Bucky Brannen

Bucky Brannen advises clients on how to reduce state and local taxes in every phase of business, including: negotiating pre-investment economic development incentives; structuring operations to minimize tax; managing audits and disputing assessments and property tax valuations; and facilitating growth through tax-efficient restructurings, acquisitions, and dispositions.

Bucky provides significant experience with all types of state and local taxes nationwide - including taxes on sales, property, income, gross receipts, severance, and motor fuels - and regularly advises on multi-state operations, including on issues related to nexus, apportionment, and unitary combination.

• Negotiated state and local economic development property tax incentives from states, cities, counties, school districts, and special taxing units for large industrial projects and renewable energy facilities, including: $29 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in north Texas, $17 billion semiconductor facility near Austin, $15 billion multi-phase LNG facility near San Patricio County, $3 billion semiconductor facility in north Texas, $1.5 billion pipe mill near Matagorda County, $500 million petrochemical manufacturing facility near Matagorda County, $350 million food manufacturing facility near Dallas, $300 million expansion of a pulp and paper company near Nolan County, various wind and solar facilities around the state, among others
• Advised numerous companies on state and local tax planning for large-scale, multistate asset purchases or dispositions to minimize state transfer tax exposure
• Advised solar companies on California Prop 13 property tax issues in connection with complex corporate reorganizations, securitizations, mergers, and partnership-flip tax equity vehicles
• Advised professional service provider on U.S.-wide state nexus issues, multistate apportionment, and sales tax obligations
• Assisted several companies in minimizing state sales tax as well as state and federal fuels tax exposure on the acquisition and use of private corporate jets
• Advised numerous clients on complex Texas school finance formulas critical to Chapter 313 economic development negotiations with Texas school districts - challenging revenue protection payment invoices in connection with the same which resulted in a favorable outcome
• Challenged the constitutionality of taxation on an out-of-state insurance company which resulted in a favorable outcome
• At the State Office of Administrative Hearings, argued federal preemption to defeat sales tax assessment for skydiving company which resulted in a favorable outcome
• Negotiated Louisiana and Arkansas economic development incentives for aviation company