State & Local
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September 23, 2024
NY Sales Tax Doesn't Apply To Sales Of Energy Gels
New York doesn't levy a sales tax on energy enhancing gels and chews because they are considered dietary foods and health supplements, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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September 23, 2024
Minn. Court Won't Slash Home's $189K Tax Valuation
A Minnesota homeowner's attempt to cut the tax valuation of his home by nearly one-third was rejected by the state tax court, which said his use of comparable sales fell short of the evidence needed to overturn the assessment.
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September 23, 2024
SC General Fund Revenue Up $184M From Last Year
South Carolina's general fund revenue from July through August beat last year's total for that period by $184 million, according to the state Board of Economic Advisors.
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September 23, 2024
Squire Patton Tax Ace Joins Winston & Strawn In Dallas
Winston & Strawn LLP announced Monday it has expanded its tax offerings with the addition of an experienced attorney from Squire Patton Boggs LLP in Texas.
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September 23, 2024
Walmart Accused Of Wrongly Taxing Delivery Fees In Fla.
Walmart unlawfully collects sales tax on delivery fees in Florida, a customer claimed in a proposed class action removed to federal court, saying the tax cannot apply if customers may choose to pick up the order themselves.
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September 23, 2024
ND General Revenues Up $350M Over Budget Forecast
North Dakota's general revenue collection from July 2023 through August 2024 came in $350 million over estimates, according to the state's Legislative Council.
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September 23, 2024
RI General Revenue Collection Beats Estimates By $49M
Rhode Island's total general revenue exceeded budget estimates by $49 million for July through August, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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September 23, 2024
Ala. Biz Tax Refund Denied For Lack Of Family Entity Election
An Alabama taxpayer was properly assessed business privilege tax in 2021 after failing to file the correct form to be considered a family limited liability entity, the state Tax Tribunal ruled.
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September 20, 2024
NY Sales Tax Applies To Use Of Portal Software, Dept. Says
New York state and local sales taxes apply to charges for the use of a web portal host's software by customers and applicants, the state tax department said, finding the charges constitute the sale of prewritten software.
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September 20, 2024
NJ Explains Sales Tax Reduction Phaseout For EVs
New Jersey will subject zero-emission vehicles to a reduced sales tax starting Oct. 1, before increasing the levy in 2025, the state Division of Taxation said as part of an FAQ page released Friday that specified other tax changes.
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September 20, 2024
NJ Resident Owes NY Tax For Remote Work During COVID
A vice president of an investment fund with a New York office owes income tax to that state for days he worked from home in New Jersey during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a New York administrative law judge determined.
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September 20, 2024
NY Tax Dept. Says Biz's Data Services Subject To Sales Tax
A mobile and web analytics company in New York must collect and remit state and local sales tax for its services, according to the state Department of Taxation and Finance.
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September 20, 2024
NY Auctioneer Can't Lower Tax Bill After Price Drop
An auction house can't exclude payment reductions that are granted to a successful irrevocable bidder from its receipts subject to sales tax, the New York state taxation department said.
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September 20, 2024
IRS Special Trial Attorney Joins Hochman Salkin In California
When Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez PC's newest principal, Sebastian Voth, was studying at Emory University School of Law, a former chief counsel for the Internal Revenue Service told students that the IRS was a great place to start their careers. After 15 years as an IRS attorney, Voth found that the agency was also a great place to work, he told Law360 Pulse in an interview Friday.
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September 20, 2024
La. Tax Agency Expands Informal Payment Plans
Louisiana taxpayers with less than $50,000 in taxes due will be able to pay over five years in an informal installment plan, the state Department of Revenue said in a rule that will increase the current threshold.
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September 20, 2024
Nev. Tax Agency Allows Penalty Waivers Due To Agent Errors
The Nevada Department of Taxation can decide to waive penalties and interest for late payments from a taxpayer if the payment was late because of an error made by a taxpayer's agent, the state tax commission said in an updated regulation.
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September 20, 2024
NY Biz Out-Of-State Email Services Not Taxable, Dept. Says
A New York business that subscribes to an out-of-state email hosting service doesn't need to pay sales tax, the state tax department said, as taxing such services isn't allowed under the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act.
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September 20, 2024
NY Curtain Walls Subject To Sales Tax, Dept. Says
Tax is owed on the sales of curtain walls to a contractor for installation in New York buildings regardless of whether the installations constituted capital improvements to the properties, the state tax department said in an advisory opinion.
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September 20, 2024
NY Tobacco And Vapor Taxes Apply To Man's Product Sales
A New Yorker owes the tobacco excise tax and a 20% supplemental tax on vapor products on his sales of product that are similar to electronic cigarettes, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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September 20, 2024
Miss. Revenue Through Aug. Up $3M From Last Year
Mississippi's revenue collection from July through August exceeded last year's total for that period by $3 million, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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September 20, 2024
Mass. Offering Tax Amnesty In November, December
Massachusetts will grant amnesty in November and December to certain delinquent taxpayers under a program authorized by the Legislature, the state Department of Revenue said.
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September 20, 2024
Ill. Revenue Through Aug. Tops Forecast By $245M
Illinois revenue for the first two months of the 2025 fiscal year totaled $245 million more than estimated, according to the Office of Management of Budget.
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September 20, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Gibson Dunn, Holland & Knight
In this week's Taxation With Representation, CACI International buys Azure Summit Technology, Hotel Engine lands a valuation led by Permira, and Knowles Corp. sells its microphone business to Syntiant Corp.
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September 20, 2024
NY Food Waste Removal Taxable, Department Says
Food waste removal from grocery stores, restaurants and other locations is taxable for a New York contractor because the waste has no value, so the service does not qualify as tax-exempt transportation, the state tax department said.
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September 20, 2024
Ore. Couple Denied Tax Deduction For Below-Market Rentals
An Oregon couple were correctly denied income tax deductions for expenses related to rental properties, the state tax court said, because they did not charge the renters market rates, disqualifying the rentals as income-producing properties.
Expert Analysis
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Going The Extra Miles: SALT In Review
From a dispute about the borders of Florida's airspace to proposals that would exempt tips from taxes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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Maryland 'Rain Tax' Ruling May Offer Hope For Tax Credits
A Maryland state appellate court's recent decision in Ben Porto v. Montgomery County echoes earlier case law upholding controversial stormwater charges as a valid excise tax, but it also suggests that potential credits to reduce property owners' liability could get broader in scope, says Alyssa Domzal at Ballard Spahr.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Shake-Ups For Courts In Different Fields: SALT In Review
From the end of Chevron deference in the courts to the planned sale of the NBA's reigning champion, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects
With better facts and greater emphasis on the Kentucky Constitution, Walgreen Co. may succeed in its latest Kentucky Court of Appeals challenge to a tax assessor's method of valuing leaseholds on real property for purposes of determining ad valorem tax, say Mark Sommer and Elizabeth Ethington at Frost Brown Todd.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Moore v. U.S. decision, that the Internal Revenue Code Section 965 did not violate the 16th Amendment, was narrowly tailored to minimally disrupt existing tax regimes, but the justices' various opinions leave the door open to future tax challenges and provide clues for what the battles may look like, say Caroline Ngo and Le Chen at McDermott.