The Third Court of Appeals recently held in Combs v. Texas Small Tobacco Coalition that a new tax on small tobacco manufacturers violates the Equal and Uniform Taxation Clause of the Texas Constitution. In doing so, the Third Court upheld a trial court decision from late last year invalidating the tax. The opinion highlights the […]
As we reported earlier, the Third Court of Appeals ruled in Southwest Royalties, Inc. v. Combs that oil and gas above-ground and downhole production equipment doesn’t qualify for the Texas sales tax manufacturing exemption. This case has drawn a fair amount of attention due to the large potential financial impact on the State of Texas […]
Today, the Texas Supreme Court denied the Texas Comptroller’s Petition for Review in the Richmont Aviation case. As a result, the Third Court of Appeals’ decision in the taxpayer’s favor becomes final, but the Texas Supreme Court has taken no position on the Third Court of Appeals’ holding in Richmont Aviation, leaving some uncertainty in […]
The Texas Third Court of Appeals just issued its opinion in Southwest Royalties, Inc. v. Combs, No. 03-12-00511-CV. The opinion affirms a district court opinion denying oil and gas operators the Texas sales tax manufacturing exemption on their purchases of certain above-ground and downhole production equipment. The opinion also provides some useful discussion of the circumstances […]
A Travis County District Court judge ruled on July 22, 2014 in Autohaus LP, LLP v. Combs that an auto dealer could include labor costs to install new and replacement auto parts in its cost of goods sold for Texas franchise tax purposes. In doing so, the judge held that the Comptroller rule defining the […]
In its recent decision in IBM Corp. v. Department of Treasury, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that taxpayers may apportion their tax base for the Michigan Business Tax using the three-factor apportionment method provided by the Multistate Tax Compact instead of the single-factor apportionment method the Michigan Business Tax statute provided. The decision means that […]
The Texas Comptroller recently published a very significant policy letter to the Comptroller’s online database. The letter announces a significant change in Texas franchise tax policy that could affect entities even only somewhat involved with the design, construction, remodeling, repair, or industrial maintenance of real property. The Comptroller’s previous policy was that only entities that […]
The United States Supreme Court has already announced that it will review three state tax cases in its upcoming term — Comptroller v. Wynne, Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl, and Alabama Department of Revenue v. CSX Transportation, Inc. This is unusual as the Supreme Court rarely reviews state tax cases. While none of these cases involve […]
The Texas Comptroller filed a petition for review with the Texas Supreme Court, asking it to overturn the Third Court of Appeals’ decision in the taxpayer’s favor in Titan Transportation, L.P. v. Combs. That decision rejects the Texas Comptroller’s narrow, restrictive interpretation of the revenue exclusion for certain payments to those who perform work on […]
The Third Court of Appeals’ decision in Combs v. Newpark Resources, Inc. became final today, marking Texas taxpayers’ first appellate margin tax win. The Texas Comptroller did not file a timely appeal with the Texas Supreme Court, so the Third Court of Appeals issued its mandate today. The opinion, originally handed down this past December, […]
