17 State Tax and Business Developments You May Want to Know - Sept 5, 2017

The following are state tax and business developments I have curated since August 26th, and posted in the LEVERAGE SALT LinkedIn group:

1. NC market discount income from US govt bonds is not interest

2. CORPORATE CLOSE-UP: THE FTB’S SMALL CAP SOLUTION TO ALLEGED FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL COMBINED REPORTING APPORTIONMENT DISTORTION

3. COST, EY & State Tax Research Institute Study: Total State and Local Business Taxes (fy16)

4. Oregon revenue online educational services sourced faculty costs

5. State Rundown 8/31: Modernizing Taxes is Sometimes a Sprint, Sometimes a Marathon

6. Oral Arguments Heard in South Dakota’s Challenge to Quill

7. Net Operating Loss Carryforward & Carryback Provisions by State

8. Indiana Files Lawsuit to Defend Out-Of-State Sales Tax Law

9. Amended Colorado Regulations Address Combined and Consolidated Filing and Apportionment

10. Massachusetts DOR Issues Technical Information Release on Policy Change Regarding Treaty-Exempt Income

11. Oregon Tax Court Explains that Only Direct Costs are Relevant in Determining Where Greater Proportion of Costs of Performance Was Incurred

12. Indiana Attorney General Responds to Suit Filed by Trade Groups Regarding Enforcement of New Remote Seller Economic Nexus Law

13. Limited-Time Voluntary Disclosure Program for Out-of-State Sellers Having Click-Through Nexus Runs through November 21 in New Jersey

14. Rhode Island Division of Taxation Explains New Information Reporting and Notice Requirements on Some Remote Sellers - Including Marketplace Facilitators

15. Seattle high-income resident income tax enacted

16. Texas appellate court upholds subcontractor exclusion while reversing and remanding on COGS methodology

17. VA Supreme Ct rules subject to tax exception post apportionment

The above represents 'general curating' of state tax developments into one spot. If you still feel overwhelmed by the volume of state tax developments, please consider my 'custom curating' service. Meaning, clients hire LS to daily curate state tax developments relating to a specific industry, state(s), tax type and issue. You can make it as granular as you prefer. This allows you to reduce information overload, and only get the information you need to help your clients or company. This service is provided on a fixed-fee or subscription basis. Contact me at strahle@leveragesalt.com.

30 State Tax & Business Developments You May Want to Know - August 26, 2017

The following are state tax and business developments I have curated since August 21st, and posted in the LEVERAGE SALT LinkedIn group:

1. KPMG TWIST Podcasts for week of August 21, 2017

2. Texas Amnesty Program Beginning September 1, 2017

3. Texas: Time to file a petition or request a hearing extended starting September 1, 2017

4. Texas Involvement in MTC Online Marketplace Seller VDI

5. The Impact of New Use Tax Reporting Laws for the Future of State and Local Taxes

6. Can You Pay Me Now? Verizon Refunding Taxes in New York

7. States Should Adopt a Version of Colorado’s Remote Sales Tax Law

8. The Many Reasons for the Seattle Income Tax

9. Budget and Tax Center: Costly Tax Cuts in New State Budget Continue Precarious Road Ahead for North Carolina

10. Expect the Unexpected: Nuances of Unclaimed Property Oil and Gas Reporting

11. Ohio enacts several economic development changes

12. State Rundown 8/23: Few Lingering Budget Debates Cannot Linger Much Longer

13. Illinois Proposes Trade-Show Sales Tax Nexus Law

14. Illinois amended regulations provide market-based sourcing guidance and other changes

15. Virginia Circuit Court Rules BPOL Tax in Violation of Import-Export Clause

16. MultiState's Local Policy Digest explores the top legislative developments from municipalities across the U.S.

17. Oklahoma Tax Commission Reminds that Amnesty Program Begins September 1

18. New Texas Law Requires Comptroller to Establish a Tax Amnesty Program Providing for Waiver of penalty or interest, or both

19. Illinois Department of Revenue Publishes Amended Apportionment Rules

20. A Closer Look at New York Draft Proposed Regulations under Article 9-A Business Corporation Franchise Tax Under Subpart 3-9

21. Software Company Royalties Received from Out-of-State OEMs Are Excluded from Sales Factor Numerator in Wisconsin

22. BLOOMBERG BNA Q&A WITH ALSTON & BIRD’S ZACH GLADNEY: PASS-THROUGH ENTITIES NEXT IN LINE FOR NEXUS ISSUES

23. SALES TAX SLICE: 5 THINGS AMAZON FULFILLMENT SELLERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MTC’S NEW VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE INITIATIVE

24. CORPORATE CLOSE-UP: OREGON FOLLOWS MTC IN ADOPTING MARKET-BASED SOURCING AND APPORTIONABLE INCOME DEFINITION

25. SALES TAX SLICE: ‘INTERNET TAXES’ EXPLAINED

26. 2017 mid-year sales tax changes

27. The 3 secrets for managing your Amazon inventory

28. The FBA sales tax amnesty program explained

29. The importance of learning what does NOT need to be done, and other things.

30. Don’t Be Lazy: The Billable Hour Has Survived For A Reason Probably the biggest mistake most new lawyers make is that they don’t put in the work.

The above represents 'general curating' of state tax developments into one spot. If you still feel overwhelmed by the volume of state tax developments, please consider my 'custom curating' service. Meaning, clients hire LS to daily curate state tax developments relating to a specific industry, state(s), tax type and issue. You can make it as granular as you prefer. This allows you to reduce information overload, and only get the information you need to help your clients or company. This service is provided on a fixed-fee or subscription basis. Contact me at strahle@leveragesalt.com.

Illinois Proposes Trade-Show Sales Tax Nexus Law

Illinois has proposed a new law for establishing a taxable presence (nexus) when remote retailers attend a trade-show in Illinois.

This rule adds a new section to the Use Tax regulations providing that the presence of an out-of-State retailer or its representative in Illinois for the purpose of engaging in trade show activities establishes nexus for the retailer and requires collection of Use Tax on all sales into Illinois.

The rule, however, creates a "safe harbor" for retailers at trade shows. Provided that a retailer meets 3 conditions, the retailer's presence at a trade show will not trigger collection of Use Tax on sales into Illinois. The 3 conditions are:

1. that the retailer attends no more than 2 trade shows per calendar year;
2. is physically present at those 2 trade shows for an aggregate total of no more than 8 days during any calendar year; and
3. combined gross receipts from sales made at the 2 trade shows during any single calendar year do not exceed $10,000.

The rule describes the types of activities that count toward the 8-day physical presence limitation; sets out how a "day" is calculated; and provides additional information to assist retailers in determining whether their activities fall within the safe harbor created by the rule.

The rule specifies that any sales made in Illinois during the trade show are subject to Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and applicable local taxes.

The rule defines "trade show activities," and provides examples of trade shows that are included within or excluded from the scope of the regulation.

COMMENT:

Everybody loves a 'safe harbor' rule because it provides certainty. The problem with a 'safe harbor' rule is that they seem unconstitutional or at the very least, arbitrary. For example, why are 2 trade shows okay, but not 3? Why are 8 days okay, but not 9? Why are $10,000 in sales okay, but not $11,000?

Not a fan.

CALLING ALL STATE TAX PROS: Share Your Thoughts Anonymously

State tax professionals are generally reluctant to share thoughts, ideas, opinions or question state tax policy publicly on the Internet or in LinkedIn groups. Consequently, the leverage salt blog provides the state tax profession with an independent and real voice. 

State tax professionals may contact LS with their thoughts and viewpoints to be shared anonymously on the blog. This allows tax professionals to ask questions or invoke conversation around an issue without having to put themselves, their firm or corporation in the public domain. 

The leverage salt blog has been published since 2009 and contains 900+ posts.

You may send your thoughts to Brian at strahle@leveragesalt.com.

29 State Tax & Business Developments You May Want to Know - August 21, 2017

The following are state tax and business developments I have curated since August 14th, and posted in the LEVERAGE SALT LinkedIn group:

1. Resistance is not Always Futile: New Decision in Ongoing Delaware Unclaimed Property Audit Litigation

2. MTC Voluntary Disclosure Initiative for Online Marketplace Sellers (i.e., Amazon FBA program)

3. A State Tax Administrator's Perspective on Partnership Taxation

4. Illinois Court Upholds Cook County’s Beverage Tax Finding It Passes Constitutional Muster and Related Developments

5. Webinar: August 24th - Best Practices in Achieving Obsolescence Adjustments for Complex and Commercial Properties

6. State Corporate Income Tax Rules for Sourcing of Revenue for Law Firms

7. Nationwide Sales/Use Tax Update - September 12, 2017

8. Credits Can No Longer Be Applied Against Oregon’s Minimum Tax

9. Total Solar Eclipse Won’t Black Out State Taxes

10. South Carolina going after Amazon (the marketplace facilitator) for not collecting sales tax on behalf of the businesses that use the marketplace to sell products to SC residents

11. Summary of New York Corporation Tax Legislation Enacted after the 2016-2017 Budget

12. New York Amendments Regarding Sales Tax Rules for Transactions between Certain Related Entities and for Purchases Made by Nonresident Businesses

13. Technology Company State Tax Guide from Moss Adams (Very Nicely Done)

14. Illinois Amends Rule Regarding Alternative Apportionment

15. Amazon’s Marketplace Business Isn’t a Tax Avoidance Scheme

16. A comparison of enterprise zone programs in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin

17. MTC National Nexus Program Adds 2 More Participating States to Online Marketplace Seller Voluntary Disclosure Initiative

18. Rhode Island DOT Announces that it Will Accept Applications for Recently Enacted Amnesty Program Beginning December 1

19. California FTB Issues Draft Proposed New Pass-Through Entity Withholding Regulation

20. Minnesota Tax Court Holds that Taxpayer May Apply NOL Carryovers from an Acquired Entity to Full Extent Permitted under IRC § 382

21. New North Carolina Law Includes Changes to Intercompany Expense Addback Statute, Added Franchise Tax Base Deduction, and Definition of Business Income

22. Texas Court of Appeals Upholds Subcontractor Exclusion While Reversing and Remanding on Taxpayer COGS Methodology

23. Memo Explains Recent New York Law Changes on Transactions Involving TPP Resold Between Certain Related Entities

24. California Supreme Court Denies Rehearing in Recent Case Involving Taxation of a Transfer of Legal Entity Interests

25. Washington DOR Reissues Emergency Amended B&O Tax Rule on Financial Institution Apportionment to Conform with MTC Changes

26. Three Big Problems with Sales Taxes Today — and How to Fix Them

27. Should Online Platforms Collect Sales Tax For Third-Party Sellers?

28. The United States Of Unicorns: Every US Company Worth $1B+ In One Map

29. Are Remote Retailers and Marketplace Providers in the 'Path of Totality'?

The above represents 'general curating' of state tax developments into one spot. If you still feel overwhelmed by the volume of state tax developments, please consider my 'custom curating' service. Meaning, clients hire LS to daily curate state tax developments relating to a specific industry, state(s), tax type and issue. You can make it as granular as you prefer. This allows you to reduce information overload, and only get the information you need to help your clients or company. This service is provided on a fixed-fee or subscription basis. Contact me at strahle@leveragesalt.com.

Are Remote Retailers and Marketplace Providers in the 'Path of Totality'?

Well, it's the day - solar eclipse day. A once in a lifetime event. Are you ready? Do you have your glasses? Will you see the total eclipse or partial eclipse?

According to the Washington Post, "the path of totality — the 70-mile-wide strip of America from Oregon to South Carolina in which the moon will, for a couple of minutes, block the sun — crosses the homes of an estimated 11 million people."

A total eclipse is something that happens once in a lifetime (if you are lucky; every 400 years or so). Well, today, our modern economy is converging with past sales tax law creating a sales tax 'eclipse' and is having difficulty figuring out how to look at it. We need the 'right glasses' to be able to tax remote retailers (online sellers) and marketplace platform providers. Amazon, since it is the largest marketplace provider I am aware of, has become the creator of this convergence, or sales tax 'eclipse.' 

We - state and federal governments, departments of revenue, taxpayers and tax professionals - must accept the fact that this sales tax 'eclipse' is happening. We must also work together to find the 'right glasses' or we will cause damage to our 'eyes' (economy and state revenue). 

Currently, states have imposed economic nexus standards and use tax notice and reporting requirements ALL with the intent to skirt the physical presence standard established by the Quill court case. The physical presence standard requires a retailer to have a physical presence standard in the state before the state can require the retailer to collect sales tax. 

I am all for states figuring out the best way to tax these remote retailer transactions; or first determining if they should tax it. I get that the states need revenue. What I disagree with is how states are going about trying to make it happen. Adopting economic nexus laws that fly in the face of Quill to simply get companies to challenge the economic nexus law is ridiculous. States want taxpayers to either comply or challenge the law, hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will take the case and overturn Quill. 

The use tax notice and reporting requirements are more burdensome and complicated than simply collecting and remitting sales tax. Again, another indirect way that states are simply trying to get companies to collect sales tax. If you can't change the law, create a law that is more complicated so companies choose the less burdensome road. I get it, but I disagree with it.

Companies want certainty. Companies don't want to focus on sales tax, they want to focus on their business. They want taxes to get out of the way or at least be something easy and clear to comply with. Companies don't want to get caught not complying and have to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties. The problem is, states are trying to force new tax collecting obligations without working together with businesses and tax professionals. They are forcing it, which is producing uncertainty and more confusion. 

State taxes already present a maze of taxing jurisdictions all competing for business and revenue with non-uniform tax laws. With this sales tax 'eclipse' staring us down, all I ask is that we work together to find the 'right glasses.' I ask the states to stop forcing damage to our eyes.