State & Local
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May 02, 2025
Miss. Justices Agree Gas Co.'s Freight Charges Not Taxable
The Mississippi Department of Revenue didn't have the authority to tax freight charges paid by a gas transportation company to a third party because they were part of a separate transaction and not the overall purchase, the state Supreme Court ruled.
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May 02, 2025
Mass. Board Upholds Home's Valuation Despite Comparables
A Massachusetts homeowner cannot have the value of her home lowered after failing to account for the differences between her home and the comparable sales she provided, the state tax appeals board said in a ruling released Friday.
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May 02, 2025
White House Budget Seeks $2.5B Cut From IRS Funding
The Internal Revenue Service's budget would be cut by nearly $2.5 billion compared with 2025 under the 2026 budget request released Friday by President Donald Trump's administration.
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May 02, 2025
Arkansas Dept. Says General Revenue Down From Last Year
Arkansas general revenue collection from July through April fell below the same time period last year by nearly $225 million, the state Department of Finance and Administration said Friday.
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May 02, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Goodwin, Haynes Boone
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Merck buys SpringWorks Therapeutics, Novartis AG acquires Regulus Therapeutics Inc., Sabre Corp. sells its Hospitality Solutions business to private equity shop TPG, and TWG Global and Mubadala Capital team up to bolster their investments.
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May 02, 2025
Fla. Net Revenue Through March Beat Estimates By $28M
Florida's net revenue collection from July through March exceeded forecasts by $28 million, according to a report from the state's Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
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May 02, 2025
West Virginia Revenues Beat Forecast By $237M
West Virginia's general fund revenue from July through April exceeded estimates by $237 million but lagged behind last year during the same period by $111 million, according to a report by the state Budget Office.
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May 02, 2025
Ala. Couple Can't Deduct Costs Incurred Before Biz Operated
A couple who own a running merchandise business in Alabama can't claim a deduction for business expenses incurred before the business was operational, the Alabama Tax Tribunal ruled.Â
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May 02, 2025
Michigan Income Tax Rate Cut Triggers Weren't Hit, State Says
Michigan's personal income tax rate will remain at 4.25% for tax year 2025 because revenue triggers that can temporarily reduce the rate weren't hit for the prior fiscal year, the state Department of Treasury said.
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May 01, 2025
PepsiCo Owes $2.1M In Tax Penalties, Illinois Panel Affirms
PepsiCo was correctly assessed $2.1 million in penalties for categorizing Frito-Lay expatriates' compensation as foreign payroll that would allow the company's profits to be excluded from state income tax calculations, according to an Illinois Appellate Court panel.
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May 01, 2025
Uber Needed To Collect Tax Pre-Wayfair, Ga. Panel Affirms
Uber was required to collect and remit millions in sales taxes on behalf of drivers and customers who used its app before the Wayfair decision, a Georgia appellate panel held Thursday, ruling against the ride-hailing company and upholding a trial court decision.
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May 01, 2025
Va. Delays Tax Deadlines For Those Hit By Feb. Flooding
Virginia will allow taxpayers who were affected by winter storms and severe flooding in February until the end of this year to file state tax returns and payments, the Department of Taxation said Thursday.
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May 01, 2025
Colo. Fees Don't Violate TABOR, Appeals Panel Says
The enterprise fees in Colorado's state transportation package passed in 2021 do not violate the state's Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a state appeals court said Thursday, upholding a district court ruling and rejecting a challenge from a conservative group.
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May 01, 2025
Colo. House OKs Eliminating Deduction For Free Sports Bets
Colorado would reduce and then eliminate a tax deduction for sports betting operators for free bets placed by players under a bill passed by the state House of Representatives and referred to the state Senate's Finance Committee.
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May 01, 2025
Ind. Co. May Get OK For GILTI, Foreign Dividends Deduction
A company in Indiana that was originally assessed additional corporate income tax after being denied a $17 million deduction for dividends from foreign subsidiaries may be able to claim another deduction, the Department of State Revenue said in a letter of findings.
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May 01, 2025
Ore. Tax Court Retains Nix Of Microsoft Foreign Income Relief
The Oregon Tax Court is adhering to its finding on the treatment of Microsoft's repatriated foreign income when calculating its state income, making only minor changes to an earlier order and rejecting the company's arguments for further relief.
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May 01, 2025
Ind. Sales Tax Applies To Car Service's Rentals
An Indiana company providing car transportation services properly paid sales tax on its rentals of vehicles, the state Department of Revenue determined, finding that the company failed to prove it was entitled to a refund.Â
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May 01, 2025
Wis. Senate Bill Seeks Film Tax Credit For Wages, Expenses
Wisconsin would allow film and television production companies to claim an income and franchise tax credit for wages and expenses paid to make a movie or broadcast in the state under a bill introduced in the Senate. Â
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May 01, 2025
Texas Senate Bill Aims To Bar Green Energy Tax Exemption
Texas would prohibit municipalities from exempting renewable energy facilities from property tax under a bill passed by the state Senate.
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April 30, 2025
House Judiciary Panel OKs Broadening PL 86-272 Protections
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee advanced legislation on Wednesday that would impose more restrictions on state tax authorities to levy income taxes on out-of-state businesses, approving changes to P.L. 86-272 in the panel's portion of the federal budget reconciliation bill.
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April 30, 2025
Tribes Join Push For High Court To Review Ariz. Tax On Plant
Arizona misinterpreted federal law and threatened the sovereignty of a Native American tribe with its taxation of a natural-gas-powered plant that sits on a reservation, the tribe told the U.S. Supreme Court in a brief Wednesday.
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April 30, 2025
Sheppard Mullin Brings On Kirkland Tax Ace In Houston
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP announced Wednesday that it expanded its tax, employee benefits and trusts and estates practice with a new partner most recently with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
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April 30, 2025
NY Sales Tax Applies To Co.'s Document Services, ALJ Rules
New York state sales tax applies to a Utah company's sales of document management products because the products are considered prewritten software, a New York administrative law judge ruled Wednesday.
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April 30, 2025
Texas Voters To Decide On Financial Transactions Tax Ban
Texas voters will decide whether to prevent the state from taxing securities transactions under a joint resolution passed by the state Senate.
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April 30, 2025
Fried Frank Taps Sidley's UK Tax Head
The former head of Sidley Austin LLP's U.K. tax practice has joined Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP's London office, where he will advise on U.K. and international tax structuring, the firm announced.
Expert Analysis
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
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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.