State & Local
-
July 03, 2024
Arkansas' June General Revenue Drops 2.5% From Last Year
Arkansas' general revenue for June was at $751 million, 2.5% below June 2023, the state Department of Finance and Administration announced.
-
July 03, 2024
Top State & Local Tax Cases Of 2024: Midyear Report
In the first half of 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the state's law allowing municipalities to tax remote workers, while Microsoft sealed victory in a fight with California to include foreign dividends in its sales factor denominator, resulting in a $94 million refund. Here, Law360 looks at some of the top state and local tax cases of the past six months.
-
July 02, 2024
Chevron's Fall Places State Tax Rules Under Microscope
State tax regulations could face increased judicial scrutiny in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to jettison the decades-old Chevron deference doctrine, which instructed courts to defer to federal agencies' interpretations of ambiguous laws.
-
July 02, 2024
Calif. Couple Overstated Basis, Owe More Tax, OTA Says
A California couple overstated the amount of basis they had in a residence they sold, the state Office of Tax Appeals said, siding with the state Franchise Tax Board that the couple had less basis in the home and thus greater taxable gain.
-
July 02, 2024
Conn. Remodels Taxes On Cars, Insurance Co. Assessments
Connecticut will remodel its motor vehicle tax regime, exempt some taxpayers from paying interest on underpayments of corporation business and personal income taxes and adjust the calculation of assessments on domestic insurance companies under legislation signed by the governor.
-
July 02, 2024
Tax Consultant's Claim To Commissions Brought In Bad Faith
A California state appeals court found a wage and hour lawsuit against a tax credit firm was brought in bad faith because the worker lacked evidence to support her allegations, upholding a lower court's ruling and awarding attorney fees and costs to the firm.
-
July 02, 2024
Mass. Dept. Says No Sales Tax On Genetic Testing
Charges for genetic testing of customers in Massachusetts don't incur sales tax, the state tax department said in a letter ruling released Tuesday, because personal services are exempt and the test kits provided constitute an inconsequential component of the transaction.
-
July 02, 2024
Mont. Revenue Drops $180M From Last Fiscal Year
Montana collected $180 million less in general fund revenue during the fiscal year that ended in June than it did in the previous year, the state Department of Revenue said in a preliminary report.
-
July 02, 2024
Calif. OTA Upholds Apportionment Method On $85M Gain
California's Franchise Tax Board applied the correct apportionment method to a nonresident's $85 million income, the state Office of Tax Appeals said, upholding an additional tax assessment of $650,000.
-
July 02, 2024
W.Va. Revenues For Fiscal Year Top Forecast By $590M
West Virginia's general fund collections in fiscal year 2024 were $590 million ahead of budget estimates, the State Budget Office said in a preliminary report.
-
July 02, 2024
Mass. Panel Won't Cut Tax Value Over Denied Building Permits
The owner of commercial property in Massachusetts failed to show that local denials of building permits impacted the tax value of the property, a state panel said in a decision released Tuesday, rejecting the owner's appeal of a local assessment.
-
July 02, 2024
Ark. June Revenue Drops From Previous Year, Dept. Says
Arkansas net available general revenue for the month of June fell 2.5% below the previous year's collections, the state Department of Finance and Administration said Tuesday.
-
July 02, 2024
Pennsylvania Ends Fiscal Year Above Revenue Estimates
Pennsylvania's revenue for the 2023-24 fiscal year was 1.9% above the state's revenue estimates, the state Department of Revenue announced.
-
July 02, 2024
Mass. Panel OKs Penalty For Filing Estate Tax 7 Years Late
A Massachusetts estate is liable for about $258,000 in penalties and interest for filing a required tax return seven years late, a state panel said in a decision released Tuesday.
-
July 01, 2024
GoDaddy Shareholders Balk At Further Chancery Delay
A special litigation committee that GoDaddy Inc. created in September 2023 in response to shareholder litigation over an $850 million tax asset buyout has 30 days to convince a Delaware Chancery Court judge that it is conducting a good-faith investigation and cooperating with the suing shareholders.
-
July 01, 2024
Ill. Tax Applies To Re-Renters Of Hotel Rooms, Dept. Says
Illinois will impose an occupation tax on people who re-rent hotel rooms in the state as part of recently enacted omnibus legislation, the state Department of Revenue said.
-
July 01, 2024
Calif. Ballot Measure Seeks Nix Of Tax Hike Threshold Change
California would scrap part of a ballot initiative that would have reduced the threshold needed for local governments to pass special taxes for public infrastructure and affordable housing projects under another ballot measure passed by legislators.
-
July 01, 2024
Sealed Mich. Tax Panel Docs Protected From FOIA, Court Says
Confidential Michigan Tax Tribunal proceedings are shielded from public-records requests, a state appeals court ruled, rejecting the tribunal's claim that it's required to disclose confidential information unless it's exempt from release under the state's Freedom of Information Act.
-
July 01, 2024
Calif. Allows Biz Tax Credit Refunds After Limitation Period
California will let taxpayers subject to a temporary business tax credit cap imposed by the state's recently enacted budget tax law elect to receive a refund for credits they otherwise could have claimed for the limitation period under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
-
July 01, 2024
Womble Bond Adds Int'l Tax Partner In Houston Office
Womble Bond Dickinson has added a partner to its corporate and securities group in Houston who will focus on tax law and cross-border transactions, the firm announced.
-
July 01, 2024
NJ Tax Court Sends E-Cig Tax Dispute To Trial
A trial is needed to determine whether an e-cigarette company destroyed its nicotine cartridges in order to reduce its audit liability and whether those trashed cartridges could still be taxed, the New Jersey Tax Court ruled.
-
July 01, 2024
Nelson Mullins Adds 9-Attorney Tax Team In Houston
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP announced Monday that five partners and four other tax attorneys have joined its new Houston office from Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry, including a former Texas Supreme Court justice.
-
July 01, 2024
Longtime IRS Trial Atty Joins Jones Day In NY
An attorney who spent his entire career at the IRS has moved to private practice at Jones Day, the firm said on Monday.
-
June 28, 2024
NJ Lawmakers OK Corp. Tax Hike, Expansion Of Tax Credits
New Jersey would reinstate the nation's highest corporate income tax rate on large corporations, offer tax incentives for capital investments from artificial intelligence companies and relax employee location requirements for businesses to receive tax breaks, under legislation lawmakers passed Friday alongside the state's budget.
-
June 28, 2024
Mont. Tax Dept. Adopts Updated Regs For Water's-Edge Filers
Montana will carry out recently enacted legislation that eliminated a requirement for a so-called water's-edge return to include income and apportionment factors from corporate affiliates incorporated in a now-defunct list of tax havens under regulatory updates adopted by the state Department of Revenue.
Expert Analysis
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Pennsylvania Is Gathering Momentum On Adult-Use Cannabis
Though Pennsylvania has been relatively slow-moving on cannabis reform, recent support from state leaders and pressure from neighboring states signal that legalization efforts are picking up steam, and could lead to the enactment of adult-use legislation soon, says Devin Malone at Clark Hill.
-
Drinking And Driving: SALT In Review
From several proposed tax breaks related to vehicular considerations to one that would aid bourbon distillers in Kentucky, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
Kentucky Tax Talk: Trouble With The Incentive Oversight Bill
The potential retroactivity of a bill to increase the transparency and General Assembly oversight of Kentucky’s tax incentive programs would be problematic for businesses that received awards in recent years, despite the legislation being aimed toward future development, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
-
Justices' MoneyGram Opinion Could Spur State Legislation
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision that federal law governs the escheatment of over $250 million in unclaimed MoneyGram checks provides clarity for some issuers, but aspects of related common law remain uncertain and states may take the opportunity to pass multistate escheatment legislation, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.