sales tax

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By Evan Hamme and Madison Barnett

Applying the “true object” test to software-related services, the Tennessee Department of Revenue determined in a letter ruling that optional services offered in connection with the sale of software would not be subject to sales tax, at least in some circumstances. The taxpayer in this case sells – and…

Today the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal held that a cable television provider’s video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) programming services are not tangible personal property and therefore not subject to sales tax. Newell Normand, Sheriff and Ex-Officio Tax Collector for the Parish of Jefferson v. Cox Communications Louisiana, LLC, Case No. 14-CA-563 (La.

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By Charlie Kearns
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has issued guidance on the sales tax, corporation franchise tax, and personal income tax implications of transactions involving convertible virtual currency, such as bitcoins. The Department’s guidance can be found here. The Department explained in its guidance that convertible virtual currency will be

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View the full Legal Alert.

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…

On December 8, 2014, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the second of three state and local tax cases that it has accepted this term – Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl – to determine the reach of the federal Tax Injunction Act (“TIA”). The TIA provides that federal courts are barred from…

By Jessica Kerner and Charlie Kearns
In what appears to be the latest in a series of conflicting rulings issued to the same company from at least seven other states, Tennessee and South Carolina have rendered their own opinions addressing the application of sales tax to cloud collaboration service. (See prior coverage ¬here: [link to

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By Nicole Boutros and Pilar Mata

The Illinois Cook County Circuit Court held that an Illinois law firm (the Relator) that filed a qui tam lawsuit against a taxpayer failed to meet its burden to prove the taxpayer knowingly failed to collect and remit Illinois use tax, as required under the Illinois False Claims Act.

By Evan Hamme and Timothy Gustafson

The Colorado Department of Revenue issued guidance to a taxpayer operating a colocation and hosting facility, which provided customers a place to securely store computer servers, on whether certain charges imposed by the taxpayer were subject to sales and use tax. Specifically, the taxpayer requested guidance on the applicability…

By Stephanie Do and Timothy Gustafson

The Washington State Department of Revenue determined that a telecommunications company’s leases of dark fiber were competitive telephone services and thus subject to retail sales tax. The taxpayer leased dark fiber – unused, unlit fiber optic cable – from various carriers and subsequently “lit” the dark fiber with its…