NY Tax Minutes: November

This article originally appeared in Law360 and is reprinted with permission.

We’re back with the fifth installment of “NY Tax Minutes.” And once again, we’re delivering all the month’s New York City and state tax news in a way that’s made for New Yorkers. Fast.

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The SALT Cap Lawsuit Continues....

Earlier this month, those who oppose the SALT cap must have been pleased to see the results in the mid-term elections. With Democrats taking over the house, there’s already talk (here and here) that the next Congress will take aim at the cap. But quietly, on the other side of the battle lines, shots were fired by the federal government, as attorneys for the United States Department of Treasury and IRS filed a Motion to Dismiss the Complaint in State of New York, State of Connecticut, State of Maryland, and State of New Jersey v. United States Department of Treasury, The Internal Revenue Service and The United States of America, 18-cv-6427 on November 2 as noted here in the corresponding Memorandum of Law Supporting the Government’s Motion to Dismiss.

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Wayfair Settles!

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard and State Attorney General Marty Jackley announced on October 31, 2018 that the State of South Dakota has entered into a settlement agreement and stipulation of dismissal resolving all issues that had remained in the landmark Wayfair case. The settlement agreement and stipulation of dismissal were made with Wayfair Inc. and its co-litigants, Overstock.com Inc. and Newegg Inc., to resolve all remaining issues in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc. State circuit court must still give its final approval to the settlement agreement reached by the parties and to the dismissal of both cases.

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NY Tax Minutes: October

This originally appeared in Law360 and is reprinted with permission.

We’re back with the fourth installment of "NY Tax Minutes." And once again, we’re delivering all the month’s New York City and state tax news in a way that’s made for New Yorkers. Fast.

This month, we continue to chronicle New York’s response to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions; we highlight important takeaways from the attorney general’s recent $30 million settlement announcement with a hedge fund manager in a tax whistleblower action; and we cover the tax department’s draft amendments to the state business corporation franchise tax regulations dealing with declaring and paying estimated taxes. We also highlight this month’s new and noteworthy decisions from the Tax Appeals Tribunal.

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The Connecticut vs. New York “Convenience Rule” Battle: After 15 years, Connecticut Blinks!

Fifteen or so years ago, there was a debate brewing between Connecticut and New York about the so-called “convenience rule.” New York had the rule, so Connecticut residents working for New York employers were subject to it. But Connecticut didn’t have the rule, so Connecticut residents couldn’t get credit for taxes paid to New York against their Connecticut income tax liability.

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NY Tax Minutes: September

This originally appeared in Law360 and is reprinted with permission.

We’re back with the third installment of "NY Tax Minutes." And once again, we’re delivering all the month’s New York state and city tax news in a way that’s made for New Yorkers. Fast.

This month, we revisit New York’s ongoing battle with the federal government over the recently enacted $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions; we take a look at the importance of taxpayer testimony in domicile cases; we address the ever-growing list of non-audit related legal challenges facing taxpayers in New York state, including whistleblower lawsuits and class actions; and, lastly, we review New York City’s recent (better late than never) guidance on repatriated income for business taxpayers.

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Some New York Highway Use Tax Registrations Are Being Improperly Targeted

The renewal period for Highway Use Tax registrations is just around the corner. The Tax Department, ever mindful of the leverage this affords, just sent out a slew of computer-generated notices that inform taxpayers with outstanding tax liabilities that the Department cannot issue them a renewed Certificate of Registration and decals until the liabilities are resolved.

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NY Tax Minutes: August 2018

This originally appeared in Law360 and is reprinted with permission.

Well, thankfully, Law360 didn’t cancel our column after month one, so we’re back with the second installment of “NY Tax Minutes.” If we can make it here, we’ll make it anywhere!

Once again, we’re delivering all the month’s New York State tax news in a way that’s made for New Yorkers. Fast. This month, we cover the governor’s brash response to the IRS’s proposed end to one of New York’s SALT deduction cap workarounds and highlight the Tax Appeals Tribunal’s recent decision explaining the procedures for claiming sales and use tax refunds after a failure to properly protest an original assessment. We also cover two recent New York State Notices addressing the state’s treatment of IRC § 965 repatriation amounts, along with a recent Advisory Opinion on the proper (or improper) use of sales tax exemption certificates.

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NYC Joins the Party: Guidance on Deferred Fees for Hedge Fund Managers

Earlier this summer, the New York City Department of Finance issued a memorandum explaining the recognition and allocation of deferred income from nonqualified deferred compensation plans (“NQPs”), specifically geared towards hedge fund managers. (NYC Department of Finance, Finance Memorandum 18-6, “Recognition and Allocation of Deferred Income from a Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan,” June 29, 2018 (“Memorandum 18-6”). Sorry about the delay in reporting. Tax lawyers need vacations too.

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NY Tax Minutes: July 2018

This originally appeared in Law360 and is reprinted with permission.

Life moves fast in New York. So do taxes. New York state (and City) tax a lot of people, places and things. The state and city’s audit divisions and administrative appeal tribunals are both among the most active in the country. So how, you’re asking yourself, do I possibly keep up with all the headlines, rulings, opinions and law changes happening across the Empire State? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Once a month, your authors, two practicing tax attorneys (nerds) with ties all over the state (Tim was born and raised in Buffalo; Craig grew up on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, before moving to New York City) will give you a full update on everything New York tax. But we’ll also deliver the news in a way that’s made for life in New York: fast.

So, without further fanfare, we give you the first installment of "New York Tax Minutes." This month, we cover New York state’s deafening silence on the Wayfair ruling and the state’s pending lawsuit against the federal government over the recently enacted state and local tax deduction cap. We also highlight two recent New York state and city publications addressing some complicated apportionment issues surrounding hedge fund manager compensation.

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