A California trial court denied summary judgment in the American Catalog Mailers Association’s (ACMA) action that seeks to invalidate Franchise Tax Board (FTB) guidance that says certain online activities exceed the protections of Public Law 86-272 for state income tax purposes. However, the court signaled it may invalidate the FTB’s guidance on the basis it constitutes underground regulations and violates California’s Administrative Procedure Act. Continue Reading ›
Articles Posted in States
Taxation Without Representation: Michigan Supreme Court Says Neither State Law Nor the U.S. Constitution Requires Inclusion of Receipts From Deemed Asset Sale in Sales Factor
In a split decision, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a taxpayer’s assertion that applying the standard apportionment formula to gain derived from a deemed asset sale led to a grossly distorted, unconstitutional result. The court held in Vectren Infrastructure Services Corporation v. Department of Treasury, No. 163742 (July 31, 2023), that applying the standard single sales factor apportionment formula—which did not include any receipts from the deemed asset sale—to apportion the gain did not violate the U.S. Constitution’s Due Process Clause or Commerce Clause.
New Jersey Enacts Significant Changes to Corporation Business Tax Law
On July 3, 2023, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed A.B. 5323 into law to amend New Jersey’s Corporation Business Tax (CBT). The bill enacted a variety of clarifications, corrections and modifications to the CBT.
Minnesota Tax Court Denies a Catalog and Internet-Based Distribution Company Public Law 86-272 Protection
The Minnesota Tax Court held a catalog and internet-based distribution company exceeded the protections of Public Law 86-272 (PL 86-272) by providing non-sales personnel with information about competitors’ products and sales terms obtained from Minnesota customers by the company’s salespeople.
A Hat Tip to the Manufacturing, R&D and Electric Power Industries: California Bill Would Provide Income Tax Credits for Sales and Use and District Taxes Paid on Certain “Qualified Tangible Personal Property”
Pillsbury SALT attorneys Zachary Atkins, Craig Becker, Carley Roberts, & Richard Nielsen discuss California Assembly Bill 52. AB 52 would provide corporation and personal income tax credits for local sales and use and district taxes paid on machinery and equipment primarily used in manufacturing, research and development, electric power generation or production, or electric power storage and distribution.
New York Administrative Law Judge Holds ITFA Preempts Taxation of Gross Receipts from ADSL and Fiber Broadband Sales
An administrative law judge with the New York State Division of Tax Appeals held that the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) preempted the imposition of New York franchise tax and a metropolitan transportation business tax (MTA) surcharge on gross receipts from sales of asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) and fiber broadband aggregation and access services (Fiber Broadband).
No Day Off for Buehler: California Sources Gain from Sale of Intangible to Domicile and Denies Other State Tax Credit
The California Office of Tax Appeals (OTA) held a California resident was not entitled to claim an other state tax credit (OSTC) for taxes paid to Massachusetts because gain from the sale of an LLC membership interest was wholly sourced to the taxpayer’s domicile under California law. Continue Reading ›
“If You Don’t Make It There, You Can’t Make It Anywhere:” New York’s Zero Manufacturing Rate Requires New York Property
Our state and local tax team comments on the New York State Division of Tax Appeals (DTA) administrative law judge (ALJ) determination that Raytheon Company and affiliates (Raytheon) did not qualify for New York’s zero percent tax rate for manufacturers or the reduced tax rate for qualified emerging technology companies (QETCs).
Read More: New York’s Zero Manufacturing Rate Requires New York Property (pillsburylaw.com)
Certainly COP: Florida Court Rejects Department of Revenue’s Attempt to Conflate Costs of Performance Sourcing With Market-Based Sourcing
On March 1, 2023, a Florida trial court confirmed that costs of performance (COP) sourcing, not market-based sourcing, is Florida’s standard methodology for sourcing service receipts for apportionment purposes. In Billmatrix Corp. v. State of Florida, Department of Revenue, No. 2020-CA-000435 (Fla. 2d Cir. Ct. Mar. 1, 2023), the court strongly rebuked the Florida Department of Revenue for attempting to apply market-based sourcing in contravention of its own COP sourcing regulation. Continue Reading ›
California Lawmakers Propose Constitutional Amendment to Abolish the State Board of Equalization
California Democratic lawmakers recently introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 11 (ACA 11) which proposes to abolish the State Board of Equalization (BOE) and reassign its responsibilities to other state tax agencies effective January 1, 2026. Continue Reading ›