Source: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/December152017/Proposed%20Rules/34.PUBLIC%20FINANCE.html
Timestamp: 2018-02-18 10:50:27
Document Index: 651678252

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3', '§152', '§3', '§3', '§111', '§3', '§111', '§151', '§111', '§111', '§151', '§3', '§111', '§3']

The Comptroller of Public Accounts proposes amendments to §3.83, concerning sales and use of motor vehicles purchased or leased by public agencies; and sales and use of motor vehicles purchased by commercial transportation companies. The section is amended to implement House Bill 897, 85th Legislature, 2017, which amended Tax Code, §152.001 (Definitions) to include an open-enrollment charter school in the definition of a "public agency." The bill is effective September 1, 2017.
Mr. Currah also has determined that for each year of the first five years the rule is in effect, the proposed amendment would have no significant fiscal impact on the state government, units of local government, or individuals.
Mr. Currah also has determined that for each year of the first five years the rule is in effect, proposed amendment would benefit the public by conforming the rule to current statutes. This rule is proposed under Tax Code, Title 2, and does not require a statement of fiscal implications for small businesses. There would be no anticipated significant economic costs to the public.
§3.83.Sales and Use of Motor Vehicles Purchased or Leased by Public Agencies; and Sales and Use of Motor Vehicles Purchased by Commercial Transportation Companies.
(5) [(4)] Public agency--A department, commission, board, office, institution, or other agency of this state or of a county, city, town, school district, hospital district, water district, or other special district or authority or political subdivision created by or under the constitution or the statutes of this state, or an unincorporated agency or instrumentality of the United States. The term includes:
(A) any college or university created or authorized by the Texas constitution or Texas statutes; [and]
(B) all independent boards, commissions, agencies, or corporations that are instrumentalities of the United States and are wholly owned by the United States or by another corporation wholly owned by the United States, including organizations specifically exempted as an instrumentality of the United States by federal statute, such as a federal credit union, federal reserve bank, or federal home loan bank; and[.]
Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on November 29, 2017.
TRD-201704863
The Comptroller of Public Accounts proposes amendments to §3.335, concerning property used in a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project. This section is being amended to implement House Bill 4038, 85th Legislature, 2017, which revised the definition of "qualifying job" to give the term the same meaning for qualifying data centers and qualifying large data center projects.
Tom Currah, Chief Revenue Estimator, has determined that during the first five years that the proposed amendment is in effect, the amendment would have no significant fiscal impact on the state government, units of local government, or individuals.
Mr. Currah has determined that during the first five years that the proposed amendment is in effect, the amendment: will not create or eliminate a government program; will not require the creation or elimination of employee positions; will not require an increase or decrease in future legislative appropriations to the agency; will not require an increase or decrease in fees paid to the agency; will not increase or decrease the number of individuals subject to the rules' applicability; and will not positively or adversely affect this state's economy. This proposal amends a current rule.
The amendments are proposed under Tax Code, §111.002 (Comptroller's Rules; Compliance; Forfeiture) which provides the comptroller with the authority to prescribe, adopt, and enforce rules relating to the administration and enforcement of the provisions of Tax Code, Title 2.
§3.335.Property Used in a Qualifying Data Center or Qualifying Large Data Center Project; Temporary Sales Tax Exemption.
[(B) For a qualifying data center, the term includes a new employment position staffed by a third-party employer if the employment position meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and if there is a written contract between the third-party employer and a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant of the associated qualifying data center which:]
[(i) provides for shared employment responsibilities between the third-party employer and the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant; and]
[(ii) provides that the third-party employment position is permanently assigned to the associated qualifying data center or another location operated by the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant within the county where the data center is located for the term of the written contract.]
(B) [(C)] The [For a qualifying large data center project, the] term includes a new employment position staffed by a third party employer if the employment position meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and if [there is] a written contract exists between the third-party employer and a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant [of the associated large data center project] that provides that the employment position is permanently assigned to an associated qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project.
[(12) Shared employment responsibilities--]
[(A) The qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant of a qualifying data center, individually or jointly as set out in the applicable third-party employment contract, and the third-party employer share:]
[(i) the right of direction and control of third-party employees assigned to the qualifying data center or other location operated by the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant within the county where the data center is located;]
[(ii) the right to hire, fire, discipline, and reassign third-party employees assigned to the qualifying data center or other location operated by the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant within the county where the data center is located; and]
[(iii) the right of direction and control over the adoption of employment and safety policies and the management of workers' compensation claims, claim filings, and related procedures for third-party employees assigned to the qualifying data center or other location operated by the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant within the county where the data center is located.]
[(B) The term does not preclude the qualifying data center from exercising the right of direction and control of all employees, including third-party employees, as necessary to conduct business, discharge any applicable fiduciary duty, or comply with any licensure, regulatory, or statutory requirement.]
(2) the data center is composed of one or more buildings totaling at least 250,000 square feet of space located or to be located on a single parcel of land or on contiguous parcels of land that are commonly owned or owned by affiliation with the qualifying operator;
(3) the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, jointly or independently, have agreed to:
(A) on or after June 1, 2015, create at least 40 qualifying jobs on or before the fifth anniversary of the date that the data center submits the application to the comptroller;
(B) on or after May 1, 2015, make a capital investment of at least $500 million in that particular data center over a five-year period beginning on the date the data center submits the application to the comptroller. For purposes of this subparagraph:
(i) an expenditure can only be counted toward the capital investment requirement if invoiced to the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant on or after the date the data center submits the application to the comptroller; and
(C) on or after June 1, 2015, contract for at least 20 megawatts of transmission capacity for operation of the qualifying large data center project; and
(f) Application process.
(1) A facility that is eligible to be certified under subsection (d) of this section as a qualifying data center or under subsection (e) of this section as a qualifying large data center project by the comptroller shall apply for a registration number on the Texas Application for Certification as a Qualifying Data Center, Form AP-233 or Texas Application for Certification as a Qualifying Large Data Center Project, Form AP-236, as applicable. The application must include:
(A) the name, contact information, and authorized signature for the qualifying occupant and, if applicable, the name, contact information, and authorized signature for the qualifying owner and the qualifying operator who will claim the exemption authorized under this section;
(B) a business proposal summarizing the plan of the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, independently or jointly, to meet the requirements in subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data centers or subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center projects; and
(C) a statement confirming that the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, and qualifying occupant, as applicable, agree that the statute of limitation provided in Tax Code, §111.201 (Assessment Limitation) on the assessment of tax, penalty, and interest on purchases made tax-free under this section is tolled from the date of certification until the fifth anniversary of that date, or until such time as the comptroller is able to verify that the requirements set out in subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data centers or subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center projects have been met, whichever is later.
(2) Information provided on and with the application under this subsection is confidential under Tax Code, §151.027 (Confidentiality of Tax Information).
(3) After certifying the qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project, the comptroller will issue a separate registration number to the qualifying owner, the qualifying operator, and the qualifying occupant, as applicable, based on the registration number of the qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project.
(g) Temporary exemption dates. The exemption under this section is temporary. The exemption applies to qualifying purchases made by a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant during the exemption period applicable to the qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project.
(1) The exemption period for a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project begins on the date the data center is certified by the comptroller.
(2) A qualifying data center's exemption period ends 10 or 15 years from the certification date, depending on the amount of capital investment made.
(A) A qualifying data center's sales tax exemption expires 10 years from the date of certification by the comptroller if the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, independently or jointly, makes a capital investment of at least $200 million, but less than $250 million, within the first five years after certification.
(B) A qualifying data center's sales tax exemption expires 15 years from the date of certification by the comptroller if the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, independently or jointly, makes a capital investment of at least $250 million within the first five years after certification.
(3) A qualifying large data center project's exemption period ends 20 years from the date of certification by the comptroller provided the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, independently or jointly, makes a capital investment of at least $500 million within the first five years after certification.
(4) The comptroller will audit each qualifying data center and qualifying large data center project at its five year anniversary to verify the amount of capital investment made and to verify that the jobs creation requirement has been met. The comptroller will also verify the contract for transmission capacity for operation of a qualifying large data center project.
(5) Once all jobs are created, as required under subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data centers or subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center projects, the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, either singly or jointly, must timely notify the comptroller by providing a properly completed Qualifying Data Center or Qualifying Large Data Center Project Job Creation Report, 01-160.
(h) Exemption certificate. Each person who is eligible to claim an exemption authorized by this section must hold a registration number issued by the comptroller.
(1) To claim an exemption under this section for the purchase of tangible personal property, a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant must provide to the seller of a taxable item an Exemption Certificate for Qualifying Data Centers or Qualifying Large Data Center Projects, Form 01-929. The exemption certificate does not apply to local sales and use tax for qualifying data centers. Refer to subsection (l) of this section for more information regarding local sales and use tax.
(2) To claim the exemption, a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant must properly complete all required information on the exemption certificate, including:
(A) the data center registration number;
(B) the registration number of the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, as applicable;
(C) the address of the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant, as applicable;
(D) a description of the tangible personal property to be purchased;
(E) the signature of the purchaser; and
(F) the date of the purchase.
(3) The properly completed Exemption Certificate for Qualifying Data Centers or Qualifying Large Data Center Projects is the seller's documentation that it made a tax-exempt sale in good faith. The seller is required to keep the exemption certificate and all other financial records relating to the exempt sale, including records to document the seller's collection of the local sales and use tax for qualifying data centers. The seller must be able to match invoices of tax-exempt sales to the purchaser's exemption certificate. This may be accomplished by the seller entering the purchaser's registration number on each invoice.
(4) A seller is not required to accept an exemption certificate from a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project. If a seller chooses not to accept an exemption certificate issued by a purchaser, the purchaser may instead request a refund of the tax paid from the comptroller. Sellers shall provide an Assignment of Right to Refund, Form 00-985, when the exemption is not provided to a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant when qualifying purchases of tangible personal property are made.
(i) Revocation. By filing an application for certification of a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project, the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, and qualifying occupant, as applicable, commit to meeting the requirements set out in subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data centers or subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center projects and certify the data center will be occupied by a single qualifying occupant over the life of the exemption. For more information, refer to subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data center requirements, subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center project requirements, and subsection (g) of this section for the term of the exemption.
(1) Failure to meet one or more of the certification requirements described in subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data centers or subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center projects will result in termination of the certification and the revocation of all related qualifying owner, qualifying operator, and qualifying occupant exemption registration numbers.
(2) Each entity that has a registration number revoked will be liable for unpaid sales or use taxes, including penalty and interest from the date of purchase, on all items purchased tax-free under this section, back to the original date of certification of the data center as a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project.
(3) If a formal waiver of the statute of limitations under Tax Code, §111.203 (Agreements to Extend Period of Limitation) is deemed necessary to insure against a loss of revenue to the state in the event that a data center's certification is revoked, by allowing the comptroller to verify, prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations on assessment, that each of the requirements in subsection (d) of this section for qualifying data centers or subsection (e) of this section for qualifying large data center projects has been met, then the failure to execute a timely statutory waiver will also result in the termination of the data center's certification and the revocation of all related registration numbers.
(j) Documentation and record retention.
(1) In accordance with Tax Code, §111.0041 (Records; Burden to Produce and Substantiate Claims) and §151.025 (Records Required to be Kept), all qualifying occupants, qualifying owners, and qualifying operators of a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project must keep complete records to document any and all tax-exempt purchases made under this exemption, and to confirm payment of the local sales and use tax on such purchases by qualifying data centers. See §3.281 of this title (relating to Records Required; Information Required) for additional guidance.
(2) In addition, each qualifying owner, qualifying operator, and qualifying occupant of a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project must keep complete records to document the applicable capital investment made in the qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project; the creation of the required number of applicable qualifying jobs including the retention of those jobs for a period of at least five years; and documentation of the contract for the applicable transmission capacity for qualifying large data center projects. These records must be retained until the data center's certification expires. For example, a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant should keep comprehensive records of capital investment expenditures, such as contracts, invoices, and sales receipts, and employment records regarding job creation, including associated third-party employer positions.
(3) In the event the comptroller revokes the certification of a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project, the records of all qualifying owners, qualifying operators, and qualifying occupants must be retained until all assessments have been resolved.
(k) Successor Liability. A purchaser of a qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or qualifying occupant's business or stock of goods in a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project is subject to Tax Code, §111.020 (Tax Collection on Termination of Business).
(l) Local tax. The state sales and use tax exemption for qualifying owners, qualifying operators, or qualifying occupant of a qualifying data center does not apply to local sales and use tax. Local sales and use tax must be paid on the purchase of any tangible personal property that qualifies for exemption from state sales and use tax under this section. This subsection is not applicable to qualifying large data center projects.
(m) An entity that qualifies for the exemption under this section as a qualifying data center or qualifying large data center project is not eligible to receive a limitation on appraised value of property for ad valorem tax purposes under Tax Code, Chapter 313 (Texas Economic Development Act).
TRD-201704922
The Comptroller of Public Accounts proposes an amendment to §3.481, concerning the imposition and collection of manufactured housing tax. This amendment implements Senate Bill 2076, 85th Legislature, 2017, which amended the definition of "travel trailer" in Transportation Code, Chapter 501 (Certificate of Title Act). This legislation is effective September 1, 2017.
(A) is less than eight six inches [body feet] in width and 45 [40 body] feet in length in the traveling mode;
(5) Form of an exemption certificate. An exemption certificate must be in substantially the form of a Texas Manufactured Housing Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certificate (Form 18-301). Copies of the exemption certificate are available at: https://comptroller.texas.gov/forms/18-301.pdf [http://window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/99-forms.html].
TRD-201704855