Summer in the City – SIDA Makes Waves with New Tax Exemption Policies
The City of Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) made waves earlier this summer when board members unanimously voted to end the long-standing practice of giving the Syracuse Common Council the ability to vote on all payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements. As of June 21, 2016, the Council’s PILOT oversight is limited to instances […]
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Pokemon Stop: Gaming Sensation Raises Potential Legal Issues
Authored by Christopher Powers, Summer Law Clerk As you may have heard, Pokemon Go is sweeping the nation, including Central New York. Pokemon Go is a downloadable mobile app where players try to find different characters from the popular Japanese cartoon and video game on a virtual map based on a user’s actual surroundings. The app […]
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Even if You’re Eligible for a Ticketmaster Refund, That Doesn’t Mean You’ll Get It
Authored by Christopher Powers, Summer Law Clerk This week, the new Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, N.Y., hosted one of the biggest concerts of the summer in these parts. The sold-out Dave Matthews Band concert was the first show of the season, and first ever sellout, at the new venue, which opened in 2015. The kickoff of […]
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Changes Coming in the Archaic New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law
Governor Cuomo announced this past week that he is advancing legislation to “modernize” the State’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (“ABC Law”). As someone that has spent years of my life ensuring license applicants comply with the law, first as an employee of the Liquor Authority and more recently as counsel to individuals and entities appearing […]
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U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Rule on FLSA Overtime Regulations
On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor published its long-awaited final rule amending the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) overtime regulations regarding the executive, administrative and professional exemptions (the “FLSA White Collar Exemptions”). The outside sales and computer professional exemptions are not subject to the new amendments.
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NYS Real Estate Transfer Tax on Conveyances of Real Property
In New York State, sellers who convey an interest in real property are required to pay New York State real estate transfer tax. In the usual sale of real property, the real estate transfer tax is computed at a rate of $2 for each $500 of consideration or fractional part thereof. For example, in a […]
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Federal And New York State Tax Advantages Of Long Term Care Insurance
If you have looked into purchasing long term care insurance, you know that it is an expensive proposition. However, there are some tax advantages related to the premium payments for long term care insurance. If you are an employee and itemize your deductions you can deduct a portion of your long term care insurance premium […]
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Governor Cuomo Signs $15 Minimum Wage Plan and 12 Week Paid Family Leave Policy into Law
On April 4, 2016, Governor Cuomo signed legislation enacting a statewide $15 minimum wage plan and a 12-week paid family leave policy. The sweeping legislation was passed as part of the 2016-17 state budget.
A Living Will is Not a Will (But No Less Important)
Lawyers are occasionally guilty of speaking legal jargon that a non-lawyer has no idea what the lawyer is talking about. For example, an estate planning lawyer (or perhaps an estate planning website you found) may suggest that you execute a living will in addition to a will, health care proxy and power of attorney. You […]
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How Safe is Your Employees’ Personal Information? Employers Must Take Immediate Action.
The IRS issued an alert on March 1, 2016 to payroll and HR professionals about a new phishing scheme involving W-2 information. Employers need to take immediate steps to confirm the security of their employees’ personal information. The alert describes a scheme which has already claimed several victims. Payroll and human resources officers have mistakenly […]