SENATE BILL No. 95

 

 

February 1, 2017, Introduced by Senators ROBERTSON, ANANICH, HILDENBRAND, KOWALL, PROOS, MACGREGOR, COLBECK, STAMAS, MARLEAU, SCHUITMAKER, HUNE, KNOLLENBERG, HANSEN, NOFS, SCHMIDT, EMMONS and PAVLOV and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1937 PA 94, entitled

 

"Use tax act,"

 

by amending section 2 (MCL 205.92), as amended by 2016 PA 516.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, joint

 

venture, association, social club, fraternal organization,

 

municipal or private corporation whether or not organized for

 

profit, company, limited liability company, estate, trust,

 

receiver, trustee, syndicate, the United States, this state,

 

county, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the

 

plural as well as the singular number, unless the intention to give

 

a more limited meaning is disclosed by the context.

 

     (b) "Use" means the exercise of a right or power over tangible

 

personal property incident to the ownership of that property


including transfer of the property in a transaction where

 

possession is given. Converting tangible personal property acquired

 

for a use exempt from the tax levied under this act to a use not

 

exempt from the tax levied under this act is a taxable use.

 

     (c) "Storage" means a keeping or retention of property in this

 

state for any purpose after the property loses its interstate

 

character.

 

     (d) "Seller" means the person from whom a purchase is made and

 

includes every person selling tangible personal property or

 

services for storage, use, or other consumption in this state. If,

 

in the opinion of the department, it is necessary for the efficient

 

administration of this act to regard a salesperson, representative,

 

peddler, or canvasser as the agent of a dealer, distributor,

 

supervisor, or employer under whom the person operates or from whom

 

he or she obtains tangible personal property or services sold by

 

him or her for storage, use, or other consumption in this state,

 

irrespective of whether or not he or she is making the sales on his

 

or her own behalf or on behalf of the dealer, distributor,

 

supervisor, or employer, the department may so consider him or her,

 

and may consider the dealer, distributor, supervisor, or employer

 

as the seller for the purpose of this act.

 

     (e) "Purchase" means to acquire for a consideration, whether

 

the acquisition is effected by a transfer of title, of possession,

 

or of both, or a license to use or consume; whether the transfer is

 

absolute or conditional, and by whatever means the transfer is

 

effected; and whether consideration is a price or rental in money,

 

or by way of exchange or barter. Purchase includes converting


tangible personal property acquired for a use exempt from the tax

 

levied under this act to a use not exempt from the tax levied under

 

this act.

 

     (f) "Purchase price" or "price" means the total amount of

 

consideration paid by the consumer to the seller, including cash,

 

credit, property, and services, for which tangible personal

 

property or services are sold, leased, or rented, valued in money,

 

whether received in money or otherwise, and applies to the measure

 

subject to use tax. Purchase price includes the following

 

subparagraphs (i) through (vii) and excludes subparagraphs (viii)

 

through (xiii):

 

     (i) Seller's cost of the property sold.

 

     (ii) Cost of materials used, labor or service cost, interest,

 

losses, costs of transportation to the seller, taxes imposed on the

 

seller other than taxes imposed by this act, and any other expense

 

of the seller.

 

     (iii) Charges by the seller for any services necessary to

 

complete the sale, other than the following:

 

     (A) An amount received or billed by the taxpayer for

 

remittance to the employee as a gratuity or tip, if the gratuity or

 

tip is separately identified and itemized on the guest check or

 

billed to the customer.

 

     (B) Labor or service charges involved in maintenance and

 

repair work on tangible personal property of others if separately

 

itemized.

 

     (iv) Delivery charges incurred or to be incurred before the

 

completion of the transfer of ownership of tangible personal


property subject to the tax levied under this act from the seller

 

to the purchaser.

 

     (v) Installation charges incurred or to be incurred before the

 

completion of the transfer of ownership of tangible personal

 

property from the seller to the purchaser.

 

     (vi) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraphs (xi) and

 

(xii), credit for any trade-in.

 

     (vii) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (x),

 

consideration received by the seller from third parties if all of

 

the following conditions are met:

 

     (A) The seller actually receives consideration from a party

 

other than the purchaser and the consideration is directly related

 

to a price reduction or discount on the sale.

 

     (B) The seller has an obligation to pass the price reduction

 

or discount through to the purchaser.

 

     (C) The amount of the consideration attributable to the sale

 

is fixed and determinable by the seller at the time of the sale of

 

the item to the purchaser.

 

     (D) One of the following criteria is met:

 

     (I) The purchaser presents a coupon, certificate, or other

 

documentation to the seller to claim a price reduction or discount

 

where the coupon, certificate, or documentation is authorized,

 

distributed, or granted by a third party with the understanding

 

that the third party will reimburse any seller to whom the coupon,

 

certificate, or documentation is presented.

 

     (II) The purchaser identifies himself or herself to the seller

 

as a member of a group or organization entitled to a price


reduction or discount. A preferred customer card that is available

 

to any patron does not constitute membership in a group or

 

organization.

 

     (III) The price reduction or discount is identified as a third

 

party price reduction or discount on the invoice received by the

 

purchaser or on a coupon, certificate, or other documentation

 

presented by the purchaser.

 

     (viii) Interest, financing, or carrying charges from credit

 

extended on the sale of personal property or services, if the

 

amount is separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or

 

similar document given to the purchaser.

 

     (ix) Any taxes legally imposed directly on the consumer that

 

are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar

 

document given to the purchaser.

 

     (x) Beginning January 1, 2000, employee discounts that are

 

reimbursed by a third party on sales of motor vehicles.

 

     (xi) Beginning November 15, 2013, credit for the agreed-upon

 

value of a titled watercraft used as part payment of the purchase

 

price of a new titled watercraft or used titled watercraft

 

purchased from a watercraft dealer if the agreed-upon value is

 

separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document

 

given to the purchaser. This subparagraph does not apply to leases

 

or rentals.

 

     (xii) Beginning December 15, 2013, credit for the agreed-upon

 

value of a motor vehicle or recreational vehicle used as part

 

payment of the purchase price of a new motor vehicle or used motor

 

vehicle or recreational vehicle purchased from a dealer if the


agreed-upon value is separately stated on the invoice, bill of

 

sale, or similar document given to the purchaser. This subparagraph

 

does not apply to leases or rentals. For purposes of this

 

subparagraph, the agreed-upon value of a motor vehicle or

 

recreational vehicle used as part payment shall be limited as

 

follows:

 

     (A) Beginning December 15, 2013 through December 31, 2017,

 

subject to sub-subparagraphs (B) and (C), the lesser of the

 

following:

 

     (I) $2,000.00.

 

     (II) The agreed-upon value of the motor vehicle or

 

recreational vehicle used as part payment.

 

     (B) Beginning January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, the

 

lesser of the following:

 

     (I) $4,000.00.

 

     (II) The agreed-upon value of the motor vehicle or

 

recreational vehicle used as part payment.

 

     (C) Beginning January 1, 2019, subject to sub-subparagraphs

 

(D) and (E), the lesser of the following:

 

     (I) $5,000.00.

 

     (II) The agreed-upon value of the motor vehicle or

 

recreational vehicle used as part payment.

 

     (D) (B) Beginning January 1, 2015 2020 and each January 1

 

thereafter, the amount under sub-subparagraph (A)(I) (C)(I) shall

 

be increased by an additional $500.00 $1,000.00 each year.

 

     (E) (C) Beginning on January 1, in the year in which the

 

amount under sub-subparagraph (A)(I) (C)(I) exceeds $14,000.00 and


each January 1 thereafter, there shall be no limitation on the

 

agreed-upon value of the motor vehicle or recreational vehicle used

 

as part payment.

 

     (xiii) Beginning January 1, 2017, credit for the core charge

 

attributable to a recycling fee, deposit, or disposal fee for a

 

motor vehicle or recreational vehicle part or battery if the

 

recycling fee, deposit, or disposal fee is separately stated on the

 

invoice, bill of sale, or similar document given to the purchaser.

 

     (g) "Consumer" means the person who has purchased tangible

 

personal property or services for storage, use, or other

 

consumption in this state and includes, but is not limited to, 1 or

 

more of the following:

 

     (i) A person acquiring tangible personal property if engaged

 

in the business of constructing, altering, repairing, or improving

 

the real estate of others.

 

     (ii) A person who has converted tangible personal property or

 

services acquired for storage, use, or consumption in this state

 

that is exempt from the tax levied under this act to storage, use,

 

or consumption in this state that is not exempt from the tax levied

 

under this act.

 

     (h) "Business" means all activities engaged in by a person or

 

caused to be engaged in by a person with the object of gain,

 

benefit, or advantage, either direct or indirect.

 

     (i) "Department" means the department of treasury.

 

     (j) "Tax" includes all taxes, interest, or penalties levied

 

under this act.

 

     (k) "Tangible personal property" means personal property that


can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched or that is in any

 

other manner perceptible to the senses and includes electricity,

 

water, gas, steam, and prewritten computer software.

 

     (l) "Textiles" means goods that are made of or incorporate

 

woven or nonwoven fabric, including, but not limited to, clothing,

 

shoes, hats, gloves, handkerchiefs, curtains, towels, sheets,

 

pillows, pillowcases, tablecloths, napkins, aprons, linens, floor

 

mops, floor mats, and thread. Textiles also include materials used

 

to repair or construct textiles, or other goods used in the rental,

 

sale, or cleaning of textiles.

 

     (m) "Interstate motor carrier" means a person who operates or

 

causes to be operated a qualified commercial motor vehicle on a

 

public road or highway in this state and at least 1 other state or

 

Canadian province.

 

     (n) "Qualified commercial motor vehicle" means that term as

 

defined in section 1(l), (m), and (n) of the motor carrier fuel tax

 

act, 1980 PA 119, MCL 207.211.

 

     (o) "Diesel fuel" means that term as defined in section 2(q)

 

of the motor fuel tax act, 2000 PA 403, MCL 207.1002.

 

     (p) "Sale" means a transaction by which tangible personal

 

property or services are purchased or rented for storage, use, or

 

other consumption in this state.

 

     (q) "Convert" means putting a service or tangible personal

 

property acquired for a use exempt from the tax levied under this

 

act at the time of acquisition to a use that is not exempt from the

 

tax levied under this act, whether the use is in whole or in part,

 

or permanent or not permanent. A motor vehicle purchased for resale


by a new vehicle dealer licensed under section 248(8)(a) of the

 

Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.248, and not titled in

 

the name of the dealer shall not be considered to be converted

 

prior to sale or lease by that dealer.

 

     (r) "New motor vehicle" means that term as defined in section

 

33a of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.33a.

 

     (s) "Recreational vehicle" means that term as defined in

 

section 49a of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.49a.

 

     (t) "Dealer" means that term as defined in section 11 of the

 

Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.11.

 

     (u) "Watercraft dealer" means a dealer as that term is defined

 

in section 80102 of the natural resources and environmental

 

protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.80102.