State & Local
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September 19, 2024
Tax Or Fee, Utility Rates Beyond Review, Ga. Justices Hear
A Georgia city told the state Supreme Court on Thursday that its use of utility fees to bolster city coffers was not an illegal tax, despite a sports bar owner's claims to the contrary, and that a trial court rightly said it could not decide the matter.
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September 19, 2024
Okla. August Revenue Below Estimates By $14M, Office Says
Oklahoma revenue for August was $14.3 million below estimates, the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services announced.
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September 19, 2024
Md. Corp's. Part Owner Not Liable For Unpaid Tax, Court Says
A part owner of a Maryland consulting company was not personally liable for the company's unpaid income tax withholdings because he did not exercise personal control over the corporation's fiscal management, the Appellate Court of Maryland affirmed.
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September 19, 2024
Tenn. Revenues Slightly Above Expectations, Report Says
Tennessee's general revenue collection was $1.3 million higher than budgeted for the first two months of the fiscal year, according to the state's Department of Finance and Administration.
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September 18, 2024
MTC Group Considering Partnership Apportionment Factors
A Multistate Tax Commission group working on state taxation of partnerships said Wednesday that it is exploring for inclusion in a draft white paper some states' requirements to merge the apportionment factors of a partnership or limited liability company with those of a corporate partner that may own part of the partnership.
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September 18, 2024
La. Gov. Eyeing November Special Session For Tax Overhaul
Louisiana's top tax official said Wednesday that he's hopeful lawmakers will be called into a special session in November to enact a flat personal income tax rate, broaden the sales tax base and tee up changes to the state constitution.
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September 18, 2024
Nev. Tax Agency Changes Regs For Contacting Audit Subjects
Nevada has changed requirements for how state Department of Taxation auditors must contact taxpayers who are the subject of an audit and has authorized the auditors to estimate delinquent taxes due based on records provided by a taxpayer, under regulatory updates approved by the state Tax Commission.
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September 18, 2024
NJ Total Revenues Through Aug. Up $253M From Last Year
New Jersey collected $253 million more revenue from July through August compared with last year, according to a monthly report by the state Department of the Treasury.
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September 18, 2024
Ariz. Youth Get Sales Tax Break For Small Businesses
Small Arizona businesses operated by people under 19 are no longer required to collect and remit sales taxes under legislation passed in June, the state tax department said.
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September 18, 2024
IRS Delays Deadlines For Pa. Victims Of Tropical Storm
Taxpayers in four Pennsylvania counties will have until Feb. 3, 2025, to file individual and business tax returns and make payments after portions of the state were hit by Tropical Storm Debby, the Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday.
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September 18, 2024
Calif. Tax Revenues Through Aug. Beat Estimate By $2.3B
California's total receipts for the first two months of the fiscal year were $2.3 billion over estimates, according to a State Controller's Office report.
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September 18, 2024
NY Tax Collection Through Aug. Beats Last Year By $2.5B
New York's net tax collection from April through August outpaced the total for the same span last year by $2.5 billion, according to the state's Department of Taxation and Finance.
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September 18, 2024
Ore. Tax Court OKs Refund Offset For Debt To State
An Oregon couple's state tax refund was rightly offset to pay a delinquent account with another state agency, the state tax court ruled, saying state law required the offset and the court has no jurisdiction over the other agency's action.
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September 18, 2024
Accounting Firm Prunes Flower Bulb Co.'s $2M Tax Bill Case
The North Carolina Business Court has narrowed a flower bulb retailer's negligence suit alleging its former accounting firm failed to sound the alarm about a major change in tax law, finding there was no fiduciary duty owed but that there may have been a breach of contract.
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September 18, 2024
Md. 2024 Fiscal Year Revenue Beats Forecast By $217M
Maryland collected $217 million more in revenue than expected during the 2024 fiscal year, according to a final report by the state comptroller.
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September 18, 2024
Latham Adds A&O Shearman Energy Group Co-Lead In DC
Latham & Watkins LLP has hired the former co-head of Allen Overy Shearman Sterling's U.S. energy, natural resources and infrastructure group to its team of transactional tax partners based in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Monday.
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September 18, 2024
Va. General Revenues Through Aug. Up $303M
Virginia's general revenue collection from the start of the fiscal year through August outpaced last year's total for the same period by $303 million, according to a statement from the state secretary of finance.
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September 17, 2024
Prepaid Wireless Cards Not Subject To Tax, NC Justices Told
A North Carolina cellphone retailer wasn't obliged to remit tax on sales of prepaid wireless cards because the cards are gift cards that can be used for nontaxable services and sales, an attorney for the company told the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.
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September 17, 2024
Vt. Supreme Court Upholds $1.1M Property Valuation
The Vermont Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the nearly $1.1 million valuation of a residential property determined by a hearing officer, saying the officer was not wrong to base the determination in part on a town assessment that was later found to be problematic.
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September 17, 2024
Better Days Ahead For Associates, Recruiters Say
Things are looking up for associates, recruiters say, as a strong economic outlook for the legal industry appears to be driving increased demand for younger attorneys after two straight years of layoffs.
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September 17, 2024
Blumenauer Pushes House Speaker To Put Pot Bill To Vote
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., on Monday urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring bipartisan cannabis legislation to a vote following revelations that Richard Nixon admitted privately that marijuana was "not particularly dangerous" while he publicly waged the war on drugs.
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September 16, 2024
La. Grants Automatic Tax Relief To Hurricane Francine Victims
Louisiana taxpayers affected by Hurricane Francine may receive an automatic extension for filing state tax returns, the state's Department of Revenue announced Friday.
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September 16, 2024
Treasury Cuts 'Zero Basis' Rule In Final Estate Tax Regs
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday said it would not keep a rule that set a zero value for the unreported property of an estate in final regulations on the requirement that an heir's basis in inherited property be consistent with the property's value for estate tax purposes.
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September 16, 2024
NC High Court Snapshot: Tax Fights And A Health Care Spat
Regulatory battles will take center stage when the North Carolina Supreme Court returns from summer break this week for a September argument lineup featuring appeals by Phillip Morris, Duke University's hospital and two Boost Mobile dealers.
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September 16, 2024
Ohio BTA Says Sale Price Is Best Evidence Of Hospital's Value
The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals ruled that the December 2017 sale of a hospital for $10.9 million was the best evidence of the hospital's value, rejecting the hospital's argument that the value was $6 million based on a June 2020 sale.
Expert Analysis
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Pros, Cons Of The SALT Cap Workaround
Recent legislation that allows pass-through entities to be taxed at the entity level — Kentucky’s response to the federal cap on state and local tax deductions — could result in significant savings for taxpayers, but whether it applies to sole proprietorships and other aspects of the law are unclear, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
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Big Tax Changes For Multinational Cos. In Budget Proposal
The Biden administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposes changes that would materially alter decades-old Internal Revenue Code provisions, requiring a shift in multinational corporations' tax planning strategies comparable to that required after enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, say Xenia Garofalo and Kyle Colonna at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Home Seized, Tax Paid, Government Enriched: SALT In Review
From a Minnesota county's profit on a home seizure to a California proposal to raise corporate income taxes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Mich. Statute Of Limitations Cases Carry Nationwide Impacts
The outcomes of Dine Brands v. Eubanks and Walt Disney v. Eubanks, currently working their way through the Michigan courts, are likely to affect how statutes of limitations in unclaimed property audits are calculated nationwide as well as within the state, given the widespread adoption of similar model provisions by many other states, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Wash. Fallout And New York Pets: SALT In Review
From the early fallout of Washington state's capital gains ruling to a proposed tax credit for adopting pets in New York, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Inside Calif.'s New Unclaimed Property Compliance Program
As California gears up to launch its voluntary compliance program for taxpayers with unreported property owed to the state, eligible holders should be aware of kinks that may initially arise and of potential audit risks, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Missouri's Big Idea And NY's Online Thought: SALT In Review
From a Missouri bill that could eventually end the state's corporate income tax to a proposed tax on online deliveries in New York City, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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9th Circ. Ruling Legitimizes Classwide Injury In Predominance
The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling that vacated class certification in Van v. LLR makes clear that the question of injury is highly relevant to the predominance analysis, and underscores the importance of making a persuasive argument that injury is individualized within the class, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Ohio Tax Talk: Tax Amendments In Operating Budget Proposal
Starting in 2023, the Ohio House of Representatives' budget bill would amend sales and use, income, and commercial activity tax provisions, so individuals and businesses must monitor its progression, considering the revisions could carry consequences or liability for taxpayers, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.
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A Tale Of 2 State Tax Sourcing Decisions: The Pa. Court's Path
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent decision in Synthes v. Commonwealth appropriately effectuated the Legislature's intent that ambiguous provisions in Section 17 of the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act be construed to reflect the marketplace for the taxpayer's services, says Bruce Fort at the Multistate Tax Commission.
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A Tale Of 2 State Tax Sourcing Decisions: The Va. Court's Path
The Virginia Supreme Court's textualist approach in Department of Taxation v. R.J. Reynolds diverges from a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court analysis and mistakenly precludes consideration of the goals and history underlying provisions of the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act, says Bruce Fort at the Multistate Tax Commission.
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Digital Ads And Electric Vehicles: SALT In Review
From the latest move toward a tax on digital advertising to a proposed tax on the charging of electric vehicles, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Could The Supreme Court Legalize Marijuana Federally?
Amid slow legislative and executive movement on cannabis reform, it’s worth examining whether the U.S. Supreme Court could provide a pathway to federal cannabis legalization — a decision that would surely require strange bedfellows given the court’s current ideological makeup, say Whitt Steineker and Mason Kruse at Bradley Arant.