State & Local
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June 02, 2025
Ill. Budget Increases Taxes On Tobacco, Online Sports Books
Illinois' Democratic-controlled General Assembly passed a $55 billion budget for fiscal 2026, including about $800 million in targeted tax hikes on tobacco, vaping and online sports betting.
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June 02, 2025
Calif. Construction Co. Owes Tax On Materials, OTA Says
A California construction company owes tax on sales of materials and other goods after failing to prove its assessment should be lowered, the state Office of Tax Appeals said in a ruling released Monday.
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June 02, 2025
Calif. Sizzler Franchise CEO Owes $500K In Tax, OTA Says
The president of a California company that operated multiple Sizzler restaurants is personally liable for over $500,000 in sales taxes and penalties, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled in an opinion released Monday that upheld the state tax agency.
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June 02, 2025
Hawaii Suspends Tax Collections Time Limit During Appeals
Hawaii will suspend the statute of limitations on collections of income tax, transient accommodations tax and other taxes while an appeal of an assessment is pending before the state's Taxation Board of Review or Tax Appeal Court under a bill signed by the governor.
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June 02, 2025
Texas Lawmakers OK Tax Exemption For Internet Access
Texas would exempt internet access services from sales tax under an amended bill passed by lawmakers and headed to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for consideration.
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June 02, 2025
Colo. Creates Employee-Owned Biz Tax Breaks
Colorado will allow up to $1 million state income tax deduction, along with other tax breaks, for employee-owned businesses under a bill signed by the governor.Â
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June 02, 2025
Hawaii Conforms Tax Laws To Federal Code
Hawaii conformed its income, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax laws to the Internal Revenue Code under a bill signed by the governor.
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June 02, 2025
Minn. Justices Prod Humana On Pharmacy Benefit Sourcing
Minnesota Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Monday of a Humana subsidiary's arguments that sales of pharmacy benefit services attributed to the state should be sourced to a Humana unit based in Wisconsin.
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June 02, 2025
NJ Church Must Prove Religious Use For Tax Exemption
A church that no longer holds services must produce evidence to show that it houses religious items to overturn a New Jersey town's denial of a tax exemption for the property, the state's tax court ruled.
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June 02, 2025
Feds Want 12½ Years For Ex-Ill. Speaker Convicted Of Bribery
Prosecutors are urging an Illinois federal judge to sentence former state House Speaker Michael Madigan to prison for 12½ years for bribery, conspiracy and fraud, saying his conduct adds "another sordid chapter to Illinois' storied reputation of corruption" while Madigan, armed with more than 200 letters of support, seeks only probation.
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June 02, 2025
Calif. Smoke Shop Purchaser Found Liable For Biz Sales Tax
A California business that purchased a smoke shop from the previous operator is liable for the remaining sales tax liability of that business as the successor, the state Office of Tax Appeals said in a ruling released Monday.
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June 02, 2025
Nebraska Tax Commission Upholds Farm's $1.89M Valuation
A Nebraska farm valued at $1.89 million was accurately assessed in line with other agricultural property, the state's Tax Equalization and Review Commission found, rejecting claims by the property owner that it was over-assessed.
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June 02, 2025
Calif. Man Failed To Pay Sandwich Shop's Tax Liability
A California man willfully failed to pay the sales tax liability of the sandwich shop in which he had 49% ownership, the state Office of Tax Appeals said in a ruling released Monday.Â
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June 02, 2025
Mich. General Revenue Jumps By $720M Through April
Michigan's total general fund revenue for October through April outpaced last year by $720 million, according to a report by the state Budget Office.
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June 02, 2025
Texas Voters To Decide On Fire-Ruined Homestead Tax Break
Texas voters will decide whether to amend the state's constitution to authorize a temporary property tax exemption for homesteads destroyed by fire under a joint resolution approved by state lawmakers and filed with the secretary of state.
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May 30, 2025
Ex-Mich. Speaker, Wife To Face Nonprofit Embezzlement Trial
Former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Lee Chatfield and his wife on Friday were sent to circuit court to stand trial on allegations that the former speaker misused state and campaign funds, and that the pair embezzled money from Chatfield's nonprofit to pay for their lifestyle.
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May 30, 2025
Nicotine Tax Dispute Heads To Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a dispute over whether a vape company that sells oral nicotine products should be subject to a state tax on tobacco products.
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May 30, 2025
Pa. Justices Back Hospital Tax Break Despite High Salaries
The corporate structure and high executive pay at a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, hospital were not reason enough to take away its nonprofit, tax-exempt status, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.
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May 30, 2025
DC Budget Plan Would OK Gambling, Repeal Child Tax Break
Washington, D.C., would legalize and tax certain gambling activities and repeal its new child tax credit before it is ever used under a budget and revenue proposal that also promises cuts in services.
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May 30, 2025
Minn. Tax Court Blasts County Counsel For AI-Written Brief
Counsel for a Minnesota county submitted a brief to the state tax court generated by artificial intelligence with five legal citations for cases that did not exist, the court said, referring the matter to a state disciplinary board.
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May 30, 2025
State & Local Tax Takeaways From May
Many states, looking at a new fiscal year starting in July, finalized their budgets in May, with significant tax implications for individuals and businesses. New York will reduce income taxes on lower- to middle-income taxpayers. In Washington state, several measures intended to close a $16 billion shortfall include an expansion of the sales tax to digital advertising. Here, Law360 presents these and other state and local tax developments to know from the past month.
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May 30, 2025
AT&T Unit Loses Dispute Over Calif. Property Tax Rates
AT&T unit Pacific Bell and other phone companies failed to prove that a California county's differing tax rates for locally assessed and state-assessed properties are unconstitutional, a state appeals court affirmed.
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May 30, 2025
Ind. Tax Dept. Finds Man Sought Refund On Time
An Indiana resident who amended his state and federal tax returns to correct his income filed for a refund within the state's statute of limitations, the Department of State Revenue said, overturning an earlier determination.
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May 30, 2025
Mass. Can't Delay Developer's Suit Over Brownfields Credit
Massachusetts tax officials who have taken more than two years to consider the appeal of a denied brownfields tax credit must hand over the administrative record in the case so that a developer can pursue a motion for judgment on the pleadings, a state court justice has ordered.
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May 30, 2025
Maine Revenue Falls $29M Short Of Projections Through April
Maine revenues from July through April lagged $29 million behind estimates, according to a report by the state Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
Expert Analysis
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Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind
As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.
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What Is Right And What Is Not: SALT In Review
From an important ruling by a judge in Arkansas to a disclosure proposal in Minnesota, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence
As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.
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Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw
Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.
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Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist
Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Making The Opportunity Zones Program Great At Last
As the opportunity zone program approaches its expiration, the Republican-led government could take specific steps to extend and improve the program, address its structural flaws, encourage broader participation and enable it to live up to its promised outcomes, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment
As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
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Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession
For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.
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4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy
This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.
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Paycheck Politics And A Bagful Of Arrogance: SALT In Review
From Seattle's new tax on large paychecks to one Maryland county's measure addressing grocery bags, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.
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Why NY May Want To Reconsider Its LLC Transparency Law
Against the backdrop of the myriad challenges to the federal Corporate Transparency Act, it may be prudent for New York to reconsider its adoption of the LLC Transparency Act, since it's unclear whether the Empire State's "baby-CTA" statute is still necessary or was passed prematurely, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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State FCAs Should Cover Local Fund Misuse, State Tax Fraud
New Jersey and other states with similar False Claims Acts should amend them to cover misappropriated municipal funding, and state and local tax fraud, which would encourage more whistleblowers to come forward and increase their recoveries, says Kenneth Levine at Stone & Magnanini.