The New York State Tax Appeals Tribunal held that a limited liability company was entitled to a refund of sales tax paid on the purchase of a one-half interest in a Pablo Picasso painting because the taxpayer leased its share of the painting on the same day the painting was purchased. On April 20, 2015,
sales tax
Ohio Supreme Court renews sales tax refund for computerized services
On March 15, 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court determined that the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals (BTA) must apply the true object test when determining whether a bank purchased nontaxable custom software or taxable services. The taxpayer was a bank that purchased computerized services which allowed the bank to run transactions on a daily basis…
Rocky road for bad debts: Colorado Court denies credit to finance company
The Colorado Court of Appeals held that sales tax bad debt credits may not be claimed by a financial company that issued private label credit cards. As a private label retail credit card issuer, Capital One financed purchases made by its cardholders. Under the terms of its agreements with retailers, Capital One financed purchases made…
Tennessee Department of Revenue rules platform is software, implementation and content fees taxable
The Tennessee Department of Revenue ruled recently that an information technology company’s platform product was subject to Tennessee sales and use tax. The platform was used to support a decision-making process.
The platform was hosted on Taxpayer or third-party servers, and users accessed the platform from their employer’s electronic software system. The platform was highly…
Private wireless network not taxable in Missouri
The Missouri Department of Revenue released a private letter ruling issued in December 2021 determining that a company’s private wireless network was not subject to Missouri sales tax. The company provides wireless services in Missouri, including voice, messaging, Internet access and private network services. The private network services provide machine-to-machine data transmission, which is segregated…
Georgia high-technology company sales tax exemption: Upcoming reporting requirements & future legislative proposals
Since 2001, Georgia has provided a sales and use tax exemption for high-technology companies that invest at least $15 million in eligible computer equipment (including hardware and software) in a calendar year. O.C.G.A. § 48-8-3(68). During the 2021 legislative session, the Georgia General Assembly passed SB 6, which included significant changes the High-Tech Exemption. …
Minnesota updates guidance regarding marketplace providers
The Minnesota Department of Revenue has released updated guidance regarding the state’s requirement that out-of-state marketplace providers collect and remit Minnesota sales tax if their total sales (including facilitated sales) over the prior 12-month period total either 200 or more retail sales shipped to Minnesota, or more than $100,000 in retail sales shipped to Minnesota.…
Governor Hochul releases New York budget Briefing Book with tax proposals
On January 18, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul released the fiscal year 2023 budget Briefing Book. While we are still waiting for the public release of accompanying legislation (i.e., the Budget Bill) and memoranda, the Briefing Book indicates that the Budget Bill will propose a variety of tax cuts targeting middle-class individuals and small businesses.…
New York ALJ determines multilevel marketing company’s web-based service not taxable
The New York Division of Tax Appeals determined that a multilevel marketing company’s provision of access to its web-based software that contains confidential and proprietary information and reports for use in developing business was neither the taxable sale of prewritten computer software, nor the sale of a taxable information service. The company, a multilevel marketing…
Indiana manufacturer’s software service agreement not subject to sales tax
The Indiana Department of Revenue issued a protest ruling that an auto parts manufacturer was entitled to a refund on certain software service purchases for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 years. The taxpayer licensed software through a remote platform into which taxpayer loaded its own data for education services, cloud services, and manufacturing support services.…



