On April 10, 2019, the Utah Tax Commission issued a private letter ruling to a video streaming provider (“Taxpayer”) finding that the Taxpayer’s sales of subscriptions entitling subscribers to enhanced features on the Taxpayer’s streaming platform, are not subject to sales and use tax. On its internet-based platform, the Taxpayer provides a video streaming service
Eversheds Sutherland SALT Scoreboard Publication—Second Quarter 2019
This is the second quarter edition of the Eversheds Sutherland SALT Scoreboard for 2019. Since 2016, we have tallied the results of what we deem to be significant taxpayer wins and losses and analyzed those results. This edition of the SALT Scoreboard includes a discussion of the United States Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Kaestner
New Jersey Tax Court Allows Unreasonable Exception to Royalty Addback
The New Jersey Tax Court held that a parent corporation was not required to add back to its corporation business tax base any amount of royalty payments it made to a subsidiary. The parent company and subsidiary company each filed a New Jersey CBT return. The parent deducted the royalty payment, and the subsidiary included
Videocast: SALT Scoreboard – 2018 Year in Review
The quarterly Eversheds Sutherland SALT Scoreboard tallies significant state and local tax litigation wins and losses. In this Bottom Line videocast, Charles Capouet and Chelsea Marmor share 2018 year-end observations, including:
- the overall results for 2018, including a breakdown of corporate income tax and sales and use tax case results
- comparative results from 2016-2018
Eversheds Sutherland SALT Scoreboard Publication–Fourth Quarter 2018
This is the twelfth edition of the Eversheds Sutherland SALT Scoreboard, and the last edition from 2018. Since 2016, Eversheds Sutherland has tallied the results of what we deem to be significant taxpayer wins and losses and analyzed those results. This edition of the SALT Scoreboard includes insights regarding Louisiana’s refund procedure, credit for taxes
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 Mexico Administrative Hearings Office Rejects Department’s Attempt to Eliminate Payroll Factor from Apportionment Factor Calculation
The State of New Mexico Administrative Hearings Office held that the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department could not remove the payroll factor from the apportionment factor calculation of a taxpayer in the credit card and personal lending business. The Hearings Office determined that “the party seeking to depart from the proscribed apportionment method,” which,
New Jersey Partnership Filing Fee Is Not an Unconstitutional Flat Tax
The New Jersey Tax Court rejected the taxpayer’s argument that the partnership filing fee, which requires a partnership with New Jersey source income to pay a per-partner fee of $150 (capped at $250,000), violated the Commerce Clause. The Tax Court held that the filing fee is not facially discriminatory because all partnerships must pay the
I Saw the Sign: Illinois Permits Use of Electronic Signatures for Software License Tax Exemption
On September 26, 2018, the Illinois Department of Revenue issued a Private Letter Ruling confirming that certain electronic signatures satisfied the first prong of the software license sales tax exemption test. In Illinois, a license of software is not a taxable retail sale if a five-part test is satisfied. The first prong asks whether the
Shades of Gray: Comptroller Rules Online Training Courses Are Non-Taxable Services, Not Taxable Information Services
The Texas Comptroller ruled that a taxpayer, which provided education and networking services for the property management industry, was not providing “information services,” but rather a non-taxable service. Taxable information services involve “furnishing general or specialized news or other current information” or “electronic data retrieval or research.” Tex. Tax Code § 151.0101(a)(10), 151.0038; Texas Rule