State & Local
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July 31, 2025
Mich. Supporters Say High Earner Ballot Initiative Moves On
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment in Michigan that would levy an additional 5% tax on income over $500,000 are prepared to move forward in their efforts to put the initiative on the ballot despite a split vote Thursday from an advisory board.
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July 31, 2025
Tax Court OKs IRS Penalties On Captive Insurance Deductions
A Florida business must pay penalties for underreporting six years of income, the U.S. Tax Court ruled Thursday, finding it couldn't take deductions for payments to a microcaptive insurance arrangement that didn't actually qualify as insurance.
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July 31, 2025
La. Board Allows Oil Co.'s Late Appraisal In Assessment Fight
A Phillips 66 oil refinery can submit an appraisal of its property ordered before its assessment challenge was filed even though the company didn't receive the appraisal until after the deadline for evidence, the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals ruled, reversing the state Tax Commission.
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July 31, 2025
Chevron's $14.8M Apportionment Claim Rejected In Oregon
Chevron may not include commodity hedging receipts in apportionment calculations for its Oregon corporation excise taxes, the state's tax court said, rejecting the company's claim for a $14.8 million refund.
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July 31, 2025
Co. Pitches $33B Data Center Hub In Ariz. Opportunity Zone
One of the largest private landowners in Arizona on Thursday pitched a $33 billion project to build the biggest data center industrial park in the state on a 3,300-acre site in a federal opportunity zone.
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July 31, 2025
Ohio Bill Seeks To Allow County Pot Taxes Via Referendum
Ohio would authorize counties to impose an excise tax on the sale of adult-use marijuana if the tax is approved by a majority of voters via a ballot measure in a general or special election under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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July 31, 2025
La. Co.'s Tobacco Wraps Not Subject To Higher Excise Rate
Louisiana's increased tobacco excise tax rate doesn't apply to a tobacco wholesaler's sales of wraps because the wraps are considered nonsmoking tobacco products, the state Board of Tax Appeals found, overruling the state Department of Revenue.
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July 31, 2025
Ore. Farm Tax Break Wrongly Denied, Court Says
An Oregon property was wrongly disqualified from a tax break for farm use, the state's tax court said, agreeing with the owners that the county assessor failed to take the required steps for its decision, including a site visit.
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July 31, 2025
Ind. Meat Co. Can Have Use Exemption, Dept. Says In Reversal
An Indiana meat packing company should be allowed a use tax exemption for cooler and freezer equipment because the equipment qualifies for a predominant use exemption, the Department of State Revenue said, reversing its earlier determination.
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July 30, 2025
Peacock Says Maryland's Digital Ad Tax Violates ITFA
Maryland's digital advertising tax violates the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act by applying only to electronic commerce, Peacock TV told the state tax court Wednesday, providing witnesses who highlighted similarities between digital and traditional advertising methods.
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July 30, 2025
Tax Overhaul Is Mixed Bag For Interest Expense Deductions
Companies that are eager to increase their interest expense deductions under the new federal tax overhaul may end up with a smaller tax break than expected due to how the law factors their foreign income into the deduction calculation.
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July 30, 2025
Groups Warn IRS Policy Shift Could Beget Dark Money Deluge
Leaders of national nonprofit organizations said Wednesday that the IRS' efforts to weaken a 71-year-old tax law banning churches from endorsing political candidates would lead to unlimited amounts of untraceable campaign contributions flowing through the nonprofit sector.
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July 30, 2025
Dechert Adds Tax Pro From PwC In DC
Dechert LLP has continued to grow its financial services platform in Washington, D.C., with the hire of a partner from PwC.
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July 30, 2025
Ore. Clarifies Info Disclosure For Enterprise Zone Tax Breaks
Oregon specified which of a business's records are exempt from disclosure when applying for an enterprise zone property tax exemption and clarified eligibility requirements under a bill signed by the governor.
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July 30, 2025
Car Dealer Seeks Oral Arguments In Ohio High Court Tax Fight
A West Virginia car dealer should be able to present its case in its Ohio commercial activity tax fight to the Ohio Supreme Court in oral arguments, the dealer told the justices Wednesday.
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July 30, 2025
Michigan General Revenue Through June Up $901M
Michigan's general revenue fund revenue from October through June outpaced last year's collection by $901 million, according to the State Budget Office in a report released Wednesday.
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July 29, 2025
Conn. Resident Asks NY Panel To Negate Tax On Remote Work
A Connecticut resident who teaches at a New York university asked a New York state appeals court to grant him a tax refund for days he worked from home, arguing the state unconstitutionally stretched its taxing authority into Connecticut, according to a petition made public Tuesday.
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July 29, 2025
Mass. Couple's Push For Lower Home Value Falls Short
A Massachusetts couple's claim that their home was dated and overvalued by a local assessor was rejected by a state board, which found shortcomings in their sales comparison analysis.
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July 29, 2025
DC Council Rejects Capital Gains Tax Boost In Budget
Washington, D.C., council members narrowly rejected a proposal to impose a capital gains surcharge on high-income earners, passing a funding package that would block the district's earned income tax credit and expand gambling.
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July 29, 2025
State & Local Tax Atty Rejoins Pillsbury In San Francisco
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP continues expanding its tax team, welcoming a state and local tax expert who worked several years as a solo practitioner back to the firm as a partner in its San Francisco office.
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July 29, 2025
Colo. Conservative Group Says New OT Law Violates TABOR
Colorado's new overtime law, which requires overtime deducted from federal gross income to be added back to a taxpayer's federal taxable income for state income tax, violates the state's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, a conservative advocacy group told a state district court.
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July 29, 2025
Calif. Allows Retroactive Tax Exclusion For Solar Property
California will allow the purchaser of a new property a three-year window to apply for a property tax exclusion for solar energy systems under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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July 29, 2025
Utah Justices Back Tax On Spouse Of University Student
The husband of a Utah resident is on the hook to pay income tax despite having resided in another state, the Utah Supreme Court said, ruling that because his wife was attending college in the state, he also qualified as a domiciled resident.
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July 29, 2025
NJ Offers Penalty, Interest Waivers For Nonresident Partners
Partnerships with nonresident partners that owe New Jersey tax can request relief from late filing penalties and interest on underpayments of estimated taxes if they have calculated tax based on a former method that was altered in 2024, the state tax agency said.
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July 29, 2025
Calif. Extends Filing Allowance For Taxpayers Without SSNs
California indefinitely extended provisions of a preexisting law allowing nonresidents without a Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number to file state income tax returns or be included on group returns under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Expert Analysis
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens
States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Kentucky Tax Talk: Finally Better Online Records At Revenue?
The Kentucky Department of Revenue has not taken significant visible steps toward complying with legislation requiring it to post administrative guidance on its website starting no later than Nov. 15, and refusal to do so would widen the transparency gap between the state and its more business-friendly neighbors, say attorneys at Frost Brown.
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Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
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Overreach In Texas And An Acronym In Peril: SALT In Review
From the Council on State Taxation's take on a proposal in Texas to the potential end of a fundamental truth in Montana, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources
Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
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NY Tax Talk: Questions In Corporate Franchise Tax Regs Case
In the first challenge to New York's Corporate Franchise Tax regulations — Paychex v. Department of Taxation and Finance — the court has an important opportunity to provide clarity on a major retroactive application issue, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment
Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.
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Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity
Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
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Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.