State & Local
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October 02, 2024
Ohio Tax Board Boosts Parcels' Value To Purchase Price
Two Ohio parcels should be valued at their purchase price, a state tax board said, rejecting a local board's finding that their value should be lower because the buyer paid a premium and demolished several structures on the properties.
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October 02, 2024
Calif. Authorizes Local Tax Above 2% Cap For Transportation
California authorized three cities to impose a transactions and use tax to support countywide transportation programs or general services that in combination with other taxes could exceed a 2% statutory cap on the combined rate under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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October 01, 2024
Mich. Appeals Court Denies Tax Break For Church Retreat
The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed a state tax tribunal decision that said a church's ministry retreat house that offered recreational activities wasn't exempt from property taxes.
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October 01, 2024
IRS Delays Deadlines, Grants Other Relief Following Helene
Taxpayers in all or part of seven states will have until May 1 to file individual and business tax returns and make payments after Hurricane Helene hit the area, the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday, while also granting dyed diesel penalty relief as well.
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October 01, 2024
Calif. Opens Door For Region's Voters To Seek Transit Tax
A two-county California region that's allowed to impose a retail transactions and use tax to fund rail transit can now impose such a tax through a qualified voter initiative under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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October 01, 2024
JetBlue Calls Fla. Method Of Taxing Airlines Unconstitutional
A law that outlines what counts as miles flown inside Florida for tax purposes violates the internal and external consistency elements of the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause, JetBlue told a state court.
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October 01, 2024
Colo. Justices Turn Down Water District's Tax Hike Case
Colorado's high court said it will not hear a water district's appeal of a court decision that said the district illegally doubled its property tax rate without first seeking voter approval.
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October 01, 2024
La. Gov. Wants Tax Overhaul, Will Call Special Session For It
Louisiana would end its corporate franchise tax, reduce the corporate income tax and create a flat personal income tax under a plan proposed by the governor, who said Tuesday that he will call a special session of the Legislature in November.
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October 01, 2024
Ind. Tax Court Backs Use Of Old Burden-Shifting Statute
An Indiana assessor must provide evidence to back up a property's nearly $2 million valuation because the assessment occurred under a statute shifting the burden of proof to assessors if valuations increased over a certain threshold, the state's tax court said.
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October 01, 2024
Foreclosure Class Wants To Stop Mich. Atty's Victim Outreach
Lawyers behind a proposed tax foreclosure class action in Michigan federal court have said an attorney who recently secured a settlement in a similar case sent a misleading solicitation letter to a client in a bid to undermine the proceedings.
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October 01, 2024
Treasury Plans Final Direct Pay Partnership Regs By Year-End
The U.S. Treasury Department is eyeing the end of the year to finalize regulations for development projects to elect out of their partnership tax status to qualify for a direct cash payment of their clean energy tax credits, an official said Tuesday.
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October 01, 2024
Calif. Allows Income Tax Exclusion For Wildfire Payments
California authorized a personal and corporate income tax exclusion for qualified payments received by property owners through a state financial assistance program intended to help mitigate and protect against losses related to wildfires under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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October 01, 2024
DC Raises Fiscal 2024 Revenue Estimate By $73M
The District of Columbia increased its estimated revenue collection for the 2024 fiscal year by about $73 million, according to the district's chief financial officer.
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October 01, 2024
Ohio Senate Bill Aims To Allow Tax Payments In Crypto
Ohio would let taxpayers pay state and local taxes and other government fees with cryptocurrency under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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October 01, 2024
IRS Delays Tax Deadlines In Ill. After July Storms
Taxpayers in seven Illinois counties will have until Feb. 3 to file individual and business tax returns and make payments after portions of the state were hit by severe storms and tornadoes in July, the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday.
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September 30, 2024
Calif. Lets Cities Exceed 2% Cap On Transactions And Use Tax
California authorized certain local jurisdictions to impose a transactions and use tax for general or specific purposes that exceeds a 2% statutory cap, under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 30, 2024
Key State And Local Tax Takeaways From September
From IBM and Disney asking the U.S. Supreme Court to tackle their disputes with New York over the taxation of foreign royalties they received to a Michigan court battle over whether insurance companies should file as a unitary group, September provided a busy start to autumn in the state and local tax world. Here, Law360 presents key developments to know from the past month.
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September 30, 2024
Calif. Requires Disclosure Of Local Tax Rebate Agreements
California will require cities and counties to annually disclose to the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration information regarding agreements that result in the direct or indirect payment, transfer, diversion or rebate of local sales and use tax revenue under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 30, 2024
Colo. Panel Advances Small Biz Property Tax Break
Colorado would reduce personal property taxes of small businesses with an income tax credit under draft legislation endorsed by an interim panel.
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September 30, 2024
Delaware Revenue Receipts Up By $21M Through Aug.
Delaware's revenue receipts from July through August increased by more than $21 million from the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Finance.
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September 30, 2024
W.Va. Bill Seeks Personal Income Tax Cuts At Gov.'s Request
West Virginia would lower its income tax rates for all brackets under a Senate bill introduced Monday in a special legislative session that was called by Gov. Jim Justice in an attempt to cut taxes.
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September 30, 2024
Paychex Tells NY Court Apportionment Reg Ripe For Ruling
Paychex told a New York state court that its challenge to a state apportionment rule is ready for adjudication, with the employment services provider saying it shouldn't have to wait for the conclusion of an audit to bring its dispute to court.
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September 30, 2024
Ex-Jersey Shore Mayor Admits To Benefits Theft, Tax Crimes
The former mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey, has admitted to unlawfully obtaining state health benefits, failing to disclose his outside employment and neglecting to report income from that job on state tax returns, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability announced Monday.
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September 30, 2024
Idaho Tax Revenue Through Aug. Up $191K From Forecast
Idaho's general revenue collection from July through August outpaced budget estimates by $191,000, according to a report from the state Division of Financial Management.
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September 30, 2024
Ala. Doctor Can't Claim Rural Physician Credit, Tribunal Says
An Alabama doctor cannot claim the state's rural physician tax credit because the community the doctor worked in didn't qualify, the state tax tribunal ruled.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem
The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.
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Less Power To The People: SALT In Review
Starting with a measure that won't appear on the California ballot in November, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule
Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.
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6 Tips For Maximizing After-Tax Returns In Private M&A Deals
With potential tax legislation likely to spur a surge in private business sales, sellers can make the most of after-tax proceeds with strategies that include price allocation and qualified investment options, say Isaac Grossman and Daniel Studin at Morrison Cohen.
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After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1
The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.