SALT Blog - SALT Blawg

Recently, in Elan Pharm. v. Division of Taxation, the Tax Court of New Jersey issued a non-binding opinion that further limits the Division of Taxation’s enforcement of the controversial “throw out rule.”

Sometimes, when a multi-state taxpayer apportions its income, that taxpayer will source a receipt to a state in which the receipt is not subject to tax, either because the state has chosen not to tax it or because the state is not able to do so. One reason that a receipt may not be taxable, and a reason at issue in Elan Pharm., is P.L. 86-272 -- a federal law that prohibits a state from ...

 By Paul Masters with contributions by Jennifer Weidler in Chamberlain’s Philadelphia office.

State Regulations and Public Notices

California Board of Equalization issues a proposal to amend the definition of “retailers engaged in business in this state,” in conformance with AB 155. It will take effect either September 15, 2012 or January 2013. The effect of this change would be to expand the requirement for retailers to register with the Board and remit California use taxes, or to be subject to payment of these use taxes on such failure to remit.

Utah State Tax ...

State DOR Letters and Administrative Rulings

Illinois Office of Administrative Hearings respects the entity, and rules Department of Revenue cannot go after owner of corporation for use tax liability on vessel use in Illinois. Use tax is not a trust tax. It also rules that the foreign corporate owner of a vessel used in Illinois for 30 days/year has sufficient nexus to allow Illinois to impose use tax on value of vessel. Taxpayer allowed credit for tax paid outside the state. Correct tax base for assessment of use tax is the purchase price reduced by depreciation prior to first use in ...

Texas Supreme Court Rules “Pole Tax” Does Not Violate First Amendment

In a unanimous decision Texas Supreme Court rules stripper "pole tax" does not violate First Amendment. The decision reverses a 2-1 Third Court of Appeals decision, which had held the tax violated the First Amendment in upholding the trial court’s ruling. The decision remands the case to the trial court, where three arguments remain, all based on challenges to the tax under the Texas Constitution.

New Jersey Appeals Court Upholds Tax Court Finding No Unitary Nature of Limited Partnership

New Jersey ...

 By Paul Masters

The long-contested constitutional issue concerning the New Jersey throw-out rule has finally culminated in a New Jersey Supreme Court decision recognizing the general constitutionality of the rule, but for its application to sales receipts attributable to states that choose not to impose an income tax. But first, we summarize what this decision did not do. The decision did not address in any significant way the current challenges to nexus that the states confront. Rather, the decision reaffirmed existing federal law, 15 U.S.C.A. §§ 381-84 (commonly referred to ...

Alabama House Bill 434, signed by Governor Robert Bentley, enacts three significant changes to Alabama’s apportionment provisions for tax years beginning on or after December 31, 2010:

* Double weight the sales factor for determining apportionment to 50%;

* Change from focusing on the location of income production for apportionment purposes to the taxpayer’s market for the sale for transactions other than tangible personal property; and

* Adoption of a “throwout” rule (similar to that recently rejected by New Jersey), by which a transaction that cannot be assigned to a ...