State & Local
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July 26, 2024
Biz Groups Call Corp. Transparency Act Unconstitutional
The U.S. government has failed to show how the Corporate Transparency Act meets narrow exceptions to the Fourth Amendment's search warrant requirements, a group of small businesses told a Michigan federal court Friday in contending that the statute is unconstitutional.
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July 26, 2024
The Tax Angle: TCJA Prep, IRS Phone Problems
From a look at Democrats' preparation to rewrite the 2017 GOP tax law to the Internal Revenue Service's continuing problems with providing customer service to tax professionals, here's a peek into a reporter's notebook on a few of the week's developing tax stories.
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July 26, 2024
Ind. Tax Court Says Tax Cap Acre Limitation Unconstitutional
The Indiana Constitution doesn't permit a fixed 1-acre limitation on land eligible for the state's 1% property tax cap, the state tax court said, siding with a couple who argued their entire property qualified for the cap.
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July 26, 2024
Ohio McDonald's Properly Valued At $1.9M, Board Says
An Ohio McDonald's was properly valued at $1.9 million by the county appraiser, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled Friday, rejecting the business's bid to have the value lowered to $1.18 million.
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July 26, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Wachtell, Polsinelli, Kirkland
In this week's Taxation With Representation, T-Mobile partners with KKR to acquire Metronet, Exclusive Networks gets a takeover offer, KKR buys Instructure Holdings Inc., and Bally's Corp. merges with The Queen Casino & Entertainment Inc.
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July 26, 2024
Ariz. Revenues In Fiscal Year 2024 Up $563M From Forecast
Arizona's general revenue collection in the 2024 fiscal year was $563 million higher than estimated, according to the state Joint Budget Committee.
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July 26, 2024
SC Tax Applies To Durable Med Equipment Sales, Dept. Says
Sales of durable medical equipment in South Carolina are subject to sales tax, which must be collected and remitted on sales completed after June 26, following a state Supreme Court ruling that found an exemption for such sales to be invalid, the state Department of Revenue said.
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July 25, 2024
Trump Judge Won't Exit Over 'Nothingburger' Atty Encounter
The New York judge who ordered Donald Trump to pay $465 million in penalties in his civil fraud case Thursday rejected the former president's demand that he step down from the case, saying a brief hallway encounter with an attorney acquaintance was a "nothingburger" that did not influence his decision.
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July 25, 2024
Conn.'s Added Tax On Warranties Called Double Taxation
The Connecticut state tax commissioner's levy of an additional tax on extended vehicle warranties connected to out-of-state vehicle sales is double taxation because the warranties are already taxed by the buyer's home state, a Connecticut-based auto wholesaler told a state trial court.
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July 25, 2024
NJ To Provide Up To $500M In Tax Credits For AI Projects
New Jersey will provide up to $500 million in tax credits to artificial intelligence businesses that make a capital investment of at least $100 million and create at least 100 full-time jobs under a bill Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed Thursday.
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July 25, 2024
Ohio Board Incorrectly Calculated Land, Improvement Value
An Ohio warehouse property had its land value incorrectly increased to $1.2 million, from $715,000, a state appeals court ruled Thursday after finding no evidence was presented that warranted a change in its value.
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July 25, 2024
Pa. Dept. Urged To Review Concerns Over Biz Income Rule
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue should review stakeholders' critiques of a proposed regulation that outlines what constitutes apportionable business income and meet with aggrieved stakeholders to ensure the regulation is consistent with state tax law, an independent commission said.
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July 25, 2024
NJ Justices Affirm Verizon's Local Tax Bill On Equipment
A Verizon entity must pay personal property tax on equipment at a switching station in a New Jersey borough, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday, upholding lower court rulings that agreed with the town's application of a law outlining when telephone companies are subject to tax.
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July 25, 2024
NY Beverage Co.'s Tax Permit Properly Pulled, Court Says
New York's tax agency was within its authority to revoke the license of a $100 million wholesale beverage distributor for willfully failing to file required information about its customers, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.
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July 25, 2024
Clark Hill Adds Tax And Estate Atty From Plunk Smith In Texas
A former Plunk Smith PLLC senior associate jumped to Clark Hill in Collin County, Texas, to serve as a member in the tax and estate planning practice, the firm announced Thursday.
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July 25, 2024
NJ Town's Challenge To County Tax Table Can Proceed
A New Jersey town may continue challenging a county's 2024 equalization table, the New Jersey Tax Court ruled, rejecting the county's argument that the town waited too long to make the challenge.
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July 25, 2024
Ohio Church Too Late For Retroactive Tax Refund, Board Says
An Ohio church cannot be refunded for a retroactive property tax exemption for 2014 through 2016 because the state tax commissioner only has the authority to issue refunds for up to three years, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled.
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July 25, 2024
Ore. Court Won't Toss Law Capping Taxable Home Values
A homeowner's attempt to lower the taxable value of his property was denied by the Oregon Tax Court, which said it did not have the authority to determine whether a law capping annual taxable value increases for some properties was unconstitutional.
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July 24, 2024
Pfizer's Fuel Cells Can't Be Taxed, Conn. Justices Rule
A fuel cell module that powers Pfizer Inc.'s research campus in Groton, Connecticut, is not subject to personal property taxes, the state's high court ruled Wednesday, upholding a lower court decision that allowed FuelCell Inc. to avoid several multimillion-dollar local tax assessments and penalties.
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July 24, 2024
Mich. Tribunal Upholds $4.4M Value For Car Wash
A Michigan car wash was correctly valued at $4.4 million, the state Tax Tribunal said after rejecting the property owner's argument that the value should be reduced due to functional obsolescence.
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July 24, 2024
Book Publisher Settles Gross Receipts Tax Dispute With Ohio
Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing LLC settled its appeal of a nearly $143,000 Ohio commercial activity tax assessment, ending a case in which it alleged that a federal law that limits state taxes on net income protected certain gross receipts from tax.
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July 24, 2024
Ohio Chicken Farm Ruled Overvalued By County
An Ohio chicken farm was overvalued by the local tax board, the state board of tax appeals said, after taking into consideration an appraisal by the owner that valued the property based on its special use as a hatchery.
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July 24, 2024
Nationwide Urges Mich. Court To Stand By Unitary Biz Ruling
The Michigan Court of Appeals properly ruled that insurance companies that are part of Nationwide should file their taxes as a unitary group, the company told the appeals court, saying the state Treasury Department's request for reconsideration should be denied.
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July 24, 2024
NH Extends Business Profits, Enterprise Tax Credits
New Hampshire business profits tax credits and business enterprise credits that were set to expire in 2025 and 2027 were extended under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.
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July 24, 2024
Affordable Housing Pro Moves Practice To Nelson Mullins
An attorney who specializes in advising clients on completing affordable housing development projects has recently moved her practice to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's Pittsburgh office.
Uber Accused Of Illegally Charging Tax On Delivery Fees
Uber illegally collects sales tax on food delivery fees in Florida, a customer claimed in a proposed class action removed to federal court, saying the company cannot charge the tax if customers have the option of picking up the order themselves.
Louisiana Lawmakers Hit Brakes On Tax Overhaul Proposals
Louisiana's legislative leadership said Thursday that it won't move forward with a special session to overhaul the state's tax system in the near future, rebuffing a push from the governor to place sweeping changes to the state's tax structure on the November ballot.
Neb. Bill Resurrects Digital Ad Tax Plan In Special Session
Nebraska lawmakers, calling for property tax relief in a special legislative session, resubmitted Thursday a proposal to fund property tax cuts with a tax on gross receipts from digital advertising services and by broadening the state's sales tax regime.
Editor's Pick
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Law360 Revenue Report Map Tracks Health Of State Coffers
As state coffers fluctuate because of federal pandemic aid drying up, demographics shifting and remote work becoming commonplace, Law360 Tax Authority is providing up-to-date coverage on state tax revenue with the launch of its Revenue Report Map.
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Nev. Sales Tax Revenue In Jan. Rises $23.8M From Last Year
Nevada brought in $23.8 million more in sales tax revenue in January than in the same month last year, the state Department of Taxation said in a monthly report.
Featured Stories
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The Tax Angle: TCJA Prep, IRS Phone Problems
From a look at Democrats' preparation to rewrite the 2017 GOP tax law to the Internal Revenue Service's continuing problems with providing customer service to tax professionals, here's a peek into a reporter's notebook on a few of the week's developing tax stories.
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State & Local Tax Policy To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
From a pending ballot measure in Oregon to raise taxes on large businesses to a special session in Nebraska focusing on sales and property taxes, some states could experience significant shifts to their tax systems in the second half of 2024. Here, Law360 examines policies to monitor during the rest of the year.
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Ill. Seller Sourcing Fix Adds Fuel To Constitutional Complaints
A bill before Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is being touted as a legislative fix to a contentious state law requiring retailers to base their sourcing methods on whether they are in-state or remote, but challengers of the law say the proposal would exacerbate an issue of unequal treatment.
Expert Analysis
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Shake-Ups For Courts In Different Fields: SALT In Review
From the end of Chevron deference in the courts to the planned sale of the NBA's reigning champion, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects
With better facts and greater emphasis on the Kentucky Constitution, Walgreen Co. may succeed in its latest Kentucky Court of Appeals challenge to a tax assessor's method of valuing leaseholds on real property for purposes of determining ad valorem tax, say Mark Sommer and Elizabeth Ethington at Frost Brown Todd.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Moore v. U.S. decision, that the Internal Revenue Code Section 965 did not violate the 16th Amendment, was narrowly tailored to minimally disrupt existing tax regimes, but the justices' various opinions leave the door open to future tax challenges and provide clues for what the battles may look like, say Caroline Ngo and Le Chen at McDermott.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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Another Crack In The Shield: SALT In Review
From the latest assault on a federal shield against taxing out-of-state businesses to an update on beer taxes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice
The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts
As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
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A Tale Of 2 Trump Cases: The Rule Of Law Is A Live Issue
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week in Trump v. U.S., holding that former President Donald Trump has broad immunity from prosecution, undercuts the rule of law, while the former president’s New York hush money conviction vindicates it in eight key ways, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.
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3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.