Policy and Legislation

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The Washington legislature has enacted the state’s first-ever amnesty program. The legislation (L. 2010, SB6892) allows the Department of Revenue to waive most interest and penalties on delinquent state and local sales and use tax, state business and occupation (B&O) taxes, and state public utility taxes. The amnesty program began on February 1, 2011, and will end on April 30, 2011.  Washington expects the program to generate $24.4 million for the state and $3.9 million for local governments.Continue Reading Washington B&O Amnesty: Does It Stink?

At both the federal and state levels, the GOP won a number of game-changing races that will impact state and local tax policy in 2011 and beyond.  Of the 37 gubernatorial races held in 2010, Republicans won 23.  All six Republican incumbents won; Republicans defeated Democratic incumbents in two of the seven other incumbent races. …

Recently, the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services issued an informational publication explaining its position on the application of the Connecticut Corporate Business Tax on real estate investment trusts (REITs) and revised a previously issued publication on the implications of the state’s economic nexus provisions to foreign (non-U.S.) companies.

The Department’s newly issued guidelines treat REITs in a manner that is similar to the Internal Revenue Code, but the Department strays in certain areas. IP 2010(21) (Dec. 1, 2010).Continue Reading Connecticut “WREITS” Guidance for REITs and Economic Nexus

The Utah State Tax Commission has amended its rules for apportioning financial institution receipts attributable to services from a costs-of-performance sourcing rule to a market-based sourcing rule (Utah Admin. R. R865-6F-32(3)(l)). Effective December 9, 2010, financial institutions must include in the sales factor numerator receipts from services not otherwise specifically addressed in the regulation “if the purchaser of the services receives a greater benefit of the services in Utah than in any other state.” 

The change in sourcing methodology is consistent with Utah’s recently amended general corporation apportionment statute, Utah Code Ann. § 59-7-319, which similarly provides for the market sourcing of services (based on where the purchaser receives a greater benefit of the service). The change to market sourcing for financial institutions is another departure by Utah from the Multistate Tax Commission’s (MTC) model regulations for the apportionment of financial institution income. Continue Reading Utah Goes Market for Sourcing of Financial Institution Services

The Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) held its Fall Uniformity Committee Meetings in Atlanta, Georgia on December 7-9. With a significant turnover in state tax commissioners expected as a result of the November elections, it will be interesting to see if any of the decisions made by MTC representatives the last few years are revisited at…

The South Carolina Tax Realignment Commission (TRAC) has released its Final Report, which includes proposed draft legislation to achieve its recommendations. As expected, the recommendations include the expansion of the sales tax base to include “data processing, software delivered over the Internet, and digital products.” In addition, the recommendations include language to expand sales tax…

Despite the overwhelming business opposition to “throwout” sales factor apportionment rules and New Jersey’s recent repeal of its “throwout” rule, Maine is now bucking the trend and adopting a new “throwout” rule. Effective for 2010 and subsequent years, Maine adopted the Finnigan methodology for computing the sales factor for a combined return and to replace its “throwback” rule with the “throwout” rule.

Under the new Finnigan methodology of Code Me. R. 810 for determining the numerator of the sales factor in a combined report, “total sales of the taxpayer” in Maine now includes sales of the taxpayer and sales of any other entity included in a combined return, regardless of whether those entities themselves have nexus with Maine. The adoption of Finnigan applies to both unitary groups that have elected to file a single combined return and those that file separate returns utilizing combined apportionment. If separate returns are filed, each taxpayer’s  return will include in the numerator of the sales factor its own Maine sourced sales as well as a portion of the Maine sourced sales of those entities in the unitary group that do not have nexus with Maine.Continue Reading Throw Out the Throwback: Maine Replaces “Throwback” with “Throwout” and Adopts Finnigan

On October 28, 2010, the Georgia Department of Revenue proposed to amend its regulation entitled “Shifting of Income” (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 560-7-8-.07). This proposed amendment is intended to be a “clarification” of the Department’s current authorities to adjust the income between related parties and require combined reporting if other methods will result in distortion of separately reported income under O.C.G.A. § 48-7-58. However, the proposed amendment’s language states that the “Commissioner may combine the income of any affiliates in order to compute the net income properly attributable to this state” and appears to significantly expand the Commissioner’s authority beyond the limits contemplated by Georgia statutes and case law.Continue Reading Georgia Proposes to Shift Rules on Combining Income