Shaking things up in state and local tax
Shaking things up in state and local tax
By Elizabeth Cha and Scott Wright
The Texas Court of Appeals held that a seismic data gathering company was entitled to a cost of goods sold (COGS) deduction for costs of labor and materials incurred to acquire and process seismic data for its clients. Pursuant to Tex. Tax Code § 171.1012(i), a taxpayer may include…
By Nicole Boutros and Andrew Appleby
A federal court dismissed a class action lawsuit against Whole Foods, finding the consumers lacked standing because they could not demonstrate they purchased any of the mislabeled foods for which they claimed Whole Foods systemically overcharged. The consumers alleged that Whole Foods engaged in deceptive trade practices and had…
By Chris Mehrmann and Amy Nogid
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the Maryland district court’s determination that it lacked specific personal jurisdiction over a Brazilian poultry exporter, BRF S.A. (BRF), under the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Perdue Foods LLC (Perdue), which sold poultry using the “PERDUE” mark…
By Charles Capouet and Andrew Appleby
A New York State Division of Tax Appeals ALJ determined that payments by a corporation to its captive insurance company did not qualify as deductible insurance premiums because the arrangement lacked risk shifting and risk distribution. The taxpayer primarily owned and operated convenience stores and gas stations, and insured…
By Evan Hamme and Andrew Appleby
The Oklahoma Supreme Court held that an initiative to amend the state’s constitution does not violate the state’s constitutional rule that a public vote to amend the constitution must address only one general subject (one general subject rule). Although the proposed constitutional amendment contains multiple sections making multiple proposals…
By Samantha Trencs and Eric Tresh
The Michigan Court of Appeals held that the mandatory apportionment provision of the Michigan Single Business Tax Act did not impliedly repeal Michigan’s enactment of the Multistate Tax Compact’s alternative apportionment election provision. In addition, the court held that the Single Business Tax (SBT) was an income tax under…
By Todd Betor and Jonathan Feldman
On February 11, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals held that the receipts earned by Orbitz, an online travel company, from its services and markups for reserved rooms are not subject to sales tax. Specifically, the court determined that Orbitz is not “furnishing” rooms or lodging for purposes of Wisconsin…
By Mike Kerman and Andrew Appleby
The Louisiana Court of Appeals held that a paperboard products manufacturer was entitled to refunds of sales tax it paid on purchases of chemicals it used in the manufacturing process under the “further processing” exclusion. The chemicals met the exclusion’s three-part test because they: (1) were identifiable components of…
Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued its opinion in Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl, reversing the district court’s order granting summary judgment. The Tenth Circuit held that Colorado’s notice and reporting requirements imposed on non-collecting retailers did not violate the dormant Commerce Clause because they neither discriminated against, nor …
By Stephen Burroughs and Tim Gustafson
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied a freight company’s Commerce Clause challenge to the application of an unapportioned use tax on its vehicles purchased out-of-state but used in Massachusetts. The company used its trucks to deliver freight in multiple states, but the court upheld taxation of the vehicles’ full…
