FREE WEBINAR TOMORROW: STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR STATE NOLS

I will be co-presenting a FREE Bloomberg BNA webinar tomorrow on state net operating losses. I hope you can make it! Sign up here.

Some of the questions we will attempt to answer are:

• Is strategic planning for state net operating losses possible? 
• Do we care about federal NOLs?
• How are state NOLs determined and how can we plan?
• How does group reporting change everything and how can we plan?
• State IRC. Sec. 382 limitations - do they exist?
• How will federal tax reform impact state NOLs?

We will also cover some crazy state NOL rules.

Please join me.

Welcome to SALT CRASHERS! (Home Depot & DIY Meets State Tax)

"You can do it.  We can help."  "More saving. More doing."  These are slogans of the Home Depot home improvement company, but I think they may apply to the state tax consulting industry as well.

"DIY" or "Do It Yourself" has become a popular home improvement network (I think a spin-off of HGTV).  Shows such as, House Crashers, Yard Crashers, etc. come to your house and re-do your yard or house, but you do alot of the work while they direct and support you with a lot of additional workers, etc.  It is a coordinated team effort.  Does this approach sound similar to how you use outside consultants? 

I know some companies may hire outside consultants and totally hand-it off to them to do.  They don't have the expertise in-house and/or don't have the time to spend on the issue.  That is why they are hiring outside consultants.  

Other companies are more "Do It Your-selfers" or "DIYs."  They like to do things themselves and use consultants as an add-on or supplement on an as-needed basis.  However, if you have ever watched Yard Crashers or House Crashers, you may notice that having these outside experts come to the house shaves projects and YEARS off the homeowner's to-do list.  Meaning, the homeowner may have never completed the project without the help of these outside experts.  The homeowner also may have never thought of the ideas (i.e., landscaping plan, remodeling plan, the placement, the fixtures, etc.) for their house or yard.

Therefore, when asking yourself, what kind of person or company am I?  Am I a DIY or do I want to hand-it off?  Also ask yourself, what could I be missing?  Are there ideas and expertise that I could utilize to not only save my company money, but create a more tax-efficient structure?  

Trust me.  I am a DIY.  I like doing things myself.  However, even I have had to learn that I don't always know everything (shocker, I know).  Others can help with their ideas and expertise.  

Just remember, you can always do some things yourself, you just don't have to go it ALL alone.

Truly, in the SALT world, "you can do it," and "we can help" do seem to apply.  SALT consultants can provide "more saving and more doing."  

What kind of company are you?  

How do you prefer to work with outside consultants, and why?

State Taxes and The Compound Effect: Ticking Time-Bomb or Nest-Egg?

Some things change and some things remain the same.  Unfortunately, a lot of the time, the things we want to change, remain the same (and vice versa).  Hence, what can we do about it?  How can we change something, improve, and get the results we desire?  

I read a book a few years ago that I want to encourage you to read as well.  It is called, "The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy.  It is a great book about how small actions, small differences in behavior or small changes can make a big difference over time.  

I'm sure most of us are aware of the compound effect when it comes to money, i.e., the earlier you start investing in your 401k, the bigger the "pot" in the future.  Well, the same principle applies to any area of your life that you want to change, whether it is relationships, your fitness level, finances, career, etc.  

Small changes made today and every day (completed with consistency) will produce big results at some point in the future.  Consistency is the key.  Hence, you have to have the perseverance and discipline to stick with the small change you are making on a daily basis so you see the result in the future.  The biggest reason people don't get the results they desire is because they give up too soon.  

How does this apply to state and local taxes?  Well, small errors, or areas of neglect (such as nexus, apportionment, inter-company expenses, etc.) can add up over time.  If no action is taken, an audit, a nexus questionnaire, etc. can arrive at your doorstep and the liability can be much greater than if action had been taken years earlier.  

On the flip-side, if action is taken today (i.e., restructuring, voluntary disclosure agreements, planning, etc.) cash tax savings can be achieved not only for one tax year, but on an annual basis creating additional funds (or "nest-egg") to be used in your business.

The compound effect is a great principle.  Just make sure that it is producing a "positive" effect for you and your business, instead of a "ticking time-bomb."

I leave you with this question from the book, "The Compound Effect:"  

"If you were given a choice between taking $3 million in cash this very instant and a single penny that doubles in value every day for 31 days, which would you choose?"

Many States Facing Revenue Shortfalls

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and the National Association of State Budget Officers, in 2017, 25 states are facing or have addressed revenue shortfalls.  More states expect mid-year revenue shortfalls than in any year since 2010.

This does not bode well for taxpayers as states will look for ways to solidify revenue either through more aggressive enforcement, or enacting new legislation that broadens the tax base, eliminates deductions, credits or exemptions, or raises rates.

The question remains - will federal tax reform increase state tax revenue?

Read the full report here.

COST: Retroactive Legislation and 2017 State Tax Amnesty Programs

I apologize for not writing more over the past couple of weeks, but I've been busy with client work. Regardless, I wanted to touch base and send you a link to a couple of items that you might find interesting.

First, COST (Council on State Taxation) has published an Op-Ed piece by Douglas Lindholm, the President and Executive Director of COST, regarding retroactive tax legislation. 

Second, COST has also published a list of 2017 state tax amnesty programs. Always a useful tool. When it comes to amnesty, continue to weigh the cost/benefits between amnesty and voluntary disclosure agreements before choosing to move forward with an amnesty application.

California Proposes Eliminating Water's-Edge Election

California Senator Ricardo Lara has introduced SB 567 which would eliminate the water's-edge election for corporations who file California combined returns. Corporations would be required to file on a worldwide basis.

The bill would remove the water’s-edge election for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, and would specify that existing electors would be unable to elect to file using the water’s-edge method for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023.

I have written on this subject before as to why states may not want to require worldwide reporting. The California Department of Finance believes water's-edge reporting is costing the state $2.3 billion in revenue currently. The problem with that figure is that it may not be accurate every year once worldwide reporting is the only option. Also, since the goal of federal tax reform is to encourage and increase investment in the United States, would requiring worldwide tax reporting lower tax revenue in California due to apportionment factor dilution?