State and Local Tax, Tax Appeals, and Tax Incentives

State and local taxes are a significant operating expense for most automotive and manufacturing businesses. Our lawyers have handled state and local issues regarding business taxes, including a wide variety of excise taxes, for OEMs and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, including foreign automotive concerns with operations in Michigan, and have achieved substantial tax savings. With respect to property tax appeals, we have successfully reduced property taxes for our automotive and manufacturing industry clients by millions of dollars, obtaining favorable decisions not only in Michigan, but also in other states throughout the United States.

Our lawyers assist our clients in maximizing their access to and benefits from the full range of local, state, and federal incentive programs, including brownfield redevelopment grants and credits, property tax abatements, state business tax credits, pollution control incentives, direct grants, tax increment financing, tax exempt bond financing, and other available incentive opportunities, as well as the renegotiation of such benefits if necessary. Our extensive experience in tax analysis, multistate tax minimization strategies, audit advice, tax litigation, and tax appeals enables us to help clients maximize their tax benefits and minimize their tax costs.

• Represented Fortune 100 multinational manufacturing company in their global investment incentive process
• Counseled manufacturing businesses in securing state and local incentives for development including Renaissance Zone designation, federal and state historic designation, tax abatement, and publicly assisted tax increment financing and industrial revenue bonds
• Negotiated for manufacturing client the elimination of state ‘claw back’ liability upon early closure of manufacturing facilities
• Represented Tier 1 supplier in analysis, selection, and obtainment of grant of incentives for sourcing a new facility within the U.S.
• Reduced exposure to pay-back incentive benefits related to reduction in local workforce for automotive supplier 
• Counseled foreign global manufacturing entity regarding location for first North American manufacturing facility and related multi-state tax burden
• Represented manufacturing company in connection with enacting legislation to support company-specific incentives following decision to locate facilities within Michigan