State & Local
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September 24, 2024
Ohio Dept. Floats Sales Tax Regs To Define Transient Guests
Ohio would define "sleeping accommodation" and "transient guests" to carry out provisions of state sales tax law governing transactions between hotels and guests as part of regulations proposed by the state Department of Taxation.
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September 24, 2024
NY Marina Owes Sales Tax On Floating Docks Purchases
A New York marina owes sales tax on its purchases of floating docks because the docks do not qualify as the installation of a capital improvement, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in a ruling released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Propane Sales To NY Home Not Taxed, Tax Dept. Says
A New York homeowner who orders propane to heat a detached garage isn't required to pay state sales tax on the transaction, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in an opinion released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Calif. Authorizes Sending Sales Tax Notices Electronically
California authorized the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration to send electronic notices for sales and use tax assessments and determinations regarding various other taxes and fees as part of a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 24, 2024
NY Energy Tax Break Available For Apt. Buildings, Dept. Says
Gas and electricity used in a landlord's New York state apartment buildings, including common areas, are eligible for a sales tax exemption for residential energy sales, the state tax department said in an opinion released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
NY Dept. Says Online Directory Services Not Taxed
New York's sales tax isn't levied on a business that maintains an online directory listing people who represent claimants seeking disability benefits, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in an opinion released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
NY Dept. Says Online Astrology Readings Not Taxable
A New York business that offers users personalized astrological birth-chart readings is not subject to tax because its services aren't taxable information services, the state tax department said in a ruling released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
NY Tax Dept. Says Foreign IT Services Are Taxable
A foreign company that provides information technology services to businesses in New York must collect and remit sales tax on receipts from clients within the state, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Insurer Wants Quick Appeal At 8th Circ. In DOL Tax Fight
A health insurer will seek the Eighth Circuit's review after a federal judge refused to toss a suit from the U.S. Department of Labor claiming the company unlawfully took at least $66.8 million in Minnesota state tax liability from plans it administered to pay in-network providers.
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September 24, 2024
NJ Power Broker Says AG's 'Crime Thriller' Lacks A Crime
Powerful New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III Tuesday called the Garden State's 111-page indictment alleging he led a scheme to strong-arm the acquisition of waterfront property in Camden through threats of economic and reputational harm a "crime thriller with no crime," and said it must be dismissed.
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September 24, 2024
NY Blood Bought To Treat Livestock Not Taxed, Dept. Says
Blood products are exempt from sales tax if bought for surgical procedures performed on certain livestock and poultry, the New York state tax department said in an opinion released Tuesday, but not if they are used on pets.
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September 24, 2024
Colo. General Fund Revenue In Aug. Down $63M
Colorado's general fund revenue in August was $63 million lower than it was in the same month last year, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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September 24, 2024
NY Escape Rooms Subject To Sales Tax, Dept. Says
Admissions charges to escape or "mystery" rooms, where customers participate in interactive challenges and activities, are amusements subject to sales tax, the New York state tax department said in an opinion released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
NY Tax Dept. Says Coffee-Flavored Drinks Not Taxed
A New York business's sales of coffee-flavored products don't incur sales tax, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in an advisory opinion released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Ariz. Revenue Through August Tops Forecast By $119M
Arizona's general revenue collection from July through August was $119 million higher than expected, according to the state Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
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September 24, 2024
NY Sales Tax Due On Vehicle's Lease Balance, Dept. Says
A New York taxpayer who assumed a lease on a motor vehicle from another taxpayer owes sales tax on the remainder of lease payments despite tax being paid on the initial lease, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in a ruling released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
NY Tax Applies To Tree Inventory Services, Dept. Says
A company's tree inventory services are subject to New York sales tax because the custom reports the company gives clients constitute taxable maintenance and servicing of real property, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said in a ruling released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Mich. Court Affirms Walmart Valuation As $5M Vacant Property
The $5 million tax valuation of a Walmart store in Michigan will stand, the state court of appeals said, rejecting arguments by a local township that a tax panel was wrong to value it as if it were vacant.
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September 24, 2024
NY Tax Doesn't Apply To UK Biz's Motor Parts Purchases
New York sales tax doesn't apply to a business's purchases of motor parts, because while the parts were purchased in New York, they were resold overseas, the state tax department said in a ruling released Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Miller & Chevalier Adds Federal Tax Expert From White & Case
Miller & Chevalier Chtd. announced that it added a former partner at White & Case LLP to its tax controversy and litigation practice.
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September 23, 2024
NJ Justices Probe State's Role In Tax Sale Foreclosures
The New Jersey Supreme Court on Monday probed whether the state's Tax Sale Law still holds up in the wake of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the government cannot profit from a property seizure, pondering the state's role in tax sale foreclosures and if a private, third-party lienholder could be considered a state actor.
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September 23, 2024
SC Judge Won't Rethink CarMax Transfer Pricing Ruling
A South Carolina administrative law judge denied a request from CarMax to revisit his decision that the company used intercompany transactions to distort an entity's business activity and thus its tax burden in the state.
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September 23, 2024
Newsom Vetoes Tax Credit For Buyers Of Manufacturing Gear
A California bill that would have provided purchasers of manufacturing equipment with state tax credits equal to the amount of nonexempt sales and use taxes paid on the purchase of equipment was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 23, 2024
The Tax Angle: Corporate Inversions, SALT Cap
From a look at criticisms that the 2017 federal tax law failed to stop corporations from moving overseas to GOP efforts to navigate the SALT cap ahead of the November elections, here's a peek into a reporter's notebook on a few of the week's developing tax stories.
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September 23, 2024
NY Extends Industrial Property Tax Break Application Deadline
New York state extended by four years to 2029 the deadline to apply for property tax abatements for eligible industrial and commercial buildings in New York City as part of a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Expert Analysis
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Strange But True, Here And There: SALT In Review
From a confusing proposal to relocate the Louisiana Tax Commission to a perplexing legislative vote on a citizen initiative in Washington state, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Judicial Independence Is Imperative This Election Year
As the next election nears, the judges involved in the upcoming trials against former President Donald Trump increasingly face political pressures and threats of violence — revealing the urgent need to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law, says Benes Aldana at the National Judicial College.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
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What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks
Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.
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Gonna Fly Now From California: SALT In Review
From an actor's impending relocation to two more defeats of efforts to tax streaming services, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC
The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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How New EU Tax And Transfer Pricing Rules May Affect M&A
Companies involved in mergers and acquisitions may need to adjust fiscal due diligence procedures to ensure they consider potential far-reaching effects of newly implemented transfer pricing measures, such as newly implemented global minimum tax and European Union anti-tax avoidance directives and proposals, says Patrick Tijhuis at BDO.
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How Firms Can Ensure Associate Gender Parity Lasts
Among associates, women now outnumber men for the first time, but progress toward gender equality at the top of the legal profession remains glacially slow, and firms must implement time-tested solutions to ensure associates’ gender parity lasts throughout their careers, say Kelly Culhane and Nicole Joseph at Culhane Meadows.
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NY Shouldn't Pair 421-a Restoration And Good Cause Eviction
The good cause eviction system of rent control should not be imposed in New York, nor should its legislation be tied to renewal of the 421-a tax abatement program, which New York City desperately needs, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.
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7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves
As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.
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DC's Housing Tax Break Proposal: What's In It, What's Missing
Proposed Washington, D.C., rules implementing the Housing in Downtown Tax Abatement program — for commercial property owners who convert properties into residential housing — thoroughly explain the process for submitting an application, but do not provide sufficient detail regarding the actual dollar value of the abatements, says Daniel Miktus at Akerman.
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Location, Location, Location: SALT In Review
From a possible replacing of Florida's property tax to Cincinnati's taxing of remote workers, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.