State & Local
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October 01, 2024
Colo. Justices Turn Down Water District's Tax Hike Case
Colorado's high court said it will not hear a water district's appeal of a court decision that said the district illegally doubled its property tax rate without first seeking voter approval.
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October 01, 2024
La. Gov. Wants Tax Overhaul, Will Call Special Session For It
Louisiana would end its corporate franchise tax, reduce the corporate income tax and create a flat personal income tax under a plan proposed by the governor, who said Tuesday that he will call a special session of the Legislature in November.
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October 01, 2024
Ind. Tax Court Backs Use Of Old Burden-Shifting Statute
An Indiana assessor must provide evidence to back up a property's nearly $2 million valuation because the assessment occurred under a statute shifting the burden of proof to assessors if valuations increased over a certain threshold, the state's tax court said.
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October 01, 2024
Foreclosure Class Wants To Stop Mich. Atty's Victim Outreach
Lawyers behind a proposed tax foreclosure class action in Michigan federal court have said an attorney who recently secured a settlement in a similar case sent a misleading solicitation letter to a client in a bid to undermine the proceedings.
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October 01, 2024
Treasury Plans Final Direct Pay Partnership Regs By Year-End
The U.S. Treasury Department is eyeing the end of the year to finalize regulations for development projects to elect out of their partnership tax status to qualify for a direct cash payment of their clean energy tax credits, an official said Tuesday.
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October 01, 2024
Calif. Allows Income Tax Exclusion For Wildfire Payments
California authorized a personal and corporate income tax exclusion for qualified payments received by property owners through a state financial assistance program intended to help mitigate and protect against losses related to wildfires under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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October 01, 2024
DC Raises Fiscal 2024 Revenue Estimate By $73M
The District of Columbia increased its estimated revenue collection for the 2024 fiscal year by about $73 million, according to the district's chief financial officer.
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October 01, 2024
Ohio Senate Bill Aims To Allow Tax Payments In Crypto
Ohio would let taxpayers pay state and local taxes and other government fees with cryptocurrency under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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October 01, 2024
IRS Delays Tax Deadlines In Ill. After July Storms
Taxpayers in seven Illinois counties will have until Feb. 3 to file individual and business tax returns and make payments after portions of the state were hit by severe storms and tornadoes in July, the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday.
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September 30, 2024
Calif. Lets Cities Exceed 2% Cap On Transactions And Use Tax
California authorized certain local jurisdictions to impose a transactions and use tax for general or specific purposes that exceeds a 2% statutory cap, under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 30, 2024
Key State And Local Tax Takeaways From September
From IBM and Disney asking the U.S. Supreme Court to tackle their disputes with New York over the taxation of foreign royalties they received to a Michigan court battle over whether insurance companies should file as a unitary group, September provided a busy start to autumn in the state and local tax world. Here, Law360 presents key developments to know from the past month.
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September 30, 2024
Calif. Requires Disclosure Of Local Tax Rebate Agreements
California will require cities and counties to annually disclose to the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration information regarding agreements that result in the direct or indirect payment, transfer, diversion or rebate of local sales and use tax revenue under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 30, 2024
Colo. Panel Advances Small Biz Property Tax Break
Colorado would reduce personal property taxes of small businesses with an income tax credit under draft legislation endorsed by an interim panel.
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September 30, 2024
Delaware Revenue Receipts Up By $21M Through Aug.
Delaware's revenue receipts from July through August increased by more than $21 million from the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Finance.
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September 30, 2024
W.Va. Bill Seeks Personal Income Tax Cuts At Gov.'s Request
West Virginia would lower its income tax rates for all brackets under a Senate bill introduced Monday in a special legislative session that was called by Gov. Jim Justice in an attempt to cut taxes.
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September 30, 2024
Paychex Tells NY Court Apportionment Reg Ripe For Ruling
Paychex told a New York state court that its challenge to a state apportionment rule is ready for adjudication, with the employment services provider saying it shouldn't have to wait for the conclusion of an audit to bring its dispute to court.
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September 30, 2024
Ex-Jersey Shore Mayor Admits To Benefits Theft, Tax Crimes
The former mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey, has admitted to unlawfully obtaining state health benefits, failing to disclose his outside employment and neglecting to report income from that job on state tax returns, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability announced Monday.
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September 30, 2024
Idaho Tax Revenue Through Aug. Up $191K From Forecast
Idaho's general revenue collection from July through August outpaced budget estimates by $191,000, according to a report from the state Division of Financial Management.
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September 30, 2024
Ala. Doctor Can't Claim Rural Physician Credit, Tribunal Says
An Alabama doctor cannot claim the state's rural physician tax credit because the community the doctor worked in didn't qualify, the state tax tribunal ruled.
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September 30, 2024
Mich. General Revenues Through Aug. Down $435M
Michigan's general revenues from October 2023 through August were $435 million below the last fiscal year, according to a monthly report from the state budget office on Monday.
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September 27, 2024
Transfer Pricing Guru On Assisting States, Combined Filing
Ednaldo Silva’s transfer pricing analytics company EdgarStat LLC recently renewed its contract with New Jersey, furthering his decadeslong run of assisting states that aim to curb profit shifting by scrutinizing intercompany transactions. Silva spoke to Law360 about his transfer pricing philosophy and how he envisions combined reporting affecting the field.
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September 27, 2024
Ex-Residents Say Mass. Stretched Law To Tax $4.7M Gain
Massachusetts' taxation of a $4.7 million gain from a stock sale wrongly commingled the business of a former resident taxpayer with that of a company he owned, he and his wife told a state appeals court.
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September 27, 2024
Ex-Mass. State Sen. Says Conviction By All-White Jury Unfair
A former Massachusetts state senator has said his conviction on pandemic unemployment aid and tax fraud charges should be thrown out in part because the jury was all white.
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September 27, 2024
NJ Assembly OKs Assessing Tax Anytime For Fraud Refunds
New Jersey would eliminate a statute of limitations on income tax assessments for erroneous refunds induced by fraud under a bill passed by the state Assembly.
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September 27, 2024
Mich. Bills Seek To Create Aerospace R&D Credits
Michigan would create a research and development tax credit for aerospace and defense businesses, for up to $5 million per taxpayer annually, under bills introduced in the state Senate.
Expert Analysis
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Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy
The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System
As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data
Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Budget Focus Cools Tax Reform Efforts
There were some noteworthy tax developments during Kentucky’s legislative session — like the revival of local tax reform and enactment of another tax amnesty program — but major tax initiatives, like those seen in recent years, were largely tabled as legislators focused on establishing the state’s two-year budget, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
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NY Tax Talk: Primary Function Is Key Analysis For Sales Tax
Two sales tax cases recently decided by New York's Appellate Division illustrate why both taxpayers and the state's Department of Revenue subscribe to the primary function test, a logical way to determine whether business transactions are subject to sales tax, say Elizabeth Cha and Jeremy Gove at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Time To Fix NYC's Broken Property Assessment System
A New York appellate court's decision to revive Tax Equity Now New York v. City of New York may force the city to revamp its outdated and unfair real estate tax assessment system, which could be fixed with a couple of simple changes, says Seth Feldman at Romer Debbas.
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Strange Notions Bubble Up: SALT In Review
From an assault on North Carolina's phaseout of its corporate income tax to a court ruling on the taxability of sparkling water in Pennsylvania, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Consider 2 Alternative Exit Plans In RE Distress Scenarios
In the face of an impending wave of foreclosures, lenders and borrowers alike should consider two exit strategies — deed-in-lieu of foreclosure and consent foreclosure — that can mitigate potential costs and diminution in property value that could be incurred during a lengthy proceeding, say attorneys at BCLP.
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SC's Courts Have It Wrong On Amazon Marketplace Sales Tax
The South Carolina Supreme Court should step in and correct the misguided change in tax law effectuated by lower court rulings that found Amazon owes state sales tax for marketplace sales made prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair v. South Dakota decision in 2018, says Hayes Holderness at the University of Richmond.