State & Local
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February 05, 2025
Mich. Gov. Proposes Using AI To Bolster Tax Collection
Michigan would deploy artificial intelligence tools to aid in tax collection under Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed budget, which was released Wednesday.
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February 05, 2025
Minn. Senate Panel Backs Creating Letter Ruling Program
Minnesota would establish a private letter ruling program under legislation advanced by a Senate committee Wednesday, although the state Department of Revenue expressed concerns with the proposal.
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February 05, 2025
Vt. Tax Collection Through Dec. Up $100M From Last Year
Vermont's general fund revenue from July through December exceeded collections made during the same period last year by $100 million, according to the state Agency of Administration.
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February 05, 2025
Kan. Bill Would Create Task Force For Property Tax Study
Kansas would create a task force to study the state's property taxes and make recommendations under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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February 05, 2025
Mo. Committee Tells Senate To OK Biz Tax Threshold Increase
Missouri would increase the threshold for businesses that localities can impose business license tax on under a bill that a state Senate committee recommended Wednesday for passage by the full Senate.
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February 05, 2025
Ark. Tax Revenue Through Jan. Up $44M From Estimate
Arkansas' total net revenue from July through January beat budget estimates by $44 million, according to a report by the state Department of Finance and Administration reported.
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February 05, 2025
Ala. Tax Collection Through Jan. Drops $76M From Last Year
Alabama's revenue collection from October through January fell $76 million compared with collections made during the same period last fiscal year, the state Department of Revenue said.
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February 05, 2025
DC Requires Copies Of Federal Returns For High Incomes
The District of Columbia will require individuals and businesses with income above certain thresholds to submit a copy of their federal income tax return with the filing of their district tax return under regulatory amendments adopted by the district's Office of Tax and Revenue.
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February 05, 2025
Minn. Senate Bill Would Phase Out Estate Tax
Minnesota would lower its estate tax rates by 1.6 percentage points each year until each rate is zero under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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February 04, 2025
Mich. Supreme Court Says City's Electricity Fee Is Illegal Tax
A franchise fee added to East Lansing, Michigan, residents' energy bills is a disguised tax, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday, saying the fee was used to raise revenue for the city without first being approved by voters.
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February 04, 2025
Key State And Local Tax Takeaways From January
January saw the U.S. Supreme Court decline to hear a Philadelphia resident's claims that the city's refusal to credit Delaware state taxes against her city wage tax liabilities was unconstitutional, while state legislatures returned for their 2025 sessions, marking another eventful month in state and local tax.
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February 04, 2025
Kostelanetz Adds Tax Pro From Lowenstein Sandler
Kostelanetz LLP said a former partner at Lowenstein Sandler LLP has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office.
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February 04, 2025
Ariz. Bill Seeks Lawmaker Review Of Tax Law Interpretations
The Arizona Department of Revenue would be required to notify the chairs of the legislative tax policy committees if an interpretation or provision of tax law will adversely affect taxpayers under legislation introduced Tuesday.
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February 04, 2025
Wash. Gov. Orders Look At Data Centers' Tax Revenue Impact
Washington's governor issued an executive order directing the state's Department of Revenue to create a work group to examine the impact of data centers on the state's tax revenue and economy and recommend policies to address tax revenue needs in relation to other priorities.
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February 04, 2025
Pa. Gov. Proposes Corp. Tax Cuts, Energy Credits
Pennsylvania would accelerate cuts to its corporate net income tax rate, expand and repurpose tax credits to fund energy projects and make other tax changes under a budget proposal announced Tuesday by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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February 04, 2025
Fla. Gov. Pitches End To Business Rent Tax In Budget
Florida would eliminate its tax on commercial real estate leases under Gov. Ron DeSantis' proposed budget, a change he said would save businesses in the state a collective $1.6 billion.
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February 04, 2025
Kan. Bill Would Exempt Some Repair Services
Kansas would exempt the installation of material used in reconstruction, remodeling and repair from state sales and use tax under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
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February 04, 2025
Walmart Gets Arbitration In Fla. Delivery Fee Tax Fight
An accusation that Walmart unlawfully charged Florida customers sales tax on delivery fees will go to arbitration, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying shoppers agreed to arbitration when they accepted the terms of use of the retailer's website.
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February 04, 2025
Mellon Heir's Estate Defends $29M Tax Refund Request
A Pittsburgh billionaire made a "bona fide" deal to indemnify the trustees for his Mellon family millions as he drained a family trust account, so a $200 million settlement to partly replenish the fund for his heirs should be deductible and produce a $29 million refund of his Pennsylvania estate taxes, the estate's lawyer told a state appellate court Tuesday.
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February 04, 2025
Pa. Governor Puts Cannabis Legalization In Budget Proposal
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday announced a plan to legalize recreational cannabis later this year as part of his budget proposal.
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February 04, 2025
Texas Revenue Collection Through Jan. Up 5% From Last Year
Texas' net revenue collection from September through January was 5% higher than the same period last fiscal year, according to the state Comptroller's Office.
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February 04, 2025
Calif. Insurer Can't Get Tax Refund On In-State Shipments
A California insurance company can't get a refund of sales taxes paid when it placed orders with three vendors located out of state that the vendors fulfilled with shipments from within the state, the California Office of Tax Appeals ruled.
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February 04, 2025
W.Va. Revenues Through Jan. Beat Forecast By $28M
West Virginia's general revenue collection from July through January exceeded a budget forecast by $28 million, according to a report by the State Budget Office.
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February 04, 2025
NY Assembly Bill Seeks Tax Exemption For Radio Signal Gear
New York would establish a property tax exemption for equipment used for the transmission or switching of radio signals to provide commercial mobile radio service or mobile internet access service under a bill introduced in the state Assembly.
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February 04, 2025
Colo. Senate OKs Sales Tax Audit Confidentiality Rules
Taxpayer information held by third-party sales tax auditors in Colorado would be subject to enhanced confidentiality standards under legislation passed by the state Senate.
Expert Analysis
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Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code
As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan
Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.
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State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape
Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.
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8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney
A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.
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Challenge To Ill. Card Fee Law Explores Compliance Hurdles
A recent federal lawsuit challenging an Illinois law that will soon forbid electronic payment networks from charging fees for processing the tax and tip portions of card transactions, fleshes out the glaring compliance challenges and exposure risks financial institutions must be ready to face next summer, says Martin Kiernan at Amundsen Davis.
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This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process
In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Letting The People Decide: SALT In Review
RSM's David Brunori offers a look at tax-related ballot questions before the voters in 16 states this fall.
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Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys
Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.
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Colorado Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3
In the third quarter of 2024, Colorado's banking and financial services sector faced both regulatory updates and changes to state law due to recent federal court decisions — with consequences for local governments, mortgage lenders, state-chartered trust companies and federally chartered lenders serving Colorado consumers, says Sarah Auchterlonie at Brownstein Hyatt.
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Litigation Inspiration: Honoring Your Learned Profession
About 30,000 people who took the bar exam in July will learn they passed this fall, marking a fitting time for all attorneys to remember that they are members in a specialty club of learned professionals — and the more they can keep this in mind, the more benefits they will see, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys
The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.
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Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners
Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.