N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 20 § 531.3

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 50, December 11, 2024
Section 531.3 - Basis of tax
(a)Tangible personal property purchased at retail.
(1) The compensating use tax is due upon the use in this State of tangible personal property which has been purchased out of state. The applicable tax rate is imposed on the consideration given or contracted to be given for the property or for the use of the property, including any charges by the seller to the user for shipping or delivery of the property to the user. Credit is allowed for tangible personal property accepted in part payment and intended for resale in the same manner as the computation of a receipt for sales tax purposes. (See section 526.5[f] of this Title.)

Example 1:

A resident of New York purchases clothing in another state. When he brings the clothing into the State, or when it is delivered by mail or common carrier to an address within the State, he is subject to tax.

(2) The compensating use tax is due upon the use of tangible personal property, which was purchased for resale or an exempt use and is subsequently withdrawn from or diverted to a taxable use by the purchaser.

Example 2:

A retail store purchased a dozen desks at $75 each for sale to its customers at $125 each. It subsequently withdrew one of the desks from inventory to be used in its office. A compensating use tax is due for the desk withdrawn from inventory. The tax is computed on the $75 the store paid.

Example 3:

A machine shop which produces machine tools for sale withdraws from its production line a drill press for use in its building maintenance shop. The drill press was originally purchased exempt from tax for use in production. The use of the drill press in the building maintenance shop is a use subject to compensation use tax, at cost or fair market value, whichever is lower.

(b)Tangible personal property manufactured, processed or assembled by the user.
(1) A compensating use tax is imposed when a manufacturer, processor or assembler uses its product as such in New York State or incorporates the product into real property in New York State. This is so whether or not it offers items of the same kind for sale in the regular course of business and whether the product was manufactured, processed or assembled inside or outside New York State. The basis on which compensating use tax is computed, however, depends on whether the user offers items of the same kind for sale in the regular course of business. A compensating use tax is not imposed, however, to the extent the user was required to pay sales tax without a right to a refund or credit upon the purchase of the ingredients, parts or materials manufactured, processed or assembled into the product the use of which is subject to tax.

Example 1:

Company A, located in Suffolk County, manufactures and sells its own brand of garage doors. Approximately 80 percent of the doors are installed by Company A; the balance of the doors are installed by the purchaser.

Company A pays sales tax to its New York State suppliers of wood and glass that become part of the doors. When determining the amount of use tax it owes Company A may take credit for the New York State and local sales taxes paid on these materials.

(i) If the user offers items of the same kind for sale in the regular course of business, the basis on which use tax is computed is the price at which items of the same kind of tangible personal property are offered for sale by the user. The price at which items are offered for sale is evidenced by a price list, catalog price or record of sales. In the absence of a catalog price or price list, the average of the prices charged various customers will be deemed to be the price at which the user would sell such item during the regular course of business.
(a)Items of the same kind mean that items belong to an identifiable class, but need not be identical.

Example 2:

Windows are items of the same kind when they are a standard size and materials whether or not they are sold from inventory or produced to order from a catalog description. A manufacturer of windows produces from a catalog description square, round and hexagon shaped windows from various materials. The windows regardless of shape, size or materials are considered to be items of the same kind.

When items which are not standard or cataloged are made to the specifications of a particular job, these will not be considered items of the same kind with catalog or inventory sales.

Items made to the specifications of a particular job will not be considered items of the same kind as items made to the specifications of another particular job.

Example 3:

An asphalt conpany produces various types of hot asphalt mixes known as paving compounds and cold asphalt mixes known as patching compounds. The hot asphalt mixes are used by the asphalt company for permanent paving, cannot be packaged and must be used on the day of production. The cold asphalt mixes are used for temporary patchwork, can be packaged and have a shelf life of considerable duration. Because of these distinctions, the hot mixes are not considered to be items of the same kind as the cold mixes.

Example 4:

A manufacturer produces standard type pre-cast steps (all of which are installed by the manufacturer), concrete block and various ornamental pre-cast items.

For purposes of identifying items of the same kind sold by this manufacturer, the three distinct types of products must be considered separately. Therefore, the steps, the blocks and the ornamentals are each items of the same kind.

(b)Offered for sale in the regular course of business means that a person sells in excess of 10 percent of his product for each 12 month period beginning December 1st, measured by weight, volume, size or other unit on which the price is based, to persons other than organizations exempt under section 1116 (a) of the Tax Law. For the purpose of this calculation, the amount of product sold to all persons except exempt organizations will constitute the numerator of the fraction and the total amount of the product sold and used in performing work for others, with the exclusion of products sold to or used in performing work for exempt organizations, will constitute the denominator. When it is determined that a person is selling in excess of 10 percent of his product in the regular course of business as defined herein, he will be considered a person required to pay compensating use tax on the basis set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. The formula to be used in determining whether tha product is being sold in the regular course of business is:

Tot. amt. sold minus amt. sold to exempt organizations

_____________________

Tot. amt. sold and used minus (amt. sold to plus amt. used for ex. organ.)

Example 5:

An asphalt company produces paving compounds for its own use and sells production overruns to the public by the ton. The total amount used and sold in a reporting period is 100,000 tons broken down as follows:

65,000tons used in non-exempt contracts
20,000tons used in exempt contracts
12,000tons sold to non-exempt customers
3,000tons sold to exempt organizations
100,000tons

Using the formula set forth above to determine whether or not the producer is offering paving compounds for sale in the regular course of business yields this equation:

15,000 3,000/100,000 (20,000 + 3,000) = 12,000/77,000 = 15.6%

Since the result is more than 10 percent, the producer is regularly engaged in selling paving compounds.

Example 6:

A manufacturer of pre-stressed concrete beams uses them in the erection of buildings. It uses and sells 100,000 square feet of the beams during a reporting period. The following information needed to determine whether it is selling in the regular course of business is extracted from its records.

Use in non-exempt contracts80,000 sq. ft.
Used in exempt contracts15,000 sq. ft.
Sold to non-exempt customers5,000 sq. ft.
Sold to exempt customers-0-
Total used and sold100,000 sq. ft.

A percentage is computed from this fraction:

5,000 0/100,000 15,000 = 5,000/85,000 = 5.9%

Since the percent arrived at is less than 10 percent, the manufacturer is not engaged in selling pre-stressed concrete beams in the regular course of business.

(c) The following examples illustrates the principles set forth in this subparagraph.

Example 7:

A desk manufacturer withdraws desks from its inventory for use in its executive office. In the reguar course of business it sells the desk fo $150. It pays a compensating use tax on $150, the price at which it sells such desks.

Example 8:

The asphalt company in Example 5 will be required to pay a compensating use tax on 65,000 tons of production on the basis of the price at which it sold such compounds to other people in the regular course of business and at the tax rate in effect at the job location in New York State where the asphalt is installed.

It will also be required to collect the sales tax on the 12,000 tons of production sold to corporations, unless such corporations provide direct payment permits or properly completed exemption certificates. As 20,000 tons were used for incorporation into real property of exempt organizations, the asphalt company need not pay a tax on that portion of the production. As 3,000 tons of the production were sold to exempt organizations, the company need not collect a tax on those sales.

Example 9:

A steel company manufactures beams for sale to others and for use itself in contracting jobs. It sells over 50 percent of its production to nonexempt persons, and is required to pay a use tax on the steel it uses. Its catalog lists 12-foot steel beams of a certain size at $35. It uses 100 of these beams in erecting a new building for a corporation in New York State. It pays a tax at the rate in effect where the 100 beams are installed on the basis of $35 per beam.

Example 10:

An asphalt company, in the regular course of business sells its products to others. It has no price list or catalog. It sells the following to others in a reporting period:

Type "A" 700 tons at $5$3,500
Type "A" 400 tons at $62,400
Total 1,100 tons$5,900
Type "B" 700 tons at $6$4,200
Type "B" 200 tons at $71,400
Type "B" 500 tons at $52,500
Total 1,400 tons$8,100

The average price per ton in the case of Type A asphalt is $5.36 and the average price per ton for Type B asphalt is $5.79. These are the prices at which the company pays a compensating use tax on any Type A and Type B asphalt which it uses for construction work it performs for nonexempt persons.

(d) The mere storage, keeping, retention or withdrawal from storage of tangible personal property by the person who manufactured, processed or assembled it is not a taxable use for purposes of this subparagraph.
(ii) If the user does not offer items of the same kind for sale in the regular course of business as described in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the basis on which use tax is computed is the consideration given or contracted to be given for the tangible personal property manufactured, processed or assembled into the tangible personal property the use of which is subject to tax, including any charges by the user's seller to the user for shipping or delivery of that property to the user.

Example 11:

An asphalt company, located in Ohio, produces paving compounds for its own use in performing capital improvement contracts and repairs for others. It sells none of its product to others. It purchased aggregate and petroleum base materials in Ohio from other vendors. It will be required to pay a use tax on the cost of those materials to the extent not used on exempt organization jobs. The tax rate applicable is the rate in effect in New York State where the asphalt is installed.

Example 12:

Company A produces factory manufactured homes at its plant in Vermont. The components are manufactured in Vermont and the homes are shipped in sections to customer prepared sites where Company A erects the home. Company A only sells its product on an installed basis. It does not sell the individual components.

Company A owes use tax on the individual building components manufactured at its plant in Vermont which were used in erecting homes of customers in New York. The use tax is based on the cost to Company A of the raw materials it used to manufacture the building components. The tax due is computed by multiplying the cost of the raw materials by the tax rate in effect at the site in New York where the home is erected.

(2)
(i) Where a manufacturer, processor or assembler fabricates its manufactured, processed or assembled product and installs it to the specifications of a capital improvement to real property, the value added by this fabrication is not included in the basis on which compensating use tax is computed. However, the installation by the manufacturer, processor or assembler of its fabricated product to the specifications of a capital improvement to real property is a use of the product subject to compensating use tax. The basis on which the use tax is computed depends on whether the manufacturer, processor or assembler offers its fabricated product for sale in the regular course of business.
(ii) Where a manufacturer, processor or assembler offers its fabricated product for sale in the regular course of business, the use tax is computed based on the price the manufacturer, processor or assembler would charge an unrelated contractor for the product prior to fabrication.

Example 13:

Assume the manufacturer in Example 9 takes a standard beam and fabricates it to the specifications of a particular project. Upon use of the fabricated beam it pays a compensating use tax on the price at which it sells similar unfabricated beams to others.

(iii) If the manufacturer, processor or assembler does not offer its fabricated product for sale in the regular course of business, the basis on which use tax is computed is the consideration given or contracted to be given for the tangible personal property manufactured, processed or assembled into the tangible personal property the use of which is subject to tax, including any charges by the user's seller to the user for shipping or delivery of the raw material to the user.

Example 14:

Assume the manufacturer in Example 12 performs fabrication services on a section of the home of one of its New York customers. The use tax is still based on the cost to Company A of the raw materials used to manufacture the building components. The value added by the fabrication service performed by Company A is not subject to tax.

(iv) Where tangible personal property is purchased out of state to be fabricated and installed to the specifications of a capital improvement in New York State, and the fabrication of such property is done by the user, the value added to the property as a result of the fabrication is not included in the basis on which compensating use tax is computed. The use tax in such case is based on the consideration given or contracted to be given for the property, as provided in subdivision (a) of this section, including any charges by the seller to the user for shipping or delivery of the property to be fabricated to the user. If the user does not fabricate the property but purchases fabrication services performed on the property out of state, the consideration given or contracted to be given for such fabrication service will be included in the basis on which compensating use tax is computed, as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (c) of this section, including any charges by the seller to the user for shipping or delivery of the property to the user.

Example 15:

A contractor, located in Pennsylvania, purchases a steel beam from a manufacturer in Pennsylvania. The contractor fabricates the beam to the specifications of a job in Buffalo, New York. Upon installation of the fabricated beam the contractor will owe use tax on the amount paid for the beam. However, the value added by the fabrication services performed by the contractor is not subject to tax.

Example 16:

A contractor, located in Pennsylvania, purchases a steel beam from a manufacturer in Pennsylvania. The contractor arranges for a fabricator in Pennsylvania to fabricate the beam to the specifications of a job in Buffalo, New York. Upon installation of the beam by the contractor in New York, the contractor will owe use tax on the amount paid for the beam. The contractor will also owe use tax on the amount paid for the fabrication service because the fabrication service was purchased by the contractor from a provider of such service.

(3) The compensating use tax computed to be due shall be paid on each quarterly or part quarterly return based on the experience in the period for which the return is due. A schedule shall be attached to the return for the quarter ending November 30th of each year for the year beginning the prior December 1st, for the purpose of determining whether, on an annual basis, the user offered his product for sale in the regular course of business, as defined in clause ( b) of subparagraph (i) of paragraph (1) of this subdivision. An adjustment shall be made on such return for the tax due for the year ending November 30th, together with the appropriate payment or request for refund or credit.
(c)Services and tangible personal property upon which services were performed.
(1) The compensating use tax is due upon the use of information services and the services of collecting, compiling or analyzing information. (See section 527.3 of this Title.)
(2) The compensating use tax is due upon the use of property, however acquired, where not acquired for resale, upon which the services of producing, fabricating, processing, printing, imprinting, installing, maintaining, servicing or repairing have been performed, including any charges by the seller to the user for shipping or delivery of the property on which the taxable service is performed. (See section 527.4 of this Title.)

Example:

A firm purchases preprinted sales contracts for use in its business. It then sends the contracts to a printer, located outside of New York State, so the firm's name and address may be imprinted on the contracts. The printer does not collect the New York sales tax on his printing charge. The printing charges are subject to the use tax when the contracts are returned to this State.

(3) The applicable tax rate is imposed on the consideration given or contracted to be given for the service and for any tangible personal property transferred in conjunction with the service. Such consideration includes any charges by the seller to the user for shipping or delivery of the tangible personal property to the user. Similarly, charges by a provider of taxable services to a customer for picking up the customer's property upon which taxable services are to be performed are part of the consideration subject to tax. (See section 526.5[g] of this Title.)

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 20 § 531.3