Law Commons^™

State And Local Taxation Of Financial Institutions:An Opportunity For Reform, C. James Judson, Susan G. Duffy

Vanderbilt Law Review

Forces at work in both public and private sectors may soon change the way state and local political subdivisions tax financial institutions. The market for financial services is changing dramatically. Governments have expanded substantially the scope of activities in which financial depositories may engage. The competitive environment for financial activities also is changing as general business corporations enter the financial services field, an area previously considered the exclusive domain of financial institutions. Financial institutions have increasing opportunities for interstate activity, which offers both risks and challenges. These changes have occurred during a period in which the extensive framework of state …

Discriminatory Demands And Divided Decisions: State And Local Taxation Of Rail, Motor,And Air Carrier Property, Scott M. Schoenwald

Vanderbilt Law Review

To prevent the unreasonable burdening of interstate commerce that results from discriminatory state and local taxation of rail, motor, and air carrier property, Congress enacted section 306 of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (4R Act), 1 section 31 of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, and section 532(b) of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982.' These statutes represent the result of two decades of congressional deliberation over property tax discrimination against interstate carriers. Because Congress enacted the 4R Act first and because tax discrimination against rail carriers has been the most egregious,the overwhelming majority …

Significant Sales And Use Tax Developments During The Past Half Century, Jerome R. Hellerstein

Vanderbilt Law Review

Sales and use taxes have been the great growth taxes of state and local governments during the past half century. The general sales tax, along with selected levies on gasoline, tobacco, and liquor, has had phenomenal growth during the past fifty years. In 1932 only Mississippi imposed a general sales tax. It produced seven million dollars, less than one percent of Mississippi's total tax revenues. Taxes once introduced, however, tend to grow at least until widespread dissatisfaction leads to a taxpayers' revolt,such as California's Proposition 13' or the election of President Ronald Reagan and the ascendancy of political conservatism and …

Collection Of The Use Tax On Out-Of-State Mail-Order Sales, Paul J. Hartman

Vanderbilt Law Review

The states' inability to collect taxes on out-of-state mail-order sales constitutes a major fiscal problem. The federal government's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations estimates that states are losing as much as 1.5 billion dollars each year in unpaid out-of-state mail-order purchase taxes.'

In addition to raising revenue, the compensating use tax serves two purposes: (1) The use tax helps local sellers to compete with retail dealers in other states who are subject to a lesser tax burden;and (2) the use tax avoids the likelihood of draining the taxing state's revenue by removing buyers' incentive or temptation to go bargain hunting …

The Personal Income Tax As A Component Of State Tax Structure, William F. Fox

Vanderbilt Law Review

This Article evaluates the pros and cons of a state individual income tax from the perspective of an economist. The Article examines the income tax as one component of a tax structure that is best suited for raising a given level of revenues. The important assumption in the analysis is that the level of state public expenditures is determined by residents' demand for public services. This assumption does not preclude the tax structure from allowing greater or lesser expenditures than are demanded during any single year; rather, the assumption is that over time tax levels provide revenues that are in …

The Computer's Role In Simplifying Compliance With State And Local Taxation, Ray Westphal

Vanderbilt Law Review

I recently polled several tax managers of large corporations that engage in a multi-state business and asked them whether their companies could stay in reasonable compliance with state and local tax law without using the computer. All said that it would be impossible to meet the compliance requirements of the states and localities without heavy dependence on computers. This reliance on the computer is not surprising given the amount of data that firms must reference to keep up with the thousands of taxing jurisdictions throughout the United States. The many different types of taxes that governmental bodies impose further complicate …