The increasingly aggressive enforcement of state and local tax laws by various taxing authorities, and in some cases, their private contractors, combined with the increasing complexity of the tax laws has elevated the importance of state and local tax planning and compliance for all business entities. We regularly assist clients with:
We advise clients with respect to forming, expanding, and converting all forms of business organizations. Our team has significant experience consulting with clients on the complex business and tax considerations involved in structuring a new or expanding business venture, or transitioning from one form of business entity to another. We take into consideration not only the applicable state business and taxation statutes (many of which our members either co-authored or edited during the legislative process), but also the overall strategic goals of our clients to ensure that the structure chosen is a proper fit. The SALT team regularly advises clients with respect to the formation, expansion, sale, and conversion of the following business entities:
Together with the firm’s Corporate and Securities, Private Equity and Emerging Growth Companies practice groups, the SALT team counsels clients regarding the purchase, sale, merger, and reorganization of businesses. We understand that taxable and tax-free acquisitions and dispositions must be structured to reflect the type of business and assets being acquired or disposed of, the consideration paid, the tax attributes of the acquiring and/or the acquired company, and most importantly, the business objectives of our client. In certain transactions, we may seek a private letter ruling from the IRS or a state taxing authority regarding the federal or state tax consequences of the transaction.
The SALT team regularly works with our Economic Development team in advising clients on the various state and local tax and financial benefits associated with expansion, relocation, research, hiring, and other business expenditures. For businesses, the tax and financial benefits from these investments are often significant. Depending on the state or locality involved, this may include capital/investment tax credits, income, franchise and sales tax credits and exemptions, abatements of property taxes, sales and use taxes, and/or mortgage recording taxes, Alabama Enterprise Zone Act incentives, and incentive grants or rebates from counties and municipalities. We also work closely with the Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) Program, which is consistently ranked as one of the top worker training programs in the country.
As an example of our longstanding experience in this area, the firm played a key role in developing and in later refining the Alabama Capital Credits Act, which comprised a major part of the incentives package used to successfully induce Mercedes-Benz to locate its first U.S. manufacturing plant near Birmingham, Alabama, and which continues to be a major incentive for new or expanding industries.
Our Nashville office focuses on credits and other incentives available to Tennessee businesses, including the Green Energy Supply Chain Manufacturer credits, the jobs tax credit, headquarters relocation credits and exemptions, as well as property tax abatements and tax increment financing (TIF).
We also assist clients with respect to retaining or expanding tax and financial incentives they are currently receiving, but that are no longer available for new projects and investments or that they may be in danger of forfeiting due to adverse economic conditions.
Bradley has an extensive state and local tax controversy and litigation practice, representing clients in all industries. Members of the SALT team represent clients before state and local revenue authorities, and assist with tax or business license audits, administrative appeals, and in voluntary compliance projects. Our experienced SALT team prosecutes tax protests and appeals in administrative tribunals, and before courts at all levels, both state and federal, including the United States Supreme Court. In trial and appellate court litigation, we combine the technical expertise of our tax attorneys with the skills and experience of our trial attorneys and members of our Appellate Practice Group. The latter group includes attorneys who have argued dozens of cases before the various state and federal appeals courts, and have served as solicitor general for the State of Alabama or as law clerks to U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. Court of Appeals judges, Alabama Supreme Court justices and federal district court and U.S. Tax Court judges.