State & Local

  • August 05, 2024

    Va. Owes Refund To Remote Worker, Tax Commissioner Says

    Virginia wrongly denied an individual income tax refund to a man who worked remotely in another state to cover the amount withheld by his Virginia employer, the state tax commissioner said in a ruling published Monday.

  • August 05, 2024

    Va. Biz Correctly Classified Contractors, Tax Boss Says

    Workers for a Virginia drywall and painting business did not qualify as employees, the state tax commissioner said, reversing a state tax department finding that the business owed withholding taxes on the workers' payroll.

  • August 05, 2024

    Va. Tax Head Says Man Must File Return Despite Move To Md.

    A Virginia resident who moved to Maryland to work at a hospital was still considered a domiciled resident of Virginia and required to file a state tax return there, the Virginia tax commissioner determined, saying the man maintained several links to the state.

  • August 05, 2024

    Chamber Asking 4th Circ. To Revive Md. Digital Ad Tax Fight

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups are seeking Fourth Circuit review of a federal district court decision throwing out their First Amendment complaint against Maryland's digital advertising tax, the groups told the lower court.

  • August 05, 2024

    North Dakota Ballot Initiative Seeks To End Property Tax

    North Dakota would prohibit political subdivisions from imposing property taxes if a constitutional amendment is approved by voters in November.

  • August 05, 2024

    Fla. Net Revenue In Fiscal Year 2024 Beat Estimates By $1B

    Florida's net revenue collection in the 2024 fiscal year was $1.09 billion higher than estimates, according to the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

  • August 05, 2024

    Ala. Net Tax Collection Through July Up $226M From Last Year

    Alabama's net general revenue from October through July was $226 million higher than the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Revenue.

  • August 05, 2024

    Ark. July Revenue Meets Forecasted Expectations

    Arkansas' July general revenue was slightly above the forecasted amount, by $2.8 million, but was down from the previous July, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said.

  • August 02, 2024

    Shuttered Paper Mill Says NC Can't Claw Back $12M Incentive

    Food and beverage packaging company Pactiv Evergreen has said it shouldn't have to repay the state of North Carolina $12 million in economic incentives after it shut down a local mill, arguing the underlying agreement is contradictory and the state is purely out for punishment.

  • August 02, 2024

    Colo. Court Affirms Residential Tax Rate For Vacant Parcels

    Two vacant parcels in Colorado were correctly classified as residential, the Colorado Court of Appeals said, upholding a state assessment board finding that the parcels were used in conjunction with an adjoining residential parcel.

  • August 02, 2024

    HFZ Capital Cops To $86M Fraud Charges, Blames Ex-Chief

    Defunct real estate firm HFZ Capital Group pled guilty in an $86 million criminal case Friday, admitting that its former top executive Nir Meir evaded New York City property taxes and stole funds from commercial and residential building projects.

  • August 02, 2024

    Colo. Appeals Panel Rejects Lower Tax Rate For Hospital

    A Colorado rehabilitation hospital should be classified as a commercial property for tax purposes because it was predominantly designed for its services and not for residency, a state appeals court said, reversing a state assessment board.

  • August 02, 2024

    Ex-Loeb Tax Atty Latest Addition To Kilpatrick's NY Team

    A former Loeb & Loeb LLP attorney is bringing his experience in U.S. federal tax matters and real estate transactions to Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, the firm announced Thursday.

  • August 02, 2024

    W.Va. July Revenue $2M Below Estimates

    July, the first month of West Virginia's fiscal year, brought in $328.2 million in general revenue collection, falling below estimates, the governor said.

  • August 02, 2024

    Ore. Tax Court OKs Tax Deduction For Travel To Alaska

    An Oregon couple who operate a fishing business in Alaska are allowed to claim a deduction for travel expenses, the Oregon Tax Court said, reversing the Oregon Department of Revenue's determination.

  • August 02, 2024

    Ohio Board Finds Park's Oil, Gas Production Area Tax Exempt

    Space at a park in Ohio that is leased to a private entity to produce oil and gas is entitled to a property tax exemption, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled Friday, saying the lessee's operations were incidental to the park's public purpose.

  • August 02, 2024

    La. Outlines Rules For 2nd Amendment Tax Holiday In Sept.

    The Louisiana Department of Revenue issued a bulletin outlining the types of hunting supplies and firearms that will be exempt from sales tax and use tax during three days in September.

  • August 02, 2024

    Texas General Revenues Through July Higher Than Last Year

    Texas brought in slightly more in general revenue through July than it did during the same period in the last fiscal year, the state comptroller's office said.

  • August 02, 2024

    Taxation With Representation: Sullivan, Dechert, Kirkland

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, BNP Parabis SA acquires an investment management subsidiary for €5.1 billion, Cleveland accounting firm CBIZ merges with competitor Marcum for $2.3 billion, and Arcosa Inc. inks a deal with a family-owned construction materials business for $1.2 billion.

  • August 01, 2024

    MTC Deputy Executive Director To Depart For New Role

    The Multistate Tax Commission's deputy executive director will be leaving the intergovernmental organization this month to take a position at the Federation of Tax Administrators, the head of the MTC announced Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Navistar Appeals $2.7M Ohio Receipts Tax Assessment

    Navistar on Thursday appealed the Ohio tax commissioner's $2.7 million commercial activity tax assessment, telling the state Board of Tax Appeals that it was wrongly taxed on items sold at a reduced price, cash deposits and replacement parts.

  • August 01, 2024

    Chipotle Bundled 'Service Fee' With Tax To Hide It, Suit Says

    Chipotle customers filed a proposed false advertising class action in California federal court Wednesday accusing the fast-casual Mexican chain of tacking on secret "eye-popping service fees" bundled with a "tax" for online delivery orders at the end of the checkout process that purportedly ends up in Chipotle's own coffers.

  • August 01, 2024

    Direct File Will Be Available In New Mexico, IRS Announces

    New Mexico will participate in the Internal Revenue Service's free electronic tax return filing program known as Direct File in the 2025 tax filing season, the agency and the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Biz Group Seeks Changes To Ore. Corp. Tax Ballot Measure

    The explanatory statement for an Oregon ballot measure to impose a new minimum corporate tax and fund rebates to all individuals in the state must include additional information about its financial impact, a business group told an elections panel.

  • August 01, 2024

    Alaska Extends Tax Break To Independent Power Producers

    Alaska extended its broad tax exemption for public utilities to independent power facilities in a bid to encourage new energy development as part of a bill signed by the governor.

Featured Stories

  • The Tax Angle: TCJA Prep, IRS Phone Problems

    Stephen K. Cooper

    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.

  • State & Local Tax Policy To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024

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    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.

  • Ill. Seller Sourcing Fix Adds Fuel To Constitutional Complaints

    Maria Koklanaris

    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

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Shake-Ups For Courts In Different Fields: SALT In Review

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    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.

  • Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects

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    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.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    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.

  • Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    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.

  • Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling

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    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.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    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.

  • Another Crack In The Shield: SALT In Review

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    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.

  • States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

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    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.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    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.