Michael J. Bologna

A coalition of Chicago building owners, contractors, and real estate investors filed a suit Friday, aiming to block a referendum vote on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s (D) plan for a new real estate transfer tax on high-end properties.

Demands for a flat income tax by Kansas Republicans met a major headwind Monday, when Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and a bipartisan handful of lawmakers unveiled a tax-cutting plan they say would put $1.4 billion into the pockets of senior citizens, working families, and property owners over four years.

The week in state tax news: After several years of tax-slashing across the states, progressive policy groups are urging lawmakers to pump the brakes. But several states are still announcing plans to pursue more cuts in 2024, despite warnings that actions over the past few years could cost states $111 billion over the next half-decade. Meanwhile, an initiative aimed at repealing Washington's capital gains tax makes the November ballot, a sales-tax ruling hints at what Amazon could owe South Carolina, and the governor of Hawaii seeks tax breaks to fix a wildfire-induced housing shortage.

Tennessee lawmakers may be unhappy with Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s $1.6 billion plan to overhaul the state’s franchise tax, but the price tag could have been far higher, according to attorneys representing 80 taxpayers that are seeking refunds.

Republican-backed legislation to give Wisconsin taxpayers $2.1 billion in tax relief is headed to the desk of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has provided mixed signals on his enthusiasm for the proposals.

The partisan war over tax cuts in Wisconsin escalated Friday when Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed three tax relief bills championed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Caterpillar, Inc. escaped criminal tax charges over its offshore profit-shifting strategy with the help of “egregious political interference” from former Attorney General William Barr, Senate Finance Committee investigators alleged in a letter demanding information from the Justice Department.

It's not clear what Georgia lawmakers thought their “fetal personhood law” would cost when they passed it in 2019, but new data indicates the state shaved more than $100 million from the tax base to facilitate a first-in-the nation tax deduction for “unborn children.”

The Tennessee Senate threw its support behind Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal overhauling the state’s franchise tax, a plan that a new fiscal analysis found would cost the state $1.9 billion for fiscal year 2025—$300 million more than initially budgeted.

The Multistate Tax Commission plans to revise features of a tax settlement program to sharpen its application of the time period used to determine a taxpayer’s exposure for unpaid sales and use taxes, and employer withholding taxes.