State & Local
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May 30, 2025
Ex-Mich. Speaker, Wife To Face Nonprofit Embezzlement Trial
Former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Lee Chatfield and his wife on Friday were sent to circuit court to stand trial on allegations that the former speaker misused state and campaign funds, and that the pair embezzled money from Chatfield's nonprofit to pay for their lifestyle.
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May 30, 2025
Nicotine Tax Dispute Heads To Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a dispute over whether a vape company that sells oral nicotine products should be subject to a state tax on tobacco products.
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May 30, 2025
Pa. Justices Back Hospital Tax Break Despite High Salaries
The corporate structure and high executive pay at a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, hospital were not reason enough to take away its nonprofit, tax-exempt status, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.
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May 30, 2025
DC Budget Plan Would OK Gambling, Repeal Child Tax Break
Washington, D.C., would legalize and tax certain gambling activities and repeal its new child tax credit before it is ever used under a budget and revenue proposal that also promises cuts in services.
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May 30, 2025
Minn. Tax Court Blasts County Counsel For AI-Written Brief
Counsel for a Minnesota county submitted a brief to the state tax court generated by artificial intelligence with five legal citations for cases that did not exist, the court said, referring the matter to a state disciplinary board.
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May 30, 2025
State & Local Tax Takeaways From May
Many states, looking at a new fiscal year starting in July, finalized their budgets in May, with significant tax implications for individuals and businesses. New York will reduce income taxes on lower- to middle-income taxpayers. In Washington state, several measures intended to close a $16 billion shortfall include an expansion of the sales tax to digital advertising. Here, Law360 presents these and other state and local tax developments to know from the past month.
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May 30, 2025
AT&T Unit Loses Dispute Over Calif. Property Tax Rates
AT&T unit Pacific Bell and other phone companies failed to prove that a California county's differing tax rates for locally assessed and state-assessed properties are unconstitutional, a state appeals court affirmed.
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May 30, 2025
Ind. Tax Dept. Finds Man Sought Refund On Time
An Indiana resident who amended his state and federal tax returns to correct his income filed for a refund within the state's statute of limitations, the Department of State Revenue said, overturning an earlier determination.
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May 30, 2025
Mass. Can't Delay Developer's Suit Over Brownfields Credit
Massachusetts tax officials who have taken more than two years to consider the appeal of a denied brownfields tax credit must hand over the administrative record in the case so that a developer can pursue a motion for judgment on the pleadings, a state court justice has ordered.
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May 30, 2025
Maine Revenue Falls $29M Short Of Projections Through April
Maine revenues from July through April lagged $29 million behind estimates, according to a report by the state Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
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May 30, 2025
Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Cravath, Latham
In this week's Taxation With Representation, WiseTech completes a $2.1 billion merger with E2open, Acrisure buys a payroll management company for $1.1 billion and Hailey Bieber sells her Rhode skincare and makeup company to e.l.f. beauty for $1 billion.
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May 30, 2025
Fla. Authorizes Sales Tax Exemption For Gold, Silver Coins
Florida will exempt qualifying gold and silver coins from sales tax in 2026, pending approval of certain regulations by state lawmakers, under a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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May 29, 2025
RI Senate Panel Weighs Wealth Tax, Surtax To Fix Budget Gap
Rhode Island Democrats backed a plan Thursday to create a surtax for high-income earners and a wealth tax as potential fixes for a budget gap, while Republicans pushed for a plan to require that any annual tax surplus go toward refunds.
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May 29, 2025
DC Court Blocks Trump's Tariffs As Overreach Of Power
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not empower the president to impose tariffs, the D.C. federal district court said Thursday, ruling that President Donald Trump's global levies are unlawful and barring his administration from enforcing them on two toymakers who challenged the policies.
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May 29, 2025
Ore. Extends Tax Breaks For Affordable Housing Development
Oregon will delay the expiration of three property tax breaks intended to help the development of affordable housing under legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.
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May 29, 2025
Texas To Exempt All Intangible Personal Property From Tax
Texas will exempt all intangible personal property from property tax under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
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May 29, 2025
Ind. Man Doesn't Owe Use Tax On Vehicle Title Transfer
An Indiana man does not owe use tax on a change in title of a vehicle from his business to himself, the state Department of Revenue ruled.
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May 29, 2025
Texas Bars Some Property Tax Hikes Above Voter-OK'd Rates
Texas will prohibit school districts from adopting property tax rates above voter-approved thresholds in response to a natural disaster if voters previously rejected a similar proposed rate increase, under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
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May 29, 2025
NY Says Fulfillment Service Buyer Not Liable For Sales Tax
An out-of-state online retailer's use of a third party to conduct fulfillment services on its behalf doesn't render it a vendor for New York state sales and use tax purposes, the New York Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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May 29, 2025
NY Says Marketing Co.'s Charges For App Access Are Taxable
A multilevel marketing company must collect sales tax on monthly charges to distributors for access to its mobile application software and a bundle of online products, the New York Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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May 29, 2025
NY Sales Tax Applies To Firm's Investment Systems Sales
New York sales tax applies to a financial services firm's sales of investment and risk management systems because the systems constitute prewritten computer software, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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May 29, 2025
NY Tax Doesn't Apply To Job Search Platform
New York sales tax does not apply to a company's web-based job search and posting platform because the service is not considered a sale of tangible property or information services, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said.
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May 29, 2025
Indiana Tax Department Reverses Financial Co.'s NOL Denial
An Indiana-based financial institution was wrongly denied its net operating loss carryforward, which resulted in an additional tax assessment, the Department of State Revenue said in a letter of finding.
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May 29, 2025
Oregon Allows Associations Standing In State Tax Court
Oregon associations and organizations will be able to seek declaratory relief in state tax court on behalf of their aggrieved members under legislation signed by the governor.
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May 29, 2025
Del. Delays Start Of Tax Agency Trade Name Filing Process
Delaware delayed the effective date of legislation allowing companies doing business in the state under trade names that don't disclose their legal names to register their trade names by filing a certificate with the state Division of Revenue under a bill signed by the governor.
Expert Analysis
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States, Taxes And Scorecards: SALT In Review
From the latest noteworthy rankings of the states' business tax regimes to results of ballot measures across the country, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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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.