Continental Parlor 7 Hilton San Francisco and Towers Ballroom Level
Section on State and Local Government Law J. Clark Kelso, McGeorge School of Law, Chair
New Developments in State and Local Tax: E-Commerce, Tax Incentives for Business and Litigation-Generated Revenues
Moderator:
J. Clark Kelso, McGeorge School of Law
Speakers:
Peter D. Enrich, Northeastern University M. David Gelfand, Tulane University Janice C. Griffith, Georgia State University Audrey G. McFarlane, University of Baltimore Charles E. McLure Jr., Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford, California [View Program Material]
State and local governments have been experimenting with new and creative ways of expanding and solidifying their revenue sources. The "surpluses as far as the eye can see" mentality of the federal and many state governments results from their primary reliance on income as a basis for taxation, and it has been a great couple of years for income taxes. However, devolution has imposed many new responsibilities upon state and local governments, and many local governments, in particular, remain strapped for cash. New revenue sources may be on the horizon, but these new sources are controversial, raising political, policy and legal issues. This panel will explore new developments in state and local finance and taxation with speakers discussing the following three topics: (1) Taxation of E-Commerce: Can the Internet be Tamed? (2) Tax Incentives to Businesses: Indirect Revenue Producer or Corporate Welfare? (3) Raising Revenue by Litigation: Of Tobacco and Guns.