Nevada high court lets free-meals tax ruling stand

CARSON CITY (AP) -- The Nevada Supreme Court says it won't reconsider its ruling in a case that could lead to as much as $150 million in refunds in state and local taxes to casinos and restaurants. The case involved a tax refund sought by the Nugget in Sparks for "comped" meals provided for free to employees and some patrons. The state could be liable for as much as a third of the refund total. Local governments and school districts would be liable for the rest. Ben Kieckhefer, spokesman for Gov. Jim Gibbons, said the state Taxation Department is reviewing its options with the attorney general's office as a result of the court order on Thursday. "Obviously it's not how we wanted it to go," he said. "We'll have to wait and see what they come up with." The state has already slashed $1.2 billion from the current budget due to... [read full story]