SALT Blog - SALT Blawg

Tax Foundation Report Opines Texas Margin Tax Not a Model Act

A recent Tax Foundation report concludes that the Texas margin tax - untried when enacted in 2006 - collected less revenue than expected, caused significant confusion and compliance costs, resulted in litigation and controversy, and should not be tried in other states.

Tennessee and New York Opine Electronic Goods Not Subject to Sales Tax

Tennessee provided a written opinion that paper shop drawings would be subject to sales tax, but not a digital (paperless) version of the same. New York authorities similarly concluded that the sale of an electronic PDF would not be subject to sales tax, while a printed version of the PDF would be.

New Jersey Issues Apportionment Guidance

In the wake of the new apportionment guidelines set forth by the New Jersey Legislature, New Jersey authorities have outlined the manner for the phase-in of the single factor formula in replacement of the three-factor allocation formula for the Corporation Business Tax. For privilege periods beginning on or after January 1, 2012 but before January 1, 2013, the sales fraction will account for 70% of the allocation, and the property and payroll fractions will each account for 15% of the allocation. The following year will be 90% sales, and the next will be 100% sales fraction.

Louisiana Appeals Court Finds Sale of BP Refinery in Normal Course of Business

BP prevailed in its motion for partial summary judgment, arguing that its sale of a refinery in Louisiana should be classified as apportionable income, taxed proportionate to all the states in which BP does business, as opposed to allocable income and thus taxed only by Louisiana. Because BP was able to show that it regularly sold refineries, the Louisiana appeals court found that such sale was deemed to be part of its regular course of business, and thus the income to be taxed proportionate to its income in all states in which it does business.

Virginia Opines In-state Employees Do Not Constitute Nexus If No In-state Projects

Virginia tax authorities have opined that because the only link between an out-of-state company and Virginia was the presence of two employees who lived in Virginia but did not work on any in-state projects, there was not a sufficient contact to constitute nexus for income tax purposes.

Texas Comptroller Rules Any Filed Method Can Be Used for New Group

Previously, when a Texas Comptroller auditor determined that separate companies needed to amend their filings to report as one consolidated group, the auditor would insist that the only proper methodology would be that methodology used by the reporting entity. The Texas Comptroller has reversed this practice, and opined that the resulting entity can file using any methodology that had been previously filed by the combined entities.

Texas Comptroller Reverses on Software License As Tangible Personal Property

Previously, the Texas Comptroller had issued audits in which it would not treat a license of software as a sale of tangible personal property. As a result, taxpayers who licensed software could not receive the full benefit of the cost of goods sold methodology. This decision has been reversed, and the Texas Comptroller now agrees with taxpayers that the license of software does constitute a sale of tangible personal property for franchise tax purposes.