State & Local
-
June 20, 2024
Nationwide Wins Mich. Combined Filing Tax Fight On Appeal
Nationwide entities can file as a unitary business in Michigan to share tax credits across their group members, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, overturning a state tax tribunal decision that said insurance companies were required to file separate returns.
-
June 20, 2024
Repatriation Tax Doesn't Violate Constitution, Justices Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 2017 federal tax overhaul's mandatory repatriation levy on Thursday, finding the measure applies to the earnings of foreign corporations with U.S. shareholders and therefore does not raise constitutional questions about taxing unrealized income.
-
June 18, 2024
The 2 Attys Ensnared In A NJ Mogul's Racketeering Rap
New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III may be the alleged mastermind of a racketeering scheme to reap millions in tax credits on waterfront property in a distressed city, but the explosive indictment also reveals the purported roles of two attorneys with close ties to the Democratic Party.
-
June 18, 2024
Ore. To Adopt IRS' Free E-File Program For 2025 Season
Oregon will participate in the Internal Revenue Service's Direct File free online tax filing program when it returns for the 2025 filing season, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS announced Tuesday.
-
June 18, 2024
RI To Allow Sharing Info About Biz Entities' Tax Compliance
Rhode Island will allow its Division of Taxation to share information on business entities' tax compliance with the secretary of state's office under legislation signed by the governor.
-
June 18, 2024
NM Appeals Court Says Co.'s Foreign Dividends Not Taxable
New Mexico's administrative hearing office erred in finding an oil and gas company must pay tax on its foreign dividend income as those subsidiaries aren't considered part of its unitary group, the state appeals court ruled.
-
June 18, 2024
Okla. To Provide Tax Break For Digital Asset Mining Machinery
Oklahoma will provide a sales tax exemption for machinery used for commercial mining of digital assets under a bill signed by the governor.
-
June 18, 2024
La. Tax Chief Backs Digital Goods Tax, Fewer Exemptions
Louisiana's top tax official told a state tax-writing panel Tuesday that eliminating tax exemptions while broadening the sales tax base to include digital goods and services could pay for cutting the state's personal and corporate income tax rates.
-
June 18, 2024
Ariz. Tax Court Nixes Valuation Based On Crops Grown
An Arizona county assessor wrongly valued agricultural property based on the crops grown, subjecting the land to enormous valuation increases, the state Tax Court said.
-
June 18, 2024
Colo., Tax Group Reach Tentative Ageement In Elections Case
A group challenging Colorado reporting laws for ballot measure advocates has tentatively settled its lawsuit, the group and state officials told a federal court.
-
June 18, 2024
Kan. Legislators OK Fewer Tax Brackets, Rate Reductions
Kansas would go from three to two income tax brackets, exempt Social Security income from tax and reduce the bank privilege tax under a compromise omnibus bill passed by the Legislature on Tuesday.
-
June 18, 2024
Ky. Church's Tax Protest Must Go Through Local Board
A Kentucky church must work through its property tax appeal with a local review board before the courts can review the issue, a state appeals court said, upholding a lower court ruling.
-
June 18, 2024
Missouri Atty's Departure Dooms 2 Sales Tax Protests
The Missouri Court of Appeals denied two businesses' attempts to revive their sales tax protests Tuesday, saying the state Administrative Hearing Commission correctly dismissed the cases for failure to file status reports after the companies' attorney didn't provide notice that she had changed firms.
-
June 18, 2024
Ariz. Developer Stuck With $467K Bill For City's Builder Tax
An Arizona developer who built 22 homes qualifies as an "owner-builder" for purposes of Phoenix's speculative builder tax and is liable for $467,000 in tax, interest and penalties, the state's tax court said.
-
June 18, 2024
Va. General Revenue Through May Beats Last Year By $1.48B
Virginia general revenue collection from July through May was $1.48 billion higher than in the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Accounts.
-
June 18, 2024
Short-Term Rental Laws And The Litigation They've Sparked
Short-term rentals are a contentious topic in the U.S., disrupting the hospitality industry and sometimes the neighborhoods where they’re located. Here, Law360 Real Estate Authority rounds up the state and local policies involving short-term rentals and the ongoing cases challenging them.
-
June 17, 2024
Kansas Pols Agree On Tax Cuts Ahead Of Special Session
Kansas would reduce its income tax brackets to two and exempt Social Security income from tax under a compromise proposal reached between state House and Senate Republican leaders and Gov. Laura Kelly, announced during a joint committee meeting Monday.
-
June 17, 2024
Pa. House Panel OKs Sales Of Net Losses, R&D Tax Credits
Pennsylvania would create a program to allow emerging biotechnology and technology businesses to sell their net operating losses and unused research and development tax credits to other companies under a bill advanced by the state House of Representatives' Finance Committee.
-
June 17, 2024
Pa. General Revenue Collection Through May Up $610M
Pennsylvania's general revenue collection from July through May was $610 million ahead of last fiscal year's total for the same period, according to the state Department of Revenue.
-
June 17, 2024
Calif. General Revenues Up $2.4B Over Revised Estimates
California's total receipts from July through May were $2.4 billion more than projected in revised estimates, according to the state Comptroller's Office.
-
June 17, 2024
NJ Revenue Through May Down $182M From Last Fiscal Year
New Jersey collected $182 million less in general revenue from July through May than it did in the same part of last fiscal year, according to a report by the state's Department of the Treasury.
-
June 17, 2024
RI Allows Unrestricted Property Tax Rates In Providence
Rhode Island is authorizing the city of Providence to adopt a classification system that allows unrestricted tax rates for residential, commercial, industrial and tangible personal property under bills that became law without the governor's signature.
-
June 17, 2024
Mich. Justice Wants Tax-Break Filing Options After Mail Fiasco
A Michigan Supreme Court justice called on the state Legislature to give taxpayers more flexibility in claiming property tax exemptions after a company lost out on an exemption because the U.S. Postal Service never delivered its paperwork.
-
June 17, 2024
Ark. Bills Seek Income Tax Cuts, Homestead Credit Expansion
Arkansas would reduce its income tax rates and increase its homestead property tax credit under bills introduced in both the state House of Representatives and Senate for a special legislative session at Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' request.
-
June 17, 2024
NJ Tax Court Upholds Town's $1M Valuation Of Residence
The New Jersey Tax Court affirmed the township of Montclair's roughly $1 million valuation of a single-family residence, saying the homeowners failed to account for differences in other properties that they argued warranted cutting the assessment.
Expert Analysis
-
High Court Case Could Reshape Local Development Fees
If last month's oral arguments are any indication of how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, it's unlikely the justices will hold that the essential nexus and rough proportionality tests under the cases of Nollan, Dolan and Koontz apply to legislative exactions, but a sweeping decision would still be the natural progression in the line of cases giving property owners takings claims, says Phillip Babich at Reed Smith.
-
Nebraska Should Abandon Proposed Digital Ad Tax
If passed, Nebraska’s recently proposed Advertising Services Tax Act, which would finance property tax relief by imposing a 7.5% gross revenue tax on advertising services, would cause a politically risky shift of tax burdens from landowners to local businesses and consumers, and would most certainly face litigation, say attorneys at McDermott.
-
The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
-
As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders
The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
-
5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.
-
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
-
Envy, Regressivity And Other Sins: SALT In Review
From a California official's remarks on a star athlete's contract to another study documenting the regressivity of tax policies across the land, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success
Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.
-
6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
-
Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
-
7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond
The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.
-
Other Views On Administration And Land Tax: SALT In Review
From another take on ranking the states' tax agencies to the latest proposal on a different approach to land values, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024
Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.