State Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABORs) are intended to ensure that taxpayers are treated fairly. In this edition of A Pinch of SALT, Sutherland tax attorneys Jonathan A. Feldman, Madison J. Barnett and Suzanne M. Palms explore TABORs offered by several states and the meaningful protections that they offer.
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A new version of the Sutherland SALT Shaker mobile app is available for Windows Phone, iPhone and Android users. Updates to this version improve the performance of the app, including:
 
Improved load time for first-time and returning users.
Faster navigation.
An updated interface to support newer high-density screens.
 
Be one

By Ted Friedman and Pilar Mata

The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) determined that the City of Philadelphia Department of Revenue (City) was not required to provide use and occupancy tax forms and documentation in the City’s possession relating to alleged unpaid use and occupancy taxes in response to a company’s request under Pennsylvania’s

By Derek Takehara and Andrew Appleby

The Illinois Department of Revenue determined that a wholesale distributor of international telecommunications services could source its long-distance telephone receipts based on its Illinois property factor. The taxpayer, an intermediate international telecommunications carrier, owned and rented equipment in several states, including Illinois. Illinois law provides that a taxpayer must

By Stephanie Do and Timothy Gustafson

The Washington State Department of Revenue determined that a telecommunications company’s leases of dark fiber were competitive telephone services and thus subject to retail sales tax. The taxpayer leased dark fiber – unused, unlit fiber optic cable – from various carriers and subsequently “lit” the dark fiber with its

By Mary Alexander and Charlie Kearns

The Missouri Department of Revenue determined in a letter ruling that Bitcoins are intangible property not subject to tax under Missouri’s Sales and Use Tax Law. As explained by the taxpayer, Bitcoins are “a form of digital currency that is created by software and stored electronically.” Here, the taxpayer

On October 2, in PPL Electric Utilities Corporation v. Director, Division of Taxation, No. 000005-2011, the New Jersey Tax Court determined that federal deductions for the taxpayer’s payments of Pennsylvania gross receipts tax and Pennsylvania capital stock tax are not subject to addback in New Jersey. As a result, taxpayers that added back those

The MTC continued its foray into transfer pricing. In a highly anticipated meeting, the MTC engaged with seven economics firms—all of which could potentially offer their services to the MTC—to determine how best to tackle state transfer pricing issues. With a target date of Summer 2015 for implementation of a robust transfer pricing audit program

By Stephanie Do and Andrew Appleby

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue addressed the possible expiration and subsequent retroactive enactment of the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA). The Department advised Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to continue to rely on Technical Information Release (TIR) No. 05-8 (July 14, 2005), until further notice, to determine the taxability

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce has entered the battle against Maryland’s unconstitutional personal income tax regime. Filing as amicus curiae before the U.S. Supreme Court in Maryland State Comptroller of the Treasury v. Wynne, the Maryland Chamber identified the fatal flaw with Maryland’s personal income tax: by not providing full relief to Maryland residents