Chuck Neely has been engaged in the practice of state and local tax litigation for more than 30 years. His experience includes the negotiation and litigation of cases involving corporate and individual income taxation, sales and use taxation, franchise, license, intangibles and property taxation, including litigation of 4R cases for the railroad industry involving both the valuation and equalization of railroad property. He has wide-ranging experience with the valuation of both real and personal property and the assessment of tax-exempt properties. In connection with the firm's state and local tax practice, Mr. Neely has counseled clients and negotiated with government entities on the broad array of state and local tax incentives available to new and expanding businesses in North Carolina. Mr. Neely has also had extensive experience lobbying both tax and other legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly. He has regularly been ranked by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy as one of North Carolina's most effective lobbyists.
Mr. Neely was elected three times to the North Carolina General Assembly, serving from 1995 to 1999 as a member of the House of Representatives. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the House Judiciary II Committee, a member of the House Finance Committee, and as co-chairman of the Revenue Laws Study Committee of the North Carolina General Assembly. He was rated among the six most effective legislators in the House during his service.
Mr. Neely has been named a "Super Lawyer" by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine and as one of the "Legal Elite" by Business North Carolina magazine. The Best Lawyers in America recognizes Mr. Neely as a top attorney for Tax Law and Government Relations. Martindale Hubbell has rated Mr. Neely an AV attorney, its highest rating available.
Mr. Neely is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and represents the state in the American Property Tax Counsel, the leading affiliation of independent law firms practicing property tax law. He is a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, the American Bar Association Tax Section and the North Carolina Bar Association. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Neely served as a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Board of Governors.
Mr. Neely has written articles for publication in the Journal of Multistate Taxation, the Journal of Property Tax Management, the North Carolina State Bar Journal and State Tax Notes. He has lectured at the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) Sales and Use Tax Symposium, the IPT Property Tax Symposium, the American Bar Association/IPT Advanced Property Tax Seminar, the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC), the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce Tax Forum, the J. Nelson Young Tax Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Law School and at numerous seminars. In addition to serving on the Research Institute of America State and Local Tax Board of Experts, Mr. Neely has served as co-chairman of the ABA/IPT Advanced Property Tax Seminar.
Mr. Neely served two years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of captain in his subsequent Naval Reserve service. He served as senior warden of the Christ Episcopal Church Vestry, the board of trustees of St. Timothy's School, president of the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America and president of the Rex Hospital Foundation. He is past chairman of the Triangle Land Conservancy and is on the boards of the School of Government Foundation, UNC Chapel Hill, the North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation and the Dix Visionaries, a group dedicated to the preservation of the grounds of the Dorothea Dix Hospital as a destination park.
Mr. Neely received his A.B. from the University of North Carolina, with honors, in 1965. He received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1970.
Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association
- Tax Section
American Property Tax Counsel
Institute for Professionals in Taxation
North Carolina Bar Association
- Board of Governors (1995 to 1998)
American Bar Foundation
- Fellow
Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference
Litigation Counsel of America
- Fellow
Awards & Honors
AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell
American Bar Foundation, Fellow
Judicial Conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Permanent Member
Business North Carolina magazine, "Legal Elite"
North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine
The Best Lawyers in America - Government Relations Practice, Tax Litigation & Controversy
The North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, "The 50 Most Influential Lobbyists"
- Rank #10 (2010)
Boy Scouts of America - Silver Beaver; Distinguished Eagle
Community Involvement
Christ Episcopal Church Vestry
- Senior Warden, Former
Governor's E-mail Records Review Panel, Member
North Carolina House of Representatives (1995 to 1999)
N.C.Revenue Laws Committee of North Carolina General Assembly
- Co-Chairman (1995 to 1997)
Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America
- Past President
Rex Hospital Foundation
- Past President
School of Government Foundation, UNC Chapel Hill
- Board of Directors
St. Timothy's School
- Board of Trustees, Former
Triangle Land Conservancy
- Past Chairman
N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation
- Board of Directors
Dix Visionaries
- Board of Directors
Publications
Revenue Laws Study Committee Considers Changes to Forced Combination Legislation, Alert, 11.04.2011
Recent Developments in North Carolina Property Tax, Alert, 10.12.2011
Recent Developments in North Carolina Corporate Income and Franchise Tax, Alert, 10.07.2011
Legislative Report: 2011 Long Session of the NC General Assembly, Newsletter, 07.22.2011
What the Courts Think of North Carolina's Forced Combination Rules and Related Penalties, Article July 2011
North Carolina Update - Property Tax Developments, Alert, 08. 2010
2010 Budget Compromise for North Carolina, Alert, 06.30.2010
North Carolina's Tax Assessment, Refund Review and Appeal Procedures, White Paper 04.28.2010
Wal-Mart Stores East, Inc. v. Hinton, Article, 01. 2010
Property Tax in North Carolina: Property Tax Assessment of Real Property, White Paper 02. 2009
North Carolina's New Tax Assessment, Refund and Appeal Procedures,
This article appeared in the October 29, 2007, edition of State Tax Notes, pp. 323-333 and in the Winter 2007 and Spring 2008 issues of The North Carolina State Bar Journal. It has been updated as of March 24, 2008. 03.24.2008
North Carolina Property Tax Exemptions and Exclusions, 01.31.2008
Property Tax in North Carolina: Property Tax Assessment of Business Personal Property, 01. 2008
Property Tax in North Carolina: The Discovery of Unlisted and Underlisted Property, 01. 2008
Property Tax in North Carolina: The Concept of Business Value in the Income Approach to Value, 01. 2008
North Carolina Update: Sweeping Changes Made to Tax Appeal System, Alert, 11. 2007
North Carolina's New Tax Assessment, Refund and Appeal Procedures,
This article appeared in the October 29, 2007, edition of State Tax Notes, pp. 323-333. Article, 10.29.2007
Corporate Income Tax Combined/Consolidated Returns, 09.05.2006
North Carolina Property Tax Assessment and Appeals Procedure,
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2001 Edition of the North Carolina State Bar Journal Article, Winter 2001
Toward a Better Understanding of Value-In-Use in Property Tax Appraisals, Article, 01.01.1997
Care in Classifying Computer Software Can Avoid or Reduce Property Taxes, Article, 03.01.1995
States Seek to Broaden Sales and Use Taxation of Computer Software, Article, 11.01.1992