State & Local
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June 05, 2025
Calif. Assembly OKs Exemption For Returned Tribal Land
California land that is transferred to a federally recognized Native American tribe would be exempt from state real estate transfer tax under a bill passed in the state Assembly.Â
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June 05, 2025
Vt. Revenues Surge $225M, Income Taxes Lead Growth
Vermont's general fund revenue collection from July through April outpaced last year for the same period by $225 million, according to the state Agency of Administration in a report released Thursday.
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June 05, 2025
Ore. Senate OKs Barring Farm Tax Break For Illegal Pot Grows
Oregon would disqualify land from special agricultural tax assessments if the owner is found to be illegally growing marijuana on it under legislation passed unanimously by the state Senate and headed to the House.
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June 05, 2025
La. Lawmakers OK State, Local Sales Tax Break Requirement
Louisiana would require new sales and use tax exemptions to apply to both state and local sales tax under a bill approved by state lawmakers and headed to the governor.
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June 05, 2025
Justices Fault Wis. For Denying Tax Break To Charities
Wisconsin discriminated against a group of Catholic charities when it denied them an unemployment tax exemption, the U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday, rejecting the state's argument that the charities were not operated primarily for religious purposes.
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June 04, 2025
Judge Ponders If Netflix's Tax Theory Is 'Too Philosophical'
A Colorado appellate judge on Wednesday wondered if Netflix's argument for why its subscriptions are not subject to state sales tax is "too philosophical" and doesn't reflect its actual transactions with customers, at a hearing in the state's appeal.
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June 04, 2025
Va. Supreme Court Won't Review Partnership Tax Dispute
The Virginia Supreme Court refused to take up an appeal by the state's tax agency of a ruling that rejected its use of a blended apportionment formula to calculate a corporate partner's tax liability on income from a minority partnership interest.
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June 04, 2025
Senate May Clash With House On SALT Cap, Energy Credits
Senate Republicans are working to finalize the chamber's version of the House's nearly $4 trillion tax bill, and the Senate's bill is likely to conflict with the House's over proposed changes to the state and local tax deduction and green energy credits.
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June 04, 2025
Calif. OTA OKs $300K Penalty On Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank did not show cause to have a California tax agency abate more than $300,000 in penalties for the 2021 tax year, the state's Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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June 04, 2025
Mo. Appeals Court Upholds City Tax On REIT's Rental Income
Healthcare real estate investment trust Ventas Inc.'s receipt of rental income earned from four medical office buildings in Kansas City, Missouri, is a business activity subject to the city's earnings tax, the Missouri Court of Appeals ruled, affirming a lower court decision.
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June 04, 2025
Boston Condo Owned By LLC Wins Partial Exemption
A Boston condominium owned by a single-member limited liability company is eligible for a partial tax exemption as a primary residence, the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board said in an opinion released Wednesday, reversing the determination of the city board of assessors.
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June 04, 2025
Wis. Court Says PL 86-272 Can't Shield Fla. Travel Co.
A Florida-based travel service can't claim P.L. 86-272Â barred Wisconsin's taxation of the company's activities in the state, a Wisconsin appeals court ruled, backing a corporate income and franchise tax assessment by the state's tax agency.
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June 04, 2025
Ohio Justices Told State Tax Commish Overvalued Pipeline
The Ohio tax commissioner overvalued a pipeline, and the state tax appeals board erred in adopting that valuation instead of coming up with its own value, a pipeline company told the Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday.
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June 04, 2025
Mass. Board Upholds Home Value Despite Owner's Claims
A Massachusetts homeowner's claims of groundwater contamination, nearby illicit activities and noxious odors fell short of the evidence needed to reduce the property's tax valuation, a state board said in an opinion released Wednesday.
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June 04, 2025
Ohio Justice Questions School Board's Tax Appeal Claim
An Ohio justice criticized a school board's claim that state law allows it to appeal administrative property valuation rulings to county courts when the board doesn't own the property at issue.
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June 04, 2025
Texas Revenue Through May Up 2.4% From Last Year
Texas' revenue collection from September through May outpaced the total for the same period last fiscal year by 2.4%, according to the state comptroller of public accounts.
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June 04, 2025
Fla. Net Revenue Through April Beat Estimates By $276M
Florida's net general revenue collection from June through April finished ahead of government forecasts by $276 million, according to a report by the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
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June 04, 2025
Ore. Ride-Hailing Driver Partly Denied Mileage Deductions
An Oregon ride-hailing driver who contracted with Uber, Lyft and others is not eligible for certain income tax deductions for vehicle mileage because he did not provide the required documentation, the state's tax court ruled.
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June 04, 2025
Nev. Creates Rules For Cannabis Sellers' Tax Compliance
Nevada established requirements cannabis sellers must meet to comply with state tax law governing wholesale and retail sales of cannabis, and laid out procedures the state's tax department must follow in administering compliance, under a bill signed by the governor.
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June 03, 2025
Mich. To Handle Collection Of Flint's City Income Tax
The Michigan Treasury Department will handle filings and payments of the city of Flint's income tax starting in 2027 under an agreement with the city, the department announced Tuesday.
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June 03, 2025
Ohio GOP Budget Plan Includes Flat Income Tax
Ohio would replace its progressive individual income tax system with a flat tax and offer property tax relief under a budget bill put forward by Senate Republicans on Tuesday.
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June 03, 2025
Calif. OTA Rules Against S Corp. Owner On R&D Credit
A California engineer who held a majority stake in an S corporation does not qualify for a research and development tax credit, the state's Office of Tax Appeals ruled, backing a state tax agency.
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June 03, 2025
Calif. OTA Denies Video Game Exec's Bad Debt Deduction
A shareholder and board member of a defunct California video game company is not entitled to a bad debt deduction, also known as a worthless stock deduction, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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June 03, 2025
Texas Gives Some Property Owners More Time To Pay Taxes
Some Texas property owners whose taxing authorities allow bills to be paid in two installments will get more time to make their initial payment under legislation signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
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June 03, 2025
Ind. Cities Can't Tax Streaming Video, Court Says
Streaming video services in Indiana provided by Netflix, Disney and Hulu, as well as services from DirecTV and Dish Network, are not subject to local franchise fees imposed on cable systems and others, a state appeals court ruled.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims
Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.
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Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law
Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.
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NY Tax Talk: Sourcing, Retroactivity, Information Services
Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland examine recent decisions by New York’s Tax Appeals Tribunal, Division of Taxation and Court of Appeals on location sourcing of broker-dealer receipts, a case of first impression on the retroactive application of Corporate Franchise Tax regulations and when fees for information services are excluded from taxation.
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Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals
If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.
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Sensible In Maine, Less So On Capitol Hill: SALT In Review
From a move afoot on Capitol Hill toward ending an important corporate tax deduction to a proposal to do away with Maine's film tax credits, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks
The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.
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Power To The Paralegals: The Value Of Unified State Licensing
Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.
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10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master
As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.
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An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future
Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.
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Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance
Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.