On December 1, 2020, the Colorado Department of Revenue adopted amendments to its tangible personal property rule – Rule 39-26-102(15) – that will impose sales tax on sales of streaming digital goods. The Department considers these amendments to be a “clarification” of their tangible personal property definition. Now, per the amended regulation, “[t]he method of
Legislative
State tax legislative proposals and activities
Strike Two: Another California Court of Appeal Holds Voter-Initiated Local Special Taxes Not Subject to Constitutional Two-Thirds Supermajority Voting Requirement
On December 17, 2020, a California Court of Appeal in the state’s Fifth Appellate District reversed a Fresno trial court decision, which held the California Constitution’s requirement that local taxes be approved by a supermajority vote applies to taxes imposed by voter initiative. The Fifth District followed in the footsteps of the First Appellate District…
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration requests comments on marketplace sales regulation
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration has informed the public that it intends to commence formal rulemaking to permanently adopt Emergency Sales and Use Tax Regulation 1684.5, Marketplace Sales. The regulation addresses issues regarding marketplace facilitators’ and marketplace sellers’ registration and tax collection obligations. The Department asks for interested parties to submit…
Missouri legislator files economic nexus and marketplace facilitator bill
A Missouri legislator pre-filed House Bill No. 244, which would require, beginning January 1, 2022, use tax nexus for remote vendors if their cumulative gross receipts from sales of tangible personal property, digital goods, and services to purchasers in Missouri is at least $100,000 annually. The bill would also require, beginning no later than…
Tax on Broadband Service Providers is New York’s Newest Bad Idea
Companion bills recently introduced in New York State (A. 11180 and S. 9112) would impose a temporary tax on businesses that provide broadband internet access service. Revenues generated from the tax would be earmarked to fund the provision of broadband internet access services to students in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.…
California’s Three-Member Franchise Tax Board to Consider Proposed Market-Based Sourcing and Alternative Apportionment Regulations at December Meeting
On December 18th, the three-member Board of the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) will hold its final quarterly meeting of 2020. At the meeting, the Board will consider the 2021 Rulemaking Calendar. The Calendar contains the agency’s schedules for its administrative rulemaking processes on various regulation projects. Two significant corporate franchise tax regulation projects on…
Tennessee clarifies applicability of marketplace facilitator rules to other taxes
On December 1, 2020, the Tennessee Department of Revenue announced that the filing and threshold requirements for marketplace facilitators and sellers established in Senate Bill No. 2932 – effective October 1, 2020 – do not apply for purposes of the business tax or franchise and excise tax. Rather, the bill’s nexus requirements apply to only…
TEI New York Chapter 57th Annual Tax Symposium
On December 9, Eversheds Sutherland SALT lawyers will present a “SALT Survival Guide” as part of the TEI New York Chapter’s 57th Annual Tax Symposium, held virtually this year.
Presentation topics include:
- Jeff Friedman and Nikki Dobay – Issues that will be addressed by state legislatures and courts in 2021 (presentation materials
…
Washington considers digital advertising tax
Washington lawmakers may soon begin debate on a digital advertising tax, prompted by a draft copy of a yet-to-be-filed bill. Washington currently applies its business and occupation tax to digital advertising services under the service and other activities classification (1.5%). This bill would instead subject digital advertising services to the business and occupation tax…
D.C. Council Passes False Claims Act Expansion to Tax Matters on First Reading
During the November 17th D.C. Council meetings, the Council marked-up the False Claims Amendment Act of 2020 and passed it on first reading by an 8-5 vote. The bill now moves to second – and final – reading as soon as December 1st. If passed, the bill would expand the D.C. False…



