State & Local
-
October 03, 2024
12 Lawyers Who Are The Future Of The Supreme Court Bar
One attorney hasn't lost a single U.S. Supreme Court case she's argued, or even a single justice's vote. One attorney is perhaps "the preeminent SCOTUS advocate." And one may soon become U.S. solicitor general, despite acknowledging there are "judges out there who don't like me." All three are among a dozen lawyers in the vanguard of the Supreme Court bar's next generation, poised to follow in the footsteps of the bar's current icons.
-
October 03, 2024
SC Supreme Court Will Review Amazon Sales Tax Case
South Carolina's highest court said Thursday it will review an appeals court opinion holding Amazon was required to collect and remit sales tax on products sold on its marketplace in 2016, before the landmark Wayfair decision, and owes the state $12.5 million in tax.
-
October 03, 2024
Ind. Food Truck Owes 11 Years Of Unpaid Taxes, Dept. Says
An Indiana-based food truck owes $240,000 in unpaid sales tax and food and beverage tax over the past 11 years, the Department of State Revenue said.
-
October 03, 2024
Indiana Says Audit Overstated Biz's Sales Tax Assessment
An Indiana business was able to provide receipts, invoices and exemption certificates that proved that an audit assessment for sales tax by the Department of State Revenue was overstated, according to the department in a letter of findings.
-
October 03, 2024
Ind. Co. Doesn't Owe Tax On Canceled Order, Dept. Says
An Indiana company was able to prove that merchandise it purchased from an out-of-state seller was canceled before it arrived and that it doesn't owe use tax on the transaction, the Department of State Revenue said in a letter of findings.
-
October 03, 2024
Nev. July Sales Tax Revenue Drops 2.6% From Last Year
Nevada's sales tax collection in July trailed last year's total for that month by 2.6%, the state Department of Taxation reported.
-
October 03, 2024
NJ Mogul's Brother Says Lawyering Isn't Racketeering
Parker McCay PA shareholder Philip A. Norcross is urging a New Jersey state judge to toss the sweeping indictment against him, his power broker brother and others over an alleged extortion scheme to acquire riverfront property in a distressed city, arguing that none of the targeted conduct is criminal.
-
October 03, 2024
Ala. Offering Tax Extensions Following Hurricane Helene
Alabama taxpayers can ask for relief from tax filing and payment deadlines following Hurricane Helene, the state Department of Revenue announced.
-
October 03, 2024
K&L Gates Boosts Houston Shop With Ernst & Young Tax Ace
K&L Gates LLP strengthened its Houston office this week with the hire of a tax partner with nearly three decades of expertise in advising multinational corporations on U.S. taxation on cross-border acquisitions and other transactions.
-
October 03, 2024
Aerospace Co. Says Conn. Town Wrongly Taxed $8M In Assets
A unit of a U.K.-based aerospace manufacturer is claiming that a Connecticut town overvalued its taxable personal property by nearly $8 million after the company moved nearly $20 million worth of its property out of the jurisdiction, according to a suit filed in state court.
-
October 03, 2024
Calif. Can't Delay Bank's $20.7M Tax Refund, FDIC Tells Court
A California tax collection agency shouldn't be allowed to delay a $20.7 million tax refund it owes the shuttered Signature Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. told a New York federal court, saying that as the bank's receiver, it's entitled to the money now.
-
October 03, 2024
Iowa Revenue Through Sept. Up $385M From Last Year
Iowa's general revenue collection from July through September was up $385 million from the same period last year, according to the state Department of Management.
-
October 03, 2024
Kansas Sept. Revenue Beats Estimates By $8.5M
Kansas' general revenue for September was $8.5 million above estimates at nearly $1.1 billion, according to the state's monthly revenue report.
-
October 02, 2024
Mass. Tax Board OKs Exemption For Senior Home
A senior home on Martha's Vineyard is exempt from property taxes, a Massachusetts tax panel said in a decision released Wednesday, ruling that the owner, a charitable nonprofit, had a sufficient presence at the property for the exemption.
-
October 02, 2024
Colo. Says Taxpayer Group Can Skip Registration, Ending Suit
A group backing lower taxes doesn't need to register as a ballot issue advocacy committee, the Colorado Secretary of State's office said in an advisory opinion, bringing an end to the group's challenge to state reporting requirements for advocacy groups.
-
October 02, 2024
NY Broadens Client Rep Options For Tax Tribunal Disputes
New York will now allow people who have matters before the state's Tax Appeals Tribunal more leeway to choose who will represent them as part of a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
-
October 02, 2024
La. Ammonia Plant Will Need To Prove Exemptions At Trial
A Louisiana ammonia plant and its contractor will need to prove at trial that their purchases of certain property qualify for a manufacturing exemption from sales and use tax, the state's Board of Tax Appeals ruled.
-
October 02, 2024
Fla. Revenue Through Aug. Beats Estimates By $197M
Florida's general fund revenue from July through August was $197 million above budget forecasts, according to the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
-
October 02, 2024
Texas Sept. Revenue Rises 5% From Last Year
Texas general revenue increased by more than 5% in September from the same month last year, according to a report by the state comptroller's office.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Expert Analysis
-
Ohio Voters Legalize Cannabis — What Comes Next?
This month, voters approved a citizen-initiated statute that legalizes marijuana for recreational use in Ohio, but the legalization timeline could undergo significant changes at the behest of the state's lawmakers, say Daniel Shortt and David Waxman at McGlinchey Stafford.
-
Bezos On The Move: SALT In Review
From billionaire Jeff Bezos' impending relocation to an important transfer pricing case in Louisiana, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
Mo. Solar Projects Need Clarity On Enterprise Zone Tax Relief
In Missouri, enhanced enterprise zones offer tax abatements that could offset the cost of solar project infrastructure, but developers must be willing to navigate uncertainty about whether the project is classified as real property, say Lizzy McEntire and Anna Kimbrell at Husch Blackwell.
-
AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier
Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.
-
Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
-
General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI
With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.
-
Kentucky Tax Talk: Clash Over Industrial Supplies Exemption
Recent legislative testimony in Kentucky may cause another battle over the state's sales tax exemptions for industrial supplies, even though the testimony appears to mischaracterize the impact of a major state court ruling that upheld the exemptions, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
-
Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information
As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.
-
Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD
Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.
-
A Ministry Of Silly Ideas: SALT In Review
From proposals before a District of Columbia tax revision panel to the defeat of an income tax cut in North Dakota, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.