On June 18, Rhode Island’s legislature passed H 7532, which expands the state’s tax base to computer software and streaming entertainment to comply with the Streamlined Sales & Use Tax Agreement. The bill expands the definition of a taxable sale to include any license, lease, or rental of prewritten or vendor-hosted computer software
Mississippi Senate Approves Marketplace Facilitator Legislation
The Mississippi Senate has passed HB 379, a marketplace facilitator bill, by a vote of 43-0. The bill requires marketplace facilitators with annual in-state revenues above $250,000 to collect and remit sales tax. The Senate amended the House bill – adding an exemption for third-party food delivery and adding an election for marketplace sellers
California State Board of Equalization Does Not Issue Guidance on Property Tax Disaster Relief for COVID-19
In a 3-2 split vote, the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) voted against issuing formal guidance to county assessors regarding mid-year re-assessments due to declines in value caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Similar to a number of other states, California law provides valuation relief for property tax purposes due to calamities, emergencies, and disasters.
California Meets Budget Deadline, Passes Trailer Bill with Tax Increases
On June 15, 2020, the California Legislature passed SB 74, the state budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The California Constitution requires a balanced budget to be finalized by June 15th of each year. SB 74 relies on additional federal aid to balance the budget and only invokes spending cuts if federal aid is
Chicago Suburb Proposes Expansion of Amusement Tax to Streaming
The Evanston City Council voted on May 26, 2020 to introduce an ordinance that would extend its 5% amusement tax to reach online gaming and streaming. The Council stated that the increase is a reaction to a projected decrease in tax revenue from in-person amusement events. Given the “rise in popularity of streaming amusements, staff
Mississippi Senate Committee Advances Marketplace Legislation
On June 4, 2020, the Mississippi Senate Finance Committee passed HB 379, which would require marketplace facilitators with more than $250,000 in sales into the state over a 12-month period to collect and remit sales and use tax starting July 1, 2020. The Committee also added an exemption for food delivery services and a
North Carolina Excludes Sales of Certain Digital Goods from Sales and Use Taxes
On June 5, 2020, Governor Cooper signed HB 1079, which will exclude sales of certain digital audio and visual works from the state’s sales and use tax, and make other tax changes. The law exempts sales of digital educational services and the sales of digital audio or digital audiovisual works that consist of nontaxable
In Response to COVID-19, the District of Columbia Limits Net Operating Loss Carryovers
States continue to consider tax legislation to balance their budgets in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 27, 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed D.C. Act 23-326, the Coronavirus Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2020. In part, this act limits net operating loss carryovers. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, corporations, unincorporated
A Cup of Coffee with Peter Blocker, Vice President of Tax Policy at CalTax
This podcast is hosted by Tim Gustafson and features excerpts from the webcast of a casual conversation with Peter Blocker, Vice President of Tax Policy at CalTax. Tim speaks with Peter about his role at CalTax, as well as how the organization is analyzing certain California tax-related legislation, current bills he is following, and the
North Carolina Legislature Approves Sales and Use Tax Exclusion for Digital Educational Services
North Carolina HB 1079, providing a variety of sales tax changes, has been approved by both houses of the legislature and now awaits the Governor’s signature. In particular, the bill would exclude from sales and use tax sales of digital educational services and would exempt: (1) sales to home school operators of digital audio