State & Local
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November 13, 2024
Detroit Fire Fee Ruling Concerns Mich. Justice
A Michigan Supreme Court justice on Wednesday said he was troubled by a lower appellate ruling he said seemed to imply that municipalities can work around a state law barring sneaky taxes, in this case by stating a charge for fire prevention services is really just the cost of a permit allowing property owners to do business in Detroit.
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November 13, 2024
Tax Fraud A Potential Topic In Lame-Duck Session, Aides Say
Congress could include disaster-related tax relief and a legislative fix in a year-end package to address rampant fraud associated with the employee retention tax credit, staffers for the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees said Wednesday.
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November 13, 2024
Louisiana House Panel Advances Sales Tax Overhaul
Louisiana would broaden its state sales tax to include more services and eliminate various exemptions and exceptions as lawmakers consider legislation to eliminate the corporate income tax as part of a group of bills the state House Ways and Means Committee agreed to Wednesday.
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November 13, 2024
Denver Voters OK Sales Tax Hike For Hospital
Denver will boost its total local sales tax rate by 0.34 of a percentage point under Issue 2Q, which voters passed, with the revenue from the tax slated for city hospital Denver Health.
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November 13, 2024
Ga. October Revenue $89M Less Than Prior Year
Georgia's October general fund receipts were $89 million less than in October 2023, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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November 13, 2024
Texas Dealers Owe Tax On Service Agreements, Ruling Says
Sales and use taxes on maintenance agreements on a manufacturer's industrial equipment sold in Texas are the responsibility of the dealers selling the property, the state's comptroller said, responding to an inquiry from the manufacturer.
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November 13, 2024
Trump, GOP Victories May Imperil OECD Global Tax Plan
President-elect Donald Trump's and Republicans' victories in the U.S. elections this month call into question whether the OECD's two-pillar global tax plan can be effectively implemented and whether the plan's minimum tax backstop rule can be applied amid threats of retaliatory tax measures by the U.S.
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November 12, 2024
Wash. Ballot Win Gives States Blueprint For 'Age Wave' Care
Washington's first-in-the-nation program to provide long-term care insurance backed by a payroll tax won a decisive victory at the polls last week, offering a potential model for other states as baby boomers age out of the workforce and more families seek eldercare.
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November 12, 2024
Mass. Court Says IRS Deal Didn't Fix Man's State Tax Debt
The former corporate officer of a now-defunct Massachusetts company didn't overpay on his outstanding tax liability despite entering into a settlement agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, a state appeals court said Tuesday.
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November 12, 2024
SD AG Issues Explanation Of Property Tax Hike Limit Initiative
South Dakota's attorney general released a final explanation for an initiative that could appear on the state's 2026 general election ballot and would limit annual property tax assessment increases for nonagricultural property, according to a news release published Tuesday.
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November 12, 2024
Walmart Seeks Arbitration In Fla. Delivery Fee Tax Fight
A class action alleging Walmart unlawfully charged Florida shoppers sales tax on delivery fees should be settled through arbitration as agreed to by the customers before they made any purchases, the retailer told a Florida federal court.
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November 12, 2024
Calif. Total Receipts Through Oct. Beat Forecasts By $9B
California's total receipts from July through October exceeded estimates by roughly $9 billion, according to the state controller.
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November 12, 2024
Missouri Appeals Court Quashes County Cannabis Taxes
The Missouri Constitution bars counties from levying taxes on cannabis sales made inside incorporated municipalities that can impose their own taxes, a state appeals court held Tuesday in ruling in favor of a dispensary that challenged two counties' taxes.
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November 12, 2024
SD Total Revenues Through Oct. Down $42M From Last Year
South Dakota's total revenue collection in July through October fell nearly $42 million compared with the same period last fiscal year, according to a report by the state Bureau of Finance and Management.
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November 08, 2024
Disaster Tax Relief Could Be On Slate In Lame-Duck Session
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump's reelection, and while lawmakers will likely be gearing up for next year's tax negotiations, there are some tax policies that could pass during the lame-duck session, including disaster tax relief.
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November 08, 2024
La. House Panel OKs Constitutional Property Tax Change
The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee advanced a bill Friday that, if approved by the Legislature to be placed on the ballot and then passed by voters, would create a constitutional amendment moving property tax provisions from the constitution to state statute.
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November 08, 2024
Va. Tax Head Allows 1-Time Credit For Erroneous Collection
A provider of installation, maintenance and inspection services for fire suppression systems and kitchen hood and ventilation systems that erroneously collected and remitted Virginia sales tax may be eligible for a one-time credit against a use tax assessment, the state tax commissioner said in a letter ruling.
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November 08, 2024
Shutts & Bowen Adds Complex Taxation Pro In Sarasota
Shutts & Bowen LLP has brought on a new partner at the firm's growing Sarasota, Florida, office, bringing close to 20 years of private practice tax law experience to the firm's private client services practice group.
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November 08, 2024
Mass. Hay Farm Not Eligible For Ag Tax Break, Court Affirms
A Massachusetts land parcel that is used for growing and harvesting hay is not eligible for a reduced tax assessment as agricultural land because not enough of the parcel is devoted to the haying operation, the state Court of Appeals affirmed Friday.
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November 08, 2024
Md. Digital Ad Tax Violates 1st Amendment, 4th Circ. Told
Maryland's digital ad tax law violates the First Amendment, a conservative tax advocacy group told the Fourth Circuit, urging it to reverse a ruling upholding the tax against a challenge from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others.
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November 07, 2024
La. House Panel OKs Flat Income Tax, Nix Of Franchise Tax
The Louisiana House tax-writing committee passed legislation Thursday that would create a flat personal income tax rate and eliminate the state's franchise tax, giving initial approval to portions of the governor's broader tax overhaul plan that lawmakers are slated to debate in the coming weeks.
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November 07, 2024
Fla. Counties Say Notice Was Insufficient In $5B Bond Deal
A group of Florida counties and tax collectors asked the Florida Supreme Court Thursday to reverse a decision that found they could not reopen a bond validation judgment issuing $5 billion in bonds for renewable energy and hurricane mitigation projects, arguing they were not given proper notice of the bond validation hearing.
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November 07, 2024
MTC Digital Work Group Eyes Streamlined Sales Tax Approach
The Multistate Tax Commission work group studying how to harmonize state rules for taxing digital products said Thursday that it would investigate another group's model for how to tax products that are sold in a bundle.
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November 07, 2024
Colo. Voters Approve Collection Of Gambling Tax Above Cap
Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that allows the state to keep and spend sports betting tax revenue beyond a previously approved statutory cap and use the money for water projects instead of refunding it to casinos, according to unofficial results provided by a representative of the secretary of state's office Thursday.
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November 07, 2024
Minn. Court Nudges $50K Off Tax Value Of St. Paul Home
A Minnesota home was over-assessed and should have its valuation reduced by $50,000, according to the state's tax court, taking into consideration a comparable sales analysis presented by the owners.
Expert Analysis
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Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave
To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.
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'Manufacturing' Amid Mass. Adoption Of Single-Sales Factor
Massachusetts’ recent adoption of single-sales-factor apportionment will benefit companies that have a greater in-state physical presence, reinforce the importance of understanding market-sourcing rules, and reduce the manufacturing classification's importance to tax apportionment, though the classification continues to be significant to other aspects of taxation, say attorneys at McDermott.
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An Unsound Silence: SALT In Review
From the U.S. Supreme Court's silence on an apportionment ruling to the latest assault on streaming services, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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A Year-End Look At Florida's Capital Investment Tax Credit
Notwithstanding the Walt Disney Co.’s feud with Gov. Ron DeSantis this year, Florida's capital investment tax credit will continue to make the state a favored destination for large corporations, particularly in light of the new federal alternative minimum tax and the Pillar Two top-up tax, says Alan Lederman at Gunster.
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Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.
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Ohio Voters Legalize Cannabis — What Comes Next?
This month, voters approved a citizen-initiated statute that legalizes marijuana for recreational use in Ohio, but the legalization timeline could undergo significant changes at the behest of the state's lawmakers, say Daniel Shortt and David Waxman at McGlinchey Stafford.
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Bezos On The Move: SALT In Review
From billionaire Jeff Bezos' impending relocation to an important transfer pricing case in Louisiana, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Mo. Solar Projects Need Clarity On Enterprise Zone Tax Relief
In Missouri, enhanced enterprise zones offer tax abatements that could offset the cost of solar project infrastructure, but developers must be willing to navigate uncertainty about whether the project is classified as real property, say Lizzy McEntire and Anna Kimbrell at Husch Blackwell.
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AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier
Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.
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Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
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General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI
With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Clash Over Industrial Supplies Exemption
Recent legislative testimony in Kentucky may cause another battle over the state's sales tax exemptions for industrial supplies, even though the testimony appears to mischaracterize the impact of a major state court ruling that upheld the exemptions, say attorneys at Frost Brown.