State & Local
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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.
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August 26, 2024
Va. Tax Boss Says Refund Owed For Product-Testing Gear
A Virginia manufacturer is eligible for a sales tax exemption for equipment used for product testing because the property was used during the company's manufacturing process, the Virginia tax commissioner said, reversing a decision by the state's tax department.
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August 23, 2024
Wash. Justices Affirm Convicted Ex-State Auditor Disbarment
The Washington Supreme Court affirmed a recommendation to disbar convicted former state auditor Troy X. Kelley after he was imprisoned on felony theft charges, finding that Kelley's crimes justified the disbarment sanction.
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August 23, 2024
Local Assessors Blast Colo. Property Tax Proposal
A draft bill to reduce property tax increases, to be introduced in Colorado's upcoming special legislative session, would create significant burdens for local administration, a pair of assessors told a legislative property tax commission Friday.
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August 23, 2024
Mich. Appeals Panel Denies Cos.' Bids To Adjust Asset Basis
Two companies may not account for depreciation they didn't receive credit for under Michigan law to increase the basis of assets they sold when determining their state tax liabilities, a state appeals panel said, upholding a trial court.
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August 23, 2024
Colo. Board Wrong In Nixing Fees From Valuation, Court Rules
The Colorado Board of Assessment Appeals improperly applied a state Supreme Court decision that erroneously revived a dispute over whether fees should be included in a resort's property valuation, a state appeals court ruled.
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August 23, 2024
Wis. Agency Upholds $4M Sales Tax Bill On Lease Payments
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue didn't err in finding that a company's lease agreements were taxable as they constituted a sale and lease-back of tangible property, the state Tax Appeals Commission ruled, upholding a nearly $4 million sales tax bill.
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August 23, 2024
Issues Lurk In Remote Seller, Marketplace Laws, Tax Pro Says
States should consider more harmony in their remote seller and marketplace facilitator laws to address a handful of compliance issues that continue to persist for businesses six years after Wayfair, a tax practitioner said Friday.
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August 23, 2024
NM General Revenues From July Through March Up $421M
New Mexico collected $421 million more in revenue than estimated between July 2023 and March 2024, according to a report by the state's Legislative Finance Committee.
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August 23, 2024
Ariz. Revenue Collection Starts 2025 Up $83M From Forecast
Arizona's total general revenue in July was $83 million higher than forecast, according to a report by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
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August 23, 2024
Idaho's July Revenue Collection Down $5M From Estimates
Idaho's general revenue collection at the start of the 2025 fiscal year was $5 million below forecasts, according to a report by the state Division of Financial Management.
Expert Analysis
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Avoiding Negative Tax Consequences In Loan Modifications
Borrowers who may be caught in the dramatic uptick in nonperforming commercial real estate loans should consider strategies to avoid income and capital gains tax that may be triggered by loan modifications, says Aman Badyal at Glaser Weil.
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Chapter 100 Incentives Can Offer Relief For Mo. Solar Projects
Although the Missouri Supreme Court's decision last year in Johnson v. Springfield Solar 1 overturned the state's tax exemption for solar energy systems, solar developers may still be able to use other mechanisms, like Chapter 100 incentives, to offset project costs, say Lizzy McEntire and Anna Kimbrell at Husch Blackwell.
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Now Is The Time For State And Local Sales Tax Simplification
In the five years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, state and local governments increasingly rely on sales tax, but simple changes are needed to make compliance more manageable for taxpayers, wherever located, without unduly burdening interstate commerce, says Charles Maniace at Sovos.
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Connecticut Tax Cuts And Missouri Movies: SALT In Review
From income tax cuts in Connecticut to film tax credits in Missouri, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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What To Make Of IRS' New Advance Pricing Guidance
Recent guidance on the IRS' goals for its advance pricing agreement system provides helpful insight into review and decision-making procedures for advance pricing agreement requests, but it also raises questions about the IRS' objectives, say Richard Slowinski and Stefanie Kavanagh at Alston & Bird.
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For NY Wind And Solar Projects, Some Tax Assessment Clarity
Recent legislation, which moots a challenge to New York’s discounted cash flow method for assessing solar and wind project real property taxes, lifts a cloud of uncertainty and brings new considerations for developers, investors and lenders, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.
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The Reciprocal Tax Bill Is A Warning Shot At Pillar 2
A bill recently introduced in the House of Representatives to reciprocally tax countries deemed to have imposed discriminatory taxes on U.S. citizens and businesses takes aim at countries implementing the global minimum tax treaty known as Pillar Two, with which the U.S. has not complied, says Alan Cole at the Tax Foundation.
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Cost To Gov't Means Justices Must Review NC Sales Tax Case
The U.S. Supreme Court should review and overrule the North Carolina high court’s decision in Quad Graphics v. North Carolina Department of Revenue — an anticipatory overruling of precedent that expands the state sales tax base and imposes a stealth tax on the federal government, says Richard Pomp at the University of Connecticut Law School.
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Potential Risks And Benefits Of NY Cannabis Crop Rescue Act
Though proposed legislation in New York would help struggling cannabis farmers by allowing them to sell their crops directly to consumers, it poses numerous challenges for retailers and the state’s regulatory framework — and striking the right balance here will be crucial to shaping a sustainable, equitable industry, say Meaghan Feenan and William Wolfe at Harris Beach.
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La. Franchise Tax, Minn. Home Seizure: SALT In Review
From a proposal to phase out Louisiana's corporate franchise tax to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that a Minnesota county had no right to sell a woman's home for more than she owed, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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How New York State Budget Will Affect Business Taxpayers
The comprehensive state budget legislation recently finalized by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature did not include some especially concerning tax proposals, but it will subject some state taxpayers to increased tax liability and lengthier appeals, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Taxing The Internet And Remote Workers: SALT In Review
From a New York ruling against the taxing of internet services to an attack on Philadelphia's taxing of remote workers, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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How Cities Can Tackle Post-Pandemic Budgeting Dilemmas
Due to increasing office vacancies around the country, cities may consider politically unpopular actions to avoid bankruptcy, but they could also look to the capital markets to ride out the current real estate crisis and achieve debt service savings to help balance their budgets, say attorneys at Cadwalader.