Shaking things up in state and local tax
Shaking things up in state and local tax
Waiting until the federal return is prepared and then simply allowing that return to flow through to the New York returns could be a dangerous approach, leaving you scrambling, missing some election opportunities, and potentially being subjected to penalties.
Over the next few months, State Tax Notes’ In a New York Minute column will publish…
By Mike Penza and Madison Barnett
The New York Supreme Court, Albany County, held that New York’s unapportioned vehicle registration fees violated the Commerce Clause. The court found that the flat fees—imposed on all carriers operating motor vehicles in New York—were indistinguishable from those struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in American Trucking Ass’ns.…
By Hanish Patel and Open Weaver Banks
A New York Division of Tax Appeals Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) held that an electricity producer’s purchases, installations and repairs of “step-up transformers” were not subject to sales and use tax because the transformers were “used directly” in the production of electricity. Step-up transformers are used to “step…
By Samantha Trencs and Open Weaver Banks
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the New York Courts have treated a former in-house attorney turned whistleblower very differently—Texas made a substantial payment to the individual, and New York kicked him to the proverbial curb.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts paid $117,000 to David Danon…
In Part I of their series for State Tax Notes, Sutherland attorneys Leah Robinson and Evan M. Hamme provided a roadmap describing how to challenge a department of revenue’s assertion that online services are taxable as licenses of software. While focused on New York audits, the roadmap can assist in any similar audit.
In Part…
By Evan Hamme and Charlie Kearns
A New York State Division of Tax Appeals Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) determined that two-way radio communications services, or walkie-talkie services, are not telephone services subject to New York State’s telecommunications excise tax imposed under Tax Law § 186-e (186-e Tax). The petitioner uses specialized equipment or “repeaters” to…
Since late 2008, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has routinely taken the position that charges for application service provider services, software as a service, or other online services may be subject to New York sales tax as licenses of software. Some sellers began collecting sales tax on this basis, and the…
By Chris Mehrmann and Open Weaver Banks
A New York appellate court denied a nuclear power company’s bid for manufacturing tax credits, finding that equipment used at two power plants to produce steam and water during the electricity generation process was not used for manufacturing. The taxpayer argued that the process of creating steam and…
We are pleased to announce that Amy F. Nogid has joined Sutherland’s State and Local Tax (SALT) practice as counsel in New York. Prior to joining Sutherland, Amy was of counsel at Morrison & Foerster LLP.
Amy represents clients in all aspects of state and local taxation matters at the administrative, trial and appellate levels…
By Evan M. Hamme and Open Weaver Banks
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance released an advisory opinion explaining how it will treat drop shipment facilitation services for sales and use tax purposes. The petitioner uses proprietary software to create an Internet-based “hub” through which a web-based merchant orders products from a…
