Wisconsin State Law Library

Wisconsin tax research with CCH - Carol Hassler

CCH is a well-known publisher of tax-related information and researchers at the library have been able to use print publications to do tax research for years. Now, with CCH AnswerConnect, you can research Wisconsin tax information online. Log in with your library card to read tax articles on a variety of topics, with information covering Wisconsin and Federal tax laws.

The information in the Wisconsin Tax Reporter can now be accessed online. State tax reporters are sources for state tax laws, released alongside related explanations, decisions, and rulings. CCH AnswerConnect looks a little different than the print compilation. In this article, we will walk you through research techniques for searching by topic.

To search for a specific topic, it's helpful to understand the terminology that may be used. With a traditional book, we might look for an index or table of contents. In AnswerConnect, it's helpful to browse the available topics first. Under the State Tax tab, choose State Tax Topics to dive in.

AnswerConnect organizes topics alphabetically, and by main topic or subtopic. Watch for clues like the position of the topic keywords, and font size. In the left column are the main topics, and those are broken down into narrower categories on the right.

Following the link for Cryptocurrency delivers a quick page of general analysis with options to narrow your research on the left. Because Wisconsin is one of the few states that addresses income taxes and virtual currency, this summary includes more detailed state-level discussion. For each topic with related Wisconsin laws or guidance, scroll to the bottom of the page for a direct link to state information. To learn about personal income tax and cryptocurrency treatment in Wisconsin, choose the tab for your subtopic, then the Wisconsin link. (Other states will always be grayed out in these charts since we only subscribe to Wisconsin.)

Following the link for Wisconsin provides an overview of personal income tax for Wisconsin, and compares it to federal law. Follow the breadcrumb links at the top to backtrack to broader topics in any given area. Once you're in a broader topic, you have the opportunity to use the search box within that topic to search just that section. Look for a smaller search box further down on the page to run a narrower keyword search.

Search for cryptocurrency, virtual currency, digital currency, or other related terms to find more information. The search is forgiving, so entering one term may deliver related words. Searching for “cryptocurrencies” returns state rulings, news, annotations, and more, which mention cryptocurrency as well as digital or virtual currency.

There is a lot of information to explore in CCH AnswerConnect, and many ways to discover it. Sign into CCH AnswerConnect with a Wisconsin State Law Library card. Wisconsin-licensed attorneys, law librarians, and government employees are eligible for a card, and can apply online. If you have questions or need help with your research, contact our reference librarians at 608-267-9696 or wsll.ref@wicourts.gov.

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New Books - Kari Zelinka

New Title! COVID-19 and Other Pandemics: Business and Legal Challenges, by James T. O'Reilly and Philip Hagen, 2020
Call Number: KF 3803 .C68 O743 2020

Information on COVID-19 is changing at a rapid pace and we are all trying to adapt. James T. O'Reilly and Philip Hagen have gathered technical and regulatory responses in one place in COVID-19 and Other Pandemics: Business and Legal Challenges. The authors have added internet links in an attempt to keep up with state-specific issues such as workers' compensation. Multiple appendices contain information from EEOC, HHC, EPA, CDC and OSHA.

Chapters include:

• Medical workplace challenges from COVID-19
• Shutdowns, layoffs and furloughs
• Overview of workplace impacts of responses to COVID-19
• COVID-19, contracts and frustration defenses
• Overview of workplace liability claims
• Lockdown, isolation, quarantine and travel restrictions
• Long-term health issues
• Business liability risks from on-site infections
• Employment discrimination issues
• Advising about tort immunity in COVID-19 claims
• Responding to future client needs

New Edition! What are…Medicare Appeals? 2nd ed, by Jessica L Gustafson and Abby Pendleton, 2021
Call Number: KF 3608 .A4 G87 2021

Did you know over 60,000 people rely on Medicare and 99% of claims go through the process without a review? To identify and prevent incorrect payments, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services contracted with entities to conduct pre-payment and post-payment audits. What are…Medicare Appeals? gives an overview of the CMS contractors who performed claims reviews. The authors then describe the appeals process for Medicare Part A and Part B. If you are an attorney representing a health care entity subject to audit, chapter 3 will be of particular interest to you, as appeal strategies and legal challenges applicable to unfavorable claim determinations are discussed. Contact us to put this book on hold today!

Topics include:

• Comprehensive error rate testing
• Supplemental medical review contractor audits
• Recovery audits
• Medicare appeals council review
• Federal district court review
• Waiver of liability
• Provider without fault
• Challenges to statistical extrapolations
• Medicare prescription drug, improvement and modernization act

See our latest New Titles list for a list of new books and other resources.

For assistance in accessing these or other resources, please contact our Reference Desk.

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Tech Tip - Beth Bland

Information, please

There are a lot of helpful and very specialized websites that can fill in the gaps when researching businesses. Here are a few sites that help detangle the world of online customer service.

Get a Human

Are you tired of getting lost in phone menus? Would you like to talk to a real person? Search for the company, find a phone number, and get an estimated wait time.

Is it Down?

When you're trying to use a website and it doesn't seem to work, it could be your network or your computer causing problems. Or...the website might be down! Before you contact tech support, try checking Is It Down.

Who Is

Every year, millions of individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments register domain names. Each one must provide identifying and contact information which may include: name, address, email, phone number, and administrative and technical contacts. This information is often referred to as "WHOIS data." The data is managed by independent entities known as "registrars" and "registries." Use the official ICAAN lookup tool to find out more about who owns the website you're researching.

image source

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Library news - Carol Hassler

After hours services resume

The David T. Prosser Jr. Library welcomes After Hours users back into the library, beginning Monday, August 2, 2021. After Hours access to the library allows researchers to use the library's book collection, scanning equipment, and subscription databases in the evenings and on weekends.

Current and new subscribers may use their After Hours key fob to use the library from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. At this time, After Hours access is not available on weekday mornings before the library opens. For questions about key fobs or access, please contact Tammy Keller, Program Assistant, at tammy.keller@wicourts.gov.

After Hours subscriptions are for the calendar year. For the remainder of 2021, new subscribers may renew (with an existing keyfob) for $50 or sign up for new access for $58. To subscribe, complete an After Hours Service first-time subscription or renewal application form. Contact Tammy Keller to sign up and arrange for payment.

Welcome new Dane County Law Library staff

We welcome two new library assistants to the Dane County Law Library. Susan Seefelt Lesieutre has an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin and past experience at academic and public libraries. Andrew Briceno is a graduate of UW-Madison and the Madison College Paralegal Program, with experience in the Civil Rights department with the City of Madison. Welcome Susie and Andrew!

Legislative history 101

Space is still available for the State Law Library's August webinar. Registration is limited to 100 and registrations will be approved daily by the moderator. Once your registration is approved, you will get an email confirmation with connection information. Please reach out to carol.hassler@wicourts.gov with questions.

Introduction to Wisconsin Legislative History
Wednesday, August 18, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Location: Live webinar -Register for Introduction to Wisconsin Legislative History
1 CLE credit

I need the legislative history of a Wisconsin statute. Where do I start? What do I do? Participants will look at the primary resources used to research Wisconsin legislative history, learn about the online Wisconsin legislative drafting files, and learn some helpful tips and tricks along the way. This introductory class covers basic research strategies and sources.

Brush up on Westlaw

Thomson Reuters is offering free Westlaw classes in August. Sign up for Introduction to Research on Westlaw on August 17 at 8:15 a.m. This class will cover research fundamentals on Westlaw, including how to:

• pull up documents by citation and name
• search for documents by legal issue
• research a case
• check if a case is still good law
• save your research for later

For those not interested in CLE credit, but who would like to brush up on research skills, try Westlaw for library patron access users, offered Friday, August 27 at 9:00 a.m. This 45 minute session reviews the fundamental features that are available for Patron Access users. Learn how to pull up a case/statute by citation or name. This class will also cover basic search techniques and how to verify cases and statutes are good law using KeyCite.

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August Snapshot

Books on the Rock
Photo by Jaime Healy-Plotkin

Among its sprawling jumble of exhibits and artifacts, the House on the Rock also boasts a library! Can you spot any familiar books? Like some movie sets and book-themed hangouts, the aged collection leans heavily on the stately appearance of older legal books and state statutory materials.

We are accepting snapshots! Do you have a photo highlighting libraries, attractions or points of historical interest? Send your photo the editor at carol.hassler@wicourts.gov to be included in a future issue.

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