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Income Tax

Taxes, Like Temperatures, Going Up: California COVID-19 Budget “Revenue Solutions”

by Charles Moll, III and Marcy Jo Mandel | May 15, 2020 | California, Franchise Tax, Income Tax, Local Tax, Sales Tax

Yesterday Governor Gavin Newsom turned to a familiar gambit from California’s playbook to help tackle the budgetary hole wrought by COVID-19. In January, the Governor proposed his budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which projected a $5.6 billion surplus. Indeed, revenues through March are reported as having run $1.35 billion above projections. But, as the Governor says in his May Revision to his January Budget, “[t]he COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting recession has changed the fiscal landscape significantly.” Without the various changes proposed by the May Revision, which includes the “revenue solutions” described below, the Governor’s Budget projects a $54 billion deficit.

The May Revision proposes two significant changes to business taxation. The Governor proposes suspending net operating losses for 2020, 2021, and 2022 for medium and large businesses. The Governor also proposes limiting business incentive tax credits from offsetting more than $5 million of tax liability per year for 2020, 2021, and 2022.

While it is not known what parameters were used for the May Revision revenue estimates, and the actual threshold for being a medium or large business subject to NOL suspension will be set during the legislative process should the Governor’s proposal be enacted, standards used for prior NOL suspension periods may provide a guide. For taxable years beginning in 2008 and 2009, California suspended the NOL carryover deduction for taxpayers with a net business income of $500,000 or more. For taxable years beginning in 2010 and 2011, California’s NOL suspension affected taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income of $300,000 or more. In neither case were disaster losses affected by the NOL suspension rules.

The May Revision also includes two proposals to address the sales and use tax gap: (1) Used car dealers would have to remit sales tax to the Department of Motor Vehicles with the registration fees, and (2) Market value will be used to determine the price paid in private auto sales.

Also tagged as “revenue solutions” in the May Revision are three General Fund proposals from the Governor’s January Budget Proposal: (1) Extending the sales tax exemption for diapers and menstrual products through the end of 2022-23; (2) Extending the carryover period for film credits awarded under Program 2.0 from six years to nine years; and (3) Extending the current exemption from the minimum tax for first year corporations to first year LLCs, partnerships and LLPs. The May revision also maintains a new tax on e-cigarettes based on nicotine content and will be deposited in a new special fund.

Overall, the revenue solutions in the May Revision are projected to net $4.4 billion in 2020-21, $3.3 billion in 2021-22 and $1.4 billion in 2022-23. The Governor states, “These tax measures as a whole are intended to raise revenue, stimulate economic growth, and help those in need.”

He explains that his May Revision revenue solutions “recognize the disproportionate tax relief that has been provided to larger corporations, compared to small businesses, which has resulted in relatively lower tax payments.” And he adds that [...]

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DC and New Jersey Join Mississippi in Disregarding Coronavirus-Caused Remote Work for Tax Purposes

by Stephen P. Kranz and McDermott Will & Emery | Apr 14, 2020 | District of Columbia, Federal Tax, Franchise Tax, Income Tax, Mississippi, Nationwide Importance, New Jersey, Nexus

As part of our open letter to state tax administrators urging relief of undue tax administration burdens in light of COVID-19, we urged the disregarding of remote work for tax purposes. The public health necessity for businesses to close central operations and direct employees to work from home should not be used as an “opportunity” to create nexus for affected businesses.

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Iowa Responds to McDermott’s Call to Drop Unnecessary or Dangerous Tax Administration Requirements

by Stephen P. Kranz and McDermott Will & Emery | Apr 14, 2020 | Federal Tax, Income Tax, Interest and Penalties, Iowa, Nationwide Importance, Property Tax, Sales Tax

In late March, we wrote an open letter to state tax administrators requesting that they take steps to relieve undue tax administration burdens in the wake of the COVID-19 situation. We gave five suggestions, including postponing deadlines for tax filing and payment, waiving requirements to use hard-copy documents or checks, suspending accrual of interest on assessments during mandatory closures, directing revenue agencies to resolve outstanding controversies, and disregarding remote work for tax purposes.

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The Nexus Implications of Teleworking

by Elle Kaiser and McDermott Will & Emery | Apr 2, 2020 | Income Tax, Mississippi, Nationwide Importance, New Jersey, Nexus, Tax Base

Over the past several weeks, state and local governments have issued a slew of “stay-in-place” or “shelter-in-place” orders mandating the closure of all “nonessential businesses” and requiring all persons to self-isolate. For most companies, this means that most, if not all, of their employees are required to work remotely. While telework has become a great way for businesses to protect their employees from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), it may also be exposing the businesses to taxation in states where they may not otherwise have sufficient nexus. This is because employees may be working remotely from states where a business does not otherwise have a presence. Under the traditional nexus rules, the employees’ work in these states would likely be sufficient to create nexus such that the states can tax the business. This seems unfair given that the federal, state and local governments are strongly encouraging individuals not to travel and to work remotely.

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CARES Act Could Result in Taxation of More GILTI in New Jersey

by McDermott Will & Emery | Mar 30, 2020 | Federal Tax, Income Tax, Nationwide Importance, New Jersey, Tax Base

The federal stimulus bill (the CARES Act), HR 748, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 27, includes certain corporate income tax provisions designed to provide relief to corporate taxpayers. One such provision–the net operating loss (NOL) provision that allows taxpayers to carryback NOLs to prior years–could have unintended consequences at the state level. For some taxpayers, the carryback of NOLs to 2018 and 2019 could reduce the deductions allowed pursuant to IRC § 250 applicable to global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) and foreign derived intangible income (FDII) generated in those years. While this will obviously have federal income tax consequences it will also have consequences in states that tax GILTI and allow the deductions in IRC § 250. This blog post focuses on the consequences of the NOL rules to the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax (CBT), but the issue could arise in other states, including, for example, Nebraska and Iowa.

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Tax Commissioners: Please Drop Unnecessary or Dangerous Tax Administration Requirements

by Stephen P. Kranz and McDermott Will & Emery | Mar 27, 2020 | Federal Tax, Income Tax, Interest and Penalties, Local Tax, Nationwide Importance, Sales Tax

This week we wrote a letter to state tax administrators, sharing five key suggestions for relieving undue tax administration burdens in the wake of this difficult COVID-19 situation. As explained, “at a time when many people are working from home and should not or cannot go to post offices or banks, a business-as-usual attitude for tax administration would be inexcusable.” The five suggestions:

Postpone deadlines for tax filing and payment. The federal government and many states have already taken this needed step. When many Americans, including business tax professionals and tax administrators and their staffs, are fearing for their own health and unable, prohibited or unadvised to leave their own house, this is not the time for pulling records and preparing tax filings.

Waive requirements to file hard copy, notarized, and/or wet-signature documents. Waive requirements to mail documents by certified mail. Allow automated-clearing-house (ACH) electronic transfers of funds instead of requiring hard checks. In a time of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders, it is dangerous to require that business representatives go outside to banks or Post Offices, stand in line, and purchase services from one particular provider. While the US Postal Service (USPS) has valiantly endeavored to keep all post offices operating and mail delivery uninterrupted, new reports on the enormous financial difficulties of the USPS and the growing impact of the virus on the USPS’s public-facing workforce surely give all of us pause. Digital signatures and electronic document delivery, and electronic forms of payment, are widely adopted, affordable, secure, and instantaneous. It is time for tax authorities to dispense with – or suspend – the requirements of physical copies, wet signatures, notarization, physical checks and mailing. Furthermore, tax agencies and hearing tribunals should adopt temporary procedures to either automatically acknowledge receipt of electronic documents or waive stringent proof of delivery in situations in which missing a deadline would preclude a taxpayer from obtaining further review of agency action.

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COVID-19 State Tax Relief for Illinois | Quarterly Estimated State Income Tax Payments Still Due 4/15/20

by Mary Kay McCalla Martire | Mar 26, 2020 | Audits, Federal Tax, Illinois, Income Tax, Interest and Penalties, Sales Tax, Tax Base

Illinois has announced the following tax-related relief measures related to COVID-19. Taxpayers who file quarterly estimated returns should note that unlike the federal government, Illinois has not extended the April 15, 2020 due date for first quarter estimated tax payments.

I. Extension of Filing and Payment Deadlines for Illinois Income Tax Returns

The 2019 income tax filing and payment deadlines for all taxpayers who file and pay their Illinois income taxes on April 15, 2020, have been automatically extended until July 15, 2020. This relief applies to all individual returns, trusts and corporations. The relief is automatic; taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) to qualify. For additional details, click here for the guidance issued by IDOR on March 25, 2020.

Penalties and interest will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of July 16, 2020.

Even though the deadline has been extended, IDOR has encouraged taxpayers expecting a refund to file as soon as they can. Taxpayers who have already filed a return can check the status of their return by using the Where’s My Refund? link located at mytax.illinois.gov

Note: This extension does NOT impact the first and second installments of estimated payments of 2020 taxes that are due on April 15 and June 15. Although the federal government has extended the date for the payment of first quarter estimated tax payments to June 15, 2020, Illinois has not followed this practice. Illinois taxpayers are still required to estimate their tax liability for 2020 and make four equal installment payments to IDOR, starting on April 15, 2020.

II. Sales Tax Deferral for Bars and Restaurants

To help alleviate some of the unprecedented challenges facing bars and restaurants due to COVID-19, Governor Pritzker has directed IDOR to defer sales tax payments for eating and drinking establishments that incurred less than $75,000 in sales tax liabilities last year. Qualifying businesses are still required to timely file their sales tax returns, but will not be charged penalties or interest on their late payments due in March, April or May 2020. The IDOR estimates this will give relief to nearly 80% of the bars and restaurants in Illinois.

Taxpayers taking advantage of this relief will be required to pay their sales tax liabilities due in March, April and May in four installments, starting on May 20 and extending through August 20. For more information, please view IDOR’s informational bulletin available at tax.illinois.gov.

III. Small Business Loans

The US Small Business Administration has approved the state’s eligibility for disaster assistance loans for small businesses facing financial hardship in all 102 Illinois counties due to COVID-19. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $2 million in low-interest loans here.

Cities Providing Local Tax Relief Efforts for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

by Elle Kaiser and McDermott Will & Emery | Mar 20, 2020 | California, Income Tax, Local Tax, Nationwide Importance, New York, Sales Tax

From coast to coast, both state and local tax authorities are rapidly responding to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). And while many of the relief efforts are appropriately aimed at supporting individuals who have been impacted by COVID-19, recent pronouncements from local leaders demonstrate that cities are also eager to implement measures supporting small businesses within their communities.

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BREAKING NEWS: Nebraska Bill Clarifies GILTI and Repatriation Are Deductible

by Stephen P. Kranz | Jan 23, 2020 | Federal Tax, Income Tax, Nebraska, Tax Base

Most states have historically not subjected foreign-source income to state income tax. Consequently, since the passage of TCJA, the vast majority of states have opted not to tax GILTI (with most states explicitly decoupling from GILTI or excluding at least 95% of GILTI from the state tax base) or repatriation income (only five states have failed to decouple or provide significant relief).

Unfortunately, the Nebraska Department of Revenue (DOR), despite for years consistently holding that foreign source (Subpart F) income is deductible as dividends received, ruled last year that GILTI and repatriation income are not deductible. The DOR ruling would start taxing foreign source income, a significant departure from Nebraska’s tax policies as established by the Legislature.

The Nebraska Legislature may decide the question, with today’s introduction of LB 1203. The bill would clarify the state’s policy that GILTI and repatriation income are deductible, as foreign dividends received or deemed to be received. The bill frames the policy as a clarification, and therefore applicable to tax filings prior to the bill’s effective date.

The STAR Partnership expects GILTI to be a continued important issue in the 2020 legislative cycle, and plans to continue to advocate for the exclusion of GILTI from the state tax bases either through legislation or administrative guidance.

Illinois Amnesty Programs Now Underway

by Mary Kay McCalla Martire and McDermott Will & Emery | Oct 1, 2019 | Franchise Tax, Illinois, Income Tax, Interest and Penalties, Procedure, Sales Tax

As previously announced, the Illinois Department of Revenue has begun a new amnesty program, running October 1 through November 15, 2019. All taxes paid to the Illinois Department of Revenue for taxable periods ending after June 30, 2011, and prior to July 1, 2018, are eligible for amnesty with relief from penalties and interest. Unlike prior Illinois programs, taxpayers who do not participate in amnesty will not be subject to double interest or penalty charges on subsequent audit assessments for taxes that were eligible for amnesty. A link to the Illinois Department of Revenue forms for its amnesty program is attached here.

The Illinois Secretary of State also offers an amnesty program running from October 1 through November 15, 2019, for corporate franchise taxes related to periods ending after March 15, 2008, and on or before June 30, 2019. In light of the phase-out of the corporate franchise tax by January 1, 2024 (enacted by Public Act 101-9), participants in the amnesty program should proceed with extreme caution. For more information, the Secretary of State has published a Fact Sheet and form of Petition on its website: https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/business_services/home.html.

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