The Louisiana Department of Revenue (DOR) has joined forces with other Louisiana agencies to crackdown on employee misclassification and failure to withhold payroll taxes. The GAME ON (Government Against Misclassified Employees Operational Network) Task Force is an interagency network made up of members of the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s (LWC) Unemployment Insurance and Office of Workers’ … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Department of Revenue has now issued formal guidance regarding the new requirement that taxpayers receive a Louisiana state tax clearance in order to obtain: (i) a new or renew an existing Louisiana state sales tax resale certificates; and (ii) approval of certain Louisiana state procurement contracts. Specifically, the Department has issued the following new Revenue … Continue Reading
In response to the impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, parts of the United States have been declared as major disaster areas by the federal government. As a result, numerous states have enacted delayed filing and payment periods for individuals and businesses located in these major disaster areas. Louisiana has joined this growing list with … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Legislature’s 2017 Regular Session has now concluded, and as previously reported, numerous tax measures were proposed. Ultimately, however, much of the proposed legislation addressing long-term tax reform was largely rejected by the Legislature during the Regular Session, leaving questions currently unanswered as to how the state will ultimately address the long-term issue of … Continue Reading
Louisiana is at it again! Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Revenue are now seriously discussing and considering the recommendation of legislation to create a new gross receipts tax in Louisiana. The Governor’s administration will likely be presenting this gross receipts tax option to the Louisiana Legislature as part of the … Continue Reading
(Bill Backstrom, Jones Walker LLP State & Local Tax Partner and Kimberly Lewis Robinson, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue) Jones Walker LLP and the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region would like to thank Kimberly Lewis Robinson, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Co-Chair, HCR 11 Task … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Revenue Estimating Conference met Friday, January 13, 2017, to determine the state’s budget deficit for fiscal year 2017. Based on tax collections, which are below expectations, Louisiana’s economists estimate either a $340M or $502M deficit. The Revenue Estimating Conference ultimately concluded the state’s budget deficit for fiscal year 2017 is $340M, of which … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Task Force on Structural Changes in Budget & Tax Policy recently released its recommendations to reform Louisiana’s sales and use tax, individual income tax, corporate income & franchise taxes, ad valorem property tax and economic development incentives. The highlights of the Task Force’s recommendations include: Sales and Use Tax: Expand the sales and use … Continue Reading
Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue and former Jones Walker LLP State & Local Tax Partner, Kimberly Robinson, sat down with our own Bill Backstrom and Jay Adams to discuss a few of the items that she will discuss at the Jones Walker SALT Team’s annual seminar in Houston, Texas on Thursday, October 6, 2016. … Continue Reading
In Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Inc. v. T.A. “Tim” Barfield, Jr., Secretary, Department of Revenue, State of Louisiana; and the State of Louisiana, Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit, Docket No. 2015-CA-0926 (September 9, 2016), the Louisiana Court of Appeal, First Circuit recently confirmed that Louisiana was a “location-of-performance” state when sourcing service-based receipts for corporate income … Continue Reading
The Jones Walker State & Local Tax Proudly Presents the 8th Annual SALT Seminar in Houston, Texas on October 6, 2016! Lights… camera… action! The Jones Walker LLP State & Local Tax team is back with a day-long program on October 6, 2016, titled Cooking With SALT Goes to the Movies. The team will screen … Continue Reading
As a result of the flooding throughout Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards issued Executive Order JBE 2016-053 to suspend deadlines in legal, administrative and regulatory proceedings. The suspension is retroactive from Friday, August 12, 2016 and continues through Friday, September 9, 2016, unless amended, modified, terminated or rescinded by the Governor. The Louisiana Department of … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Department of Revenue issued Revenue Information Bulletin No. 16-034 (July 14, 2016) to address the taxability of items of tangible personal property purchased or leased for use outside of Louisiana and offshore. Louisiana Revised Statute 47:305(E) provides that it is not the intention of any taxing authority to levy a tax upon articles … Continue Reading
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has released his Call for the Second Special Session in 2016. The special session will begin at 6:30 p.m. on June 6, 2016, which is 30 minutes after the regular session ends. The special session will end on June 23, 2016. The Call focuses on the Governor’s tax plan, which was released … Continue Reading
Today, Louisiana Governor Edwards called for a special session of the Louisiana Legislature to begin on February 14, 2016 and end no later than March 9, 2016. The session has been called to address the current year $700 million budget deficit and a number of tax issues, including: Amend the Constitution “relative to deductible items … Continue Reading
It is somewhat rare for the Louisiana Supreme Court to entertain three tax cases in one year. It is even rarer for the Court to hear three state and local tax cases in back-to-back sessions. However, that is exactly what the Court will be doing! On January 25th and 26th, the Court will hear oral … Continue Reading
Louisiana Governor Edwards’ Transition Committee on Fiscal Matters released its much-anticipated report on the Louisiana budget and taxes. In order to address Louisiana’s structural deficit, the Transition Committee offered the following options to reform the Louisiana tax system: Reduce Louisiana’s individual income tax rates across the board, if the voters agree to eliminate the deduction … Continue Reading
Jones Walker State & Local Tax Partner Kimberly Lewis Robinson has been tapped by Louisiana Governor-elect John Bel Edwards to serve as the new Secretary of Revenue for the State of Louisiana. Kim ‘s appointment was announced yesterday afternoon by Governor-elect Edwards during a press conference in Baton Rouge. In her new role, Kim will lead … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Department of Revenue has just issued a press release announcing that the 2015 tax amnesty program, scheduled to begin yesterday, November 16, 2015, has been delayed until December 1, 2015. The 30-day tax amnesty period will now run from December 1, 2015 until December 31, 2015. The delay results from an error in some … Continue Reading
Today, the 2015 tax amnesty program begins and will continue through December 15, 2015. In connection with the program, on November 3 the Louisiana Department of Revenue issued its Revenue Information Bulletin (RIB) No. 2015-037 providing taxpayers with specific information on this year’s amnesty. Notably, unlike the language of Act 822 (2014 Reg. Sess.) upon which the 2015 … Continue Reading
As we reported in prior posts, the Louisiana Legislature passed several revenue raising bills this year in an attempt to address an apparent $1.6 billion budget hole for the 2016 fiscal year. One of those new bills, HB 624 (now Act 123), provides a 28% reduction to certain corporate income tax exclusions and deductions, including … Continue Reading
Trick or Treat! Louisiana’s 2015 Tax Amnesty program begins at 12:00 AM on November 16, 2015 and closes on December 15, 2015. The 2015 iteration of the amnesty program offers a 33% waiver of penalties and 17% waiver of interest for taxpayers that apply and pay 100% of delinquent taxes. Here’s a scary thought: This … Continue Reading
On Monday, October 2, Judge Michael Caldwell of the Nineteenth Judicial District Court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge ruled that the Louisiana Chemical Association (the “LCA”) has standing to challenge the constitutionality of House Concurrent Resolution No. 8 (“HCR 8”). Specifically, the court found that the LCA is permitted to sue on behalf … Continue Reading
House Concurrent Resolution No. 8 (“HCR 8”) suspends certain tax exemptions on “business utilities” for the tax periods beginning on or after July 1, 2015 through August 5, 2016. Pursuant to HCR 8, businesses will pay a one percent (1%) sales and use tax on their purchases of utilities. The types of business utilities, as interpreted by … Continue Reading
