Stephen P. Kranz
Subscribe to Stephen P. Kranz's PostsStephen (Steve) P. Kranz is a tax lawyer who solves tax problems differently. Over the course of his extensive career, Steve has acquired specific skills and developed a unique approach that helps clients develop and implement holistic solutions to all varieties of tax problems. He combines strategic thinking with effective skills for the courtroom, the statehouse and the conference room. Read Stephen Kranz's full bio.
McDermott Provides Treasury Department with Concrete Suggestions for Guidance on the American Rescue Plan Act’s Claw-Back Provision
By Stephen P. Kranz and Mark Nebergall on Mar 25, 2021
Posted In Constitutional Issues, Franchise Tax, Gross Receipts Tax, Income Tax, Insurance Tax, Local Tax, Nationwide Importance, Property Tax, Sales Tax, Tax Base, Transaction Taxes
The recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes an ambiguous claw-back provision that has brought the world of state and local tax policymaking to a grinding halt. Because ARPA’s adoption occurred during the final weeks of many states’ legislative sessions, rapid issuance of guidance from the US Department of the Treasury is...
Continue Reading
Federal COVID-19 Relief Bill Brings State Tax Policy to a Grinding Halt
By Stephen P. Kranz, Mark Nebergall and Eric D. Carstens on Mar 16, 2021
Posted In Constitutional Issues, Franchise Tax, Incentives, Income Tax, Local Tax, Nationwide Importance, Property Tax, Sales Tax, Tax Base
On March 11, 2021, US President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the COVID-19 relief bill that includes $350 billion in relief to states and localities. To prevent states from using federal relief funds to finance tax cuts, Congress included a clawback provision requiring that any relief funds used to...
Continue Reading
False Claims Act Risk for Unclaimed Property Holders
By Diann Smith, Stephen P. Kranz and Eric D. Carstens on Mar 15, 2021
Posted In False Claims Act, Nationwide Importance
In what has become an unfortunate trend, unclaimed property holders continue to be subject to lawsuits under state false claims acts (FCA – also called a qui tam or whistleblower action) for alleged underreporting and remittance of unclaimed property obligations. More than 30 states have a false claims act with whistleblower provisions and nearly all...
Continue Reading
Maryland Digital Advertising Services Tax—Implementation Delay Likely
By Michael Kimberly, Stephen P. Kranz and Mark Nebergall on Mar 2, 2021
Posted In Allocation/Appointment, Constitutional Issues, Maryland, Nationwide Importance
On the morning of Friday, February 26, 2021, the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee added a new item to its agenda for the hearing later that morning. The new item was proposed amendments to Senate Bill 787, a bill that would amend the Maryland Digital Advertising Tax by excluding broadcasters and news media and...
Continue Reading
Maryland Sued over Digital Advertising “Tax”
By Michael Kimberly and Stephen P. Kranz on Feb 18, 2021
Posted In Allocation/Appointment, Connecticut, Constitutional Issues, Maryland, Montana, Nationwide Importance, New York
Today, McDermott Will & Emery filed suit in Maryland federal court on behalf of a number of leading trade associations against Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, challenging the state’s recently enacted 10% gross receipts “tax” applicable to digital advertising revenue. The plaintiffs in the suit are the US Chamber of Commerce, the Internet Association, NetChoice and...
Continue Reading
Maryland Enacts First Digital Advertising Services Gross Receipts Tax: Now What?
By Stephen P. Kranz, Mark Nebergall and Eric D. Carstens on Feb 12, 2021
Posted In Allocation/Appointment, Connecticut, Constitutional Issues, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, Nationwide Importance, New York, Oregon, Washington
General Assembly Veto Override On February 12, 2021, the Maryland General Assembly overrode Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of HB 732 (2020) (the Act), a bill enacting a first-of-its-kind digital advertising services tax on the annual gross receipts from the provision of digital advertising services in Maryland. The tax only applies to companies having annual gross...
Continue Reading
DC Council Expands False Claims Act to Tax Claims
By Stephen P. Kranz, Diann Smith and Eric D. Carstens on Dec 1, 2020
Posted In District of Columbia, False Claims Act, Nationwide Importance
The DC Council has passed an amended bill (the False Claims Amendment Act of 2020, B23-0035) that beginning as early as January 2021 will allow tax-related false claims to be raised against large taxpayers for up to 10 years of prior tax periods! This troubling legislation creates a real and imminent possibility of prior tax...
Continue Reading
False Claims Act Tax Expansion Bill Advanced by DC Council
By Stephen P. Kranz, Diann Smith and Eric D. Carstens on Nov 17, 2020
Posted In District of Columbia, False Claims Act, Illinois, Nationwide Importance, New York
The DC Council has once again advanced a bill (the False Claims Amendment Act, B23-0035) that would allow tax-related false claims against large taxpayers! The bill passed a first reading of the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, by a vote of 8-5. The bill is sponsored by Councilmember Mary Cheh, who...
Continue Reading
New York Legislation Proposes to Retroactively Remove FCA Culpability Standard for Tax Law Claims
By Stephen P. Kranz, Diann Smith and Eric D. Carstens on Oct 14, 2020
Posted In False Claims Act, Nationwide Importance, New York
With Halloween just a few weeks away, a scary proposal is brewing in the New York State Legislature that should give taxpayers chills. Companion bills Assembly Bill 11066 and Senate Bill 8872 were recently introduced by committee chairs (Assembly Ways and Means Chairwoman Helene Weinstein and Senate Committee on Judiciary Chairman Brad Hoylman). This legislation...
Continue Reading
New Jersey Reconsiders Financial Transaction Tax
By Stephen P. Kranz and Jonathan C. Hague on Sep 21, 2020
Posted In Nationwide Importance, New Jersey, Transaction Taxes
A troubling New Jersey financial transaction tax proposal, which appeared to be gaining in popularity over the last few months, has reportedly been left out of the 2021 budget deal Governor Phil Murphy struck with legislative leaders last week. The decision to drop the transaction tax from the deal came days after the Wall Street...
Continue Reading
