Why do you keep going after things you don't care about?

Why do we keep going after things we don’t care about? Why do we naturally lean toward conformity and towards checking the boxes or doing what everyone else is doing? Why is it so hard to be truly innovative? To truly follow what you desire deep down to do?

I want to save the world. I want to make life better and business better. I want to make it easier for small and large businesses operating in multiple states within the U.S. I want to make federal tax and state tax law more effective in accomplishing its objectives while being less burdensome on businesses. I want to make the state tax profession something that is fun and valuable. Something that makes a state tax professional jump out of bed with enthusiasm. Something that will make the state tax professional work all night long if necessary. Not because they have to, but because they want to. They must do it; because they are solving problems so important. So valuable. So appreciated; that they must and want to do it.

I want to work with others that are fun to work with – meaning; they are hard workers. They value initiative. Value treating people with respect. Value giving people responsibility and authority to get things done. I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to spend my time doing tasks and going to events that are simply busy work or a waste of resources. I don’t need golf events. I don’t need happy hours. I don’t need fancy offices (although I like them). I don’t need game rooms or sleep rooms. I need to work and solve problems and then spend time with my family. I don’t need egos. I don’t need competition. I need productive collaboration and knowledge sharing. I don’t need dress codes or rules that don’t matter. I need technology tools and colleagues focused on getting things done, not checking boxes or meeting number goals. I want to get paid for getting work done, not putting in hours. I don’t need an award. I don’t need networking events. I need one-on-one relationship building opportunities.

Do you agree? What do you want to do? What must you do? What will you do?

State Tax Knowledge Update (36 items) - November 18, 2017

The following are state tax and business developments I have curated since November 8, and posted in the LEVERAGE SALT LinkedIn group:

Some of the items may be on the same state/issue/topic, but they are from different sources which may give you a broader perspective to help your company or client.

1. $100 Million Available During Second Application Period in the California Competes Tax Credit Program’s Final Year

2. Tennessee Issues Notice on Intangible Expense Deduction

3. VERMONT BULLETIN: Corporate and Business Income Tax Nexus, Filing Requirements, and Minimum Tax Liability

4. Corporate Close-Up: Impending Federal Tax Reform and its Rippling Effect on State Corporate Taxation

5. Incentives Watch: Federal Tax Reform Pumps the Brakes on Electric Car Incentives; States Zoom Ahead

6. SALT Implications of the House and Senate Tax Reform Bill

7. Colorado Court of Appeals Held that Out-of-State Holding Company is Not Included in Combined Report

8. Watch Your Step: New York City Real Property Transfer Tax Imposed Under Step Transaction Doctrine

9. New California Office of Tax Appeals Discusses Emergency Regulations

10. Nice resource/summary for Tennessee taxes

11. Tennessee sales tax guide by TaxJar for online sellers

12. Rhode Island Division of Taxation Launches Website for Upcoming Amnesty Program that Begins December 1

13. Minnesota DOR Acquiesces to Recent Tax Court Ruling Involving NOL Carryovers and IRC § 382 Limitation

14. California FTB Issues Proposed Rule Changes on the Apportionment and Allocation of Partnership Income for Corporate Tax Purposes

15. Colorado Appellate Court Affirms that Foreign Subsidiary is Not Required to be Included on Combined Return

16. Oregon DOR Proposes Various Administrative Rule Changes, Including Reflection of New Law that Implements Market-Based Sourcing on Sales of Non-TPP

17. Colorado DOR Issues Compliance Guidance on Some Remote Seller Notice and Reporting Requirements

18. Mississippi DOR Adopts New Rule Requiring Some Out-of-State Sellers with Substantial Economic Presence to Collect Use Tax on In-State Sales

19. August 3 Enforcement Date Added to Recent Pennsylvania Ruling Holding that Certain Online Information Retrieval Products Constitute Taxable TPP

20. The Still-Rising Tide - Will Investment Managers Be Swept Up in State Income Tax Trends

21. Ohio Department of Taxation Launches Amnesty Program Website

22. Amended Regulations Reflect Recent Montana Law Changes that Expand Waiver of Composite Return or Withholding for Domestic Second-Tier Pass-Through Entities

23. Tennessee DOR Explains Updated Requirements for Claiming Intercompany Intangible Expense Deduction

24. Vermont Department of Taxes Issues Draft Nexus Bulletin - Comments Must be Received by December 8

25. Tennessee DOR Holds that True Object of Subscriptions for Cloud-Based Scheduling Services is Taxable Remotely Accessed Software

26. AB 398 expands California’s partial sales and use tax exemption

27. Illinois EDGE tax credit program restored

28. Local Policy Digest

29. EY State income and franchise tax Quarterly update

30. Ernst & Young LLP Sales and Use Tax Quarterly Update

31. New York income tax withholding audits on the rise

32. Coping with the tax challenges of relocation and mobility

33. California OTA stakeholder meeting to comment on draft emergency regs

34. State tax implications of federal tax reform: Repatriation toll charge

35. State tax implications of federal tax reform: Interest expense deduction limitations

36. State tax implications of federal tax reform: Full expensing

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 LEVERAGE SALT 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.

State Tax Knowledge Update (24 Items) - November 8, 2017

The following are state tax and business developments I have curated since October 24, and posted in the LEVERAGE SALT LinkedIn group:

Some of the items may be on the same state/issue/topic, but they are from different sources which may give you a broader perspective to help your company or client.

1. State Rundown 10/25: Marijuana Taxes a Bright Spot amid Underperforming State Revenues

2. TN ruling: single-member LLCs owned by a partnership are exempt from Tennessee Franchise & Excise Tax. The partnership is subject to the TN franchise & excise tax

3. Bloomberg BNA’s 2017 Trust State Tax Nexus Survey

4. The State Tax Function and Emerging Technologies

5. California OTA Proposes Draft Emergency Regulations on Administration and Procedures for Appeals and Petitions for Rehearing

6. California FTB Now Permitting Oral Presentations in Petitioning for Use of Alternative Apportionment

7. Maryland Tax Court Holds that Out-of-State Loaning Subsidiary Has Nexus Based on Relationship with In-State Parent

8. Ohio Issues and Updates Bulletins Pursuant to New Law that Includes a 500K USD Gross Receipts Nexus Threshold

9. California A.B. 131 enacted | Deloitte US

10. State Rundown 11/1: Connecticut Balances Budget, Leaves Tax Code Out of Whack

11. New Connecticut Law Provides for Fresh Start Program that Permits Potential Waiver of Most Penalties and 50 Percent Interest

12. New Connecticut Law Revises Claimant Period for Combined Reporting-Related ASC 740 Deduction

13. Florida DOR Proposes Administrative Rule Changes Reflecting New Law on Return Filing and Payment Due Dates

14. Massachusetts DOR Issues Ruling on Net Worth Calculation Where Subsidiaries are Owned Indirectly through a Pass-Through Entity

15. New Pennsylvania Law Revises NOL Carryover Deduction Limitation and Reflects State Supreme Court Ruling on NOL Carryovers

16. Tennessee DOR Explains that Federally Disregarded SMLLCs of Partnerships Are Classified as Partnerships for Purposes of Qualifying for Certain Franchise and Excise Tax Exemption

17. New Pennsylvania Law Imposes Information Reporting Notice Requirements on Some Remote Sellers, Including Marketplace Facilitators

18. California’s New Office of Tax Appeals Issues Preliminary Draft of Procedural Rules that Is Silent on Discovery Matters

19. 2017 State Ballot Measures Preview: Taxes

20. October Tax Retrospective: Two Down, One to Go

21. WEBINAR: State-Specific Property and Other Tax Challenges Affecting Data Centers Coast to Coast

22. Pennsylvania net loss carryover modified, remote seller sales tax notice

23. Finishing SALT: Inside SALT’s Monthly Recap

24. State tax implications of federal tax reform

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 LEVERAGE SALT 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.

Can We Have A Real Conversation?

I have been working as a solo state tax consultant, researcher & writer for the past 4 years (I have 20+ years of experience in total). This solo life is a lot of work. It takes commitment and self-discipline to work when no one is telling you to. It takes more hours than you thought. It takes making the time to 'get' the work and 'do' the work. It is constant. You don't get paid if you don't work. I have been very successful (making more money than I did when I worked for someone else), yet I fantasize about re-joining a firm. I also fantasize about creating something totally different than what currently exists in the world of state tax. I want to make state taxes exciting. Fun even. I want to create passive income. I want to create freedom for other state tax pros. I want state tax to be less burdensome for start-ups and middle-market companies. These (smaller) companies need state taxes to get out of the way so they can truly prosper. Fortune 500 companies have teams of tax pros and large firms begging to help them. They also have the means to get that expertise. I hate the ego and competition in larger firms. I hate feeling like a number. Can we change this?

YOU NEED THIS TO AVOID THIS. YOU NEED THIS TO RESOLVE THIS. YOU NEED THIS JUST IN CASE OF THIS. YOU NEED THIS TO STOP THIS. YOU NEED THIS WHEN THIS HAPPENS.

Simplicity. Straight-forward. Clarity. Certainty. Essential. Valuable. - these are words that describe what we need as business (and tax professionals). Everybody is trying to sell you something based on fear (or pleasure), but mostly fear. Such as "You need this to avoid this. You need this to resolve this. You need this just in case of this. You need this to stop this. You need this when this happens. You need Us. You need our product. You need me. I am the best. I am the best fit for your situation."

How do you know if you really need 'this'? How do you find the right solution? The right consultant? The right firm? The right resource at the right time? How do you become the right resource? How do you sell yourself as the right resource at the right time? What are you and why do I need you?

Keep it simple. Sell your unique story and skills. Sell you. Better yet, make the client's goals your goals. Make the client your story. Make the client the hero. Be a facilitator of growth, of solutions, of success. Happy Monday! Peace.

Are You Attending the Paul J. Hartman SALT Forum in Nashville? Are You Prepared for the Robots?

I don't always learn something from CPE, but I always learn something when I talk to others at a CPE event. If you will be attending the Paul J. Hartman State and Local Tax Forum in Nashville, TN on November 6, 7 & 8, please let me know. It might be beneficial for us to talk. We can talk career, technical, practical, technology, etc. Regardless of what we talk about, it is always good to talk to fellow colleagues to get a better handle on the pulse of state taxation. Agreed? Comment on this post or send me a message and we can schedule a meet-up. If I get a big number, we can always reserve a restaurant or meeting room to have real discussions, not rehash what we already know. For example, what will be the real impact of technology on our profession? (robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, etc.). Everybody talks about these things like it is a good thing. It will move people from doing routine tasks and free people up to be real advisors. My question, what if everyone in a corporate tax department doesn't want to be an advisor? What if they like doing the routine tasks? Skill sets, interests, strengths need to be addressed. We need to be proactive in developing our skills to always be relevant. What do you think? What are you doing in regards to the technology wave?

Technology advancements are not about the corporation. They are about people. Real people doing real jobs. Supporting families. Supporting growth. Providing real value to the economy and public. What will technology do to our profession? Is it really a good thing? Are you embracing it or putting your head in the sand?