Paul R. Morcom

Profile

Paul is the Chair of the Firm’s State and Local Tax (SALT) Group and practices in the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Group in the Harrisburg office.  He has over 20 years of SALT litigation experience encompassing government, corporate and private practice.

What does Paul do for Clients?
Paul prides himself on providing value-added services to his clients by substantially reducing assessed tax liabilities or obtaining significant refunds of tax overpayments.  He focuses his practice on sales, use, corporate net income, personal income, PURTA, business privilege and realty transfer tax.

Additionally, Paul handles real estate tax assessment appeals throughout Pennsylvania’s 67 counties and is considered an industry thought leader in Pennsylvania assessment law because he co-authors the leading treatise “Assessment Law and Procedure in Pennsylvania” and speaks and writes regularly on Pennsylvania assessment law topics.

Highlights of his experience include:

• Successfully obtaining sales and use tax relief for clients on issues including those related to public utility, manufacturing, computer services, realty and building machinery and equipment.
• Negotiating favorable settlements regarding corporate net income and franchise tax issues for clients.
• Helping clients obtain significant tax savings through property tax assessment reductions before county boards and courts of common pleas.
• Receiving tax exempt status for charitable institutions for both property tax and sales and use tax.

Recent Successes:

• Successfully cleaned up 20 years of Pennsylvania PURTA tax issues for a railroad at both the state and local level.
• Drafted and negotiated PILOT agreements for a large non-profit hospital system in multiple taxing jurisdictions throughout the Commonwealth.
• Successfully negotiated an $84,609,800 reduction in assessed value for an industrial property in Blair County. Saved company $1,100,000 of property taxes per year.
• Successfully negotiated an $85,862,500 reduction in assessed value for a retail store in downtown Philadelphia. Saved company $1,150,000 of property taxes per year.
• Successfully negotiated exempt status for two properties owned by a nursing home in Montgomery County.  Resulting in $981,000 of refunds for real estate taxes paid in years deemed exempt and $337,400 of tax savings per year going forward.

How does Paul spend his free time?
Paul enjoys coaching baseball and watching his two teenage boys play baseball and basketball.  Paul also is an avid hunter and fisherman and looks forward to the day when he can spend more time afield.   When not coaching or afield, Paul enjoys volunteering his time and energy with the Paxtang Lions Club.