State & Local
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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.
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September 16, 2024
Nebraska Medical Cannabis Initiatives Will Be On Nov. Ballot
Initiatives to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska will appear on the ballot come November, despite some evidence of fraud in the signature-collecting petition process, according to state election officials.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Credit Cards And Trading Cards: SALT In Review
From Mastercard's loss in a South Carolina court case to the taxability of trading cards imported to California, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Calif. Budget Will Likely Have Unexpected Tax Consequences
A temporary suspension of net operating loss deductions and business incentive tax credits, likely to be approved on June 15 as part of California’s next budget, may create unanticipated tax liabilities for businesses that modeled recently completed transactions on current law, says Myra Sutanto Shen at Wilson Sonsini.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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How Cannabis Rescheduling May Alter Paraphernalia Imports
The Biden administration's recent proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana use raises questions about how U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement policies may shift when it comes to enforcing a separate federal ban on marijuana accessory imports, says R. Kevin Williams at Clark Hill.
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Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.