The Bloomberg BNA SALT Blog is a forum for practitioners and Bloomberg BNA editors to share ideas, raise issues, and network with colleagues about state and local tax topics. The ideas presented here are those of individuals and Bloomberg BNA bears no responsibility for the appropriateness or accuracy of the communications between group members.
June 29, 2012
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme court ruled on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, upholding the law's individual mandate as a valid exercise of Congress's...
June 27, 2012
All “thermal” eyes were focused on New Hampshire this week, as it became the first state to add thermal energy to its electric renewable portfolio standards (RPS). An electric renewable portfolio...
June 25, 2012
Judging from a presentation from government and business stakeholders at the Federation of Tax Administrators annual meeting last week, it seems that the states are on the verge of being granted the authority to collect sales tax from remote retailers. Also, a poll on Bloomberg BNA's State Tax LinkedIn group shows unanimous agreement that Congress is likely to enact such legislation by the end of 2013.
June 22, 2012
With pending federal legislation to provide states complying with simplification requirements with the authority to require remote sellers to collect sales tax, the time to begin establishing centralized registration systems and clear guidance as to "what is and is not taxable," has clearly come.
June 20, 2012
Louisiana’s tax credit for alternative fuel vehicles is in limbo at the moment because Governor Bobby Jindal rejected emergency regulations related to the credit on June 14. The emergency...
June 18, 2012
Gift cards are exempt from unclaimed property reporting requirements in many states. In states where gift cards are subject to escheatment, a three-to-five year presumed abandonment period applies. But a growing minority of states are stepping up their efforts to subject unredeemed gift card amounts to escheatment.
June 15, 2012
State tax department guidance on the tax treatment of social media coupons such as Groupon or LivingSocial has evolved from treating the vouchers in the same manner as a gift certificate to treating the vouchers as a cash discount, state tax experts participating in a June 12 Bloomberg BNA Webinar said.
June 13, 2012
Louisiana has recently enacted a number of new incentive programs for businesses. One incentive, the Corporate Headquarters Relocation Program, provides a rebate of 25 percent of costs related to the...
June 11, 2012
With most state legislative sessions drawing to a close, jurisdictions are generally following the trend that began last year of avoiding tax increases, and in some cases, cutting taxes as revenues begin to climb back to pre-recession levels.
June 8, 2012
While most states have avoided raising raise taxes over the past year, many jurisdictions are eyeing alternative sources of revenue such as unclaimed property. One advantage to this approach is that it generally avoids media scrutiny. Until it doesn’t -- as discovered by Delaware and New Jersey.
June 6, 2012
As states offer more and more renewable energy tax incentives, small businesses are seeking to take advantage of the situation by getting into the renewable energy business.
June 4, 2012
It would be reasonable to assume that progress in tax administration is stagnating due to partisan bickering in Congress and state legislatures. But new administrative practices recently adopted by some states are examples of how certain jurisdictions are still fulfilling their roles as laboratories of democracy.
June 1, 2012
The online giant Amazon.com will begin collecting sales tax on purchases made by New Jersey residents in exchange for state help in building Amazon facilities. Amazon's collection of sales tax begins on July 1, 2013, or if earlier, the effective date of federal legislation that would give states the power to enforce collection of sales tax from online sales.
State Tax Snapshot: The Income Tax Consequences of Allowing Workers to Telecommute
Sales Tax Slice: State Tax Pros Voice Concerns Over U.S. Online Sales Tax Legislation
Weekly Round-Up: A Closer Look at How States Will Treat Series LLC Employment Taxes
Weekly Round-Up: SST Board Begins Laying Groundwork to Implement Online Sales Tax Legislation
Incentives Watch: Coastal States’ Pearls of Wisdom – Take Advantage of Our Oyster Tax Credits