On December 9, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the last of three state and local tax cases that it accepted this term – Alabama Department of Revenue v. CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSX II), a case that had previously been before the Supreme Court. CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Alabama Department of Revenue, 562 U.S. 277 (2011) (CSX I). In CSX II, the Court was asked to determine whether Alabama’s taxation of railroads violated the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1974 (4-R Act), 49 U.S.C. § 11501, by taxing railroads, but not their competitors, on their purchases or use of diesel fuel.

View the full Legal Alert.