State & Local
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August 06, 2024
Calif. Sales By Snowmaking Co. Are Taxable, OTA Says
A company that creates and supplies snow for entertainment companies in California had $1.93 million in taxable sales in 2012 through 2015 despite the company saying the snow was not tangible personal property, the California Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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August 06, 2024
Calif. Hoteliers Denied Tax Break On Property Sale
The owners of a California hotel were correctly assessed taxes on the gains from sale of a property, the state Office of Tax Appeals said, finding the owners did not demonstrate they qualified for a tax deferral.
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August 06, 2024
Ohio Board Affirms Nix Of Tax Break For Church's Rec Site
A recreation field owned by an Ohio-based church doesn't qualify for a property tax exemption because it wasn't used as a place of worship, the state Board of Tax Appeals affirmed.
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August 06, 2024
Bressler Grows In NJ With New Litigation, Tax Experts
Bressler Amery & Ross PC added longtime experts in tax law, trusts and estates, and commercial litigation in a recent round of expansion in New Jersey announced this week.
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August 06, 2024
Calif. Investor Can't Exclude $15.2M In Gains, OTA Finds
A real estate investor may not exclude about $15.2 million in capital gains from his California tax return for the 2012 tax year, the state Office of Tax Appeals found, siding with the Franchise Tax Board that the income was not subject to double taxation.
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August 06, 2024
Calif. Biz Not Entitled To Cost Of Goods Deduction, OTA Says
A California construction business is not entitled to an income tax deduction for the cost of goods sold, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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August 06, 2024
Mont. July Revenue Collection Up $5M From Last Year
Montana's general revenue collection for July outpaced last year's total by $5 million, the state Department of Revenue said Tuesday.
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August 06, 2024
Mass. Revenue Collection In July Trails Last Year By $18M
Massachusetts' revenue collection in July was down $18 million from July 2023, the state Department of Revenue said.
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August 06, 2024
Calif. OTA Says Biz Owes Use Tax On Vehicle Purchase
California's use tax still applies to a business's purchase of a commercial vehicle despite the business's argument that it was used for interstate and foreign commerce and therefore exempt, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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August 06, 2024
Arnold & Porter Adds Abramson Cancer Center Chief Counsel
Throughout her career and while working in progressive leadership roles for the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Mir Masud-Elias, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP's newest counsel, has asked herself the same question: Is this role the best use of her time on Earth?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Wash. Appeals Court Reverses On Gas Chain Owing State Tax
A Pacific Northwest gas station chain that issued fuel cards to customers must pay the Washington state business tax when cardholders purchase gas from other participating gas station chains as well as from nonparticipating chains, a state appeals court panel said Tuesday, reversing an earlier opinion.
Netflix, Hulu Reject Owing Missouri Video Service Fees
A new Missouri law that exempts streaming and satellite television services from video service provider fees was a clarification and does not prove the fees previously applied to streaming services, Netflix and Hulu told a state Circuit Court in a filing released Monday.
Airbnb Appeal Of Tax On Guest Fees Rejected By Colo. Court
Airbnb's fight against a $415,000 assessment by the city of Boulder related to short-term rental taxes on fees it collected was dismissed by a Colorado state judge, who said the law required taxing the amount the customer paid.
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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Maryland 'Rain Tax' Ruling May Offer Hope For Tax Credits
A Maryland state appellate court's recent decision in Ben Porto v. Montgomery County echoes earlier case law upholding controversial stormwater charges as a valid excise tax, but it also suggests that potential credits to reduce property owners' liability could get broader in scope, says Alyssa Domzal at Ballard Spahr.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
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.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
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.
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Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
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.
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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.