State & Local
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February 20, 2025
Miss. Senate Panel Advances Cuts To Income, Grocery Taxes
Mississippi would cut its flat individual income tax rate by roughly a percentage point over the next five years and reduce the state grocery tax as part of a state Senate tax plan advanced by the chamber's Finance Committee Thursday.
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February 20, 2025
NY Deli Owes Sales Tax On Party Platters, Tribunal Says
A New York deli owes sales tax on its sales of party platters because the platters were considered prepared foods, the state Tax Appeals Tribunal said in a decision released Thursday.
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February 20, 2025
NY Expands Local Power To Give Storm Damage Tax Breaks
New York state expanded municipalities' authority to provide property tax breaks to owners of property damaged by severe storms and other natural disasters by allowing that relief to be granted for small business' property as part of a bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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February 20, 2025
Colo. House Panel OKs Employee Ownership Tax Breaks
Colorado would offer tax deductions to businesses that convert to being employee-owned under a bill passed by a committee in the state House of Representatives.
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February 20, 2025
Fla. Senate Bill Seeks Study On Eliminating Property Taxes
A Republican Florida state senator filed legislation that would require a state agency to study the prospects of eliminating property taxes in exchange for levying additional state and local sales taxes.
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February 20, 2025
Hawaii Tax Revenues In Jan. Down $171M From Last Year
Hawaii's total tax revenues in January fell $171 million compared with the same month last year, according to data released Thursday by the state's Department of Taxation.
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February 20, 2025
Kan. Senate Bill Seeks Tax Subtraction For Tips
Kansas would allow taxpayers to subtract up to $25,000 in tips from their taxable income under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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February 20, 2025
Ariz. House Bill Seeks Minimum Corporate Income Tax
Arizona would impose a minimum corporate income tax for companies that have at least 50 employees under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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February 20, 2025
Tenn. Revenues Through Jan. Beat Budget Forecasts By $6M
Tennessee's general revenue collection from August through January outpaced budget forecasts by $6 million, according to a report from the state's Department of Finance and Administration.
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February 20, 2025
Ark. Senate Bill Would Lower Minimum Corp. Franchise Tax
Arkansas would reduce its minimum corporate franchise tax rate by $50 under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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February 20, 2025
Ark. House Bill Would Increase Homestead Tax Credit
Arkansas would increase its homestead tax credit by $100 under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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February 19, 2025
NY Vows To Fight Trump's Bid To Kill Congestion Pricing
New York officials vowed to continue implementing congestion pricing after the Trump administration moved to kill the program Wednesday, teeing up an intense legal battle by swiftly launching a counterattack in federal court to preserve the tolls on all vehicles entering Manhattan's busiest corridor.
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February 19, 2025
Mo. Senate Panel Advances Plan For Scrapping Income Tax
A Missouri Senate committee advanced a proposal Wednesday that would ask voters to approve eliminating the state's personal income tax and phasing out its corporate income tax in exchange for an expanded sales tax base with a lower general rate.
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February 19, 2025
Wis. Gov. Unveils Budget With Property Tax Freeze Option
Wisconsin's governor unveiled a proposed 2025-2027 budget, including $2 billion in property tax relief, a new tax bracket for income over $1 million and the elimination of income tax on tips.
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February 19, 2025
Ariz. House OKs Sales Tax Location Clarification
Arizona would clarify the location of online transactions for sales tax purposes and specify that the site of computer servers used in a transaction does not determine its location under legislation passed by the state House.
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February 19, 2025
Pa. Justices Say Sales Tax Isn't Commerce Under State Law
Collecting sales tax is not part of a commercial transaction even if it occurs at the same time as that transaction, according to a Wednesday ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a suit accusing American Eagle and other retailers of charging wrongful taxes on face masks.
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February 19, 2025
Maine Biz Income Sourcing Proposal Ambiguous, Groups Say
Maine Revenue Services' proposed amendment of its corporate income tax sourcing rules to clarify that receipts from services are sourced to where they are acquired or experienced instead of where they are received would increase ambiguity in the tax code, critics said Wednesday.
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February 19, 2025
La. Court Orders New Trial In Museum's Hotel Tax Break Case
A Louisiana board that allowed a property tax exemption for a hotel operated by the nonprofit National World War II Museum should have held a new trial after evidence surfaced that the hotel was more profitable than previously disclosed, a state appeals court ruled.
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February 19, 2025
Minn. Bill Seeks Vote For Property Owners On Local Taxes
Certain Minnesota residents could vote on local ballot measures affecting the taxation of properties they own regardless of whether they live in the taxing district involved if state voters approve a constitutional amendment proposed in legislation in the House.
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February 19, 2025
Ky. Bill Seeks To Replace Tax Appeals Board With Tribunal
Kentucky would create a tribunal with authority over all state and local tax disputes, replacing the state's Board of Tax Appeals, under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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February 19, 2025
Ill. Dept. OKs Quantum Computing Building Tax Credit Regs
Illinois individual and corporate taxpayers may claim income tax credits for a portion of wages paid to workers employed in the construction of quantum computing campus facilities, the state Department of Revenue said in adopted regulatory amendments.
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February 19, 2025
Minn. Bill Seeks Bank Tax Break For Commercial Loans
Minnesota would allow financial institutions to take a tax subtraction for their income from certain commercial loans under legislation introduced in the state House.
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February 19, 2025
Minn. Senate Panel OKs Repealing Tax On Illegal Drugs
Minnesota would repeal its rarely paid tax on illegal sales of cannabis and other drugs under legislation passed Wednesday by a state Senate committee.
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February 19, 2025
Minn. House Bill Seeks Corporate Tax Break On GILTI
Minnesota would eliminate state corporate taxation of global intangible low-taxed income and boost corporate tax deductions under legislation introduced in the state House.
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February 18, 2025
Residents Seek To Block La. Tax Overhaul Ballot Question
A group of Louisiana residents is seeking in a state trial court to halt a referendum that, if approved, would allow for a state constitutional change to implement an overhaul of Louisiana's tax regime.
Expert Analysis
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Consider 2 Alternative Exit Plans In RE Distress Scenarios
In the face of an impending wave of foreclosures, lenders and borrowers alike should consider two exit strategies — deed-in-lieu of foreclosure and consent foreclosure — that can mitigate potential costs and diminution in property value that could be incurred during a lengthy proceeding, say attorneys at BCLP.
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SC's Courts Have It Wrong On Amazon Marketplace Sales Tax
The South Carolina Supreme Court should step in and correct the misguided change in tax law effectuated by lower court rulings that found Amazon owes state sales tax for marketplace sales made prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair v. South Dakota decision in 2018, says Hayes Holderness at the University of Richmond.
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Constitutional Shenanigans And Other Sports: SALT In Review
From a challenge to New York's end run on a federal law to voters' rejection of a sales tax that would aid Kansas City's major league teams, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues
Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease
This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.
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Why Supreme Court Should Allow Repatriation Tax To Stand
If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't reject the taxpayers' misguided claims in Moore v. U.S. that the mandatory repatriation tax is unconstitutional, it could wreak havoc on our system of taxation and result in a catastrophic loss of revenue for the government, say Christina Mason and Theresa Balducci at Herrick Feinstein.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
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Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law
A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.
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Speaking Of Ideas Hard To Swallow: SALT In Review
From a Pennsylvania bill that would force corporate tax disclosure to a proposed candy tax in California, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.