State & Local
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June 20, 2024
Casinos Must Fight Hotel Tax In State Court, 5th Circ. Says
Owners of two Louisiana casinos with attached hotels must challenge Baton Rouge in state court, rather than federal court, over taxes the city says they owe on free hotel stays they gave patrons, the Fifth Circuit ruled, saying the state is entitled to deference.
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June 20, 2024
Nationwide Wins Mich. Combined Filing Tax Fight On Appeal
Nationwide entities can file as a unitary business in Michigan to share tax credits across their group members, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, overturning a state tax tribunal decision that said insurance companies were required to file separate returns.
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June 20, 2024
Repatriation Tax Doesn't Violate Constitution, Justices Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 2017 federal tax overhaul's mandatory repatriation levy on Thursday, finding the measure applies to the earnings of foreign corporations with U.S. shareholders and therefore does not raise constitutional questions about taxing unrealized income.
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June 18, 2024
The 2 Attys Ensnared In A NJ Mogul's Racketeering Rap
New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III may be the alleged mastermind of a racketeering scheme to reap millions in tax credits on waterfront property in a distressed city, but the explosive indictment also reveals the purported roles of two attorneys with close ties to the Democratic Party.
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June 18, 2024
Ore. To Adopt IRS' Free E-File Program For 2025 Season
Oregon will participate in the Internal Revenue Service's Direct File free online tax filing program when it returns for the 2025 filing season, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS announced Tuesday.
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June 18, 2024
RI To Allow Sharing Info About Biz Entities' Tax Compliance
Rhode Island will allow its Division of Taxation to share information on business entities' tax compliance with the secretary of state's office under legislation signed by the governor.
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June 18, 2024
NM Appeals Court Says Co.'s Foreign Dividends Not Taxable
New Mexico's administrative hearing office erred in finding an oil and gas company must pay tax on its foreign dividend income as those subsidiaries aren't considered part of its unitary group, the state appeals court ruled.
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June 18, 2024
Okla. To Provide Tax Break For Digital Asset Mining Machinery
Oklahoma will provide a sales tax exemption for machinery used for commercial mining of digital assets under a bill signed by the governor.
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June 18, 2024
La. Tax Chief Backs Digital Goods Tax, Fewer Exemptions
Louisiana's top tax official told a state tax-writing panel Tuesday that eliminating tax exemptions while broadening the sales tax base to include digital goods and services could pay for cutting the state's personal and corporate income tax rates.
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June 18, 2024
Ariz. Tax Court Nixes Valuation Based On Crops Grown
An Arizona county assessor wrongly valued agricultural property based on the crops grown, subjecting the land to enormous valuation increases, the state Tax Court said.
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June 18, 2024
Colo., Tax Group Reach Tentative Ageement In Elections Case
A group challenging Colorado reporting laws for ballot measure advocates has tentatively settled its lawsuit, the group and state officials told a federal court.
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June 18, 2024
Kan. Legislators OK Fewer Tax Brackets, Rate Reductions
Kansas would go from three to two income tax brackets, exempt Social Security income from tax and reduce the bank privilege tax under a compromise omnibus bill passed by the Legislature on Tuesday.
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June 18, 2024
Ky. Church's Tax Protest Must Go Through Local Board
A Kentucky church must work through its property tax appeal with a local review board before the courts can review the issue, a state appeals court said, upholding a lower court ruling.
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June 18, 2024
Missouri Atty's Departure Dooms 2 Sales Tax Protests
The Missouri Court of Appeals denied two businesses' attempts to revive their sales tax protests Tuesday, saying the state Administrative Hearing Commission correctly dismissed the cases for failure to file status reports after the companies' attorney didn't provide notice that she had changed firms.
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June 18, 2024
Ariz. Developer Stuck With $467K Bill For City's Builder Tax
An Arizona developer who built 22 homes qualifies as an "owner-builder" for purposes of Phoenix's speculative builder tax and is liable for $467,000 in tax, interest and penalties, the state's tax court said.
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June 18, 2024
Va. General Revenue Through May Beats Last Year By $1.48B
Virginia general revenue collection from July through May was $1.48 billion higher than in the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Department of Accounts.
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June 18, 2024
Short-Term Rental Laws And The Litigation They've Sparked
Short-term rentals are a contentious topic in the U.S., disrupting the hospitality industry and sometimes the neighborhoods where they’re located. Here, Law360 Real Estate Authority rounds up the state and local policies involving short-term rentals and the ongoing cases challenging them.
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June 17, 2024
Kansas Pols Agree On Tax Cuts Ahead Of Special Session
Kansas would reduce its income tax brackets to two and exempt Social Security income from tax under a compromise proposal reached between state House and Senate Republican leaders and Gov. Laura Kelly, announced during a joint committee meeting Monday.
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June 17, 2024
Pa. House Panel OKs Sales Of Net Losses, R&D Tax Credits
Pennsylvania would create a program to allow emerging biotechnology and technology businesses to sell their net operating losses and unused research and development tax credits to other companies under a bill advanced by the state House of Representatives' Finance Committee.
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June 17, 2024
Pa. General Revenue Collection Through May Up $610M
Pennsylvania's general revenue collection from July through May was $610 million ahead of last fiscal year's total for the same period, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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June 17, 2024
Calif. General Revenues Up $2.4B Over Revised Estimates
California's total receipts from July through May were $2.4 billion more than projected in revised estimates, according to the state Comptroller's Office.
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June 17, 2024
NJ Revenue Through May Down $182M From Last Fiscal Year
New Jersey collected $182 million less in general revenue from July through May than it did in the same part of last fiscal year, according to a report by the state's Department of the Treasury.
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June 17, 2024
RI Allows Unrestricted Property Tax Rates In Providence
Rhode Island is authorizing the city of Providence to adopt a classification system that allows unrestricted tax rates for residential, commercial, industrial and tangible personal property under bills that became law without the governor's signature.
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June 17, 2024
Mich. Justice Wants Tax-Break Filing Options After Mail Fiasco
A Michigan Supreme Court justice called on the state Legislature to give taxpayers more flexibility in claiming property tax exemptions after a company lost out on an exemption because the U.S. Postal Service never delivered its paperwork.
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June 17, 2024
Ark. Bills Seek Income Tax Cuts, Homestead Credit Expansion
Arkansas would reduce its income tax rates and increase its homestead property tax credit under bills introduced in both the state House of Representatives and Senate for a special legislative session at Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' request.
Expert Analysis
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
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Permanence And Other Elusive Notions: SALT In Review
From a Michigan income tax that may or may not be permanent to a victory in court for online travel companies, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Potential Calamities, Greatly Exaggerated: SALT In Review
From fears of judicial upheaval to a tax break for space travel, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Preparing Your Legal Department For Pillar 2 Compliance
Multinational entities should familiarize themselves with Pillar Two of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s BEPs 2.0 project and prepare their internal legal tracking systems for related reporting requirements that may go into effect as early as January, says Daniel Robyn at Ernst & Young.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Another Ark. Tax Cut And Chicago Transit: SALT In Review
From yet another income tax cut in Arkansas to proposed extra funding for Chicago transit, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.