Indiana finances take a big blow from coronavirus crisis
Finances of the state of Indiana are taking a major hit from the coronavirus crisis, and it remains to be seen how big the hit will be.
Taxes
Articles
Tax Court affirms Evansville rehab center falls under 3% tax cap
An Evansville temporary inpatient rehab center is not considered to be either a long-term care property or a residential property, the Indiana Tax Court affirmed Tuesday. As such, the property owner’s tax liability was required to be computed using the 3% property tax cap.
Attorney accused of tax evasion suspended; 2 justices would disbar
A Schererville attorney previously arraigned in federal court on charges of tax evasion and failure to pay federal income taxes has been suspended from the practice of law for three years without automatic reinstatement, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered Tuesday. Some of the justices, however, said they would disbar the attorney.
Tax Court: Length of stay does not change character of hotel
A property owner could not convince the Indiana Tax Court that because its business offered rooms for extended stays, the property should be classified as residential and subjected to the lower 2% tax cap credit.
Trump says Ginsburg, Sotomayor should sit out cases, but they decide
A month before the Supreme Court takes up cases over his tax returns and financial records, President Donald Trump on Tuesday made the unusual suggestion that two liberal justices should not take part in those or any other cases involving him or his administration.
Justices grant transfer in 4 cases, deny 19 others
The Indiana Supreme Court declined to hear 19 cases out of 23 petitions for transfer last week but agreed to hear cases involving post-conviction relief and termination of parental rights, among others.
IRS to visit high-income taxpayers who fail to file
If you earn six figures and haven’t been filing your taxes, the IRS may come knocking. The agency said Wednesday it is stepping up efforts to visit high-income taxpayers who failed in prior years to file their tax returns on time.
Fort Wayne gets future fire tax revenues for annexed area, divided COA rules
The city of Fort Wayne is entitled to tax revenues for providing fire protection services to annexed land in Allen County, but past revenues will stay with the original fire protection district that served the area before the annexation, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday. A dissenting judge, however, questioned whether the case should have proceeded in the Indiana Tax Court instead.
Reversal: Tax liability can’t exceed 1% of property’s gross assessed value
The Indiana Tax Court has reversed an Indiana Board of Tax Review’s final determination, answering the dispositive issue of whether an assessor should have capped a homeowner’s 2013 property tax liability at 1% instead of 2% of her property’s gross assessed value.
Hamilton County chief deputy treasurer files suit against former coworker, political foe
Hamilton County chief deputy treasurer Kim Good is pursuing defamation charges against a former co-worker who claimed Good engaged in nepotism and fired her to cover it up.
Split COA reaffirms original decision for lawyers in dispute over tax sale proceeds
An Indiana Court of Appeals panel has once again split over matters concerning a lawsuit brought against two lawyers, this time granting a petition for rehearing to reaffirm a prior split decision.
Indiana House backs abolishing all township assessor offices
The Indiana House has voted to eliminate the last remaining township assessor offices around the state.
Suspended Fort Wayne bankruptcy lawyer who served theft sentence resigns
A former Fort Wayne bankruptcy lawyer who served a completed a federal prison sentence for embezzling from a client has resigned from the Indiana bar. Randall Stiles, 46, was released from the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute on Oct. 31 after serving a six-month sentence imposed in March for his guilty plea to two counts of bankruptcy fraud and a misdemeanor tax charge.
Allen County annexation, tax dispute back at COA
An annexation dispute over allocation of tax dollars is back before the Indiana Court of Appeals, which this time could resolve the merits question of whether a city or a fire district is entitled to the disputed tax revenues.
HOA fight for tax refunds can’t be heard due to lack of jurisdiction
The Indiana Court of Appeals has dismissed motions brought by two homeowners associations, finding the Marion Superior Court cannot order the county treasurer to refund the associations for overpayment of taxes.
Tax Court affirms lakeshore property assessment
A lakeshore property owner in northern Indiana was unable to convince the Indiana Tax Court on Wednesday that an abuse of discretion took place when his vacant lot was assessed at a higher rate than he had hoped.
Tax Court upholds Elkhart CVS store assessment
A CVS pharmacy store in Elkhart could not persuade the Indiana Tax Court to rule in its favor in an appeal of the Indiana Board of Tax Review’s final determination of its property value.
Tax Court finds assessment properly included land
A tenant leasing 31,000 square feet for the operation of five restaurants on the ground level of a parking garage owned by the city of Indianapolis found the Indiana Tax Court had no appetite for the argument that the lease included only the building and not the land underneath.
Ex-Portage mayor getting new trial in 1 of 2 federal counts
A federal judge has denied a motion for acquittal by a former northwestern Indiana mayor who was convicted by a jury in February of bribery and tax obstruction but he granted a new trial on one of the counts. The ruling is a partial victory for former Portage Mayor James Snyder, who argued that he should be acquitted because of prosecutorial conduct and insufficient evidence.
Tax Court denies charitable tax exemptions for medical center
The Indiana Tax Court has affirmed the denial of a Catholic nonprofit organization’s request for charitable tax exemption on a medical center it owns, finding none of its provided evidence supported its request.