State & Local
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June 20, 2025
Texas Justices Pass On USA Today, Tax Firm Defamation Fight
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to take up a venue dispute in a defamation suit against USA Today over a 2021 investigative series into tax services and technology company Ryan LLC.
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June 20, 2025
REIT Wants Mo. Justices To Review City Tax On Rental Income
Rental income from property owned by healthcare real estate investment trust Ventas Inc. should not be taxed by Kansas City, Missouri, as income from business activity, the company said, seeking review of the case by the state supreme court.
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June 20, 2025
Arizona Voters To Decide On Local Grocery Tax Cap
Arizona cities and towns would be barred from imposing new or increased grocery tax rates above 2% if voters approve a state constitutional amendment proposed in a resolution approved by lawmakers Friday.
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June 20, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Latham, Paul Weiss, Covington
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Nippon Steel closes its purchase of U.S. Steel, Hunter Point Capital buys a minority stake in Equitix, Eaton acquires Ultra PCS Ltd. from the Cobham Ultra Group, and Eli Lilly and Co. acquires Verve Therapeutics.
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June 20, 2025
80% Back Energy Co. Taxes For Climate Damage, Oxfam Says
About 80% of people surveyed across the world support taxing oil, gas and coal corporations as a way to pay for environmental damages caused by pollution, including 75% in the U.S., according to a survey by nongovernmental organization Oxfam International and environmentalist organization Greenpeace International.Â
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June 18, 2025
Oregon House Panel OKs Nearly Doubling Lodging Tax Rate
Oregon would raise its state transient lodging tax rate from 1.5% to 2.75%, with the new revenue dedicated to state conservation efforts, under legislation advanced by the House Revenue Committee.
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June 18, 2025
La. Officials Probe Tax Dept.'s Capacity For Seller Audits
More enforcement is needed to ensure proper collection of taxes on remote sales, members of Louisiana's remote sellers commission said Wednesday, while noting challenges the state's tax department may face should it take on audits for the commission.
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June 18, 2025
Square, Cash App Parent Wins Push To Slash Atlanta Tax Bill
A trial court correctly ruled that the parent company of online payment systems Square and Cash App didn't owe around $540,000 in business occupation tax to Atlanta, the Georgia Court of Appeals found, agreeing that the company owed around $20,000 instead.
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June 18, 2025
Mich. Housing Co-Op Suit On Hold After Disclosure Exemption
A Michigan federal judge hit pause on a lawsuit from a group of housing cooperatives to escape requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act after the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said it would give U.S.-based entities a break from the rules.
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June 18, 2025
Aramark's Agency Exclusion Claim Rejected By Ohio Justices
Aramark can't claim an agency exclusion on its gross receipts tax calculations for reimbursements it received from clients for purchases, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, affirming the state tax agency's denial of a roughly $908,000 tax refund claim from the food services company.
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June 18, 2025
RI Revenue Collection Trails Forecast By $1.1M
Rhode Island's general fund revenue collection for July through May underperformed an estimate by $1.1 million, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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June 18, 2025
Okla. Apartments Not Subject To Property Tax Bump Transfer
An Oklahoma apartment complex is not subject to the county's increased tax assessment that is allowed when a property's title is transferred just because the limited partnership that owns the complex changed ownership, the state Supreme Court ruled.Â
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June 18, 2025
NC Total Revenue Through May Up $980M From Last Year
North Carolina's total revenue collection from July through May surpassed the amount collected during the same period last fiscal year by $980 million, according to the state controller's office.
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June 18, 2025
Okla. Gov. Nixes Betting Loss Exclusion From Deduction Cap
Oklahoma's governor pocket vetoed a bill that would have exempted gambling losses that are deductible for federal income tax purposes from the state's cap on itemized deductions.
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June 18, 2025
Virginia General Revenue Collection Through May Up $1.6B
Virginia's general fund revenue collection from July through May surged ahead of last year by $1.6 billion, according to a report by the state finance secretary.
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June 17, 2025
Florida Lawmakers Approve Ending Business Rent Tax
Florida would eliminate its business rent tax and require a study on whether the state could eliminate or reduce residential property taxes under budget-related legislation the state Legislature approved.
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June 17, 2025
Wyden Vows To Fight For Energy Credits Facing GOP Repeal
The top Senate Democratic tax writer vowed Tuesday to try to protect clean energy tax provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that would face an early repeal under the sweeping tax and budget legislation released by Republicans in the Senate Finance Committee.
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June 17, 2025
Ill. Increases Sports Betting, Tobacco Tax And Taxes Airbnbs
Illinois increased its tax on sports betting and tobacco products and extended its tax on hotel operators to include short-term rentals like Airbnbs and Vrbos under a budget bill approved by the governor.
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June 17, 2025
La. Lawmakers OK Sourcing Change For Drop Shipments
Louisiana would change its sourcing of drop shipments for state sales tax purposes under a bill passed by state lawmakers and sent to the governor.
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June 17, 2025
Ariz. House OKs Raising Biz Property Tax Exemption
Arizona would increase its personal property tax exemption for property used in a trade or business or for agriculture to $500,000 and expand other tax breaks under a bill passed in the state House.
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June 17, 2025
Oregon SALT Cap Workaround Extension OK'd By Senate
Oregon would extend its optional alternative tax on pass-through entities and corresponding individual income tax credits, a workaround to the federal deduction caps for state and local taxes, under legislation approved Tuesday by the state Senate.
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June 17, 2025
Sam's Club $310M Tobacco Tax Bill OK'd By Ill. Appeals Panel
A Sam's Club outlet in Illinois was correctly assessed $310 million for its failure to pay county tobacco taxes on cigarettes it sold to out-of-county retailers, a state appeals panel said in a judgment, reversing a circuit court decision.
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June 17, 2025
Wisconsin Revenue Surges $896M Through May
Wisconsin general revenue collection for July through May beat last year's collection by $896 million, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue released Tuesday.
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June 17, 2025
Arizona Voters To Decide On Mileage Tax Ban
Arizona voters will decide whether to amend the state's constitution to bar state and local taxes on vehicle mileage under a resolution approved by state lawmakers.
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June 17, 2025
Ill. Revenue Through May Beats Budget Forecast By $225M
Illinois general fund revenue from July through May outpaced a forecast by $225 million, according to a report by the Office of Management and Budget.
Expert Analysis
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Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw
When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.
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The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References
As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit
The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.
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Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles
Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.
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When Even A Judge Feels Defeated: SALT In Review
From a split decision in a New York state court to a Louisiana plan to funnel tax dollars to student-athletes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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$38M Law Firm Settlement Highlights 'Unworthy Client' Perils
A recent settlement of claims against law firm Eckert Seamans for allegedly abetting a Ponzi scheme underscores the continuing threat of clients who seek to exploit their lawyers in perpetrating fraud, and the critical importance of preemptive measures to avoid these clients, say attorneys at Lockton Companies.
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Evolving Federal Rules Pose Further Obstacles To NY LLC Act
Following the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent changes to beneficial ownership information reporting under the federal Corporate Transparency Act — dramatically reducing the number of companies required to make disclosures — the utility of New York's LLC Transparency Act becomes less apparent, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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The IRS Shouldn't Go To War Over Harvard's Tax Exemption
If the Internal Revenue Service revokes Harvard's tax-exempt status for violating established public policy — a position unsupported by currently available information — the precedent set by surviving the inevitable court challenge could undercut the autonomy and distinctiveness of the charitable sector, says Johnny Rex Buckles at Houston Law Center.
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An Illegitimate Avenue Of Repeal: SALT In Review
From a court upholding New York state's interpretation of a federal law to Arkansas' new tax break for college athletes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Crisis Management Lessons From The Parenting Playbook
The parenting skills we use to help our kids through challenges — like rehearsing for stressful situations, modeling confidence and taking time to reset our emotions — can also teach us the fundamentals of leading clients through a corporate crisis, say Deborah Solmor at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Cara Peterman at Alston & Bird.
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Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw
While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.
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Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them
Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.
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How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients
Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.