NE Code § 77-2703.04 (2021)
2021 Nebraska Revised Statutes|Chapter 77 - Revenue and Taxation|77-2703.04 - Telecommunications sourcing rule.

77-2703.04.  Telecommunications sourcing rule.(1) Except for the telecommunications service defined in subsection (3) of this section, the sale of telecommunications service sold on a call-by-call basis shall be sourced to (a) each level of taxing jurisdiction where the call originates and terminates in that jurisdiction or (b) each level of taxing jurisdiction where the call either originates or terminates and in which the service address is also located.(2) Except for the telecommunications service defined in subsection (3) of this section, a sale of telecommunications service sold on a basis other than a call-by-call basis and ancillary services are sourced to the customer's place of primary use.(3)(a) For mobile telecommunications service and ancillary services provided and billed to a customer by a home service provider:(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or any local ordinance or resolution, such mobile telecommunications service is deemed to be provided by the customer's home service provider;(ii) All taxable charges for such mobile telecommunications service and ancillary services shall be subject to tax by the state or other taxing jurisdiction in this state whose territorial limits encompass the customer's place of primary use regardless of where the mobile telecommunications service originates, terminates, or passes through; and(iii) No taxes, charges, or fees may be imposed on a customer with a place of primary use outside this state.(b) In accordance with the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act, as such act existed on July 20, 2002, the Tax Commissioner may, but is not required to:(i) Provide or contract for a tax assignment database based upon standards identified in 4 U.S.C. 119, as such section existed on July 20, 2002, with the following conditions:(A) If such database is provided, a home service provider shall be held harmless for any tax that otherwise would result from any errors or omissions attributable to reliance on such database; or(B) If such database is not provided, a home service provider may rely on an enhanced zip code for identifying the proper taxing jurisdictions and shall be held harmless for any tax that otherwise would result from any errors or omissions attributable to reliance on such enhanced zip code if the home service provider identified the taxing jurisdiction through the exercise of due diligence and complied with any procedures that may be adopted by the Tax Commissioner. Any such procedure shall be in accordance with 4 U.S.C. 120, as such section existed on July 20, 2002; and(ii) Adopt procedures for correcting errors in the assignment of primary use that are consistent with 4 U.S.C. 121, as such section existed on July 20, 2002.(c) If charges for mobile telecommunications service that are not subject to tax are aggregated with and not separately stated on the bill from charges that are subject to tax, the total charge to the customer shall be subject to tax unless the home service provider can reasonably separate charges not subject to tax using the records of the home service provider that are kept in the regular course of business.(d) For purposes of this subsection:(i) Customer means an individual, business, organization, or other person contracting to receive mobile telecommunications service from a home service provider. Customer does not include a reseller of mobile telecommunications service or a serving carrier under an arrangement to serve the customer outside the home service provider's service area;(ii) Home service provider means a telecommunications company as defined in section 86-322 that has contracted with a customer to provide mobile telecommunications service;(iii) Mobile telecommunications service means a wireless communication service carried on between mobile stations or receivers and land stations, and by mobile stations communicating among themselves, and includes (A) both one-way and two-way wireless communication services, (B) a mobile service which provides a regularly interacting group of base, mobile, portable, and associated control and relay stations, whether on an individual, cooperative, or multiple basis for private one-way or two-way land mobile radio communications by eligible users over designated areas of operation, and (C) any personal communication service;(iv) Place of primary use means the street address representative of where the customer's use of mobile telecommunications service primarily occurs. The place of primary use shall be the residential street address or the primary business street address of the customer and shall be within the service area of the home service provider; and(v) Tax means the sales taxes levied under sections 13-319, 77-2703, 77-27,142, and 77-6403, the surcharges levied under the Enhanced Wireless 911 Services Act, the Nebraska Telecommunications Universal Service Fund Act, and the Telecommunications Relay System Act, and any other tax levied against the customer based on the amount charged to the customer. Tax does not mean an income tax, property tax, franchise tax, or any other tax levied on the home service provider that is not based on the amount charged to the customer.(4) A sale of post-paid calling service is sourced to the origination point of the telecommunications signal as first identified by either (a) the seller's telecommunications system, or (b) information received by the seller from its service provider, where the system used to transport such signals is not that of the seller.(5) A sale of prepaid calling service or a sale of a prepaid wireless calling service is sourced in accordance with section 77-2703.01, except that in the case of a sale of a prepaid wireless calling service, the rule provided in section 77-2703.01 shall include as an option the location associated with the mobile telephone number.(6) A sale of a private communication service is sourced as follows:(a) Service for a separate charge related to a customer channel termination point is sourced to each level of jurisdiction in which such customer channel termination point is located;(b) Service where all customer termination points are located entirely within one jurisdiction or levels of jurisdiction is sourced in such jurisdiction in which the customer channel termination points are located;(c) Service for segments of a channel between two customer channel termination points located in different jurisdictions and which segments of channel are separately charged is sourced fifty percent in each level of jurisdiction in which the customer channel termination points are located; and(d) Service for segments of a channel located in more than one jurisdiction or levels of jurisdiction and which segments are not separately billed is sourced in each jurisdiction based on the percentage determined by dividing the number of customer channel termination points in such jurisdiction by the total number of customer channel termination points.(7) For purposes of this section:(a) 800 service means a telecommunications service that allows a caller to dial a toll-free number without incurring a charge for the call. The service is typically marketed under the name 800, 855, 866, 877, and 888 toll-free calling, and any subsequent numbers designated by the Federal Communications Commission;(b) 900 service means an inbound toll telecommunications service purchased by a subscriber that allows the subscriber's customers to call in to the subscriber's prerecorded announcement or live service. 900 service does not include the charge for collection services provided by the seller of the telecommunications services to the subscriber or service or product sold by the subscriber to the subscriber's customer. The service is typically marketed under the name 900 service, and any subsequent numbers designated by the Federal Communications Commission;(c) Air-to-ground radiotelephone service means a radio telecommunication service, as that term is defined in 47 C.F.R. 22.99, as such regulation existed on January 1, 2007, in which common carriers are authorized to offer and provide radio telecommunications service for hire to subscribers in aircraft;(d) Ancillary services means services that are associated with or incidental to the provision of telecommunications services, including, but not limited to, detailed telecommunications billings, directory assistance, vertical service, and voice mail services;(e) Call-by-call basis means any method of charging for telecommunications service where the price is measured by individual calls;(f) Coin-operated telephone service means a telecommunications service paid for by inserting money into a telephone accepting direct deposits of money to operate;(g) Communications channel means a physical or virtual path of communications over which signals are transmitted between or among customer channel termination points;(h) Conference bridging service means an ancillary service that links two or more participants of an audio or video conference call and may include the provision of a telephone number. Conference bridging service does not include the telecommunications services used to reach the conference bridge;(i) Customer means the person or entity that contracts with the seller of telecommunications service. If the end user of telecommunications service is not the contracting party, the end user of the telecommunications service is the customer of the telecommunications service, but this sentence only applies for the purpose of sourcing sales of telecommunications service under this section. Customer does not include a reseller of telecommunications service or for mobile telecommunications service of a serving carrier under an agreement to serve the customer outside the home service provider's licensed service area;(j) Customer channel termination point means the location where the customer either inputs or receives the communications;(k) Detailed telecommunications billing service means an ancillary service of separately stating information pertaining to individual calls on a customer's billing statement;(l) Directory assistance means an ancillary service of providing telephone number information and address information;(m) End user means the person who utilizes the telecommunications service. In the case of an entity, end user means the individual who utilizes the service on behalf of the entity;(n) Fixed wireless service means a telecommunications service that provides radio communication between fixed points;(o) International means a telecommunications service that originates or terminates in the United States and terminates or originates outside the United States, respectively. United States includes the District of Columbia or a United States territory or possession;(p) Interstate means a telecommunications service that originates in one state of the United States, or a territory or possession of the United States, and terminates in a different state, territory, or possession of the United States;(q) Intrastate means a telecommunications service that originates in one state of the United States, or a territory or possession of the United States, and terminates in the same state, territory, or possession of the United States;(r) Mobile wireless service means a telecommunications service that is transmitted, conveyed, or routed regardless of the technology used, whereby the origination and termination points of the transmission, conveyance, or routing are not fixed, including, by way of example only, telecommunications services that are provided by a commercial mobile radio service provider;(s) Paging service means a telecommunications service that provides transmission of coded radio signals for the purpose of activating specific pagers. Such transmission may include messages and sounds;(t) Pay telephone services means a telecommunications service provided through pay telephones;(u) Post-paid calling service means the telecommunications service obtained by making a payment on a call-by-call basis either through the use of a credit card or payment mechanism, such as a bank card, travel card, credit card, or debit card, or by a charge made to a telephone number which is not associated with the origination or termination of the telecommunications service. A post-paid calling service includes a telecommunications service, except a prepaid wireless calling service, that would be a prepaid calling service except it is not exclusively a telecommunications service;(v) Prepaid calling service means the right to access exclusively telecommunications service, which is paid for in advance and which enables the origination of calls using an access number or authorization code, whether manually or electronically dialed, and that is sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount;(w) Prepaid wireless calling service means a telecommunications service that provides the right to utilize mobile wireless service as well as other nontelecommunications services, including the download of digital products delivered electronically, content, and ancillary services, which must be paid for in advance, that is sold in predetermined units of dollars or which the number declines with use in a known amount;(x) Private communication service means a telecommunications service that entitles the customer to exclusive or priority use of a communications channel or group of channels between or among termination points, regardless of the manner in which such channel or channels are connected, and includes switching capacity, extension lines, stations, and any other associated services that are provided in connection with the use of such channel or channels;(y) Residential telecommunications service means a telecommunications service or ancillary services provided to an individual for personal use at a residential address, including an individual dwelling unit such as an apartment. In the case of institutions where individuals reside, such as schools or nursing homes, telecommunications service is considered residential if it is provided to and paid for by an individual resident rather than the institution;(z) Service address means the location of the telecommunications equipment to which a customer's call is charged and from which the call originates or terminates, regardless of where the call is billed or paid. If this location is not known, service address means the origination point of the signal of the telecommunications service first identified either by the seller's telecommunications system, or in information received by the seller from its service provider, where the system used to transport such signals is not that of the seller. If both locations are not known, the service address means the location of the customer's place of primary use;(aa) Telecommunications service means the electronic transmission, conveyance, or routing of voice, data, audio, video, or any other information or signals to a point, or between or among points. Telecommunications service includes such transmission, conveyance, or routing in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, code, or protocol of the content for purposes of transmission, conveyance, or routing without regard to whether such service is referred to as voice over Internet protocol services or is classified by the Federal Communications Commission as enhanced or value-added. Telecommunications service does not include:(i) Data processing and information services that allow data to be generated, acquired, stored, processed, or retrieved and delivered by an electronic transmission to a purchaser when such purchaser's primary purpose for the underlying transaction is the processed data or information;(ii) Installation or maintenance of wiring or equipment on a customer's premises;(iii) Tangible personal property;(iv) Advertising, including, but not limited to, directory advertising;(v) Billing and collection services provided to third parties;(vi) Internet access service;(vii) Radio and television audio and video programming services, regardless of the medium, including the furnishing of transmission, conveyance, and routing of such services by the programming service provider. Radio and television audio and video programming services shall include, but not be limited to, cable service as defined in 47 U.S.C. 522, as such section existed on January 1, 2007, and audio and video programming services delivered by providers of commercial mobile radio service as defined in 47 C.F.R. 20.3, as such regulation existed on January 1, 2007;(viii) Ancillary services; or(ix) Digital products delivered electronically, including, but not limited to, software, music, video, reading materials, or ringtones;(bb) Value-added, nonvoice data service means a service that otherwise meets the definition of telecommunications services in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, content, code, or protocol of the information or data primarily for a purpose other than transmission, conveyance, or routing;(cc) Vertical service means an ancillary service that is offered in connection with one or more telecommunications services, which offers advanced calling features that allow customers to identify callers and to manage multiple calls and call connections, including conference bridging services; and(dd) Voice mail service means an ancillary service that enables the customer to store, send, or receive recorded messages. Voice mail service does not include any vertical services that the customer may be required to have in order to utilize the voice mail service.Source  Laws 2003, LB 282, § 52;  Laws 2007, LB223, § 8;  Laws 2009, LB165, § 7;  Laws 2019, LB472, § 11.  Cross References   Enhanced Wireless 911 Services Act, see section 86-442.  Nebraska Telecommunications Universal Service Fund Act, see section 86-316.  Telecommunications Relay System Act, see section 86-301.