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State & Local

  • April 10, 2025

    Maine Bill Seeks Tax Exemption For Biz Property Below $50K

    Maine would exempt business personal property from tax if it is valued at less than $50,000 under a bill introduced Thursday in the state Senate.

  • April 10, 2025

    DeSantis Criticizes Fla. House's Broad Sales Tax Cut Plan

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday criticized a sales tax rate cut bill recently passed by the state's House of Representatives, saying he prefers targeted sales tax holidays and property tax relief over a broad sales tax reduction that would apply to tourists' purchases.

  • April 10, 2025

    Minn. House Panel Advances Private Tax Letter Program

    Minnesota would adopt a private letter ruling program to provide confidential guidance to taxpayers who ask for it under legislation advanced Thursday by a state House committee.

  • April 10, 2025

    Pa. Justices Try To Referee Pittsburgh's 'Jock Tax'

    Pennsylvania's Supreme Court justices looked to punt Thursday on whether the city of Pittsburgh's "jock tax" was uniform enough to pass constitutional muster, taking the unusual step of ordering extra briefing on how the city might offer tax credits for the 3% levy it put on nonresident entertainers' income earned at publicly funded venues.

  • April 10, 2025

    Sullivan & Worcester Hires Fried Frank REIT Tax Pro

    Sullivan & Worcester LLP announced Thursday that it has hired a Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP partner, noting that the attorney comes to the firm with deep real estate investment trust tax expertise.

  • April 10, 2025

    Dechert Tax Pro Jumps To Whiteford In NY

    Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLC has added an experienced transactional tax attorney from Dechert LLP as a partner to its practice in New York, the firm announced.

  • April 10, 2025

    Wash. To Require Reports For News Publishers' Tax Breaks

    Washington state will require businesses that claim a tax break for the publication of newspapers or eligible digital media content to either file a tax performance report with the state or repay the tax at a special rate under clarifying legislation signed by the governor.

  • April 10, 2025

    Maine Bill Seeks To End Exemption For Rental Vehicle Sales

    Maine would get rid of a sales tax exemption for purchased vehicles that are rented out for less than a year under a bill introduced Thursday in the state Senate.

  • April 10, 2025

    Texas Senate OKs Bill Creating Tangible Property Tax Break

    Texas would have voters decide if the state should create a tax break for income-producing tangible personal property, allowing owners to exempt a portion of its value from tax under a resolution unanimously passed by the state Senate.

  • April 09, 2025

    NJ Will Pay $15M To Settle County's Casino Tax Break Lawsuit

    Atlantic County and the state of New Jersey have reached a $15 million settlement over a dispute related to a property tax break program for casinos that the county argued unconstitutionally shifted the tax burden to its municipalities.

  • April 09, 2025

    Colo. House Panel Backs Suit Over TABOR's Constitutionality

    Colorado would retain counsel and file suit to determine whether the state's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of republican forms of government for the states under a resolution approved by a House panel.

  • April 09, 2025

    La. Revenue Chief Expects Bills To Broaden Sales Tax Base

    Louisiana may try to broaden its sales and use tax regime to include more services, the state's revenue secretary said Wednesday, noting that bills filed ahead of the Legislature's session next week shows tax reform will continue to be a priority.

  • April 09, 2025

    Mass. Town's Comparable Sales Rejected By Tax Board

    A three-family apartment building in Massachusetts was overvalued by a local assessor by about $40,000, the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board ruled, saying the owner's argument that the assessed value was greater than fair cash value proved persuasive.

  • April 09, 2025

    Minn. Biz Groups Bash Social Media Data Tax Bills

    Business and technology groups panned Minnesota legislation to tax data collection by social media platforms, saying Wednesday that the cost, estimated at nearly $100 million annually, would be borne by consumers and hurt the state's economy.

  • April 09, 2025

    Calif. OTA Denies Bad Debt Deduction For S Corp.'s Payments

    A California shareholder in an S corporation that invested in another company is not eligible to claim a bad debt deduction, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled, saying he failed to prove that the S corporation's payments were bona fide debts.

  • April 09, 2025

    Calif. Couple Not Eligible For Refund, OTA Rules

    A California couple claiming to have no taxable income and who asked for a refund for the amount withheld from them has not proved they were eligible for a refund for the 2020 tax year, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled. 

  • April 09, 2025

    Colo. Will Offer $34M Tax Break To Sundance Film Fest

    Colorado will offer the Sundance Film Festival a $34 million income tax credit now that the festival has decided to relocate to the state, under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.

  • April 09, 2025

    Ga. General Fund Receipts Through March Up $543M

    Georgia's general fund collection from July through March beat last year's earnings by $543 million, according to a report from the state governor's office.

  • April 09, 2025

    SD General Fund Revenues Beat Forecasts By $5M

    South Dakota's general fund revenue collection from July through March beat forecasts by $5.3 million, according to the state Bureau of Finance and Management. 

  • April 09, 2025

    Mont. Gives Taxpayers An Electronic Communications Option

    Montana gave taxpayers the option to receive communications from the state Department of Revenue electronically under a bill signed by the governor.

  • April 08, 2025

    Colo. Appeals Court Urged To Toss Transportation Fees

    Colorado's 2021 transportation funding law violates the state Taxpayer's Bill of Rights and related provisions, an anti-tax group told an appeals court panel Tuesday, urging it to reverse a district court order that stopped its lawsuit.

  • April 08, 2025

    Md. Lawmakers OK Tax on Data Services, High Earners

    Maryland would impose a tax on data service and create new income tax brackets for high earners under a budget package passed by the legislature, which next goes to the governor, who has voiced support for the measure.

  • April 08, 2025

    Md. Lawmakers OK Payment Plans For Incarcerated Taxpayers

    Maryland taxpayers who are currently or were incarcerated would be eligible for installment plans for tax liabilities under legislation approved by state lawmakers.

  • April 08, 2025

    Calif. OTA Says Motorcycle Co. President Owes Tax Liability

    The president of a former motorcycle sales business in California is liable to pay the company's assessed tax liability because she failed to prove she was not the responsible person, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled. 

  • April 08, 2025

    Mass. Board Upholds Town's Value Of Commerical Property

    An owner of a commercial property in Massachusetts failed to produce comparable sales to substantiate reducing the property's valuation by more than $400,000, the state Appellate Tax Board ruled Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • NY Tax Talk: Primary Function Is Key Analysis For Sales Tax

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    Two sales tax cases recently decided by New York's Appellate Division illustrate why both taxpayers and the state's Department of Revenue subscribe to the primary function test, a logical way to determine whether business transactions are subject to sales tax, say Elizabeth Cha and Jeremy Gove at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Time To Fix NYC's Broken Property Assessment System

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    A New York appellate court's decision to revive Tax Equity Now New York v. City of New York may force the city to revamp its outdated and unfair real estate tax assessment system, which could be fixed with a couple of simple changes, says Seth Feldman at Romer Debbas.

  • Strange Notions Bubble Up: SALT In Review

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    From an assault on North Carolina's phaseout of its corporate income tax to a court ruling on the taxability of sparkling water in Pennsylvania, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

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    As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • Consider 2 Alternative Exit Plans In RE Distress Scenarios

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    In the face of an impending wave of foreclosures, lenders and borrowers alike should consider two exit strategies — deed-in-lieu of foreclosure and consent foreclosure — that can mitigate potential costs and diminution in property value that could be incurred during a lengthy proceeding, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • SC's Courts Have It Wrong On Amazon Marketplace Sales Tax

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    The South Carolina Supreme Court should step in and correct the misguided change in tax law effectuated by lower court rulings that found Amazon owes state sales tax for marketplace sales made prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair v. South Dakota decision in 2018, says Hayes Holderness at the University of Richmond.

  • Constitutional Shenanigans And Other Sports: SALT In Review

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    From a challenge to New York's end run on a federal law to voters' rejection of a sales tax that would aid Kansas City's major league teams, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

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