By Chris Lutz and Andrew Appleby

In Georgia Letter Ruling SUT-2016-24, the Georgia Department of Revenue ruled that sales of software equipment delivered to a Georgia assembly facility on an out-of-state customer’s behalf were subject to Georgia sales and use tax. In the ruling, the taxpayer sold technology solutions, which were comprised of licenses of software, sales of hardware and the performance of services. The sales agreement between the parties reflected that title did not pass to the customer until payment was received in full by the seller. Nonetheless, prior to the passage of title, the seller would send the equipment to an assembly facility located in Georgia. The Department concluded that the assembly facility was accepting the equipment on the purchaser’s behalf notwithstanding the fact that unencumbered title had not yet passed to the purchaser. Because O.C.G.A. § 48-8-77(b)(1) provides that sales should be sourced to Georgia for sales tax purposes when the purchaser receives the item in Georgia, the sales were Georgia sales even where the customer was located outside the state. Georgia LR SUT-2016-24.