Single Business Tax

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By Suzanne Palms and Andrew Appleby 

The Michigan Court of Appeals held that a taxpayer was not liable for additional single business tax (SBT) and use tax because the taxpayer was making sales of tangible personal property at its Michigan facility rather than performing a service. The taxpayer’s business activities at issue consisted of…

The Michigan Court of Appeals held that a $2.2 billion transaction involving the sale of assets related to the Grey Goose vodka product line did not constitute a “sale” for purposes of apportioning the Michigan Single Business Tax (SBT). Sidney Frank Importing Co., Inc. v. Dep’t of Treasury, No. 306742 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012). The taxpayer, Sidney Frank, transferred all of its tangible and intangible assets in the top-shelf vodka, including inventory, to Bacardi, Ltd. The transaction produced a substantial gain, and Sidney Frank included the proceeds in the denominator of its sales factor for 2004 apportionment purposes.

For purposes of the SBT, which was repealed in 2006, “sale” was defined in relevant part as the amounts received from the rental, lease, license or use of property that constitutes business activity. The taxpayer argued that the transfer of the Grey Goose assets was a sale of intangible property (and thus the proceeds should be included in the sales factor denominator) because it was a “use” of intellectual property. The Department argued that the term “sale” includes only transactions where the taxpayer allows a person to use property and does not transfer title to the property.Continue Reading The (Grey) Goose that Got Cooked in Michigan

The Michigan Court of Appeals recently affirmed a Court of Claims summary judgment finding that sales to a related party are sourced to the location of the related party’s customers. Uniloy Milacron USA, Inc. v. Dep’t of Treasury, No. 300749 (Mich. Ct. App. Jan. 26, 2012).

Uniloy Milacron USA, Inc. (Uniloy), a manufacturer of molds used in blow-molding machines, entered into a distributor agreement with an affiliated corporation to purchase for resale and market Uniloy’s products. The affiliate did not obtain physical possession of the products. Instead, Uniloy packaged, loaded, and shipped the products directly to the affiliate’s customers.

The Michigan Department of Treasury (Department) argued that all of Uniloy’s sales should be sourced to Michigan for purposes of the Single Business Tax (SBT) sales apportionment factor because Uniloy’s products were “delivered” to the affiliate in Michigan before ultimately being sold/shipped to the affiliate’s customers.Continue Reading Michigan Court of Appeals Finds Drop-Shipped Sales Are Sourced for SBT Purposes Based on Delivery Location

The Michigan Supreme Court recently reversed an odd Michigan Court of Appeals decision, which held that an out-of-state securities broker-dealer had nexus sufficient to subject it to the Single Business Tax (SBT) by virtue of the activities of in-state, independent registered representatives who contracted with the broker-dealer to facilitate trades for the representatives’ customers on out-of-state security exchanges. Vestax Sec. Corp. v. Dep’t of Treasury, 2011 Mich. LEXIS 945 (June 1, 2011), rev’g, 2010 Mich. App. LEXIS 2093 (Oct. 28, 2010).   

Vestax Securities Corporation, an out-of-state securities broker-dealer company, had contractual relationships with independent registered representatives who used Vestax to facilitate securities transactions. These independent representatives had in-state customers who would request a securities trade from the representative, and the representative, in turn, would rely on Vestax to execute the transaction on a national securities exchange outside of Michigan.Continue Reading Broker-Dealer Dodges Michigan Nexus

The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that two in-state visits per year by representatives of an out-of-state taxpayer could create nexus sufficient to impose the Single Business Tax (SBT). Barr Labs., Inc. v. Dep’t of Treasury, 2010 Mich. App. LEXIS 2033 (Oct. 21, 2010).  At trial, the taxpayer offered an affidavit by its vice president of taxation stating that its employees did not solicit sales during their infrequent trips to Michigan, but rather visited to “gather information.” The Department of Treasury, however, introduced the nexus questionnaires completed by Barr Labs indicating that its employees entered Michigan between two and nine times a year to solicit sales. The trial court found the affidavit to be the most credible evidence and held that Barr Labs’ contacts with Michigan were insufficient to establish the requisite substantial nexus under the Commerce Clause and granted summary judgment in favor of the taxpayer.Continue Reading Taxpayer’s Solicitation Activities Could Establish Michigan SBT Nexus