Book excerpt: The Multistate Tax Guide to Financial Institutions (the Guide) was developed to provide a quick reference to assist tax professionals in finding answers to various financial institution-specific income and franchise tax questions for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Guide is meant to be just that, a guide. It is not meant as a substitute for original research; it is not meant to be authoritative; nor is it intended to provide tax advice; and it cannot be relied on as a basis to avoid the imposition of penalties.