The Louisiana Tax Commission is reviewing the tax assessments of more than a dozen commercial properties in East Baton Rouge Parish that are assessed significantly below their most recently recorded sale price, resulting in a potential loss of millions of dollars to the cash-strapped parish government. Louisiana Tax Commission Chairman Lawrence E. Chehardy declines to discuss details of the review but stops short of calling it a “reassessment” or “reappraisal.” Rather, he says, LTC staff appraisers are simply “reviewing the properties cited in the story.” Chehardy says it’s the first time he’s aware of and certainly the first time during his tenure on the commission that the LTC has conducted such a review. In a July cover story, Business Report analyzed the assessments of more than a dozen of the largest commercial transactions in the parish between 2014 and 2016—deals that occurred several years ago and should have been updated by … [Read more...] about Questionable Baton Rouge property assessments under review by state tax commission
State tax commission
Appeals Court upholds ruling blocking tax commission from hearing appeals
Cole County Presiding Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce ruled correctly in January 2017, a three judge panel of the Missouri appeals court in Kansas City ruled Tuesday, when she blocked the State Tax Commission from hearing an appeal from St. Louis County property tax payers. State law clearly says property tax payers have a right to appeal rulings by a county's Board of Equalization to the commission, the judges found, but added state law prohibits the St. Louis County equalization board from changing an assessment in an even-numbered year — if that assessment was the same as the previous year and there were no property improvements or new construction in the previous year. The case began with owners of 95 residential properties in St. Louis County, when they appealed their 2013 property assessments to the county's Equalization Board. "The assessed values of six properties were settled between their owners and" St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman "before the County Board issued … [Read more...] about Appeals Court upholds ruling blocking tax commission from hearing appeals
Oklahoma Tax Commission letter refutes claims of wind industry
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Tax Commission has refuted claims by wind industry representatives that state incentives have expired for the renewable energy source. The state has already paid out more than $63 million in tax credits connected to wind power in the current fiscal year, according to Tony Mastin, executive director of the tax commission. The state will be refunding credits for at least the next ten years, Mastin said in a letter to Oklahoma Treasurer Ken Miller. Miller had initiated the analysis trying to verify claims by wind industry representatives. "The claim that the State is 'retaining an additional $50 million in revenue' due to the unavailability of the zero-emission income tax credit for facilities placed in operation after July 1, 2017 is not accurate for the immediate future," Mastin stated in the letter. Click here to link to the article at NewsOK. Some stories require an Oklahoman subscription to read. … [Read more...] about Oklahoma Tax Commission letter refutes claims of wind industry
State tax agency advises Cuomo on federal tax end-runs
ALBANY – The state tax department has outlined for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo a series of possible options that New York State could take with its tax code to try to circumvent provisions in the new federal tax law that hit some higher income residents with new restrictions on state and local tax deductions. The plans target possible major changes to the state’s system of collecting income taxes. The plan by the agency -- important because it's a Cuomo-run department that oversees tax laws -- suggests that state and local governments could create new charities to accept donations for government services. That could give those who give a break on their state income taxes and additional federal deductions. A system could be created by localities to collect donations by taxpayers as an end-run means to lower property tax obligations. Without selecting a specific plan he will advance from the menu given him by tax officials, Cuomo indicated Wednesday he will be moving ahead to … [Read more...] about State tax agency advises Cuomo on federal tax end-runs
Nevada Tax Commission OKs $27M refund to AT&T
Nevada Tax Commission members George Kelesis, left, and Thom Sheets listen to a presentation on regulations for recreational marijuana sales in Las Vegas, Monday, May 8, 2017. (Colton Lochhead/Las Vegas Review-Journal) The Nevada Tax Commission on Tuesday approved a $27 million tax refund to AT&T for sales taxes paid to Nevada but actually owed in another state. From October 2013 to December 2014, AT&T paid taxes on equipment stored in its Reno warehouse but sold out of state, thus resulting in the refund request. Tax Commission Chairman Jim DeVolld said before the vote that he believed it was right to refund the money to the company for the accounting error. “If you owe somebody money, you probably ought to give it back to them, irregardless of the time frame,” DeVolld said. But DeVolld said he received several emails before the meeting that complained about AT&T’s own practice in refunding it’s customers, and “felt compelled” to … [Read more...] about Nevada Tax Commission OKs $27M refund to AT&T