Archive for December 2018
ALASKA VOTERS REJECT PROPOSED INCREASE ON ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND MARIJUANA SALES TAX
Proposition 1 was turned down on the October ballot for the city of Unalaska, Alaska. Voter’s had to decide whether to increase the sales tax on marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco by three percent, effectively doubling the tax. There are several other cities in Alaska that had a sales tax increase on alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana…
Read MoreTobacco Tax Audit/Refund
As cigarettes and other tobacco products are taxed on both the federal and state level, the tax compliance burdens are steep. The tobacco tax scheme is very different from other tax schemes because the product is taxed both at the federal and state level. Further, depending on the type of tobacco product being sold the…
Read MoreDrunken Slur – Fla. ALJ Rules Restaurant Rule Unclear
Presents may be coming early for businesses licensed as food establishments in the Sunshine State. Several grocerant and similar concepts popping up across the State may have foregone an attempt to obtain a consumption on premises liquor license, due to an outdated agency rule. Dining establishments are increasingly blending the grocery market and dining experience…
Read MoreOhio Supreme Court Rules on Baseball Sales Tax Case
It is common at sporting events for teams to offer freebies or give-aways, such as t-shirts, towels, bobbleheads and other memorabilia, to the first set number of fans who attend the game. Because they’re free, the sales tax consequences of these give-aways are not always contemplated. However, the cost of overlooking them can result in…
Read MoreCalifornia Cannabis State Tax Scheme
Going green has taken on a new meaning in the United States. Less than two decades ago, marijuana was illegal across all 50 U.S. states. Now, thirty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have passed laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form. California activated its recreational adult-use cannabis program on January 1, 2018, and…
Read MoreMedical Marijuana Dispensaries Tax Liability Clarified in Harborside Case
A long-awaited decision came out in the end of November that affects all cannabis businesses. In this case, the Tax Court denied a California medical-marijuana dispensary’s deduction of ordinary and necessary business expenses and some of its costs of goods sold. This decision serves to provide more clarification for cannabis businesses, CPAs, and tax attorneys…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Department of Revenue Issues Letter Ruling on Taxation of SaaS Cloud Based Software
The North Carolina Department of Revenue issued a determination on whether a taxpayer’s license revenue from its subscription agreements for access to cloud-based software was subject to North Carolina sales or use tax when the subscriber is located in North Carolina. The taxpayer is the developer and owner of an enterprise software application product used…
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