State & Local
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September 22, 2025
Mich. Says No Redo Needed Of Disney, IHOP Escheat Ruling
A Michigan appeals court should deny a request by Disney and the parent company of IHOP to reconsider its finding that unclaimed property audit determinations create new obligations to remit property, the state's Department of Treasury argued, saying further litigation could resolve any open questions from the decision.
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September 22, 2025
Mass. Court Says Property In Historic District Isn't Tax-Exempt
A Massachusetts man failed to prove his property was tax-exempt because it was "taken" by the government when the city designated the property to be in a historic district, the state appellate court ruled Monday.Â
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September 22, 2025
La. Regs Would Specify Docs For Claiming Inventory Credit
Louisiana would establish information and documentation requirements for taxpayers seeking to claim an inventory tax credit under regulatory amendments proposed by the state Department of Revenue.
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September 22, 2025
Tenn. Revenues In August Up $16M From Estimates
Tennessee revenue collection in August outpaced forecasts by $16 million, the Department of Revenue reported.
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September 19, 2025
Feds Urge Justices To Back Trump's Emergency Tariffs
The federal government told the U.S. Supreme Court Friday that lower courts incorrectly determined President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs unlawful under a statute that gives the executive broad authority to regulate the economy in matters of national emergency,.
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September 19, 2025
Mich. Supreme Court Won't Review Stormwater Fee Disputes
The Michigan Supreme Court declined Friday to review a pair of challenges to Detroit and Ann Arbor's stormwater fees, allowing lower court opinions to stand that said the fees were not taxes subject to constitutional limits.
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September 19, 2025
Pillar 2 At 4: High Compliance Costs, Low Tax Liabilities
Four years after countries agreed to an international minimum corporate tax regime known as Pillar Two, finance executives and policy observers are voicing a common refrain: multinational companies likely will pay more compliance costs than actual taxes under the new rules.
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September 19, 2025
Ore. Tax Court Must Defer To Dept.'s Rules, Justices Say
The Oregon Tax Court erred when it failed to defer to the Department of Revenue's assessment rules and decided to use a different valuation method in valuing a utility company's property, the state Supreme Court ruled.
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September 19, 2025
Conn. Panel OKs Nix Of Manufacture Tax Break For Solar Site
A solar facility isn't entitled to a manufacturing tax exemption, the Connecticut Appellate Court ruled Friday, affirming a lower court's finding that the personal property tax exemption statute at issue doesn't apply to equipment that generates electricity.
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September 19, 2025
SD High Court Tosses Tax Valuation Of Protected Wetlands
A South Dakota circuit court erred in rejecting testimony for property owners regarding the actual value of their land, which is subject to perpetual wetland conservation easements, the state Supreme Court ruled, remanding the case back to the lower court.
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September 19, 2025
Miss. Total Revenue Collection Up $48M From Last Year
Mississippi's general fund revenue in July and August outpaced last year during the same period by $48 million, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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September 18, 2025
SC Rules Scaffolding Use For Insulation Isn't Taxable
A customer who hired a contractor to install insulation does not owe sales tax on the rental of scaffolding that the contractor needed to do the job, South Carolina's tax agency said in a private letter ruling released Thursday.
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September 18, 2025
Mich. House Bill Would Levy State's Use Tax On Advertising
Michigan would extend the state's 6% use tax to the use or consumption of advertising services under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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September 18, 2025
Auto Co. Accuses Conn. Revenue Dept. Of Fumbling Depos
An auto wholesaler accusing Connecticut's tax commissioner of levying a double tax on warranties attached to vehicles sold out of state wants the Department of Revenue Services sanctioned for failing to properly prepare two witnesses for Sept. 12 depositions.
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September 18, 2025
Paychex Asks NY Panel To Revive Challenge To Tax Regs
Paychex asked a New York state appellate court to invalidate apportionment regulations that require professional employer organizations to exclude certain expense reimbursements from their tax calculations, arguing that a lower court brushed aside a conflict between the rules and an underlying tax law when it dismissed the case.
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September 18, 2025
DC Council OKs $3B Stadium Deal With Tax Abatements
Washington, D.C., would bring professional football back to the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium site under legislation passed by the city council including bond authorization, tax exemptions and commitments for mixed-use development around the site.
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September 18, 2025
NC Revenue Collection In July Up $140M
North Carolina's general revenue collection in July beat last year's total in the same month by $140 million, according to the state controller's office.
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September 17, 2025
Tribal Members Tell 9th Circ. Tariff Suit Belongs In Fed. Court
Counsel for members of the Blackfeet Nation tribe told the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday their suit challenging President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs should stay in federal district courts, where constitutional and congressional claims over tribal commerce must be heard.
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September 17, 2025
Calif. Exempts Wildfire Settlements From Tax
California will offer victims of wildfires an exemption from personal income tax on settlement money received between 2021 and 2029 under a bill signed Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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September 17, 2025
Spencer Fane Adds Corporate, RE Attys In The Midwest
Spencer Fane LLP announced the addition of two new attorneys in the Midwest this week — a partner joining its corporate and business transactions group and a counsel joining its real estate group.
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September 17, 2025
Ind. Tax Board Upholds Nestle Plant's Valuation
An Indiana manufacturing facility operated by Nestle was accurately assessed in 2018, 2022 and 2023, the state Board of Tax Review said, but the board reverted the building's 2019 through 2021 valuations after finding the assessor failed to justify a more than 5% assessment increase.
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September 17, 2025
Ore. Sen. Again Delays Vote On $4.3B Transportation Tax Hike
For the second time, Oregon lawmakers delayed the final vote on a transportation bill with $4.3 billion in tax and fee increases, as Senate Democrats await the return of a lawmaker facing health issues whose vote may be needed for passage.
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September 17, 2025
Mich. House Bill Seeks Tax Breaks For Tips, OT, Loan Interest
Michigan would follow the new federal tax deductions for certain tip income, overtime and vehicle loan interest under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.
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September 17, 2025
NY Total Tax Collection Through Aug. Up $5B From Last Year
New York's total tax collection from April through August was roughly $5 billion ahead of forecasts, according to the Department of Taxation and Finance.
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September 16, 2025
CarMax Distorted Business Activity, SC Tells Appeals Court
CarMax used intercompany transactions to distort an entity's business activity and its tax burden in South Carolina, the state's tax agency told an appeals court, urging it to uphold the finding of an administrative law court.
Expert Analysis
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How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence
As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.
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Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw
Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.
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Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist
Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Making The Opportunity Zones Program Great At Last
As the opportunity zone program approaches its expiration, the Republican-led government could take specific steps to extend and improve the program, address its structural flaws, encourage broader participation and enable it to live up to its promised outcomes, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment
As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.
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Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession
For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.
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4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy
This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.
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Paycheck Politics And A Bagful Of Arrogance: SALT In Review
From Seattle's new tax on large paychecks to one Maryland county's measure addressing grocery bags, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.
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Why NY May Want To Reconsider Its LLC Transparency Law
Against the backdrop of the myriad challenges to the federal Corporate Transparency Act, it may be prudent for New York to reconsider its adoption of the LLC Transparency Act, since it's unclear whether the Empire State's "baby-CTA" statute is still necessary or was passed prematurely, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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State FCAs Should Cover Local Fund Misuse, State Tax Fraud
New Jersey and other states with similar False Claims Acts should amend them to cover misappropriated municipal funding, and state and local tax fraud, which would encourage more whistleblowers to come forward and increase their recoveries, says Kenneth Levine at Stone & Magnanini.
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7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments
Excerpt from
As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.
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How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic
The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.