In this episode of the SALTovation podcast, we speak with Michelle Bush, from Silverstein & Pomerantz, and our very own Judy Vorndran.
Michelle talks about her career handling tax matters on behalf of the city and then her later switch on behalf of the taxpayers . Listen to her multiple perspectives of challenging tax law in the court system.
Questions asked and answered in this Episode:
- Why did she switch sides from representing the city to representing taxpayers?
- What are Michelle thoughts on overreaching enforcement?
- Was there a lack of trust from the cities for the state to collect their dues?
- Why doesn’t Denver have clearer boundary lines?
- What are Michelle’s opinions on the Sales & Use Tax System (SUTS) system?
- What case had the biggest impact on Michelle on the way she thinks about tax and the application of the law?
- How do you put together a compelling story for litigation?
- What does Michelle foresee in future litigations?
What You Will Discover:
- [01:29] The progression of Michelle’s career
- [05:03] Why she shifted from representing the city to taxpayers
- [06:34] How she adjusted to Colorado's complicated state tax system
- [08:59] The balancing act on enforcing the tax law
- [14:40] If Michelle felt any distrust between the City of Denver and the state of Colorado
- [19:35] Issues with Colorado’s boundary lines
- [21:15] Michelle’s opinions of the SUTS system
- [27:38] What Michelle tries to remember in every piece of litigation
- [31:40] How to put together a compelling story
- [35:56] How the COVID-19 pandemic could play in future litigations
- [37:37] Other litigations Michelle foresees in the future
Quotables:
- “Wherever I worked, it was the right thing at the time.” - Michelle Bush [05:30]
- “Just because no one is challenging it doesn’t mean it’s the right application. Doesn’t mean it’s the wrong application.” - Michelle Bush [10:21]
- “Putting myself in the shoes of our clients, any time you can remove a barrier to compliance, I think that’s a good thing.” - Michelle Bush [22:10]
- “But use tax is almost like when you say use tax, people think that… they look at you and say `I know the words you are using are in the English language, but I don’t know what that means.’” - Michelle Bush [26:28]
- “There’s always a story to be told.” - Michelle Bush [28:57]
Relevant Links:
Website: https://www.sptaxlaw.com/our-people/michelle-bush/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bush-ba10b01a/
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