State & Local
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August 29, 2024
Colo. Group Asks US Justices To Revive Ballot Law Dispute
A Colorado organization asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower-court decision upholding a state law requiring financial impacts be included in the titles of some tax-related ballot initiatives.
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August 29, 2024
Day Pitney Lands Former Reuters Tax Counsel In Conn.
Day Pitney LLP continued its recent growth in its tax practice in Connecticut with the addition of an experienced tax attorney from Thomson Reuters.
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August 29, 2024
Colo. Lawmakers OK Further Property Tax Rate Cuts
The Colorado Legislature approved a bill Thursday that would cut assessment rates and limit local property tax growth as part of an agreement to stop two ballot initiatives critics say would devastate funding for schools and other local services.
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August 29, 2024
Ala. Tax Applies To Man Despite Move To Tenn.
A man who moved to Tennessee was still subject to Alabama income tax because he intended to return to Alabama and remained domiciled there, the Alabama Tax Tribunal ruled.
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August 29, 2024
Fla. Justices Won't Review Verizon's Tax Deduction Loss
The Florida Supreme Court declined to hear Verizon's appeal of a lower court's finding that federal tax mitigation provisions didn't supersede Florida's three-year time limit to claim tax deductions from net operating losses on businesses it acquired more than 20 years ago.
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August 29, 2024
Wis. Fiscal Year Revenues $275M Over Forecast
Wisconsin revenue collection through the 2024 fiscal year was $276 million over budget projections, the state Department of Revenue said.
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August 28, 2024
Colo. House OKs Additional Property Tax Rate Cuts
The Colorado House approved a legislative package Wednesday aimed at limiting property tax increases by lowering assessment rates and capping local revenue growth, sending the measures to the state Senate.
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August 28, 2024
Ohio Justices To Weigh School Board Tax Appeal Rights
The Ohio Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to hear a school board's claims that a law that limited the rights of school boards to appeal certain property valuation decisions to a state tax board offered them a path to appeal to county courts instead.
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August 28, 2024
Austin Light-Rail Plan Faces Fresh Suit Over Transit Tax Model
A purported class of Austin, Texas, residents moved to block the financing structure for a transit plan in their latest state court challenge to the city's Project Connect model approved in a 2020 voter referendum.
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August 28, 2024
Greenberg Traurig Builds PE Team With Kirkland Hires
Greenberg Traurig LLP has brought on two fund formation partners from Kirkland & Ellis LLP to continue its growth into the private equity space, according to an announcement this week by the firm.
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August 28, 2024
Mich. Tax Applies Only To NFTs With Physical Components
Michigan sales tax applies only to nonfungible tokens that represent ownership in a piece of tangible property, the state Department of Treasury clarified in a newsletter.
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August 27, 2024
Colo. House Advances Further Cuts To Property Tax Rates
The Colorado House advanced legislation Tuesday to limit property tax growth, a move supporters hope will also stave off a pair of ballot initiatives that critics say would devastate schools and other local services.
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August 27, 2024
TIGTA Calls For Better Guarding Of Shared Tax Info
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration identified ways Tuesday it said the Internal Revenue Service should work with state agencies to improve the handling of federal tax information it shares with them, including nudging them to file required security reports.
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August 27, 2024
Candidates' Plans To End Tip Taxes Spark Fairness Concerns
The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees have both proposed eliminating taxes on tips for restaurant and hospitality workers, but tax experts say such a policy would unfairly pick winners and losers among workers and its benefits would be unevenly spread.
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August 27, 2024
Vt. General Revenue In July Exceeds Last Year By $28M
Vermont's general revenue collection for the first month of the fiscal year was roughly $28 million higher than last year, the state Agency of Administration said in a report.
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August 27, 2024
Maine Joining IRS' Free E-File Program In 2025
The Internal Revenue Service's free electronic tax filing program, Direct File, will be available in Maine for the 2025 tax filing season, the IRS and U.S. Treasury Department announced Tuesday.
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August 26, 2024
US Should Extend Expiring TCJA Tax Cuts, Chamber Says
The expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2025 gives the next Congress an opportunity to pass pro-growth tax policies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Monday.
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August 26, 2024
Pa. Goodwill Qualifies For Charitable Exemption, Court Says
A Goodwill store in Pennsylvania qualifies for a charitable exemption from property tax, the state's Commonwealth Court ruled Monday, finding the store satisfies constitutional requirements for the exemption by providing employee training and driver's training.
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August 26, 2024
Va. Tax Head Denies Sales Tax Refund To Medical Device Co.
The Virginia Department of Taxation correctly assessed sales and use tax on a medical device and equipment manufacturer, which was unable to prove it erroneously paid the tax, the state's tax commissioner said in a letter ruling.
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August 26, 2024
Va. Tax Head Partially Allows Charitable Deduction
Virginia's tax commissioner said unidentified taxpayers were able to provide documentation to show they had made cash donations to a church and should be allowed an income tax deduction, according to a letter ruling.
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August 26, 2024
Va. Tax Dept. Says Co.'s Filing Status Change Was Legal
The Virginia Department of Taxation wrongly charged a company for filing a combined corporate income tax return, the state tax commissioner said, as the company was eligible to change its filing status.
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August 26, 2024
SC Ends Fiscal Year With Revenues $355M Over Forecast
South Carolina's general fund ended the 2024 fiscal year with revenues $355 million higher than expected, according to the state Board of Economic Advisors.
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August 26, 2024
Mo. Lowe's 'Dark Store' Comparables Get Rejected
A Missouri Lowe's property was properly valued at $9 million, the state tax commission ruled, rejecting the property owner's attempt to use vacant storefronts as comparable properties.
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August 26, 2024
ND General Fund Revenues Top Estimates By $3M In July
North Dakota's general fund revenue in the first month of the 2025 fiscal year was $3 million over estimates, according to a monthly report by the state Legislative Council.
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August 26, 2024
Mo. Circle K Station's $1.2M Value Upheld
A Circle K gas station in Missouri was correctly assessed, despite the property owner's protest, because the owner failed to provide comparable properties to prove the value should be reduced, the state's tax commission ruled.
Expert Analysis
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How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts
As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
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A Tale Of 2 Trump Cases: The Rule Of Law Is A Live Issue
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week in Trump v. U.S., holding that former President Donald Trump has broad immunity from prosecution, undercuts the rule of law, while the former president’s New York hush money conviction vindicates it in eight key ways, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.
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3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron
The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem
The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.
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Less Power To The People: SALT In Review
Starting with a measure that won't appear on the California ballot in November, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule
Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.
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6 Tips For Maximizing After-Tax Returns In Private M&A Deals
With potential tax legislation likely to spur a surge in private business sales, sellers can make the most of after-tax proceeds with strategies that include price allocation and qualified investment options, say Isaac Grossman and Daniel Studin at Morrison Cohen.
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After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1
The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.