In the December 3, 2021 issue of the Maryland Register, the Comptroller confirmed that it adopted regulations to the Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax on November 24, 2021. Despite robust comments provided to the proposed regulations (including those provided by Eversheds Sutherland), the Comptroller made almost no changes in the final version. The Comptroller’s
Digital Economy
New York issues advisory opinion that creation and maintenance of mobile apps are nontaxable
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance recently released advisory opinion TSB-A-20(70)S, concluding that a taxpayer’s service of creating and hosting websites and applications (apps) for mobile devices is nontaxable. The taxpayer’s customers are retailers of consumer goods, and the customer’s users access the website or app to purchase items from the…
Kentucky letter ruling says SaaS not subject to sales tax
In a recently published private letter ruling, the Kentucky Department of Revenue concluded that a taxpayer’s service via a Software as a Service (SaaS) model was not a transfer or sale of tangible personal property, and therefore not a taxable transaction. The taxpayer in the ruling charged for access and use of its web-based…
Ohio Department of Taxation clarifies that economic nexus threshold includes only taxable receipts
The Ohio Department of Taxation recently issued an FAQ addressing the gross receipts calculation regarding remote sellers’ registration and tax remittance requirements. Following South Dakota v. Wayfair, Ohio required remote sellers to register with the Department and begin collecting sales tax if the seller had greater than $100,000 in gross receipts or at least…
Kansas provides guidance regarding remote seller nexus
Kansas’s remote seller law became effective July 1, 2021, one of the last states to adopt sales tax nexus requirements for remote sellers. As part of implementing the new law, the Department of Revenue recently issued guidance to remote sellers providing that while a remote seller is not required to collect tax on its first…
Illinois rules bundled hardware and software subscription is subject to Service Occupation Tax
In a private letter ruling, the Illinois Department of Revenue ruled that an out-of-state taxpayer that provided software subscriptions and related hardware for one bundled price was subject to the Service Occupation Tax, not the Retailers’ Occupation Tax, Use Tax, or Service Use Tax. The customer owns the hardware, but the taxpayer retains ownership…
Iowa explains web hosting services are not subject to sales tax
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California updates publication for local allocation of Internet sales
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) revised its revised Publication 109, Internet Sales to add information relating to local sales taxes. Updated Publication 109 clarifies that online retailers are required to allocate sales among local jurisdictions, either directly or through a “countywide pool.” California generally imposes a 7.25% sales tax (with 1%…
Getting SaaSy: Mississippi proposed sales tax rule targets cloud computing
The Mississippi Department of Revenue recently proposed a rule expanding the state’s sales tax to cloud computing.
The proposed amendments to the provisions regarding taxable computer equipment and services define “cloud computing” as “the delivery of computing resources, including software applications, development tools, storage, and servers over the Internet.” The term “cloud computing” includes the…
Tennessee Department of Revenue finds cloud-based online platform not taxable
The Tennessee Department of Revenue posted sales tax letter ruling number 21-08 on October 12, 2021 (issued August 2021) in which the Department determined that an online cloud-based platform’s charges to commercial freight transportation brokers and carriers were not subject to sales tax. The platform offers two cloud-based remote access services, one of which allows…



