HOUSE BILL No. 5810

 

February 16, 2010, Introduced by Reps. Smith and Gregory and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1937 PA 94, entitled

 

"Use tax act,"

 

by amending sections 3 and 20 (MCL 205.93 and 205.110), section 3

 

as amended by 2007 PA 103 and section 20 as added by 2004 PA 172,

 

and by adding section 3g.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 3. (1) There is levied upon and there shall be collected

 

from every person in this state a specific tax for the privilege of

 

using, storing, or consuming tangible personal property in this

 

state and for providing certain services in this state at a the

 

following rate:

 

     (a) Prior to the effective date of the amendatory act that

 

added section 3g, a rate equal to 6% of the price of the property

 

or services specified in section 3a or 3b subject to tax under this

 

act.


 

     (b) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that

 

added section 3g, a rate equal to 5.5% of the price of the property

 

or services subject to tax under this act.

 

     (2) The tax levied under this act applies to a person who

 

acquires tangible personal property or services that are subject to

 

the tax levied under this act for any tax-exempt use who

 

subsequently converts the tangible personal property or service to

 

a taxable use, including an interim taxable use. If tangible

 

personal property or services are converted to a taxable use, the

 

tax levied under this act shall be imposed without regard to any

 

subsequent tax-exempt use. Penalties and interest shall be added to

 

the tax if applicable as provided in this act. For the purpose of

 

the proper administration of this act and to prevent the evasion of

 

the tax, all of the following shall be presumed:

 

     (a) That tangible personal property purchased is subject to

 

the tax if brought into this state within 90 days of the purchase

 

date and is considered as acquired for storage, use, or other

 

consumption in this state.

 

     (b) That tangible personal property used solely for personal,

 

nonbusiness purposes that is purchased outside of this state and

 

that is not an aircraft is exempt from the tax levied under this

 

act if 1 or more of the following conditions are satisfied:

 

     (i) The property is purchased by a person who is not a resident

 

of this state at the time of purchase and is brought into this

 

state more than 90 days after the date of purchase.

 

     (ii) The property is purchased by a person who is a resident of

 

this state at the time of purchase and is brought into this state


 

more than 360 days after the date of purchase.

 

     (3) (2) The tax imposed by this section for the privilege of

 

using, storing, or consuming a vehicle, ORV, manufactured housing,

 

aircraft, snowmobile, or watercraft shall be collected before the

 

transfer of the vehicle, ORV, manufactured housing, aircraft,

 

snowmobile, or watercraft, except a transfer to a licensed dealer

 

or retailer for purposes of resale that arises by reason of a

 

transaction made by a person who does not transfer vehicles, ORVs,

 

manufactured housing, aircraft, snowmobiles, or watercraft in the

 

ordinary course of his or her business done in this state. The tax

 

on a vehicle, ORV, snowmobile, and watercraft shall be collected by

 

the secretary of state before the transfer of the vehicle, ORV,

 

snowmobile, or watercraft registration. The tax on manufactured

 

housing shall be collected by the department of consumer and

 

industry services, mobile home commission, or its agent before the

 

transfer of the certificate of title. The tax on an aircraft shall

 

be collected by the department of treasury. The price tax base of a

 

new or previously owned car or truck held for resale by a dealer

 

and that is not exempt under section 4(1)(c) is the purchase price

 

of the car or truck multiplied by 2.5% plus $30.00 per month

 

beginning with the month that the dealer uses the car or truck in a

 

nonexempt manner.

 

     (4) (3) The following transfers or purchases are not subject

 

to use tax:

 

     (a) A transaction or a portion of a transaction if the

 

transferee or purchaser is the spouse, mother, father, brother,

 

sister, child, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister,


 

grandparent, grandchild, legal ward, or a legally appointed

 

guardian with a certified letter of guardianship, of the

 

transferor.

 

     (b) A transaction or a portion of a transaction if the

 

transfer is a gift to a beneficiary in the administration of an

 

estate.

 

     (c) If a vehicle, ORV, manufactured housing, aircraft,

 

snowmobile, or watercraft that has once been subjected to the

 

Michigan sales or use tax is transferred in connection with the

 

organization, reorganization, dissolution, or partial liquidation

 

of an incorporated or unincorporated business and the beneficial

 

ownership is not changed.

 

     (d) If an insurance company licensed to conduct business in

 

this state acquires ownership of a late model distressed vehicle as

 

defined in section 12a of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300,

 

MCL 257.12a, through payment of damages in response to a claim or

 

when the person who owned the vehicle before the insurance company

 

reacquires ownership from the company as part of the settlement of

 

a claim.

 

     (5) (4) The department may utilize the services, information,

 

or records of any other department or agency of state government in

 

the performance of its duties under this act, and other departments

 

or agencies of state government are required to furnish those

 

services, information, or records upon the request of the

 

department.

 

     (6) (5) Any decrease in the rate of the tax levied under

 

subsection (1) on services subject to tax under this act shall


 

apply only to billings rendered on or after the effective date of

 

the decrease.

 

     Sec. 3g. (1) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory

 

act that added this section, except as otherwise provided in

 

subsection (2), the use or consumption of all services in this

 

state shall be taxed under this act in the same manner as tangible

 

personal property is taxed under this act.

 

     (2) The following services are not subject to tax under this

 

act:

 

     (a) Services provided by any of the following:

 

     (i) A religious organization.

 

     (ii) A community foundation.

 

     (iii) An organization that awards grants.

 

     (iv) A charitable organization.

 

     (v) A social advocacy organization.

 

     (vi) A human rights organization.

 

     (vii) An environmental, conservation, or wildlife organization.

 

     (viii) A civic organization.

 

     (ix) A social organization.

 

     (x) A business association.

 

     (xi) A professional organization.

 

     (xii) A labor union.

 

     (xiii) A political organization.

 

     (b) Educational services.

 

     (c) Health care services.

 

     (d) Social assistance services.

 

     (e) Real estate services.


 

     (f) Intangible leasing services.    

 

     (g) Services that are primarily business to business

 

transactions, including, but not limited to, accounting,

 

bookkeeping, surveying, drafting, architectural services, and

 

office administration.

 

     (3) Except as otherwise provided in this act, services subject

 

to tax under this act as provided in this section shall be sourced

 

under section 20.

 

     Sec. 20. (1) For sourcing a sale subject to tax under this

 

act, the following apply:

 

     (a) If a product or service is received by the purchaser at a

 

business location of the seller, the sale is sourced to that

 

business location.

 

     (b) If a product or service is not received by the purchaser

 

at a business location of the seller, the sale is sourced to the

 

location where the product or service is received by the purchaser

 

or the purchaser's designee, including the location indicated by

 

instructions for delivery to the purchaser, known to the seller.

 

     (c) If subdivision (a) or (b) does not apply, the sale is

 

sourced to the location indicated by an address for the purchaser

 

available from the seller's business records maintained in the

 

ordinary course of the seller's business, provided use of the

 

address does not constitute bad faith.

 

     (d) If subdivisions (a) through (c) do not apply, the sale is

 

sourced to the location indicated by an address for the purchaser

 

obtained at the completion of the sale, including the address of

 

the purchaser's payment instrument if no other address is


 

available, provided use of the address does not constitute bad

 

faith.

 

     (e) If subdivisions (a) through (d) do not apply or the seller

 

has insufficient information to apply subdivisions (a) through (d),

 

the sale will be sourced to the location indicated by the address

 

from which the tangible personal property was shipped, from which

 

the service originated, or from which the computer software

 

delivered electronically was first available for transmission by

 

the seller.

 

     (2) For sourcing the lease or rental of tangible personal

 

property, other than property included in subsection (3) or (4),

 

subject to tax under this act, the following apply:

 

     (a) For a lease or rental requiring recurring periodic

 

payments, the first payment is sourced in the same manner provided

 

for a sale in subsection (1). Subsequent payments shall be sourced

 

to the primary property location for each period covered by the

 

payment as indicated by the address of the property provided by the

 

lessee and available to the lessor from the lessor's records

 

maintained in the ordinary course of business, when use of this

 

address does not constitute bad faith. The property location is not

 

considered altered by intermittent use at different locations such

 

as business property that accompanies employees on business trips

 

or service calls.

 

     (b) For a lease or rental not requiring recurring periodic

 

payments, the payment is sourced in the same manner provided for a

 

sale in subsection (1).

 

     (3) For sourcing the lease or rental of motor vehicles,


 

trailers, semitrailers, or aircraft that are not transportation

 

equipment, the following apply:

 

     (a) For a lease or rental requiring recurring periodic

 

payments, each payment is sourced to the primary property location

 

as indicated by the address of the property provided by the lessee

 

and available to the lessor from the lessor's records maintained in

 

the ordinary course of business, when use of this address does not

 

constitute bad faith. The property location is not considered

 

altered by intermittent use at a different location.

 

     (b) For a lease or rental not requiring recurring periodic

 

payments, the payment is sourced in the same manner provided for a

 

sale in subsection (1).

 

     (4) The lease or rental of transportation equipment shall be

 

sourced in the same manner provided for a sale in subsection (1).

 

     (5) Subsections (2) and (3) do not affect the imposition or

 

computation of the tax under the general sales tax act, 1933 PA

 

167, MCL 205.51 to 205.78, on leases or rentals based on a lump-sum

 

or accelerated basis or on the acquisition of property for lease.

 

     (6) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Receive" and "receipt" mean 1 or more of the following

 

but exclude possession by a shipping company on behalf of the

 

purchaser:

 

     (i) Taking possession of tangible personal property.

 

     (ii) Making first use of services.

 

     (b) "Transportation equipment" means 1 or more of the

 

following:

 

     (i) Locomotives and railcars utilized for the carriage of


 

persons or property in interstate commerce.

 

     (ii) Trucks and truck-tractors with a gross vehicle weight

 

rating of 10,001 pounds or greater, trailers, semitrailers, or

 

passenger buses, which are registered through the international

 

registration plan and operated under authority of a carrier

 

authorized and certificated by the United States department of

 

transportation or another federal authority to engage in the

 

carriage of persons or property in interstate commerce.

 

     (iii) Aircraft operated by air carriers authorized and

 

certificated by the United States department of transportation or

 

other federal or foreign authority to transport air cargo or

 

passengers in interstate or foreign commerce.

 

     (iv) Containers designed for use on or component parts attached

 

or secured to the equipment included in subparagraphs (i) to (iii).

 

     (7) A person may deviate from the sourcing requirements under

 

this section as provided in section 12 or 13.