State & Local
-
January 28, 2025
Ore. Home's Value Can't Be Retroactively Upped, Court Says
An Oregon county cannot retroactively increase a home's assessed value just because an error was made when inputting the size of an addition, the state Tax Court ruled.
-
January 28, 2025
Tax Group Of The Year: Cravath
Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP helped secure high-profile mergers and acquisitions for major media and communications companies in 2024, having played key roles in Paramount's $28 billion merger agreement with Skydance Media and a separate deal involving Verizon Communications, earning the law firm a spot among the 2024 Law360 Tax Groups of the Year.
-
January 28, 2025
Ind. Office Building's Value Raised By Tax Board
The Indiana Board of Tax Review increased the valuation of a three-story office building for tax years 2021 and 2022, agreeing with a study of comparable properties in the area presented by the local assessor.
-
January 28, 2025
Hawaii Senate Bill Would Create New Top Tax Bracket
Hawaii would create a new income tax bracket to impose a higher rate on joint income over $1.9 million beginning in 2030 under a bill that passed first reading in the state Senate.
-
January 28, 2025
Ind. Tax Board Says Church's Rented-Out Home Is Taxable
An Indiana church that owns a rental property can't claim a property tax exemption for the home, the state Board of Tax Review said in a final determination.
-
January 28, 2025
Ariz. Senate Panel OKs Plan To Bar Property Tax On Crypto
Arizona would exempt cryptocurrency from property taxation if a pair of measures approved by a state Senate panel is enacted and voters approve a ballot measure proposed for 2026.
-
January 28, 2025
Hawaii Bill Would Offer Additional Film Tax Credit
Hawaii would allow qualifying film productions to claim an additional credit equal to 5% of production costs if the project uses production facilities in the state under a bill that passed a first reading in the state Senate.
-
January 28, 2025
Ariz. Senate Panel OKs Path For Crypto Payments Of Tax
Arizona would authorize its agencies to enter agreements to accept cryptocurrency for tax and other payments under legislation approved by a state Senate committee.
-
January 28, 2025
SC General Revenue Collection Through Dec. Up $739M
South Carolina's general revenue collection from June through December was $739 million higher than during the same period last year, according to the state Board of Economic Advisors.
-
January 28, 2025
Hawaii Bill Seeks Credit For Building With Hemp Material
Hawaii would allow a corporate income tax credit for the cost of construction of a structure if it is made at least partially with hemp material under a bill that passed a first reading in the state Senate.
-
January 28, 2025
Colo. Delivery Fee Targeted By Proposed Ballot Measure
Colorado would end its 29-cent fee on retail deliveries under a draft voter initiative proposed for the 2026 statewide ballot.
-
January 28, 2025
Maine Tax Revenues Through Dec. Up $32M Over Estimates
Maine's total tax revenue collection from June through December beat estimates by $32 million, according to a report released Tuesday by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
-
January 28, 2025
Ariz. Panel OKs Nonresident Real Estate Gains Tax Reports
Arizona's tax department would report on the capital gains taxes paid by nonresidents under legislation advanced by a state Senate panel.
-
January 28, 2025
NY Assembly Bills Seek Tax On Vacant Land, Buildings In NYC
New York City would be permitted to impose taxes on certain vacant land and vacant residential properties under a pair of bills introduced in the New York state Assembly.
-
January 27, 2025
Late Filings Didn't Stymie Tax Challenges, Conn. Justices Say
Failing to file timely appraisals on commercial properties valued over $1 million was not fatal to several owners' tax assessment challenges under a new state law, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Monday, agreeing that a trial judge properly reopened the cases months after a missed deadline.
-
January 27, 2025
Ind. Gov. Orders Analysis Of Nonprofit Hospitals' Tax Breaks
Indiana's governor issued an executive order requiring an analysis of nonprofit hospitals operating in the state to evaluate the tax-exempt benefits they received compared with the amount of charity care they provided.
-
January 27, 2025
NJ Shortens Window For Use Of Redevelopment Tax Credits
New Jersey reduced the time in which tax credits for certain mixed-use and commercial real estate redevelopment projects must be used after approval as part of a bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.
-
January 27, 2025
Md. Tells 4th Circ. Digital Tax Doesn't Defy 1st Amendment
Maryland's digital advertising tax doesn't violate the First Amendment, the state comptroller told the Fourth Circuit, urging it to affirm a court decision throwing out a challenge to the tax by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others.
-
January 27, 2025
Ariz. Bill Would Make Corporations Disclose Tax Info
Arizona would require publicly traded corporations to file tax disclosures with the state's corporation commission that would be made available to the public under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
-
January 27, 2025
Wis. Man Can't Claim Biz Losses, Tax Board Says
A Wisconsin man was correctly denied an attempt to deduct business losses from his purported consulting firm as he wasn't able to show that the business existed, the state's Tax Appeals Commission said in an order released Monday.
-
January 27, 2025
Md. House Bill Would Stop Motor Fuel Tax Increases
Maryland would no longer raise its motor fuel tax annually to adjust for inflation under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
-
January 27, 2025
Md. Senate Bill Would Bar Taxes On Vehicle Miles
Maryland would prohibit state and local taxes or fees based on vehicle miles traveled under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
-
January 27, 2025
Mo. Elderly Housing Property Ruled Tax-Exempt
A Missouri apartment building made up of low-income units for elderly residents is exempt from tax because it is used for charitable purposes, the state tax commission ruled.
-
January 27, 2025
RI Senate Bill Would Exempt Taxi, Pet Services From Sales Tax
Rhode Island would exempt taxicab services and pet care services from the state's sales tax under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
-
January 27, 2025
Mo. Tax Commission Lowers T-Mobile Towers' Value
Two T-Mobile cell towers in Missouri should have their value lowered after the company provided a thorough inspection that properly accounted for depreciation, the state's tax commission ruled.
Expert Analysis
-
Maryland 'Rain Tax' Ruling May Offer Hope For Tax Credits
A Maryland state appellate court's recent decision in Ben Porto v. Montgomery County echoes earlier case law upholding controversial stormwater charges as a valid excise tax, but it also suggests that potential credits to reduce property owners' liability could get broader in scope, says Alyssa Domzal at Ballard Spahr.
-
Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
-
How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
-
Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
-
Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
-
Shake-Ups For Courts In Different Fields: SALT In Review
From the end of Chevron deference in the courts to the planned sale of the NBA's reigning champion, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
Kentucky Tax Talk: Appeals Court Revisits Leases' Tax Effects
With better facts and greater emphasis on the Kentucky Constitution, Walgreen Co. may succeed in its latest Kentucky Court of Appeals challenge to a tax assessor's method of valuing leaseholds on real property for purposes of determining ad valorem tax, say Mark Sommer and Elizabeth Ethington at Frost Brown Todd.
-
Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
-
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
-
Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Moore v. U.S. decision, that the Internal Revenue Code Section 965 did not violate the 16th Amendment, was narrowly tailored to minimally disrupt existing tax regimes, but the justices' various opinions leave the door open to future tax challenges and provide clues for what the battles may look like, say Caroline Ngo and Le Chen at McDermott.
-
A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
-
Another Crack In The Shield: SALT In Review
From the latest assault on a federal shield against taxing out-of-state businesses to an update on beer taxes, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
-
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.