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
commerce clause
Maryland Seeks Cash, Not Credit, Before Supreme Court
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California Taxpayer Entitled to Attorney Fees after Successful Commerce Clause Challenge
By Zachary Atkins & Prentiss Willson
A California Court of Appeal held that a taxpayer who brought a successful facial challenge against a state taxing scheme met all of the requirements for an award of attorney fees and that the trial court abused its discretion by failing to award the fees. The taxpayer, an individual,…
Take Two: Colorado State Court Halts Out-of-State Seller Use Tax Reporting Requirements…Again
By Kathryn Pittman and Andrew Appleby
A Colorado state district court issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Colorado Department of Revenue from enforcing Colorado’s out-of-state seller use tax reporting statutes and related regulations. These rules require out-of-state sellers that do not collect Colorado sales tax to notify their Colorado purchasers—and the Department—of the amount of…
Are New York Flat Vehicle Registration Fees Unconstitutional? Keep Your Eyes on the Road Ahead
By Christopher Chang and Andrew Appleby
In an action challenging the constitutionality of two New York flat highway taxes, a New York trial court ruled in favor of the taxpayer, denying a motion to dismiss filed by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The taxpayer made clear in its opposition to the…
Down for the Count, But Not Out: Colorado’s Remote Retailer Reporting Requirements Expected to Be Challenged in State Court
By Saabir Kapoor and Andrew Appleby
After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied an en banc rehearing on October 1, 2013, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is expected to bring suit in Colorado District Court to challenge the constitutionality of the Colorado law that requires out-of-state retailers without a physical presence…
Florida Trial Court Rejects Satellite Industry’s Discrimination Claims
By Zachary Atkins and Douglas Mo
A Florida trial court ruled that imposing different tax rates on cable and satellite television services did not violate the Commerce Clause or the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The statute in question imposes a statewide communications services tax at a higher rate on satellite service than…
In to Be Out: Indiana Tax Court Rules Captive Insurance Companies Must Be Physically Present to Be Excluded From Combined Report
By Madison Barnett and Timothy Gustafson
In a case involving the exclusion of captive insurance companies from combined reporting groups, the Indiana Tax Court held that a captive must be physically present in Indiana to be “subject to” the insurance premiums tax and therefore exempt from the corporate income tax. The Tax Court initially…
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Puts the W[H]AM-O on Oregon’s Joint and Several Liability Claim for Corporate Excise Taxes on Bankrupt WAMU Parent
By Todd Betor and Pilar Mata
Oregon’s $29 million corporate excise tax claim against the taxpayers’ parent company was held to violate both the Due Process and Commerce Clauses of the U.S. Constitution by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Oregon claimed that Washington Mutual, Inc. (WMI) was liable for its subsidiaries’…
A “Wynne” for Maryland Taxpayers: Double Taxation of Pass-Through Income Ruled Unconstitutional
By Mary Alexander and Prentiss Willson
The disallowance of a credit for income taxes paid to other states against Maryland’s county income tax was ruled unconstitutional as a violation of the dormant Commerce Clause by the Court of Appeals of Maryland. Maryland’s income tax, which includes both state and county components, is imposed on all…



