In this episode of SALTovation, Meredith Smith and Judy Vorndran continue their conversation with Masha Yevzelman, Litigator at Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. They discuss the challenges of litigating tax cases and the lack of consistency in state tax laws. They highlight the need for factor presence thresholds and small business exemptions. Masha shares examples of significant cases, including a property tax exemption dispute between government entities and a residency case involving conflicting state interpretations. Masha, Judy, and Meredith emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of tax decisions on individuals and businesses.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Factor presence threshold standards for income tax
- Challenges faced by large businesses in tax litigation
- Impact of state tax rates on controversy
- Tax consequences of residency decisions
- Shift in remote work and its impact on tax considerations
Quotables:
- "When you look at a visual of which states have factor presence for income tax purposes, it's pretty clear that it's a very small number of states. But what's interesting about the MTC position is the MTC said if you're going to adopt this website position state, you should have factor presence.” -Masha Yevzelman [01:27]
- "That's why the litigation is a challenge. You've got to have the big taxpayers doing it, not the little guys unless there's a giant class action that takes time, effort and bandwidth to support. So you just don't see the advocacy unless you're a large multinational business.” -Judy Vorndran [03:01]
- “Some cases really aren't suitable for settlement. Like I said, it's kind of an all or nothing proposition. It's an ongoing issue. Clients need certainty, too. And so even like settling a few years in an unprincipled way doesn't fix it because then what about all the later years where the facts are the same and the law is the same and what are we going to do then?” -Masha Yevzelman [04:50]
- "We're seeing more aggressive state positions. If you know that that's the position of the Department of Revenue and the auditor is applying it and the appeals officer is going to apply it, then really the only way to challenge it is through litigation.” -Masha Yevzelman [06:01]
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