Court Opinion

ID: 9720462
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:31:24.857859+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:18.660279
License: Public Domain

Boslaugh , J.,
dissenting in part.
The use tax involved in these cases is imposed on “the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property.” See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2703(2) (Reissue 1986). The majority opinion of the court holds that the purchase of syndicated programming, without regard to the method of transmission to the purchaser, is subject to the tax.
In Moeller, McPherrin & Judd v. Smith, 127 Neb. 424, 255 N.W. 551 (1934), this court described tangible personal property as personal property having a physical existence and referred to a dictionary definition that tangible meant capable of being touched. That case involved a statute in which the Legislature had attempted to tax intangible property as if it were tangible. This court held that the Legislature could not define and designate as tangible that which is, in fact and in truth, intangible. See, also, MAPCO Ammonia Pipeline v. State Bd. of Equal., 238 Neb. 565, 471 N.W.2d 734 (1991); State ex rel. Meyer v. Peters, 191 Neb. 330, 215 N.W.2d 520 (1974).
The records in these cases show that some syndicated programming is transmitted to the purchaser by means of radio waves. It seems to me that to the extent that syndicated programming is transmitted to the purchaser by that means, the purchaser has not received tangible personal property from the seller which can be taxed as such.
Hastings, C. J., joins in this dissent.