Episode 8

full
Published on:

9th Nov 2020

Challenging tax laws with Michelle Bush

In this episode of the SALTovation podcast, we speak with Michelle Bush, from Silverstein & Pomerantz, and our very own Judy Vorndran.

 


Michelle talks about her career handling tax matters on behalf of the city and then her later switch on behalf of the taxpayers . Listen to her multiple perspectives of challenging tax law in the court system.


 


Questions asked and answered in this Episode:


 


  • Why did she switch sides from representing the city to representing taxpayers?


  • What are Michelle thoughts on overreaching enforcement?


  • Was there a lack of trust from the cities for the state to collect their dues?


  • Why doesn’t Denver have clearer boundary lines?


  • What are Michelle’s opinions on the Sales & Use Tax System (SUTS) system?


  • What case had the biggest impact on Michelle on the way she thinks about tax and the application of the law?


  • How do you put together a compelling story for litigation?


  • What does Michelle foresee in future litigations?

 


What You Will Discover:


 


  • [01:29] The progression of Michelle’s career


  • [05:03] Why she shifted from representing the city to taxpayers


  • [06:34] How she adjusted to Colorado's complicated state tax system


  • [08:59] The balancing act on enforcing the tax law


  • [14:40] If Michelle felt any distrust between the City of Denver and the state of Colorado


  • [19:35] Issues with Colorado’s boundary lines


  • [21:15] Michelle’s opinions of the SUTS system


  • [27:38] What Michelle tries to remember in every piece of litigation


  • [31:40] How to put together a compelling story


  • [35:56] How the COVID-19 pandemic could play in future litigations


  • [37:37] Other litigations Michelle foresees in the future

 


Quotables:


 


  • “Wherever I worked, it was the right thing at the time.” - Michelle Bush [05:30]

 


  • “Just because no one is challenging it doesn’t mean it’s the right application. Doesn’t mean it’s the wrong application.” - Michelle Bush [10:21]

 


  • “Putting myself in the shoes of our clients, any time you can remove a barrier to compliance, I think that’s a good thing.” - Michelle Bush [22:10]

 


  • “But use tax is almost like when you say use tax, people think that… they look at you and say `I know the words you are using are in the English language, but I don’t know what that means.’” - Michelle Bush [26:28] 

 


  • “There’s always a story to be told.” - Michelle Bush [28:57]

 


Relevant Links:


 


Website: https://www.sptaxlaw.com/our-people/michelle-bush/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bush-ba10b01a/


Subscribe on your favorite podcast app:

https://saltovation.captivate.fm/listen

https://linktr.ee/taxops 


Follow Us on Socials

https://www.linkedin.com/company/taxops-llc

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMB1ZQNGXM_F777SIEl8Vjw 


Talk To A Tax Advocate Today

TaxOps Website: https://taxops.com/contact/


Production Support

This episode was produced with support from Truth Work Media. www.truthworkmedia.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Advanced Sales and Use Tax Workshop

Take your sales tax to the next level at Advanced Sales and Use Tax Workshop, February 19-21 in Nashville. Diane Yetter and the Sales Tax Institute’s industry-leading faculty provide individualized training, valuable resources, and practical solutions. Expand your network and earn 23 CPE credits. Visit the link in the show notes and use the code SALTOV10 for 10% off. Save your spot now!" https://keap.page/xp141/saltovation-podcast.htm

Use Tax Workshop

SALT Contact

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for SALTovation: Making Sense of State and Local Tax

About the Podcast

SALTovation: Making Sense of State and Local Tax
Welcome to SALTovation. The SALTovation show is a podcast series featuring the leading voices in state and local tax (SALT). Here we talk about issues, strategies, and planning tools to help you make sense of SALT. Because, in SALT, there is no “one and done.” SALT is a puzzle of ever-changing pieces. Solving that puzzle is our business at SALTovation. Tens of thousands of listeners know they won't get tax talk as usual with the SALTovation team. Our team is known for straight-talk with a flair for fun, providing clarity and opinions that move businesses forward with confidence.

Attorney, CPA, speaker, and writer Judy Vorndran leads the SALTovation team as they go inside business to help deal with the daily operations and long-term strategies of making SALT less “taxing.” Judy has spent more than 25 years advocating for businesses with innovative strategies, renowned knowledge and experience. She has helped guide thousands of taxpayers across the nation and globally through the morass of SALT, freeing them to concentrate on growth. Joining Judy are the wickedly smart members of the SALTovation team, who have seen, worked with and tamed some of the most prickly issues in SALT. They enjoy sharing their stories and knowledge with listeners.

Solving the SALT puzzle doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it takes a community. So, we invite leaders in business and state and local tax to share their stories, challenges and successes on this show. Drop us a line at SALTovation.com if you'd like to join the conversation and tune into our regular series at TaxOps.com.