State & Local
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January 07, 2025
No Problem With $217M Dam Repair Tax, Mich. Panel Says
A Michigan appellate panel on Monday said a $217 million special assessment levied on property owners for dam repairs and lake level restoration after devastating 2020 floods was established through a legally sound process, ruling the owners were never entitled to have a pseudo-judicial review of the tax.
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January 07, 2025
Baker McKenzie Adds Tax Partners In California And New York
Baker McKenzie is fortifying its tax practice by hiring a partner in San Francisco with experience in planning tax positions and handling controversies for technology-driven companies and rehiring another in New York who is skilled at state taxes and journalism.
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January 07, 2025
Ore. Tax Court Affirms Value Error's Fix Applies Only To 1 Year
The Oregon Department of Revenue correctly adjusted the maximum assessed value of a property for only one tax year based on the correction of an earlier error, the Oregon Tax Court ruled.
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January 07, 2025
Iowa General Revenue Collection Through Dec. Up $124M
Iowa's general fund receipts from July through December were $124 million higher than during the same period last fiscal year, according to the state's Department of Management.
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January 06, 2025
Newsom Says No New Taxes, No Deficit, In Early Budget Look
California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged Monday not to raise taxes in the upcoming budget cycle for the state, while providing an early look at a $322 billion budget that differs from the previous two years by not having a deficit.
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January 06, 2025
Pa. Licensing Law For Vape-Makers Flawed, Panel Finds
Part of Pennsylvania's law regulating licenses for e-cigarette manufacturers is unconstitutional because it gives legislative power to the state's Department of Revenue, an appellate court has ruled in an issue of first impression.
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January 06, 2025
Va. Tax Head Backs Assessments Based On IRS Audit
The Virginia Department of Taxation correctly issued assessments to a woman for additional income tax after learning that the IRS had adjusted her federal returns and finding no record of amended state returns to report the federal changes, the state's tax commissioner ruled.
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January 06, 2025
Va. Retailer Gets Last Chance To Back Up Exemption Claim
A Virginia retailer will get a final chance to provide documentation to claim exemptions and contest the findings of an audit of its sales and use tax liability, the state's tax commissioner said.
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January 06, 2025
Hochul Pitches Increasing NY Child Tax Credit
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday that she wants to roughly triple the state's refundable child tax credit to up to $1,000 per child under the age of four and increase the benefit to as much as $500 for older children.
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January 06, 2025
Idaho Gov. Aiming For $100M In Tax Cuts
Idaho's governor will push for a new round of tax cuts this year, worth a total of $100 million, he said Monday during his State of the State address.
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January 06, 2025
Ill. Bill Aims To Extend Affordable Housing Tax Break Deadline
Illinois would allow some owners of affordable rental housing until the end of 2037 to apply for a reduction in their property's assessed value for tax purposes as part of a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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January 06, 2025
Va. Tax Head Affirms Gov't Contractor's Sales Tax Bill
A Virginia-based government contractor that provided technology consulting services was correctly assessed retail sales and use tax on hardware and software sales that were part of a cost reimbursement contract, the state's tax commissioner said.
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January 06, 2025
Va. Brewery Owed Tax Refund For Pollution Equipment
A Virginia brewery is due a refund of sales and use taxes paid on pollution control equipment, the state tax commissioner ruled, saying the agency that certified the equipment for a tax exemption had the authority to do so.
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January 06, 2025
Proskauer Adds New Funds Partners In NY, DC
Proskauer Rose LLP announced Monday it has rung in the new year by adding two new partners to its private funds group, with the addition of a tax expert from Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in New York and a regulatory specialist from the SEC in Washington, D.C.
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January 06, 2025
Va. Newcomers Partly Allowed Credits For Out-Of-State Taxes
A newly arrived Virginia couple were eligible for state income tax credits for taxes paid to two other states on income sourced to those states, but not for taxes paid to California, the Virginia tax commissioner said.
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January 06, 2025
Va. Contractor Allowed Credit For Wrongly Collected Sales Tax
A Virginia security systems seller and installer may seek a credit for sales taxes erroneously collected from its customers when it should have paid sales or use taxes itself, the state tax commissioner said.
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January 06, 2025
Pa. Revenues Through Dec. Dip $97M Below Projections
Pennsylvania's general fund revenue from July through December was $97 million lower than expected, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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January 03, 2025
Honeygrow Accused Of Taxing Bottled Water At Pa. Location
Philadelphia-based restaurant chain Honeygrow unjustly profited from charging 6% sales tax for bottled water at one of its locations in violation of Pennsylvania law, a new class action lawsuit filed in state court alleged.
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January 03, 2025
Ohio AG Urges State Justices To Limit Local Tax Appeals
Ohio's attorney general backed property owners in the state Supreme Court who are arguing that school boards can't appeal valuation decisions of properties they don't lease or own to county courts, saying the boards don't have a sufficient interest in the properties to pursue litigation.
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January 03, 2025
Va. HVAC Biz Must Pay Tax On Unit Cost, Commissioner Says
A business that provides and installs heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for Virginia residents is considered a consuming contractor and must pay either sales or use tax on the cost of the units it installs, the state's tax commissioner said.
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January 03, 2025
Ohio Appeals Court Backs Eightfold Boost In Property Value
An Ohio appeals court rejected a man's effort to cut the valuation of his property, upholding a state Board of Tax Appeals order that reinstated a valuation that rose eightfold from the previous year.
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January 03, 2025
Potomac Law Group Adds Longtime Tax Leader From Day Pitney
After an end-of-the-year hiring spree in which Potomac Law Group added four former Rimon PC attorneys, PLG has started 2025 by adding the former leader of Day Pitney's multistate tax practice to its ranks.
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January 03, 2025
Ark. Revenues Through Dec. Top Estimate By $28.7M
Arkansas' net revenue collection from July to December exceeded state forecasts for the period by $28.7 million, according to a state Department of Finance and Administration report released Friday.
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January 02, 2025
NC Tax Agency Says Court Erred In Sales Tax Ruling
A North Carolina administrative law court erred in determining that an asphalt company's transfers of its liquid asphalt product to its parent company and another related entity were distributions not subject to sales tax, the state tax agency said in a petition.
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January 02, 2025
La. Dept. Lowers Interest Charged On Unpaid Taxes
The Louisiana Department of Revenue lowered the rate of interest it collects on unpaid taxes by half a percentage point, the department said in a bulletin.
Expert Analysis
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Meeting A New Tax Across The River: SALT In Review
From New York's revised congestion pricing for lower Manhattan to the reality of artificial intelligence in tax administration, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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States, Taxes And Scorecards: SALT In Review
From the latest noteworthy rankings of the states' business tax regimes to results of ballot measures across the country, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens
States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Finally Better Online Records At Revenue?
The Kentucky Department of Revenue has not taken significant visible steps toward complying with legislation requiring it to post administrative guidance on its website starting no later than Nov. 15, and refusal to do so would widen the transparency gap between the state and its more business-friendly neighbors, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
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Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
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Overreach In Texas And An Acronym In Peril: SALT In Review
From the Council on State Taxation's take on a proposal in Texas to the potential end of a fundamental truth in Montana, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources
Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
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NY Tax Talk: Questions In Corporate Franchise Tax Regs Case
In the first challenge to New York's Corporate Franchise Tax regulations — Paychex v. Department of Taxation and Finance — the court has an important opportunity to provide clarity on a major retroactive application issue, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment
Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.