an eight-year "campaign of bribery," leveraging his public office and leadership roles to steer business to Madigan's property tax law firm, enrich his allies with do-nothing jobs and maintain his considerable political power, prosecutors told an Illinois federal jury Monday.
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October 21, 2024
SD Voters To Decide On Food Tax Exemption
South Dakota voters will have the chance Nov. 5 to decide whether the state exempts food from its 4.2% sales tax rate.
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October 21, 2024
MVP: Paul Weiss' Brian Krause
Brian Krause of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's tax practice designed a novel tax approach for the merger of World Wrestling Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship, raced to create a tax-free deal in the final days of a Texas "wildcatter" hoping to sell his oil company, and advised Chevron in its $60 billion acquisition of Hess Corp., earning him a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Tax MVPs.
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October 21, 2024
Neb. Receipts Sink $121M Through Sept. From Previous Year
Nebraska's total net receipts from July through September sank $121 million compared with the same period in the last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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October 21, 2024
Ariz. Revenues Through Sept. Beat Estimate By $108M
Arizona's total general fund revenue from July through September outpaced forecasts by $108 million, according to the state's Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
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October 21, 2024
NJ General Revenues Through Sept. Rise 4% From Last Year
New Jersey general revenue from July through September beat last year's collection by 4.3%, according to the state Department of the Treasury.
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October 21, 2024
New ABA Tax Chair-Elect Aims To Expand Leadership Paths
The new chair-elect of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation told Law360 that she wants to broaden the pathways to leadership for members, including those early in their careers, as part of the section's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Here, Megan Brackney shares more about her background and goals for the section.
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October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms
The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
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October 18, 2024
Law360 Will Track 2024 Ballot Measures On Real-Time Map
As citizens across the country weigh in on federal, state and local elections this November, Law360's 2024 ballot measure map will track election results for tax-related ballot measures in real time. Here, Law360 dives into what's on the ballots in Georgia, Nevada, Wyoming and Denver.
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October 18, 2024
Fla. Extends Dyed Fuel Penalty Waiver After Milton
Florida is extending its temporary waiver of penalties for businesses and individuals that use or sell dyed diesel fuel for on-highway use through Oct. 30 in response to Hurricane Milton, the state Department of Revenue said.
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October 18, 2024
San Francisco Tax Measures Could Mean Big Changes For Biz
San Francisco voters could significantly change the city's business climate next month if they approve two ballot measures, one that would overhaul the city's gross receipts tax and increase rates for larger businesses and another that would impose an annual additional graduated tax on ride-hailing companies. Here, Law360 takes a look at the two proposals.
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October 18, 2024
Ind. City Can't Levy Additional Property Tax For Shortfall
A city in Indiana cannot levy an additional property tax of nearly $1 million to make up for budget shortfalls because those shortfalls do not qualify for the granting of an excess levy, the Indiana Tax Court ruled.
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October 18, 2024
Minn. Tax Court Refuses Big Changes To Parking Lot's Value
The Minnesota Tax Court lowered the assessed value of a parking lot property by about $200,000 to $11.7 million, rejecting arguments for larger changes by the property owner and a county.
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October 18, 2024
Colo. Extends Tax Deadlines For Hurricane Victims
Colorado is delaying deadlines for state taxpayers impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton, Gov. Jared Polis and the state tax department said Friday.
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October 18, 2024
JetBlue Says Fla. Must Face Claims Against Airline Tax Rules
JetBlue urged a Florida state court to reject the state Department of Revenue's bid to dismiss the company's claims that Florida unconstitutionally taxed the airline's extraterritorial income, saying its case isn't analogous to a dispute from Frontier Airlines that a court dismissed.
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October 18, 2024
Mo. Commission Should Refund Interest, Telecom Co. Says
A Charter Communications entity that was granted a use tax refund of nearly $437,000 because it qualified as a manufacturer should also be granted repayment of the interest that accrued on the refunded taxes, the company told the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission.
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October 18, 2024
Fla. Delays Tax Deadlines In More Counties Due To Milton
Florida is extending tax due dates for businesses in seven additional counties affected by Hurricane Milton, the state Department of Revenue said, bringing the relief to a total of 24 of the state's 67 counties.
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October 18, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Baker, Simpson, Ropes
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Lundbeck inks a $2.6 billion cash deal for Longboard, Silver Lake agrees to buy Zuora for $1.7 billion, and PPG and American Industrial Partners reach a $550 million deal.
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October 18, 2024
Mass. Tax Dept. Floats Limits On Amnesty For Nonfilers
Massachusetts taxpayers seeking amnesty under a coming program would not be eligible for the program's three-year look-back limit for nonfilers if the state tax department had certain contacts with them, according to a draft notice on the program.
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October 17, 2024
Wash. Justices Say No Addresses Needed For Tax Ballot Items
Washington's secretary of state didn't need to check addresses when validating signatures for five voter initiatives slated for the November ballot, including measures to repeal the state's capital gains tax and to bar income taxes, the state Supreme Court said Thursday.
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October 17, 2024
Illinois Ballot Measure May Reinvigorate Graduated Tax Talks
An Illinois ballot measure that will gauge public interest in imposing a higher tax rate on millionaires to fund property tax relief appears primed to rekindle debates over whether the state's constitutional requirement for a flat income tax should be repealed.
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October 17, 2024
NY Hotel Biz Stuck With $15M Tax Bill After Deductions Denied
A corporation that refurbishes hotels in New York is liable for about $15 million in taxes, a state tribunal said in a decision released Thursday, affirming a ruling that the state's tax agency correctly denied deductions sought by the company.
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October 17, 2024
Mont. Tax Board Upholds Assessment On Storage Facility
The owner of a Montana commercial property used to house storage units was unable to lower its value because the state Tax Appeal Board gave more weight to the state Department of Revenue's valuation using an income analysis.
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October 17, 2024
Ill. Revenue Collection Through Sept. Lags Forecasts By $12M
Illinois' general fund revenue collection from July through September came in below forecasts by $12 million, according to a report by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget.
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October 17, 2024
Idaho Revenue Through Sept. Exceeds Forecast By $66M
Idaho's general fund revenue from July through September beat an estimate by $66 million, the state Division of Financial Management said.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Specific Attacks On A Vague Tax Law: SALT In Review
From legal assaults on California's vague new sales-factor law to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's record on tax policy, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address
A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union
As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.