In this mid-year check-in episode of the GeTtin’ SALTy podcast, host Nikki Dobay is joined by Morgan Scarboro, Vice President of Tax and Policy at MultiState Associates, for a wide-ranging conversation on state and local tax legislation heading into the second half of 2026. 

Morgan and Nikki discuss why this has been an unexpectedly quiet yet surprising legislative year, including the reemergence of digital advertising taxes, the influence of midterm election dynamics on enacted legislation, and the trend of NOL caps and bonus depreciation decoupling as budget tools.

The conversation covers key developments state by state, including Illinois’s lightning-fast budget process and its new social media and targeted advertising taxes, Virginia’s heated intra-party battle over data center tax incentives, New Jersey’s moderated revenue package featuring a novel Medicaid employer fee and a data broker registration requirement, and Pennsylvania’s decision to walk away from both combined reporting and a digital advertising tax this session. The episode also looks ahead to notable ballot measures in Florida and Missouri that could have implications for property taxes and sales tax expansion, respectively.

Nikki and Morgan close with a broader reflection on whether the wave of proposed large-scale tax restructuring represents genuine momentum and what the remainder of 2026 and the 2027 session may hold for state tax policy.

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Photo of Nikki E. Dobay Nikki E. Dobay

Nikki Dobay serves as a co-chair of the U.S. State and Local Tax (SALT) practice and is nationally known for her deep experience and understanding of state tax policy and the legislative process. She also advises her clients on sophisticated multistate tax issues

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Nikki Dobay serves as a co-chair of the U.S. State and Local Tax (SALT) practice and is nationally known for her deep experience and understanding of state tax policy and the legislative process. She also advises her clients on sophisticated multistate tax issues as well as the consequences and planning opportunities related to corporate M&A transactions and oversees state and local tax controversy matters, ranging from audits to appellate litigation, and involving sales and use taxes, income and franchise taxes, property taxes, and constitutional issues.

Nikki regularly engages on key SALT issues impacting multijurisdictional taxpayers with national and statewide business and taxpayer associations, national tax administrator organizations, including the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA), the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) and Streamlined Sales Tax (SST), and state legislator organizations, including the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the Institute for State Policy Leaders (ISPL). She is also a frequent speaker on a broad array of SALT issues at various conferences across the country, including Council On State Taxation (COST), Tax Executives Institute (TEI), ABA, NYU, Hartman, Deloitte SALT Symposium, and various other regional conferences.

Prior to returning to private practice, Nikki spent five years as senior tax counsel for the COST, a national trade association representing large multistate businesses. While at COST, Nikki focused on the 13 most western states (including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon Utah, Washington and Wyoming), and has a strong working knowledge of the tax regimes in all of these states. Nikki’s time at COST as well as her continual work with state tax administrators through the FTA, MTC and SST have resulted in her having strong relationships with state tax administrators across the country.

Nikki’s broad experience and in-depth knowledge of tax regimes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho inform her handling of litigation and strategic tax matters in these states. Over the past 20 years, Nikki has consistently worked with taxpayers to address complex state and local tax issues in Oregon, including corporate income excise tax disputes, residency issues, and local tax home rule challenges. She played a pivotal role in drafting Oregon’s Corporate Activity Tax legislation and has represented clients in the Oregon Tax Court on issues ranging from business/non-business income litigation to challenges involving Portland and Metro taxing authority.

In Washington, Nikki advises her clients on all aspects of B&O tax, including handling audits and litigation. She is also involved in efforts to consolidate and streamline B&O tax filing through legislative advocacy and coalition-building, as well as advising clients on sales tax and residency matters. Her work in Idaho includes drafting and successfully passing updated apportionment provisions, as well as advising on corporate tax matters and disputes and legislative initiatives.

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