State & Local
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November 01, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Davis Polk, Wachtell
In this week's Taxation with Representation, BC Partners sells its majority equity interest in GardaWorld, Lone Star Funds sells specialty chemicals company AOC to Nippon Paint Holdings, Crescent Biopharma takes GlycoMimetics private, and Francisco Partners buys AdvancedMD from Global Payments.
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November 01, 2024
Ind. Co. Can't Shake Tax On Software From IT Provider
An Indiana company was correctly assessed additional sales tax on computer software that it acquired as part of a contract with a third party, the Department of State Revenue said in a letter of findings.
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November 01, 2024
Ore. Court Fines Man For Frivolous Tax Challenge
The Oregon Tax Court fined a resident on the grounds that he brought a frivolous challenge to an individual income tax assessment, rejecting his constitutional arguments and assertions of limits to Oregon's taxing power.
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November 01, 2024
Ore. Tax Bill To Fresenius OK Despite Minor Error, Court Says
A minor error in a tax deficiency notice sent to a Fresenius Medical Care entity, identifying it as a corporation instead of as a limited partnership, did not invalidate the notice, the Oregon Tax Court said.
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November 01, 2024
4 States To Vote On Expanding Cannabis Or Psychedelics
On Tuesday, voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota will decide whether to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use, while Massachusetts — where marijuana is already fully legal — will decide whether to decriminalize and regulate certain psychedelics.
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October 31, 2024
Ga. Justices Kill Free Speech Challenge To Strip Club Tax
A Georgia tax on strip clubs that's used to fund child trafficking prevention efforts has been upheld by the state's highest court, which said in a split decision that a First Amendment challenge to the tax by club owners failed to show the levy limited their speech.
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October 31, 2024
Madigan Ally Set Up Work For Speaker's Fired Aide, Jury Told
An ex-lobbyist on trial alongside former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan made arrangements for a political operative that Madigan fired to receive monthly payments while he was unemployed, suggesting he enter into contracts with loyal lobbyists and write up reports on legislators "in case the IRS checks this out," a federal jury heard Thursday.
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October 31, 2024
Calif. Gov. Proposes Expansion Of Film And TV Tax Credit
California would more than double the annual amount of money allocated to its film and TV tax credit program as part of a proposal from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, the governor's office said.
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October 31, 2024
Ind. Tax Dept. Says Ohio Man Wrongly Assessed Income Tax
A former Indiana resident was wrongly assessed individual income tax, the Department of State Revenue said in a letter of findings, because he was able to present evidence to prove that he lived in Ohio at the time.
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October 31, 2024
DC Creates Tax Break For Landscape Architecture Services
The District of Columbia established a sales tax exemption for landscape architecture services under clarifying legislation enacted without the mayor's signature, though the measure is subject to congressional review before it becomes law.
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October 31, 2024
4 Ways Congress Could Try To Close The Tax Gap
The gap between federal taxes owed and paid — recently estimated at $696 billion for 2022 — could be addressed in several ways, including increasing information reporting or simplifying the tax code, experts told Law360.
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October 31, 2024
NY, NJ, Calif. Worst In Tax Competitiveness Study, Wyo. Best
Wyoming is the best state in the nation for tax competitiveness, the Tax Foundation said in a study released Thursday, with New York earning the title for the worst state, followed by New Jersey and California.
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October 31, 2024
Mich. General Revenue Drops $283M In Fiscal 2024
Michigan general revenue collection from October 2023 through September totaled $283 million less than the state's revenue for the previous fiscal year, according to the state Budget Office.
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October 31, 2024
The 2024 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard
Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms made the list of leaders in all-around excellence this year.
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October 31, 2024
Firms' Hiring Strategies Are Evolving In Fight For Top Spot
Competition for top talent among elite law firms shows no signs of slowing down, even amid economic uncertainty, with financially strong firms deploying aggressive strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals to solidify their market position.
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October 30, 2024
Mich. Judges Reject Interest For Unclaimed Property Returns
A Michigan appellate panel overturned a trial court Tuesday that admitted it was going against the grain by requiring the state to pay interest when it returns seemingly abandoned property, with appellate judges finding state statute was comprehensive enough to supersede the common law idea that "interest follows principal."
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October 30, 2024
Federal Deference Ruling May Mean Less State Tax Guidance
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that killed the doctrine known as Chevron deference does not have a direct effect on states, but indirect effects could include that of state tax agencies issuing less guidance, panelists said Wednesday.
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October 30, 2024
Texas Justices Quiz Sales Tax Break For Private Prison Co.
Texas Supreme Court justices questioned Wednesday whether a private prison operator is eligible to receive a sales tax exemption granted to governmental entities, mulling over whether the company functions as an agency or instrumentality of the state.
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October 30, 2024
Pa. Authorizes Settlement Process To Resolve Tax Disputes
Pennsylvania empowered the state Board of Finance and Revenue to oversee a formal settlement process to resolve taxpayer disputes and extended the deadline for taxpayers to appeal personal income tax assessments from the state Department of Revenue under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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October 30, 2024
Va. Amusement Park Wins Property Tax Refund For Rides
A Virginia amusement park owner is owed refunds of business property tax payments, the state's tax commissioner said, agreeing with the owner that rides and other assets at the park were fixed to real property and not subject to the tax.
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October 30, 2024
NJ Cannabis Commission Delays Increasing Excise Fee
The New Jersey commission that regulates cannabis will not immediately increase the state's social equity excise fee and will instead decide at a later meeting whether to increase the fee, the commission voted on Wednesday.
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October 30, 2024
Real Estate Tax Ballot Initiatives To Watch
Next week, voters in seven states will be weighing in on a variety of real estate tax ballot initiatives, including various measures that would provide additional property tax relief to veterans.
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October 30, 2024
Ohio Justices Say Attorney In Prison Should Not Be Disbarred
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that an attorney in federal prison for his participation in a tax fraud scheme should not be disbarred, and should have a chance to reapply for his law license in the future
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October 30, 2024
Va. Tax Boss Orders 2nd Look At Co.'s Bank Card Tax Break
Virginia auditors must take a closer look at a company's sales of debit and credit cards to better evaluate whether the cards were exempt from tax as property to be resold to final customers, the state's tax commissioner said.
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October 30, 2024
Va. Biz Wrongly Collected Sales Tax, Commissioner Rules
A Virginia fabricator of products for construction erroneously collected and remitted sales tax on property it installed in real estate and may seek a credit, but it owes sales tax on its purchases from vendors, the Virginia tax commissioner said.
Expert Analysis
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Going The Extra Miles: SALT In Review
From a dispute about the borders of Florida's airspace to proposals that would exempt tips from taxes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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Maryland 'Rain Tax' Ruling May Offer Hope For Tax Credits
A Maryland state appellate court's recent decision in Ben Porto v. Montgomery County echoes earlier case law upholding controversial stormwater charges as a valid excise tax, but it also suggests that potential credits to reduce property owners' liability could get broader in scope, says Alyssa Domzal at Ballard Spahr.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Shake-Ups For Courts In Different Fields: SALT In Review
From the end of Chevron deference in the courts to the planned sale of the NBA's reigning champion, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects
With better facts and greater emphasis on the Kentucky Constitution, Walgreen Co. may succeed in its latest Kentucky Court of Appeals challenge to a tax assessor's method of valuing leaseholds on real property for purposes of determining ad valorem tax, say Mark Sommer and Elizabeth Ethington at Frost Brown Todd.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Moore v. U.S. decision, that the Internal Revenue Code Section 965 did not violate the 16th Amendment, was narrowly tailored to minimally disrupt existing tax regimes, but the justices' various opinions leave the door open to future tax challenges and provide clues for what the battles may look like, say Caroline Ngo and Le Chen at McDermott.