In April of this year, New York Governor Cuomo signed the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year budget. The Budget adopted the Employer Compensation Expense Tax (ECET) in an attempt to offset the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) $10,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction limitation and its potential negative effect on individual taxpayers…

On April 12th Governor Cuomo signed the 2018-2019 Fiscal Year budget (Budget). The Budget contains numerous provisions that address the New York tax ramifications arising from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed by the United States Congress late last year. The Budget’s tax provisions pose significant complexities as well as…

It is always fascinating to watch trends develop and revisit whether the prognosticators were correct – we even enlist Punxsutawney Phil at this time of year – more on him later. One trend we’ve been watching has been the state tax authorities’ modifications in the sourcing of revenue in order to increase the receipts from…

by: Richard L. Feldman, CPA, Senior Manager Voluntary disclosure is not exactly a “get out of jail free” card when it comes to unpaid taxes, but it may be the next best thing. Voluntary disclosure programs allow taxpayers with unreported tax liabilities to come forward and settle their tax liabilities, usually under very favorable terms…

What used to be called the “off-season” in  Major League Baseball, now enthusiastically referred to as the “Hot Stove”  offers fans some of the most interesting and potentially impactful activity related to the sport.  To a baseball fan there is no longer an “off-season.” And as we all have experienced,…

Wow, October is almost gone! One of my favorite but perhaps most frustrating chores this month is raking the leaves. There are several huge Pin Oaks around my home that provide great shade in the summer and a blanket of leaves in the fall. I always rake the leaves into one or two huge piles…

The initial principle of “Water’s Edge” combined reporting was to require combined reporting for affiliated domestic companies that are engaged in a unitary business. Some states have added foreign companies to the Water’s Edge group. These are companies that have a limited United States presence (20% or more) as long as they are part…

In a recent decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Maryland’s failure to allow a credit against the local portion of Maryland personal income tax for taxes paid to another state was unconstitutional. The decision, Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland v. Wynne, May 18, 2015, lay the groundwork for potential refund opportunities…

The New York State Tax Department is switching banks – and that should make you sit up and take notice if you or your clients use debit block services to electronically pay one or more New York State taxes. You only have until June 25, 2015 to contact your bank and have them add…

It is not even Thanksgiving, but already as the news reported yesterday, US braces for more icy temperatures and snow as ferocious storm lingers.  Many years ago I adopted an approach for dealing with Northeast winters.  My approach centered around assessment, preparation and planning.  I called it “winterizing.” My son…