State & Local
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May 16, 2025
The Tax Angle: Year-End Extenders, IRS Direct File
From a look at the possibility of Congress passing a year-end budget and tax extenders bill to efforts to keep the IRS Direct File program afloat, here's a peek into a reporter's notebook on a few of the week's developing tax stories.
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May 16, 2025
Skechers Must Foot $155K Tax Bill, Mass. Board Says
Skechers' income must be apportioned to Massachusetts under the state's rule for manufacturers, a Massachusetts tax board ruled in an opinion released Friday, upholding a $155,000 tax assessment, plus penalties and interest, against the footwear company.
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May 16, 2025
Oregon Lowers Revenue Forecast For Biennium By $162M
The forecast of Oregon's general fund revenue for the 2023-2025 biennium was lowered by $162 million, according to a report released by the state Office of Economic Analysis.
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May 16, 2025
Mich. Farm Gets Only Partial Exemption, Court Says
A Michigan property that has farmland, an apple orchard and an area used for tourism activities is eligible for only a partial agricultural exemption, the state appeals court ruled.
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May 16, 2025
Nebraska Net Receipts Through April Level With Estimates
Nebraska's net general fund receipts from July through April were in line with budget forecasts, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue, but trailed last year's collection by $1 billion.
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May 16, 2025
Ark. Co.'s Campus Food Services Tax-Exempt, Court Affirms
Arkansas' sales tax doesn't apply to a company's food sales on a college campus, the state appeals court affirmed, because the meal plans were sales for resale and exempt from tax.
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May 16, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Blakes, Davies, Goodmans
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Charter Communications Inc. merges with Cox Communications, Hub International Ltd. boosts its valuation after securing an investment, Pan American Silver Corp. acquires Mag Silver Corp. and Robinhood buys WonderFi.
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May 16, 2025
Minn. Senate Bill Would End Tax On Some Health Services
Minnesota would exempt several health services from the state's 1.8% health provider tax under legislation introduced Friday in the state Senate.
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May 16, 2025
Massachusetts Board Won't Lower Greenhouse Tax Value
The owner of a Boston property with a greenhouse failed to show evidence that it was overvalued, the state Appellate Tax Board said in an opinion released Friday, rejecting the owner's comparable-assessment analysis and other arguments.
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May 16, 2025
Colorado Ending Tax Deduction For Free Sports Bets
The tax deduction now available to Colorado sports betting operators for free bets by players will decrease and then disappear under legislation signed by Gov. Jared Polis.
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May 16, 2025
Holland & Knight Welcomes Tax Partner in Philadelphia
A new partner has joined Holland & Knight LLP's Philadelphia office and will help lead its state and local tax team, the firm announced.
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May 15, 2025
La. Tax Dept. Looks At Taking On Remote Seller Audits
The Louisiana Department of Revenue is interested in assuming audit responsibilities from the state's remote sellers commission, an official suggested Thursday, saying the department's more robust staffing may make it better positioned to enforce sales tax compliance from out-of-state businesses.
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May 15, 2025
Ohio Court Upholds Home's $450K Value Based On Sale
The Ohio tax appeals board didn't err in determining that a couple's home was correctly assessed at $450,000 based on its 2020 sale price, a state appeals court said in an opinion released Thursday.
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May 15, 2025
Texas Will Exempt Stock Exchange Operators From Tax
Texas will exempt security exchange operators from the state's franchise tax under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
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May 15, 2025
Conservatives Challenge Title Of Colo. Tax Cut Initiative
A proposed Colorado ballot measure to reduce the state income tax rate by one-hundredth of a percentage point was assigned an unlawfully confusing title by a state board, the conservative activists behind the initiative charged in a petition to the state Supreme Court.
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May 15, 2025
Pa. House Advances Energy Tax Credits
Pennsylvania would update an economic development tax credit program to offer incentives to electric-generating and hydrogen facilities, among other energy projects, under a bill passed by the state's House.
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May 15, 2025
House Plans Vote On Budget Bill With Tax Package Next Week
Republican leaders in the House plan to hold a vote next week on the chamber's budget bill that includes the GOP's $3.8 trillion tax package, with the aim of sending the legislation to the Senate before Memorial Day, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith said Thursday.
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May 15, 2025
Minn. Justices Affirm $9M Medical Building Tax Valuation
A Minnesota medical building was correctly valued by the state tax court, the state Supreme Court said Wednesday, affirming a decision that boosted the building's original valuation by more than $1 million.
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May 15, 2025
Hawaii Justices Won't Review Honolulu Property Class Case
The Hawaii Supreme Court declined to review an appellate court decision that found a special Honolulu property class did not violate the state and country's equal protection clause.
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May 15, 2025
Okla. Revenue Through April Beats Estimate By $144M
Oklahoma general fund revenue from July through April outpaced a forecast by $144 million, according to a report by the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
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May 15, 2025
Ill. Revenue Beats Budget Forecast By $58M
Illinois general fund revenue collection from July through April edged higher than a budget forecast by $58 million, according to the governor's Office of Management and Budget.
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May 15, 2025
Tenn. Extends Sales And Use Tax Break For Broadband Gear
Tennessee extended by two years a sales and use tax exemption for equipment used to produce broadband services under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 15, 2025
Wis. General Revenues Through April Up $512M
Wisconsin's general purpose revenue collection from July through April was $512 million higher than last year during the same period, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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May 14, 2025
House Panel To Fold $3.8T Tax Overhaul Into Budget Package
The House Budget Committee has scheduled a vote Friday on legislation that would combine the House Ways and Means Committee's $3.8 trillion tax bill with the work of other House committees as part of the fiscal 2025 budget reconciliation bill.
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May 14, 2025
Wisconsin Lake Homeowners Amend Tribal Tax Burden Suit
Four lake homeowners and an association have amended a suit against local governments in the Menominee reservation in northern Wisconsin, claiming the tribe has sought to grow the amount of tax-exempt land while leaving owners of taxable homes to pay more than their fair share.
Expert Analysis
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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How Cannabis Rescheduling May Alter Paraphernalia Imports
The Biden administration's recent proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana use raises questions about how U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement policies may shift when it comes to enforcing a separate federal ban on marijuana accessory imports, says R. Kevin Williams at Clark Hill.
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Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Ohio Tax Talk: The Legislative Push For Property Tax Relief
As Ohio legislators attempt to alleviate the increasing property tax burden, four recent bills that could significantly affect homeowners propose to eliminate replacement property tax levies, freeze property taxes for longtime homeowners, adjust homestead exemptions annually for inflation, and temporarily expand the homestead exemption, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.
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Looking South With A Smile: SALT In Review
From Mississippi's long walk toward repealing its personal income tax to a welcome stroke for open government in Kentucky, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case
The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.
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Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content
From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.
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Tax Assessment: Recapping Georgia's Legislative Session
Jonathan Feldman and Alla Raykin at Eversheds Sutherland examine tax-related changes from Georgia’s General Assembly — such as the governor’s successful push to accelerate income tax cuts — and suggest steps to take before certain tax incentives are challenged in the state's next legislative session.
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Geothermal Energy Has Growing Potential In The US
Bipartisan support for the geothermal industry shows that geothermal energy can be an elegant solution toward global decarbonization efforts because of its small footprint, low supply chain risk, and potential to draw on the skills of existing highly specialized oil and gas workers and renewable specialists, say attorneys at Weil.