Skip Page Banner  
Skip Navigation

California: The Perfect Storm for Tax Reform?



Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Product Code - TMW79
Speaker(s): Annette Nellen, CPA, Esq; Oksana Jaffe, Chief Consultant to the California Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation; and Jennifer Petersen, KPMG LLP
Add To Cart

In the wake of the November election in which voters enacted ballot initiatives raising the income and sales tax, as well as modifying the apportionment formula for multistate corporations, California is now firmly in control of the Democratic Party, which enjoys a super-majority in both houses of the legislature and Governor Jerry Brown (D) at the helm in the executive branch. Another, earlier ballot initiative, changes the very process for enacting tax laws.

Will single-party control trigger significant tax reform in the Golden State? Whether legislative changes constitute “tax reform” can vary depending on the taxpayer. But one thing appears relatively certain: taxpayers can expect a certain degree of volatility when it comes to navigating California’s already complex tax regime.

In this 90-minute webinar, the speakers will offer:

  • A review of the tax legislative process including relevance of Prop 26 and the 2/3 Democrat majority
  • A discussion of the questions this has raised over the validity of some laws.
  • A survey of the areas of California tax law that are ripe for change
  • A discussion of recent developments such as Props 30 and 39, AB 2323, Cutler and Franchise Tax Board action, the Gillette decision and SB 1015, rulings on throwback and "doing business”, as well as the Microsoft ruling
  • Insights on areas ripe for reform – including, conformity, property tax, sales tax exemptions, sales tax base broadening, etc.
  • An assessment of the impact of tax-related ballot initiatives on future tax years
  • A survey of possible federal tax reform and multistate bills (Mainstreet Fairness, Mobile Workforce, PL 86-272 update)
  • Comments on the state of California’s business climate

Educational Objectives

  • Understand the recent changes to the legislative process that could impact the validity of recently enacted tax laws
  • Identify areas of California tax law that are ripe for reform and the possible impact on your business/customers
  • Learn about the recently enacted tax-related ballot initiatives and the affect they will have on future tax years
  • Know the recent developments affecting multistate taxpayers – such as the ramifications of the Gillette decision and other important legal rulings
  • Gauge the prospects of federal tax reform and multistate bills affecting electronic commerce

Prerequisite: None
Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Live; followed by Q & A
Recommended CPE Credit: 1.5 credits

 

Annette Nellen, CPA, Esq; Oksana Jaffe, Chief Consultant to the California Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation; and Jennifer Petersen, KPMG LLP

Annette Nellen, CPA, Esq., is a professor in and director of San Jose State University's graduate tax program (MST), teaching courses in tax research, accounting methods, property transactions, state taxation, employment tax, ethics, tax policy, tax reform, and high technology tax issues.

Annette is the immediate past chair of the AICPA Individual Taxation Technical Resource Panel and a member of the AICPA Tax Reform Task Force. She a member of the Executive Committee of the Taxation Section of the California Bar. Annette is a regular contributor to the AICPA Tax Insider and Corporate Taxation Insider e-newsletters. She is the author of BNA Portfolio #533, Amortization of Intangibles.

Annette has testified before the House Ways & Means Committee, Senate Finance Committee, California Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee, and tax reform commissions and committees on various aspects of federal and state tax reform. She maintains the 21st Century Taxation website and blog (www.21stcenturytaxation.com). You can follow Annette on Twitter @anellen.

Prior to joining SJSU, Annette was with Ernst & Young and the IRS.

 

Oksana Jaffe was appointed Chief Consultant to the California Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation in the spring of 2008. In this role, Ms. Jaffe provides technical assistance to Assembly Members on tax law, analyzes legislation, provides tax counsel in connection with the annual budget process, organizes periodic hearings to provide a forum for reviewing tax issues, and acts as a liaison between the California Assembly and various state tax agencies. Ms. Jaffe represents the Committee on Revenue and Taxation as an advisor to the Franchise Tax Board and the Executive Committee of the Tax Section of the California State Bar.

Before joining the Committee, Ms. Jaffe served as a deputy Legislative Counsel at the Legislative Counsel Bureau for more than six years, specializing primarily in state and local tax law. Ms. Jaffe started her professional career as an international tax associate with the Los Angeles office of Deloitte LLP and then served as a tax attorney with Howard Rice, San Francisco, where she practiced international and federal corporate tax law for several years. Ms. Jaffe received a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from Kiev National University in Ukraine, a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law, and a LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law.

Jennifer Petersen
is a Tax Partner in KPMG’s State Tax practice serving as the leader for KPMG’s Bay Area State Tax practice. She has more than 16 years of experience in multi-state income and transaction tax planning, controversy, FAS 109/FAS 5 and compliance matters.