On March 10, 2023, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts held that capital gains resulting from the sale of an urban redevelopment project were not subject to Massachusetts personal income tax. As an incentive for private entities to invest in constructing, operating, and maintaining urban redevelopment projects, Massachusetts exempts these entities “from the payment of
Charles Capouet
Texas Talks: Comptroller incorporates federal statutes and regulations to Texas R&D credit incentives
The Tax Policy Division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts issued guidance summarizing certain federal statutes and regulations related to Internal Use Software (IUS) that are now incorporated-by-references into Texas’ research and development (R&D) laws. Specifically, for purposes of the franchise tax R&D credit laws and the sales tax R&D exemption, the Comptroller incorporates-by-reference…
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court holds Massachusetts could not enforce pre-Wayfair computer cookie use tax collection law
On December 22, 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that a taxpayer’s use of computer cookies did not constitute substantial nexus with the state for periods prior to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. The taxpayer sold auto parts entirely online and utilized cookies to track customers…
Michigan Court of Appeals holds MBT business loss carryforward cannot be claimed on taxpayer’s first corporate income tax return
On January 19, 2023, the Michigan Court of Appeals held that a taxpayer, transitioning from the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) to the Corporate Income Tax (CIT), cannot claim prior MBT business losses on its first CIT return. For tax years 2008 through 2011, the taxpayer filed MBT tax returns and claimed employment tax credits. In…
Pass/Fail: Evaluating the test for D.C. statutory residency
The District of Columbia occupies a unique position among subnational jurisdictions in the United States given its status as a nonstate, federal enclave. The District’s status allows it to impose individual income tax on only residents under the district clause of the US Constitution, the Home Rule Act of 1973, and implementing statutes that are…
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concludes Nevada locality has no private right of action to sue streaming video providers for franchise fees
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the City of Reno was not entitled to file a lawsuit against streaming video providers for franchise fee payments. Reno sought damages for the streaming services providers’ alleged failure to collect franchise fees under Nevada’s Video Service Law. The court held that the law…
A rose by any other name – Maryland to rename appellate courts
On November 8, 2022, Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment to change the names of Maryland’s appellate courts from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of Maryland and from the Court of Special Appeals to the Appellate Court of Maryland. New York is now the only state to designate its highest court as…
D.C. Attorney General alleges gig-economy company misclassifies workers as independent contractors
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced on October 27th that his office filed suit against a delivery service company, claiming that the company’s workers are employees, not independent contractors.[1] The AG argues that the Company’s delivery drivers “bear all the hallmarks of employee status.”[2] This lawsuit follows another tax-related complaint filed by…
Supreme Court of Mississippi holds digital images are not subject to sales tax
On October 6, 2022, the Supreme Court of Mississippi held that digital images are not subject to sales tax as tangible personal property or specified digital products. The taxpayer was a digital wedding photographer that sold wedding photography services to customers and then transferred the digital images to the customers via DVDs or flash drives.
Virginia Circuit Court determines sales of software and equipment exempt from sales tax
In an opinion published on September 9, 2022, the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond held that a telecommunications equipment company was entitled to a sales tax refund on its sales of software, equipment, and related services sold to a telecommunications company.
Under Virginia law, software delivered electronically via the Internet is exempt from…