The Illinois Court of Appeals held that an energy company’s book-out transactions, which do not involve the physical transfer of fuel, are taxable sales under the Cook County fuel tax ordinance because they involve the transfer of an ownership interest as to the fuel. The company enters into book-out transactions to settle forward contracts (i.e.
sales tax
Supreme Court of Mississippi holds digital images are not subject to sales tax
On October 6, 2022, the Supreme Court of Mississippi held that digital images are not subject to sales tax as tangible personal property or specified digital products. The taxpayer was a digital wedding photographer that sold wedding photography services to customers and then transferred the digital images to the customers via DVDs or flash drives.
Virginia Circuit Court determines sales of software and equipment exempt from sales tax
In an opinion published on September 9, 2022, the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond held that a telecommunications equipment company was entitled to a sales tax refund on its sales of software, equipment, and related services sold to a telecommunications company.
Under Virginia law, software delivered electronically via the Internet is exempt from…
New York holds end of lease adjustments on fleet vehicles cannot give rise to sales tax refund
A New York Division of Tax Appeals administrative law judge held that a fleet management company that leases fleets of vehicles to businesses in New York could not receive sales tax credits for refunds of tax paid to vehicle lessees at the end of their leases after a rental adjustment that reduced the total rent…
City and County of Denver move to exempt new statewide delivery fee from sales tax
On July 1, 2022, a statewide 27 cent per sale delivery fee took effect in Colorado. The fee applies to retailers or marketplace facilitators that collect sales or use tax on the sale of tangible personal property that is sold and delivered (including delivery performed by a third party) to a purchaser in Colorado. The…
Account access services are taxable digital automated services in Washington
The Washington Department of Revenue’s Administrative Review and Hearings Division recently ruled that a company’s account access services provided to credit unions constituted digital automated services subject to sales tax.
The taxpayer provided an online banking platform and an automated phone system to member credit unions, which in turn provided those services to their individual…
Pro tip: Maryland limits sales taxation of certain digital products
On July 1, 2022, the Maryland Comptroller of the Treasury revised its Business Tax Tip #29, to acknowledge the exclusion of certain business purchases of digital products. In addition, the revised guidance clarifies the taxability of data processing, information, web hosting, and digital advertising services. This is the Comptroller’s third set of revisions to…
Texas Comptroller rules cloud-based online platform educational services not subject to sales tax
The Texas Comptroller recently published a private letter ruling (issued on June 10, 2022) concluding that access to a cloud-based online platform used by healthcare students while attending courses at accredited universities and colleges was not subject to sales tax. The platform was accessed exclusively via the Internet, and the students did not download any…
Indiana updates sales tax guidance for marketplace facilitators
The Indiana Department of Revenue modified Sales Tax Bulletin No. 89 to reflect the recent change (SB 382) clarifying that a marketplace facilitator is required to collect sales tax for each retail transaction it facilitates regardless as to whether the marketplace facilitator has a contractual relationship with the seller as long as the…
Washington Department of Revenue finds sales tax must be collected on sales of renewable energy equipment
The Washington Department of Revenue upheld a retail sales tax assessment on a taxpayer who failed to collect retail sales tax on sales to a renewable energy company. The taxpayer stated that it did not collect tax on certain sales because it believed that the energy company qualified for the exemption provided by Wash. Rev.…