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REFERENCE TITLE: utility taxes; tribal exemption |
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State of Arizona Senate Fiftieth Legislature Second Regular Session 2012
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SB 1269 |
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Introduced by Senator Jackson; Representative Hale: Senators Cajero Bedford, Lopez, Lujan
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AN ACT
Amending sections 42-5063 and 42-5064, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to transaction privilege tax.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 42-5063, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
42-5063. Utilities classification; definitions
A. The utilities classification is comprised of the business of:
1. Producing and furnishing or furnishing to consumers natural or artificial gas and water.
2. Providing to retail electric customers ancillary services, electric distribution services, electric generation services, electric transmission services and other services related to providing electricity.
B. The utilities classification does not include:
1. Sales of ancillary services, electric distribution services, electric generation services, electric transmission services and other services related to providing electricity, gas or water to a person who resells the services.
2. Sales of natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas used to propel a motor vehicle.
3. Sales of alternative fuel, as defined in section 1‑215, to a used oil fuel burner who has received a permit to burn used oil or used oil fuel under section 49‑426 or 49‑480.
4. Sales of ancillary services, electric distribution services, electric generation services, electric transmission services and other services that are related to providing electricity to a retail electric customer who is located outside this state for use outside this state if the electricity is delivered to a point of sale outside this state.
C. The tax base for the utilities classification is the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from the business, but the following shall be deducted from the tax base:
1. Revenues received by a municipally owned utility in the form of fees charged to persons constructing residential, commercial or industrial developments or connecting residential, commercial or industrial developments to a municipal utility system or systems if the fees are segregated and used only for capital expansion, system enlargement or debt service of the utility system or systems.
2. Revenues received by any person or persons owning a utility system in the form of reimbursement or contribution compensation for property and equipment installed to provide utility access to, on or across the land of an actual utility consumer if the property and equipment become the property of the utility. This deduction shall not exceed the value of such property and equipment.
3. Gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from sales to:
(a) Qualifying hospitals as defined in section 42‑5001.
(b) A qualifying health care organization as defined in section 42‑5001 if the tangible personal property is used by the organization solely to provide health and medical related educational and charitable services.
4. The portion of gross proceeds of sales or gross income that is derived from sales to a qualified environmental technology manufacturer, producer or processor as defined in section 41-1514.02 of a utility product and that is used directly in environmental technology manufacturing, producing or processing. This paragraph shall apply for twenty full consecutive calendar or fiscal years from the date the first paper manufacturing machine is placed in service. In the case of a qualified environmental technology manufacturer, producer or processor who does not manufacture paper, the time period shall begin with the date the first manufacturing, processing or production equipment is placed in service.
5. Gross proceeds of sales or gross income from sales to an Indian tribe or a member of an Indian tribe on that tribe's reservation if taxation of those receipts is prohibited by federal law. The taxpayer has the burden of demonstrating that:
(a) The receipts are deductible under this paragraph through documentary evidence retained in the taxpayer's records.
(b) Any meter measuring the deliveries is physically located on the tribe's reservation.
D. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Ancillary services" means those services so designated in federal energy regulatory commission order 888 adopted in 1996 that include the services necessary to support the transmission of electricity from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system according to good utility practice.
2. "Electric distribution service" means distributing electricity to retail electric customers through the use of electric distribution facilities.
3. "Electric generation service" means providing electricity for sale to retail electric customers but excluding electric distribution or transmission services.
4. "Electric transmission service" means transmitting electricity to retail electric customers or to electric distribution facilities so classified by the federal energy regulatory commission or, to the extent permitted by law, so classified by the Arizona corporation commission.
5. "Other services" includes metering, meter reading services, billing and collecting services.
6. "Retail electric customer" means a person who purchases electricity for that person's own use, including use in that person's trade or business and not for resale, redistribution or retransmission.
Sec. 2. Section 42-5064, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
42-5064. Telecommunications classification; definitions
A. The telecommunications classification is comprised of the business of providing intrastate telecommunications services. The telecommunications classification does not include:
1. Sales of intrastate telecommunications services by a cable television system as defined in section 9‑505 or by a microwave television transmission system that transmits television programming to multiple subscribers and that is operated pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations parts 21 and 74.
2. Sales of internet access or application services to the person's subscribers and customers. For the purposes of this paragraph:
(a) "Application services" means software applications provided remotely using hypertext transfer protocol or another network protocol and purchased by or for any school district, charter school, community college or state university to assess or test student learning or to promote curriculum design or enhancement.
(b) "Curriculum design or enhancement" means planning, implementing or reporting on courses of study, lessons, assignments or other learning activities.
B. The tax base for the telecommunications classification is the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from the business, including the gross income derived from tolls, subscriptions and services on behalf of subscribers or from the publication of a directory of the names of subscribers. However, the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from the following shall be deducted from the tax base:
1. Sales of intrastate telecommunications services to:
(a) Other persons engaged in businesses classified under the telecommunications classification for use in such business.
(b) A direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission service that operates pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25 for use in its direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission operation by a facility described in section 42‑5061, subsection B, paragraph 16, subdivision (b).
2. End user common line charges established by federal communications commission regulations (47 Code of Federal Regulations section 69.104(a)).
3. Carrier access charges established by federal communications commission regulations (47 Code of Federal Regulations sections 69.105(a) through 69.118).
4. Sales of direct broadcast satellite television services pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25 by a direct broadcast satellite television service that operates pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25.
5. Telecommunications services purchased with a prepaid calling card, or a prepaid authorization number for telecommunications services, that is taxable under section 42‑5061.
6. Gross proceeds of sales or gross income from sales to an Indian tribe or a member of an Indian tribe on that tribe's reservation if taxation of those receipts is prohibited by federal law. The taxpayer has the burden of demonstrating that:
(a) The receipts are deductible under this paragraph through documentary evidence retained in the taxpayer's records.
(b) The telecommunications service originates or terminates through an instrument located on the tribe's reservation and is billed to the tribe or tribal member.
C. A person that is engaged in a transient lodging business subject to taxation under section 42-5070 and that provides telephone, fax or internet access services to its customers at an additional charge, which is separately stated on the customer invoice, is considered to be engaged in business subject to taxation under this section for the purposes of taxing the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from providing those services.
D. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from a bundled transaction of services that are taxable pursuant to section 42‑5023 are subject to the following:
1. A telecommunications service provider who can reasonably identify the portion of the sales price of the bundled transaction derived from charges for nontaxable services is subject to tax only on the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from the taxable services. For the purposes of this section, the telecommunications service provider may elect to reasonably identify the portion of the sales price of the bundled transaction derived from charges for nontaxable services by using allocation percentages derived from the telecommunications service provider's entire service area, including territories outside of this state. On request, the department may require the telecommunications service provider to provide this allocation information. The reasonableness of the allocation is subject to audit by the department.
2. Notwithstanding sections 42‑1118, 42‑1120 and 42‑1121, the telecommunications service provider shall waive the right to file a claim for a refund of taxes paid on the bundled transaction if the taxes paid are based on the allocation percentage the telecommunications service provider had determined to be reasonable at the beginning of the tax period at issue.
3. The burden of proof is on the telecommunications service provider to establish that the gross proceeds of sales or gross income is derived from charges for nontaxable services.
E. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Bundled transaction" means a sale of multiple services in which both of the following apply:
(a) The sale consists of both taxable and nontaxable services.
(b) The telecommunications service provider charges a customer one sales price for all services that are sold instead of separately charging for each individual service.
2. "Internet" means the computer and telecommunications facilities that comprise the interconnected worldwide network of networks that employ the transmission control protocol or internet protocol, or any predecessor or successor protocol, to communicate information of all kinds by wire or radio.
3. "Internet access" means a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail or other services over the internet. Internet access does not include telecommunications services provided by a common carrier.
4. "Intrastate telecommunications services" means transmitting signs, signals, writings, images, sounds, messages, data or other information of any nature by wire, radio waves, light waves or other electromagnetic means if the information transmitted originates and terminates in this state.