NIGC Issues New Guidance on Class III Minimum Internal Control Standards

  |  September 4, 2018

On August 14, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) announced the approval of non-binding guidance on Class III Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS).

The NIGC’s Class III MICS were last substantively revised in 2005. In 2006, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that NIGC lacked authority to enforce or promulgate Class III MICS. Since that time, the Class III MICS have remained untouched. Read more. Read More

Upcoming Presentation: The Impacts of South Dakota v. Wayfair

  |  August 29, 2018

The Albuquerque chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants will host James Ortiz, REDW State and Local Tax Senior Manager, as featured speaker for its September meeting.

James will discuss the implications of the South Dakota v. Wayfair ruling on sales and use tax compliance requirements, sales and use tax systems, taxability, and nexus determinations.

Read more for additional information and registration details. Read More

Microsoft Office 365 Credential Theft

  |  August 29, 2018

Be on the lookout for a current cyberattack that tries to trick you into giving up your Microsoft Office 365 (O365) username and password.

This attack tries to steal your Microsoft® Office 365® (O365) login credentials so that criminals can access anything you have stored in O365. This could include your email, OneDrive files, and anything you’ve put in the cloud. An attacker sends a fraudulent email that contains links to an authentic-looking (but fake) O365 login page designed to steal your credentials.

Read more to access a training and inforgraphic on how to spot fraudulent emails seeking your O365 credentials. Read More

AZ Taxpayers: Federal Tax Opportunity Window Closes After August 27

  |  August 27, 2018

On Thursday, August 23, 2018, the IRS issued proposed regulations that would disallow the federal deduction for donations made to charitable organizations in which taxpayers receive a tax credit. The proposed regulation was needed to halt the many states that were putting in place credit programs to circumvent the recent tax law change limiting the deduction for state and local taxes to $10,000. 

The proposed regulation impacts donations made after August 27, 2018. The regulation is not final and a comment period is required; however, to secure your Arizona state tax credits for 2018, we are recommending you make your contributions before August 28, 2018. Read more. Read More

Independent Contractor or Employee? California Supreme Court Creates New Test

  |  August 20, 2018

On April 30, 2018, the California Supreme Court announced a decision in the case of Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, creating a new test that could make it much harder for companies to claim that a worker is an independent contractor and not an employee. As a result, as many as 300,000 California workers could be newly considered employees rather than independent contractors. Read more. Read More

Four States File Lawsuit to Nullify New Limit on SALT Deduction

  |  August 16, 2018

As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act), the limitation imposed on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has wreaked havoc in many states. In fact, four states – Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Maryland – have determined that the limitation is unconstitutional. On July 17, they filed a lawsuit in federal court that seeks to make the law unenforceable. Read more. Read More

Capital Conversations (Summer 2018) – So … What’s a Blockchain?

  |  August 6, 2018

Curious about blockchain? Like bitcoin, it’s a new digital technology term you may have heard bandied about recently. You may have even heard it described as a secure method for people and organizations to transact business with each other without requiring a trusted, central institution to verify the information. With a blockchain, there is no central authority, like a bank, involved in the transaction. What does that mean? Read more. Read More

How Deal Insurance Improves M&A Transaction Execution

  |  August 2, 2018

The use of representations and warranties (R&W) insurance in mergers and acquisitions has grown significantly over the past several years and has become an increasingly integral component of the transaction process. This article focuses on how buyers and sellers use R&W insurance for both strategic and risk management purposes to improve deal execution by accelerating the parties’ ability to reach agreement, thereby expediting the close of a transaction. Read more. Read More

Wayfair Decision Will Have Wide Ranging Implications for Companies Doing Business in Multiple States

  |  July 10, 2018

In a 5-4 ruling on June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 1992 precedent that barred states from requiring an out-of-state seller with no physical presence to collect sales tax on a sale to a resident of the state. Now, states stand to collect potentially billions of dollars in sales taxes from remote sellers who meet certain minimum standards. The Court remanded the case to South Dakota’s Supreme Court for a finding of whether other issues may block the tax. However, it is unlikely that any issues will surface.

In overturning Quill Corp. v. North Dakota and National Bellas Hess, Inc. v. Department of Revenue of Ill., the Court acknowledged that brick-and-mortar stores have been at a competitive disadvantage to out-of-state sellers. And as technology has become more involved in commerce year after year, it has created incentive for states to challenge the physical presence nexus rule. Read more. Read More

IRS Subgroup Recommends that IRS Treat Indian Tribal Governments Like States

  |  July 5, 2018

In recommendations released on June 7, 2018, The Indian Tribal Government (ITG) subgroup of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT)* issued support for an amendment affecting Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 6103.  The change would allow the IRS and Tribal Governments to enter into taxpayer information sharing agreements in the same way as the IRS does with federal, state, and municipal governments. Read more. Read More