State & Local
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July 02, 2024
Mass. Dept. Says No Sales Tax On Genetic Testing
Charges for genetic testing of customers in Massachusetts don't incur sales tax, the state tax department said in a letter ruling released Tuesday, because personal services are exempt and the test kits provided constitute an inconsequential component of the transaction.
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July 02, 2024
Mont. Revenue Drops $180M From Last Fiscal Year
Montana collected $180 million less in general fund revenue during the fiscal year that ended in June than it did in the previous year, the state Department of Revenue said in a preliminary report.
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July 02, 2024
Calif. OTA Upholds Apportionment Method On $85M Gain
California's Franchise Tax Board applied the correct apportionment method to a nonresident's $85 million income, the state Office of Tax Appeals said, upholding an additional tax assessment of $650,000.
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July 02, 2024
W.Va. Revenues For Fiscal Year Top Forecast By $590M
West Virginia's general fund collections in fiscal year 2024 were $590 million ahead of budget estimates, the State Budget Office said in a preliminary report.
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July 02, 2024
Mass. Panel Won't Cut Tax Value Over Denied Building Permits
The owner of commercial property in Massachusetts failed to show that local denials of building permits impacted the tax value of the property, a state panel said in a decision released Tuesday, rejecting the owner's appeal of a local assessment.
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July 02, 2024
Ark. June Revenue Drops From Previous Year, Dept. Says
Arkansas net available general revenue for the month of June fell 2.5% below the previous year's collections, the state Department of Finance and Administration said Tuesday.
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July 02, 2024
Pennsylvania Ends Fiscal Year Above Revenue Estimates
Pennsylvania's revenue for the 2023-24 fiscal year was 1.9% above the state's revenue estimates, the state Department of Revenue announced.
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July 02, 2024
Mass. Panel OKs Penalty For Filing Estate Tax 7 Years Late
A Massachusetts estate is liable for about $258,000 in penalties and interest for filing a required tax return seven years late, a state panel said in a decision released Tuesday.
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July 01, 2024
GoDaddy Shareholders Balk At Further Chancery Delay
A special litigation committee that GoDaddy Inc. created in September 2023 in response to shareholder litigation over an $850 million tax asset buyout has 30 days to convince a Delaware Chancery Court judge that it is conducting a good-faith investigation and cooperating with the suing shareholders.
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July 01, 2024
Ill. Tax Applies To Re-Renters Of Hotel Rooms, Dept. Says
Illinois will impose an occupation tax on people who re-rent hotel rooms in the state as part of recently enacted omnibus legislation, the state Department of Revenue said.
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July 01, 2024
Calif. Ballot Measure Seeks Nix Of Tax Hike Threshold Change
California would scrap part of a ballot initiative that would have reduced the threshold needed for local governments to pass special taxes for public infrastructure and affordable housing projects under another ballot measure passed by legislators.
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July 01, 2024
Sealed Mich. Tax Panel Docs Protected From FOIA, Court Says
Confidential Michigan Tax Tribunal proceedings are shielded from public-records requests, a state appeals court ruled, rejecting the tribunal's claim that it's required to disclose confidential information unless it's exempt from release under the state's Freedom of Information Act.
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July 01, 2024
Calif. Allows Biz Tax Credit Refunds After Limitation Period
California will let taxpayers subject to a temporary business tax credit cap imposed by the state's recently enacted budget tax law elect to receive a refund for credits they otherwise could have claimed for the limitation period under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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July 01, 2024
Womble Bond Adds Int'l Tax Partner In Houston Office
Womble Bond Dickinson has added a partner to its corporate and securities group in Houston who will focus on tax law and cross-border transactions, the firm announced.
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July 01, 2024
NJ Tax Court Sends E-Cig Tax Dispute To Trial
A trial is needed to determine whether an e-cigarette company destroyed its nicotine cartridges in order to reduce its audit liability and whether those trashed cartridges could still be taxed, the New Jersey Tax Court ruled.
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July 01, 2024
Nelson Mullins Adds 9-Attorney Tax Team In Houston
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP announced Monday that five partners and four other tax attorneys have joined its new Houston office from Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry, including a former Texas Supreme Court justice.
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July 01, 2024
Longtime IRS Trial Atty Joins Jones Day In NY
An attorney who spent his entire career at the IRS has moved to private practice at Jones Day, the firm said on Monday.
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June 28, 2024
NJ Lawmakers OK Corp. Tax Hike, Expansion Of Tax Credits
New Jersey would reinstate the nation's highest corporate income tax rate on large corporations, offer tax incentives for capital investments from artificial intelligence companies and relax employee location requirements for businesses to receive tax breaks, under legislation lawmakers passed Friday alongside the state's budget.
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June 28, 2024
Mont. Tax Dept. Adopts Updated Regs For Water's-Edge Filers
Montana will carry out recently enacted legislation that eliminated a requirement for a so-called water's-edge return to include income and apportionment factors from corporate affiliates incorporated in a now-defunct list of tax havens under regulatory updates adopted by the state Department of Revenue.
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June 28, 2024
Key State And Local Tax Takeaways From June
As state legislatures hurried to pass bills and finish sessions before the end of the fiscal year, and courts handed down several key decisions, June was a consequential month in the state tax world. Here, Law360 presents key state and local tax developments to know from the past month.
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June 28, 2024
Ohio Tax Applies To Quest Testing Kit Purchases, Board Says
Two Quest Diagnostics subsidiaries are not eligible for a refund of sales tax paid on testing kits, reagents and hormones because those items are not drugs exempt from tax, the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals said Friday.
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June 28, 2024
Mass. Senate OKs $5B Housing Bill Without Local-Option Tax
Massachusetts would authorize about $5 billion in bonding authority to promote housing under legislation passed by the state Senate that leaves out a local-option real estate transfer fee sought by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey.
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June 28, 2024
Fla. Won't Require Short-Term Ad Platforms To Remit Tax
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have required short-term rental advertising platforms to collect and remit transient rental tax on bookings made through the platform.
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June 28, 2024
Vt. General Revenues Through May Up $41M From Last Year
Vermont's general fund revenue from July through May exceeded last year by roughly $41 million, according to a report by the state Agency of Administration.
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June 28, 2024
Mich. Revenues Through May Fall $530M From Last Year
Michigan's general fund revenues from October through May were down $530 million compared with the same period last fiscal year, the State Budget Office reported Friday.
Expert Analysis
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Envy, Regressivity And Other Sins: SALT In Review
From a California official's remarks on a star athlete's contract to another study documenting the regressivity of tax policies across the land, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success
Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.
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6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond
The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.
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Other Views On Administration And Land Tax: SALT In Review
From another take on ranking the states' tax agencies to the latest proposal on a different approach to land values, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024
Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
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4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year
As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
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What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like
As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News
Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
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10 Considerations For Litigating A New York Tax Case
While some of New York’s recently adopted corporate tax regulations are likely to face legal challenges, aggrieved taxpayers should answer certain questions before deciding to embark on the tax litigation process, say Cyavash Ahmadi and Jeffrey Friedman at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Revenue Agencies At Their Finest: SALT In Review
From a survey of the nation's best departments of revenue to baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani's creative free-agent contract, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.