State & Local
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July 18, 2024
Rising Star: Latham's Eric Kamerman
Eric Kamerman of Latham & Watkins LLP in recent years handled the tax aspects of several multibillion-dollar acquisitions of powerhouses in British soccer and American fashion, earning him recognition as one of the tax attorneys under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 18, 2024
Top International Tax Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
Tax attorneys will be tracking several high-stakes cases in the second half of 2024 that could define the bounds of the IRS' ability to craft regulations or lodge direct challenges aimed at what it sees as the tax avoidance maneuvers of multinational corporations. Here, Law360 looks at key international tax cases to follow during the rest of the year.
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July 17, 2024
Mo. Tax Commission Affirms Hotels' Combined $37.6M Value
A Missouri county correctly valued three hotels at a combined $37.6 million, the state tax commission said, affirming a hearing officer's finding that an appraiser for the hotels included pandemic-related deductions that undermined the credibility of the appraisals.
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July 17, 2024
Minn. Court Says VFW Property Subject To Lower Tax Rate
A group of properties used as a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Minnesota should be subject to a lower property tax classification because they weren't used for revenue-making purposes, the state's tax court ruled.
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July 17, 2024
Mo. Property Owners' Tax Challenge Time-Barred, Court Says
A group of Missouri property owners can't proceed with their appeal of assessments they claimed were unconstitutional taxes, a state appeals court ruled, finding the challenge was time-barred as an appeal of a special assessment.
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July 17, 2024
Ore. Fishing Biz Income Cut, Tax Deductions Raised By Court
Owners of a commercial fishing and boat fabrication business in Oregon are permitted adjustments to their 2018 income and expense deductions, the state tax court said, allowing a deduction for boat depreciation and some per diem expenses.
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July 17, 2024
Dividends Wrongly Included, Water Utility Tells NJ Tax Court
A water services company operating in New Jersey told the state's tax court that the Division of Taxation erred in denying its attempt to exclude $25 million in intercompany dividends for tax years 2017 and 2018, because the amounts were wrongly included in its federal returns.
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July 17, 2024
Disney To Join IBM's Bid To Bring NY Tax Fight To Justices
The Walt Disney Co. joined IBM in asking the U.S. Supreme Court for more time to file a petition for review of a New York high court decision that upheld tax on royalties received from foreign affiliates.
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July 17, 2024
SC Golf Club Dues Are Tax Exempt, Dept. Clarifies
South Carolina's 5% amusement tax doesn't apply to monthly and annual membership dues paid to golf clubs, the state's Department of Revenue clarified in an opinion.
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July 17, 2024
Connell Foley Adds Wilson Elser Tax Pro In Group Upgrade
Connell Foley LLP strengthened its tax and estate team this week with the promotion of several attorneys up to partner and the addition of a mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring tax expert previously of counsel at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP.
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July 17, 2024
Ohio Board Lowers Value Of Kohl's Property By $800K
The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals lowered the appraised value of a Kohl's property Wednesday by roughly $822,000, saying a county appraiser wrongly concluded that the property's highest and best use would be for use by a national company.
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July 17, 2024
Miss. Revenue Up $56M From Last Fiscal Year
Mississippi revenue collection in the 2024 fiscal year was up $56 million from the previous fiscal year, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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July 17, 2024
Ark. Extends Some Tax Deadlines Following Severe Storms
Arkansas will extend some tax filing and payment deadlines for those affected by severe storms, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
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July 17, 2024
The Tax Angle: Child Care, Medical Debt, Small Biz Relief
As talks take place on Capitol Hill over the impact the expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on small businesses and child care, here's a peek into a reporter's notebook on a few developing tax stories.
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July 17, 2024
Wayfair, Colo. City Agree To Dismiss Sales Tax Suit
Wayfair and a Colorado city have agreed to end a suit by the home furnishings retailer over past sales taxes, stipulating a dismissal of all claims between the parties in state district court.
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July 17, 2024
Rising Star: Cravath's Kiran Sheffrin
Kiran Sheffrin of Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP has advised companies from Anheuser-Busch InBev to Valvoline on multibillion-dollar deals, including a $50 billion combination resulting in the formation of pharmaceutical giant Viatris, earning her a spot among the tax law practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 17, 2024
DC Mayor Allows Council's Tax Plan To Go To Congress
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser returned — without her signature — a plan approved unanimously by the district council to raise taxes on high-end property sales and make other tax and policy changes, sending the matter to Congress for final approval.
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July 16, 2024
NC Panel Affirms Property Tax Valuation For Ashley Furniture
About 300 acres of property belonging to Ashley Furniture in North Carolina were properly valued at about $60 million for tax years 2018 and 2019, a state appeals court panel ruled Tuesday in favor of the state property tax commission.
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July 16, 2024
Va. Tax Head Nixes Assessment On Man For Work In India
A Virginia man was wrongly assessed income tax for services he conducted while living in India, the state's tax commissioner said in a letter ruling published Tuesday.
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July 16, 2024
Capital One Says Lack Of Fla. Ties Warrants Tax Refund
The Florida Department of Revenue should issue Capital One Bank a refund of bank franchise tax because the company did not have a sufficient connection to the state to be assessed the tax, the bank told a state court.
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July 16, 2024
Pa. Court Upholds $23M Value Of Vacant Hospital's Parking
A vacant hospital's parking area in Pennsylvania was properly valued at $23.2 million, the state Commonwealth Court ruled, finding that a trial court had the discretion to apply the sales comparison approach to the valuation.
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July 16, 2024
County Says Pittsburgh Schools Can't Force Reassessment
As one taxing body out of many in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the School District of Pittsburgh lacks standing in its lawsuit seeking to force a countywide reassessment of property values, the county said in its preliminary objections to the suit.
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July 16, 2024
Calif. Extends Tax Board's Power To Send Electronic Notices
The California Franchise Tax Board will continue to be allowed to notify taxpayers electronically when statements, bills and other communications are available for online viewing under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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July 16, 2024
RI Man Must Amend State Tax Return After EITC Rejected
A Rhode Island man was required to file an amended state income tax return after the Internal Revenue Service disallowed his federal earned income tax credit, the state Division of Taxation ruled.
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July 16, 2024
Energy Co. Fights Partnership Losses Denial In NJ Tax Court
An energy company told the New Jersey Tax Court that the state's denial of partnership losses stemming from its interest in a solar energy business was unconstitutional based on precedent outlining the apportionment rules for operational losses between nonunitary entities.
Expert Analysis
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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
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.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Another Ark. Tax Cut And Chicago Transit: SALT In Review
From yet another income tax cut in Arkansas to proposed extra funding for Chicago transit, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.