State & Local
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October 09, 2024
Calif. OTA Says Spouse's Tax Refund Claim Untimely
A California spouse was correctly denied an income tax refund for tax years 2009 and 2010 for overpayments owed to their deceased partner because the claim was filed outside the statute of limitations, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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October 08, 2024
Louisiana High Court Won't Review Expedia's Hotel Tax Win
The Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected state and local government appeals of a ruling that said Expedia and some of its affiliates do not owe Louisiana sales taxes on the full price of accommodation rentals they charged to customers booking through their platforms.
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October 08, 2024
Tax Pact Rejects Option For Multiple Sales Tax Rate Structure
The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have allowed states that participate in the sales tax simplification compact it oversees to adopt a second sales tax rate in a specific area, a move that left Nebraska noncompliant with the compact.
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October 08, 2024
Tax Pact OKs Challenges To State Compliance Determinations
The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board approved on Tuesday a clarification to the tax simplification compact it oversees that specifies that challenges can be lodged against certain board decisions, including whether a state's tax system complies with the compact.
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October 08, 2024
Tax Pact Board OKs Requiring More State Nexus, Tax Info
The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board approved a set of disclosed practices Tuesday that will require states that participate in the tax simplification compact that it oversees to specify how they make nexus and tax determinations in certain scenarios.
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October 08, 2024
Hawaiian Justices Revive Airline's $1.6M Tax Appeal
A tax appeal by Hawaiian Airlines was incorrectly dismissed, Hawaii's highest court ruled, remanding the case to the state tax court for a decision over whether the airline is liable for a $1.6 million assessment.
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October 08, 2024
Pa. Justices Wary Of Linking Mask Tax To Consumer Harms
Several justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court seemed cautious Tuesday about extending the state's consumer protection law liability to retailers who collect sales tax on tax-exempt items, pointing to the state's refund system as an existing form of relief for overcharged customers.
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October 08, 2024
Fla. Waives Dyed Fuel Penalties Following Helene
Florida will temporarily waive penalties for businesses and individuals that use or sell dyed diesel fuel for on-highway use through Oct. 15 in response to Hurricane Helene, the state Department of Revenue said.
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October 08, 2024
Mo. Revenue Collection Drops $127M From Previous Year
Missouri's net revenue collection from July through September sank $127 million from the same period last fiscal year, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue.
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October 08, 2024
SD Tax Revenues Through Sept. Down $10M From Forecast
South Dakota's general fund revenue from July through September trailed a budget estimate by $10 million, according to the state Bureau of Finance and Management.
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October 07, 2024
Pa. Supreme Court Snapshot: Mask Taxes, Pride Month Post
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court during its October argument session will weigh whether retailers improperly collecting sales tax on face masks, which were exempted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, amounts to "commerce" that could trigger the state's consumer protection law.
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October 07, 2024
Mich. Supreme Court Snapshot: Insulin Prices, Disney Audit
The Michigan Supreme Court's first oral argument session of the 2024-25 term promises to be a busy one, involving an investigation into Eli Lilly's insulin prices with big implications for the scope of Michigan's consumer protection law and Disney's appeal of an order to turn over decades-old uncashed checks to the state treasurer.
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October 07, 2024
Mont. Tax Revenue Through Sept. Up $4M From Last Year
Montana's general fund revenue from July through September climbed $4 million higher than the total for that period last year, according to a monthly report by the state Department of Revenue.
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October 07, 2024
Treasury Proposes Exempting Tribal Cos. From Income Tax
Tribal-owned businesses would not be subject to federal income tax under proposed regulations released Monday by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, a move that would also allow such entities to be eligible to receive direct cash payments in lieu of clean energy tax credits.
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October 07, 2024
Stormwater Fees Not Illegal Tax, Mich. Appellate Panel Finds
Stormwater drainage charges in Ann Arbor constitute a lawful fee and not an illegal tax, the Michigan Appeals Court ruled, saying the charges did not require voter approval as demanded under the state constitution for increased local tax rates.
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October 07, 2024
Ark. Net Revenue Tops Forecast By $18M Through Sept.
Arkansas net general revenue from July through September exceeded an estimate by $18 million, the state Department of Finance and Administration reported.
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October 07, 2024
Va. Provides Tax Deadline Relief For Hurricane Helene Victims
Virginia will waive interest and penalties for late personal income tax filings and payments in areas of the state affected by Hurricane Helene, the state Department of Taxation said.
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October 07, 2024
Va. Rejects Full Add-Back Exception For Royalty Payments
A company that files and pays Virginia tax can only be eligible for a partial exception to the state's add-back for royalty payments made to its affiliate out of state, the state tax commissioner ruled.
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October 07, 2024
Ariz. Solar Facility Cost Was Purchase Price, Court Says
Arizona was correct to use the purchase price of a solar power facility as its original cost for tax valuation purposes, but a dispute remains on whether that value reflected only the equipment at issue, the state's tax court said.
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October 07, 2024
Justices Won't Hear Construction Co.'s SD Use Tax Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a construction company's argument that South Dakota's refusal to apportion use tax on its equipment based on the number of days it was used in the state was unconstitutional.
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October 07, 2024
High Court Won't Look At Texas Tax Foreclosure Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review a Texas high court ruling that upended an oil company's victory over litigants challenging the tax foreclosure sale of mineral interests.
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October 04, 2024
NH Revenue Through Sept. Misses Estimate By $20M
New Hampshire total receipts from July through September fell short of a forecast by $20 million, according to a report by the state Department of Administrative Services.
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October 04, 2024
Pa. Church Denied Retroactive Appeal Of Assessment
A Pennsylvania church was the one at fault for the delay in its property tax appeal and therefore isn't eligible to bring the appeal retroactively, the state Commonwealth Court ruled Friday.
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October 04, 2024
W.Va. Revenue Through Sept. Beats Forecast By $1.2M
West Virginia general revenue from July through September surpassed an estimate by $1.2 million, the state Budget Office reported.
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October 04, 2024
Ala. Net Tax Collections Increased $306M In Fiscal Year 2024
Alabama general revenue from October 2023 through September was $306 million higher than during the 2023 fiscal year, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue.
Expert Analysis
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What Ariz. Ruling Means For Taxation Of Digital Services
The Arizona Supreme Court recently declined to review ADP v. Arizona Department of Revenue, letting stand a state appeals court's ruling that software as a service is a taxable rental of tangible personal property, essentially granting the department of revenue power to tax all digital services, say Karen Lowell and Pat Derdenger at Lewis Roca.
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Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence
Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes
Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.
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Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys
Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
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Permanence And Other Elusive Notions: SALT In Review
From a Michigan income tax that may or may not be permanent to a victory in court for online travel companies, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Potential Calamities, Greatly Exaggerated: SALT In Review
From fears of judicial upheaval to a tax break for space travel, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Preparing Your Legal Department For Pillar 2 Compliance
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Multinational entities should familiarize themselves with Pillar Two of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s BEPs 2.0 project and prepare their internal legal tracking systems for related reporting requirements that may go into effect as early as January, says Daniel Robyn at Ernst & Young.