The winter of 2015-2016 has been particularly mild here in the Northeast. However, the winter winds often made it difficult to gauge how cold it really felt by simply looking at the thermometer. Despite mostly mild days, on several days the wind combined with the ambient temperature resulted in “wind chills” in the single digits…

For most entities subject to the Texas Franchise Tax, a two page form must be completed to calculate the tax due. So how difficult can that be to fill out, right? You’d be surprised. Filing in Texas is a whole lot more complicated than it first appears. In order to do it correctly, you’ll need…

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…

Fall is a beautiful time of year – a time for cleaning up our gardens and preparing for the rigors of winter. It’s also when many organizations review their budgets in preparation for their next fiscal year – which is where they can run into state and local tax trouble. One of the more…

Connecticut is known as the “Nutmeg State” because its early settlers were considered ingenious and shrewd for recognizing the value of nutmeg and selling it to travelers. Early this summer, the state lived up to its shrewd reputation when its General Assembly passed a budget bill containing provisions that would (among other provisions) increase…

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…

In a seeming victory for online retailers, the U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled that the Tax Injunction Act does not bar a retailer from bringing a suit in federal court. The suit originally brought by the Direct Marketing Association involved whether Colorado could force online retailers to report purchases made by their…

New “click-through” nexus provisions in Michigan and Illinois are fresh cause for concern for out of state retailers – and should be on your Winter 2015 Sales and Use tax Nexus Preparedness Checklist. Both states recently adopted new legislation that requires otherwise out of state retailers to collect and remit sales tax from their…

Is the new Congress planning to alter some of the unpopular provisions of the 2013 Marketplace Fairness Act? It sure seems like it. On January 13th, House Judiciary Chairman, Representative Bob Goodlatte, circulated a draft of the  Online Sales Simplification Act of 2015.  As reported in a Bloomberg BNA article, 

As someone who regularly tunes into the Weather Channel, I keenly appreciate how meteorologists recognize dangerous patterns and potentially significant storms through analysis of weather hundreds of miles and days away from a location.  This ability to predict weather emergencies allow us to prepare and “batten down the hatches” well in advance of the…

In the midst of our busy season, we have come across a recurring issue with Pennsylvania RCT-101 Corporate Tax Reports which could lead to a tax due notice for companies with zero apportionment in the state. In several instances where a return has been filed that has zero business apportionment, Pennsylvania has adjusted the apportionment to…

Each year the joy of Summer seems to more quickly pass into the demands of the Fall.  Perhaps your summer, like mine, is a coveted time to catch up on non-technical reading.  However, last week the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance issued approximately 15 Sales Tax Technical Bulletins and several Technical…

The unofficial start of summer 2014 is upon us with the celebration of Memorial Day this weekend. Summer, with its beautiful long days,  is the perfect season for exploration .  For the past 25 years summer  has meant one thing to me: Road Trip! Road trips have always given me an opportunity to refresh…

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, state government tax coffers are overflowing. They rose for the third consecutive year to $846.2 billion in 2013, with total state tax revenues increasing by 6.1% over the year before. It’s a safe bet to say states are pleased with their progress and will use every tool in their…

The implications of New York State’s guidance on bulk sales may have far-reaching consequences and could  result in personal liability for the “buyer”  –  even in a transfer that is  technically not a “sale.” In June of 2013, nearly 30 years after New York issued its seminal guidance on bulk sales in