State & Local
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January 15, 2025
Real Estate Attys Eye Busy Texas Legislative Session
With Texas' biennial legislative session underway, the housing and development issues that gummed up 2023 to the tune of multiple special session extensions appear poised to come back fresh in 2025.
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January 15, 2025
Casino Bids, Zoning Reform To Shape NYC Real Estate In 2025
The world of New York City real estate is anticipating major changes in 2025, including advancing casino proposals, implementing a major zoning reform and considering a new hotel licensing law.
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January 14, 2025
Hochul Proposes $1 Billion NY Income Tax Cut
New York state would cut $1 billion in taxes for some families making up to $323,000 annually, refund surplus sales tax revenue to residents making less than $300,000 per year and expand the child tax credit under a plan outlined Tuesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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January 14, 2025
Retroactive Foreclosure Rule Bars Suit, Mich. County Says
A Michigan county has urged a federal judge to toss a proposed class action alleging that it kept surplus proceeds from tax-foreclosed home sales, saying the homeowner bringing the claims hasn't yet used the state's process for securing the proceeds.
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January 14, 2025
Ore. Bill Seeks Credit For Green Energy Transmission Costs
Oregon would allow tax credits for the costs of transmission services for wind or solar power or power storage by new generation facilities under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Ark. Bill Would Let Lawmakers Request Sales Tax Reports
Arkansas would allow state lawmakers to request sales and use tax reports for local jurisdictions from the state Department of Finance and Administration under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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January 14, 2025
Mo. House Bill Seeks Deduction For Property Tax Payments
Missouri would allow taxpayers to claim an income tax deduction for property tax payments under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Mass. Wrongly Taxed Biz Founder On $4.7M Gain, Court Told
A $4.7 million capital gain from the sale of stock in a Massachusetts company by its co-founder was not compensation and is not taxable in the state, counsel for the entrepreneur and his wife told a state appeals panel Tuesday.
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January 14, 2025
Mo. House Bill Would End Taxes On Tips, Overtime
Missouri would not impose income tax on tips or overtime pay under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Ark. House Bill Would Exempt Menstrual Products, Diapers
Arkansas would exempt menstrual products, diapers and breastfeeding equipment from state sales and use tax under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Ariz. House Bill Floats Income Tax Exemption For Tips
Arizona would allow an individual income tax exemption for earnings from tips under a bill filed in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Ind. Senate Bill Would Bolster Homestead Deduction
Indiana would increase its homestead exemption and reform the school district referendum process in line with a proposal put forward by the state's new governor under a bill introduced Tuesday in the state Senate.
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January 14, 2025
Ind. House Bill Seeks Full Tax Exemption For Biz Property
Indiana would phase in a business personal property tax exemption for equipment placed into service from this year and totally exempt personal property from taxation starting in 2030 under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Ark. Proposes Amendment To Create Taxpayer Bill Of Rights
Arkansas would amend the state constitution to create a taxpayer bill of rights under a joint resolution introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Calif. Revenues Through Dec. Up $8B Over Forecast
California's total revenues from July through December beat estimates by roughly $8 billion, according to a memo from the state controller.
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January 14, 2025
Ore. House Bill Seeks $9 Income Surtax For Emergency Prep
Oregon would impose a $9 annual surtax on most residents to fund emergency preparedness and resiliency under legislation introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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January 14, 2025
Feds Ask 2 Years For Ex-Pol On Tax, Pandemic Aid Charges
A former Massachusetts state senator should spend two years in prison after being convicted of illegally obtaining unemployment assistance and filing a false tax return, the federal government argued, citing the "greed" at the heart of the politician's conduct.
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January 13, 2025
On Cross, Madigan Says He Merely Helped Job-Seekers
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan distanced himself Monday from political allies who prosecutors say bribed him for jobs and other benefits, saying his recommendations were just that, and that he thought he was effective in shutting down a former alderman's quid pro quo suggestion.
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January 13, 2025
PepsiCo Created Shell Co. To Avoid Taxes, Ill. Court Says
PepsiCo operated a shell company as part of a scheme that resulted in its Illinois income tax bill for its Frito-Lay unit being deficient nearly $10.9 million, a state circuit court ruled.
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January 13, 2025
Ex-Cook County Assessor Officer Hit With Bribery Charges
A chief hearings officer for former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios' office accepted bribes, including from a law firm's tax consultant, when handling a property assessment appeal, a new lawsuit in Illinois federal court alleges.
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January 13, 2025
Youngkin Would Nix Va. Car Tax, State Taxes On Tips
Virginia would give a credit to some residents for car tax payments, get rid of the tax on tips and extend a higher standard deduction into next year under a proposal outlined Monday by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
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January 13, 2025
Calif. Extends Tax Deadlines In LA Amid Wildfires
Los Angeles County taxpayers will have an extended deadline to file and pay taxes amid the county's wildfires, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
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January 13, 2025
Ore. Tax Court Says No Depreciation On Residences
The owners of a pair of Oregon residences were denied depreciation deductions against their state income taxes because they did not demonstrate that the homes were income-producing properties, the state tax court said.
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January 13, 2025
Ind. Senate Bill Seeks Pass-Through Income Tax Exclusion
Indiana would allow pass-through entities to exclude a resident direct owner's share of adjusted gross income tax that is subject to individual income tax in another state, under a bill introduced Monday in the state Senate.
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January 13, 2025
Md. Bill Allows Tax Payment Plans For Incarcerated People
Maryland taxpayers who are incarcerated or were formerly incarcerated would be eligible for installment plans for tax liabilities under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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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.
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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.
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4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year
As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
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What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like
As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News
Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
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10 Considerations For Litigating A New York Tax Case
While some of New York’s recently adopted corporate tax regulations are likely to face legal challenges, aggrieved taxpayers should answer certain questions before deciding to embark on the tax litigation process, say Cyavash Ahmadi and Jeffrey Friedman at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Revenue Agencies At Their Finest: SALT In Review
From a survey of the nation's best departments of revenue to baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani's creative free-agent contract, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
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Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities
Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
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How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season
Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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5 Trends To Watch In Property And Casualty Class Actions
In 2023, class action decisions have altered the landscape for five major types of claims affecting property and casualty insurers — total loss vehicle valuation, labor depreciation, other structural loss estimating theories, total loss vehicle tax and regulatory fees, and New Mexico's uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage sale requirements, say Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.
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A Bold Idea And A Striking Disregard: SALT In Review
From a far-reaching proposal in Nebraska to a Minnesota government agency's disregard of case law, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.