Although Gillette may have immediately caused some concern about the Multistate Tax Compact, there has never been any doubt about the long term benefits being a member has for a state, Julie Magee, Commissioner at the Alabama Department of Revenue and newly elected chair of the Multistate Tax Commission, said.

Magee's comments were part of a larger interview in which she spoke candidly to Walt Nagel, Don Griswold, and Jeremy Abrams, all with Crowell and Moring's state tax team, about recent tax litigation faced by the state as well as tax credit and abatement opportunities in the state.

"The MTC is not the Compact," she explained. "From a state government point of view, we see the return on investment we get from being involved in the MTC and will continue to be a very active participant," she said.

"As Chair, I look forward to visiting non-participating states and sharing our positive experience with the MTC.  On just the audit program itself, the ROI is ridiculously high.  So, it would be foolish for Alabama to not be continuing to pursue more MTC audits."

"That's especially true with the Marketplace Fairness Act (cross our fingers) going to pass in the next year or two," she said. "Once that passes, we envision the single audit function as required by MFA to fall upon the MTC," she explained. "It makes it easier on taxpayers and the States to have this one entity audit them." 

The MTC's role is to support the states, Magee said. "I want the states to control their own tax administration; let Congress handle federal.  We see too much encroachment of the federal government on state taxation.  So we share best practices among the states and with the MTC and other organizations." 

"On major tax issues, we ought to treat taxpayers consistently nationwide."  "That's the fundamental basis of the MTC and that's what we're doing," Magee said.

In other developments…

Bloomberg Law Event: Outlook on Tax-What to Expect for the Future of Corporate Taxation

State Personal Income Tax Cuts: A Poor Strategy for Economic Growth, by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Sparking Debate over State Migration, by the Tax Foundation

Compiled by Priya D. Nair
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