On January 9, 2019, the South Dakota Supreme Court upheld the denial of South Dakota’s advertising services use tax exemption to a Sioux Falls-based company (Company) that designs and maintains websites that allow individuals and car dealerships to advertise vehicles for sale. On audit, the Company was assessed use tax for purchases it made for
In the News
New Jersey Tax Court Rejects Division’s Interpretation of Regulation Regarding “Regular Place of Business” and Permits Apportionment
The New Jersey Tax Court ruled that a corporation was entitled to apportion its corporate income based on a “regular place of business” outside of New Jersey. This now-repealed apportionment requirement was the source of several New Jersey Tax Court cases. For tax years beginning before July 1, 2010, N.J. Rev. Stat. § 54:10A-6 provided…
Legal Alert: Maryland bill proposes digital goods tax
The Maryland House of Delegates is considering legislation (House Bill 426) that would impose sales and use tax on digital products and sales tax on digital codes. If signed into law, Maryland would begin taxing digital products and digital codes on July 1, 2019. House Bill 426 was read for the first time in the…
New York Sustains Retroactive Application of Statutory Amendments to the Empire Zones Act
A New York State Administrative Law Judge ruled that the retroactive application of amendments to the state’s Empire Zones statute—disqualifying a taxpayer from the tax reduction credits—did not violate the taxpayer’s constitutional due process rights. Acknowledging that the stated public purposes of curtailing perceived abuses and raising revenue were better accomplished in prospective legislation, the…
Washington Sources ATM Card Processor’s Receipts to the Location of its Customers’ Business Activities for B&O Tax
The Washington Department of Revenue Appeals Division ruled that for B&O apportionment purposes under the “services and other activities” tax classification, an out-of-state automated teller machine (ATM) card transaction processor’s receipts are properly sourced to the location of its financial institution customers’ ATM transaction activities. The Appeals Division found that location to be the location…
New Jersey Tax Court Rejects Alternative Apportionment Formula
The New Jersey Tax Court rejected the Division of Taxation’s application of a five-factor alternative apportionment formula as invalid rulemaking under New Jersey’s Administrative Procedures Act (APA). The Tax Court previously determined that an application of the statutory apportionment formula in effect prior to 2011 for companies without a “regular place of business” outside New…
Indiana Supreme Court Cites Business Purpose Requirement in Holding RV Dealership Liable for Uncollected Sales Tax
On December 5, 2018, the Indiana Supreme Court in a 3-2 split decision held that an RV dealership was liable for uncollected sales tax on RV sales even though it delivered the RVs to buyers at out-of-state locations.
The RV dealership’s protocol for transferring possession of its RVs to customers depended on the customer’s state…
Louisiana Residents Entitled to Claim Credit for Texas Franchise Tax Paid by Pass-Through Entities
The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that residents who owned an S corporation and limited liability company were entitled to a credit against their Louisiana income tax liability for Texas franchise tax paid by the pass-through entities. In so holding, the Louisiana Supreme Court found that La. R.S. 47:33, which limits the credit for taxes paid…
Louisiana Court Limits Availability of Refund Procedure
The Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit held that a taxpayer was not entitled to a refund of franchise tax under an interpretation of the franchise tax law by the Department of Revenue that was struck down in Utelcom, Inc. v. Bridges, 2010-0654 (La. App. 1 Cir. 9/12/2011); 77 So. 3d 39. In Bannister…
Missouri Director of Revenue Finds Sales Fulfilled and Shipped from Warehouse in Missouri Subject to Sales Tax.
The Missouri Department of Revenue, in a letter ruling, found that a taxpayer’s sales of exercise products were subject to state and local sales taxes because the transactions were not in commerce, since the orders were fulfilled and shipped to Missouri customers by a third-party warehouse in Missouri. The Department of Revenue also found that…



