State & Local

  • August 19, 2024

    New Jersey Legislation To Watch: A Midyear Report

    New Jersey proposals for a corporate transit tax and mandatory business showdowns during sweltering weather have generated concerns from industry sectors fatigued by rising costs, while the rise of artifical intelligence and corresponding legislation appears to have united those fearing the digital-age hazard of "deepfakes."

  • August 15, 2024

    Group Challenges Calif. Law Targeting Microsoft's Tax Win

    A portion of California's new tax law written to prevent more wins such as Microsoft secured when the state's Office of Tax Appeals ruled it could include 100% of the dividends from foreign affiliates in its California sales factor denominator is unconstitutional, a national taxpayers group said.

  • August 15, 2024

    Skechers Appeals Wis.' Nix Of Royalty Fees Deduction

    A Skechers USA subsidiary had economic substance and an additional finding of a business purpose is unnecessary for related companies to engage in transactions resulting in the company claiming nearly a half-billion dollars in deductions in Wisconsin, Skechers said in an appeal obtained Thursday by Law360.

  • August 15, 2024

    Pa. District's Appeal Method Is Constitutional, Court Affirms

    A Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas correctly ruled that a school district did not violate the state's uniformity clause when using a monetary threshold to decide which property tax assessments to appeal, the state Commonwealth Court affirmed Thursday.

  • August 15, 2024

    Tax Pros Navigate Chaos, Rewards In Climate Law's 2nd Year

    Energy tax attorneys have been knee-deep in project finance deals for the past year since the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 triggered a flurry of clean energy investments, but the work, they say, has been fulfilling as part of broader efforts to save the environment.

  • August 15, 2024

    Colo. Gov. Calls Special Session On Property Tax Relief

    Colorado lawmakers will return to Denver after Gov. Jared Polis called Thursday for a special session to focus on property tax relief in a bid to stave off the effect of two possible ballot measures proposing deeper cuts.

  • August 15, 2024

    Ga. Begins 2025 Fiscal Year With General Revenues Up $66M

    Georgia's general fund receipts for July, the first month of the 2025 fiscal year, were $66 million higher than last year, according to the state Department of Revenue.

  • August 15, 2024

    Ky. General Revenue In July Up $141M From Last Year

    Kentucky general revenue in July was $141 million higher than last year, according to the state Budget Director's Office.

  • August 15, 2024

    Calif. General Revenue In July $866M Over Estimates

    California's general revenue collection in the first month of the 2025 fiscal year was $866 million higher than forecast, according to the state controller.

  • August 15, 2024

    Alaska Bans Local Taxes On Transfers Of Real Property

    Alaska will not allow localities to levy or collect sales and use tax on the transfer of real property under a bill signed by the governor. 

  • August 14, 2024

    Biz Says Mich. Cities Ignore Taxpayers In Fee-Or-Tax Fight

    A pipe fitting business has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reject municipal organizations' "histrionic" arguments that cities' financial stability will be in jeopardy if the top court finds Detroit's fire inspection fee is a disguised tax, saying the groups are disregarding citizens' rights to be free from illegal taxes.

  • August 14, 2024

    Mich. Judges Weigh Adjusting Asset Basis After Tax Law Shift

    A panel of Michigan appellate judges grappled Wednesday with whether two companies were entitled to 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.

  • August 14, 2024

    Biz Founder Owes Mass. Tax On $4.7M Gain, Tax Dept. Says

    A $4.7 million capital gain from a stock sale by former Massachusetts residents is subject to state tax because it stemmed from a business the couple had in Massachusetts, the state Department of Revenue told a Massachusetts appeals court, urging it to uphold the state tax board's findings.

  • August 14, 2024

    Wash. High Court OKs Anti-Cap Gains Tax Measure For Ballot

    Several anti-tax initiatives in Washington state, including one to repeal the long-embattled tax on capital gains, may remain on the November ballot, the state's highest court said, rebuffing opponents that tried to get the initiatives removed.

  • August 14, 2024

    Mich. Court Stands By Unitary Biz Ruling For Nationwide

    A Michigan state appeals court will not reconsider its decision that insurance companies that are part of Nationwide should file their taxes as a unitary group, and denied the state Treasury Department's request for reconsideration.

  • August 14, 2024

    DC Tax Relief Can Aid Office Projects, But It's No 'Silver Bullet'

    While tax relief programs may help a handful of office conversion projects in Washington, D.C., and make financial sense, much more needs to happen to bring the city's struggling downtown back to life again, real estate experts say.

  • August 13, 2024

    Walz Backed Tax Hikes Funding Plans For Children, Families

    As Minnesota's governor, Democrat Tim Walz, now the presumed vice presidential nominee of his party, separated himself from most other governors by signing into law numerous tax increases funding progressive priorities such as a paid family leave plan and the nation's largest child tax credit.

  • August 13, 2024

    Treasury's Loss Rules Take Broad Approach To Min. Tax Deal

    The U.S. Treasury Department recently dashed the hopes of multinational corporations seeking regulations that would have carved out an international minimum tax agreement from interacting with long-standing domestic rules aimed at preventing companies from using the same economic loss twice.

  • August 13, 2024

    IRS Delays Tax Deadlines In Vermont After Hurricane Debby

    Taxpayers in Vermont will be given until Feb. 3 to file individual and business tax returns and make payments after the state was hit by Hurricane Debby, the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday.

  • August 13, 2024

    Shipping Co.'s Cleaning Services Taxable, Wash. Court Affirms

    A Washington state court properly denied a shipping company's request for a refund of sales tax paid on cleaning services for its shipping containers because the containers weren't integral to the ships' use, a state appellate court affirmed.

  • August 13, 2024

    Anheuser-Busch Fights Mo. Tax On Items Sent Out Of State

    Anheuser-Busch is seeking a refund of about $262,000 in Missouri sales and use taxes it says it paid on a variety of exempt transactions, including taxes paid on iPhones that were ultimately shipped to out-of-state employees and computer items used in the beer manufacturing process.

  • August 12, 2024

    UN Eyes Two Early Changes For Tax Pact In Latest Draft

    Diplomats would draft two legally binding protocols under the United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation while creating the convention itself under the latest draft guidance for negotiators after they select from a shortlist of possible topics, including the digital economy and wealth taxation.

  • August 12, 2024

    Past Tax Ideas Offer Insight Into A Harris-Walz Presidency

    An analysis of tax proposals previously put forth by Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats' presumptive nominees for president and vice president, indicates they could pursue a tax agenda geared toward providing tax relief to middle- and lower-income Americans.

  • August 12, 2024

    Ill. Allows Discretion On Investment Tax Credit Repayment

    Illinois businesses that failed to meet the mandatory employment threshold for the angel investment tax credit may be granted discretion when it comes to the repayment of the credit amounts, under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. 

  • August 12, 2024

    IRS Extends Tax Deadlines For Minn. Storm Victims

    Minnesota taxpayers affected by severe storms and flooding have until February to file tax returns and make payments, the Internal Revenue Service said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Big Tax Changes For Multinational Cos. In Budget Proposal

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    The Biden administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposes changes that would materially alter decades-old Internal Revenue Code provisions, requiring a shift in multinational corporations' tax planning strategies comparable to that required after enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, say Xenia Garofalo and Kyle Colonna at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Home Seized, Tax Paid, Government Enriched: SALT In Review

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    From a Minnesota county's profit on a home seizure to a California proposal to raise corporate income taxes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

  • Mich. Statute Of Limitations Cases Carry Nationwide Impacts

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    The outcomes of Dine Brands v. Eubanks and Walt Disney v. Eubanks, currently working their way through the Michigan courts, are likely to affect how statutes of limitations in unclaimed property audits are calculated nationwide as well as within the state, given the widespread adoption of similar model provisions by many other states, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Wash. Fallout And New York Pets: SALT In Review

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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?

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    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

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    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.

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