A couple weeks ago, the Third Department of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division issued its decision in Matter of Schreiber, reversing a prior decision of the Tax Appeals Tribunal, finding that its interpretation of Tax Law § 16(f)(2)(C) and Matter of Purcell, both related to the calculation of qualified empire zone enterprise (QEZE) tax reduction credits, was irrational. We’ve been following this issue for almost a decade, dating back to our review and analysis of the Purcell case, which you can read about here. The Schreiber case presents an interesting new twist in the story, and the Court’s analysis could impact cases beyond the realm of QEZE credits.
As states continue to seek increased revenues, especially those high-tax states dealing with a dwindling tax base, we’re starting to see some states take unusual and fairly aggressive positions in tax cases. One recent example we covered involved New York and the enforcement of its “convenience rule” in the Zelinsky case. In November 2023, the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board issued another doozy, holding in Welch v. Commissioner of Revenue that a nonresident could be taxed on the gain from the sale of stock. (Docket No. C339531 (November 29, 2023)).