MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2003 Regular Session
To: Ways and Means
By: Representative Chism (By Request)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-65-17 AND 27-65-23, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT SALES OF TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND SERVICES, EXCEPT SALES OF RAW MATERIALS, TO MANUFACTURERS SHALL BE TAXED AT THE RATE OF TWO PERCENT; TO AMEND SECTION 27-65-21, TO PROVIDE THAT THE RATE OF THE CONTRACTOR'S SALES TAX ON AMOUNTS INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT PRICE OR COMPENSATION RECEIVED REPRESENTING THE SALE OF MANUFACTURING OR PROCESSING MACHINERY FOR A MANUFACTURER OR CUSTOM PROCESSOR SHALL BE TWO PERCENT AND TO EXEMPT FROM THE CONTRACTOR'S SALES TAX THE PORTION OF CONTRACTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SERVICES RENDERED TO MANUFACTURERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 27-65-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-65-17. (1) Upon every person engaging or continuing within this state in the business of selling any tangible personal property whatsoever there is hereby levied, assessed and shall be collected a tax equal to seven percent (7%) of the gross proceeds of the retail sales of the business, except as otherwise provided herein.
Retail sales of farm tractors shall be taxed at the rate of one percent (1%) when made to farmers for agricultural purposes. Retail sales of farm implements sold to farmers and used directly in the production of poultry, ratite, domesticated fish as defined in Section 69-7-501, livestock, livestock products, agricultural crops or ornamental plant crops or used for other agricultural purposes shall be taxed at the rate of three percent (3%) when used on the farm. The three percent (3%) rate shall alsoapply to all equipment used in logging, pulpwood operations or tree farming which is either (a) self-propelled or which is (b) mounted so that it is (i) permanently attached to other equipment which is self-propelled or (ii) permanently attached to other equipment drawn by a vehicle which is self-propelled.
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section, retail sales of aircraft, automobiles, trucks, truck-tractors, semitrailers and mobile homes shall be taxed at the rate of three percent (3%).
Sales of tangible personal property, except sales of raw material, to a manufacturer shall be taxed at the rate of two percent (2%).
Sales of materials for use in track and track structures to a railroad whose rates are fixed by the Interstate Commerce Commission or the Mississippi Public Service Commission shall be taxed at the rate of three percent (3%).
Sales of tangible personal property to electric power associations for use in the ordinary and necessary operation of their generating or distribution systems shall be taxed at the rate of one percent (1%).
Wholesale sales of beer shall be taxed at the rate of seven percent (7%), and the retailer shall file a return and compute the retail tax on retail sales but may take credit for the amount of the tax paid to the wholesaler on said return covering the subsequent sales of same property, provided adequate invoices and records are maintained to substantiate the credit.
Wholesale sales of food and drink for human consumption to full service vending machine operators to be sold through vending machines located apart from and not connected with other taxable businesses shall be taxed at the rate of eight percent (8%).
A manufacturer selling at retail in this state shall be required to make returns of the gross proceeds of such sales and pay the tax imposed in this section.
Any person exercising any privilege taxable under Section 27-65-15 and selling his natural resource products at wholesale or to exempt persons shall pay the tax levied by said section in lieu of the tax levied by this section.
(2) From and after January 1, 1995, retail sales of private carriers of passengers and light carriers of property, as defined in Section 27-51-101, shall be taxed an additional two percent (2%).
(3) In lieu of the tax levied in subsection (1) of this section, there is levied on retail sales of truck-tractors and semitrailers used in interstate commerce and registered under the International Registration Plan (IRP) or any similar reciprocity agreement or compact relating to the proportional registration of commercial vehicles entered into as provided for in Section 27-19-143, a tax at the rate of three percent (3%) of the portion of the sale that is attributable to the usage of such truck-tractor or semitrailer in Mississippi. The portion of the retail sale that is attributable to the usage of such truck-tractor or semitrailer in Mississippi is the retail sales price of the truck-tractor or semitrailer multiplied by the percentage of the total miles traveled by the vehicle that are traveled in Mississippi. The tax levied pursuant to this subsection (3) shall be collected by the State Tax Commission from the purchaser of such truck-tractor or semitrailer at the time of registration of such truck-tractor or semitrailer.
SECTION 2. Section 27-65-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-65-23. Upon every person engaging or continuing in any of the following businesses or activities there is hereby levied, assessed and shall be collected a tax equal to seven percent (7%) of the gross income of the business, except as otherwise provided:
Air conditioning installation or repairs;
Automobile, aircraft, motorcycle, boat or any other vehicle repairing or servicing;
Billiards, pool or domino parlors;
Bowling or tenpin alleys;
Burglar and fire alarm systems or services;
Car washing--automatic, self-service, or manual;
Computer software sales and services;
Cotton compresses or cotton warehouses;
Custom creosoting or treating, custom planning, custom sawing;
Custom meat processing;
Electricians, electrical work, wiring, all repairs or installation of electrical equipment;
Elevator or escalator installing, repairing or servicing;
Film developing or photo finishing;
Foundries, machine or general repairing;
Furniture repairing or upholstering;
Grading, excavating, ditching, dredging or landscaping;
Hotels, motels, tourist courts or camps, trailer parks;
Insulating services or repairs;
Jewelry or watch repairing;
Laundering, cleaning, pressing or dyeing;
Marina services;
Mattress renovating;
Office and business machine repairing;
Parking garages and lots;
Plumbing or pipe fitting;
Public storage warehouses (There shall be no tax levied on gross income of a public storage warehouse derived from the temporary storage of tangible personal property in this state pending shipping or mailing of the property to another state.);
Refrigerating equipment repairs;
Radio or television installing, repairing, or servicing;
Renting or leasing personal property used within this state;
Services performed in connection with geophysical surveying, exploring, developing, drilling, producing, distributing, or testing of oil, gas, water and other mineral resources;
Shoe repairing;
Storage lockers;
Telephone answering or paging services;
Termite or pest control services;
Tin and sheet metal shops;
TV cable systems, subscription TV services, and other similar activities;
Vulcanizing, repairing or recapping of tires or tubes;
Welding; and
Woodworking or wood turning shops.
Income from services taxed herein performed for electric power associations in the ordinary and necessary operation of their generating or distribution systems shall be taxed at the rate of one percent (1%).
Income from services taxed herein performed on materials for use in track or track structures to a railroad whose rates are fixed by the Interstate Commerce Commission or the Mississippi Public Service Commission shall be taxed at the rate of three percent (3%).
Income from services taxed herein performed for manufacturers shall be taxed at the rate of two percent (2%).
Income from renting or leasing tangible personal property used within this state shall be taxed at the same rates as sales of the same property.
Persons doing business in this state who rent transportation equipment with a situs within or without the state to common, contract or private commercial carriers are taxed on that part of the income derived from use within this state. If specific accounting is impracticable, a formula may be used with approval of the commissioner.
A lessor may deduct from the tax computed on the rental income from tangible personal property a credit for sales or use tax paid to this state at the time of purchase of the specific personal property being leased or rented until such credit has been exhausted.
Charges for custom processing and repairing services may be excluded from gross taxable income when the property on which the service was performed is delivered to the customer in another state either by common carrier or in the seller's equipment.
When a taxpayer performs unitary services covered by this section, which are performed both in intrastate and interstate commerce, the commissioner is hereby invested with authority to formulate in each particular case and to fix for such taxpayer in each instance formulae of apportionment which will apportion to this state, for taxation, that portion of the services which are performed within the State of Mississippi.
SECTION 3. Section 27-65-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-65-21. (1) (a) (i) Upon every person engaging or continuing in this state in the business of contracting or performing a contract or engaging in any of the activities, or similar activities, listed below for a price, commission, fee or wage, there is hereby levied, assessed and shall be collected a tax equal to three and one-half percent (3-1/2%) of the total contract price or compensation received, including all charges related to the contract such as finance charges and late charges, from constructing, building, erecting, repairing, grading, excavating, drilling, exploring, testing or adding to any building, highway, street, sidewalk, bridge, culvert, sewer, irrigation or water system, drainage or dredging system, levee or levee system or any part thereof, railway, reservoir, dam, power plant, electrical system, air conditioning system, heating system, transmission line, pipeline, tower, dock, storage tank, wharf, excavation, grading, water well, any other improvement or structure or any part thereof when the compensation received exceeds Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00). Such activities shall not include constructing, repairing or adding to property which retains its identity as personal property. The tax imposed in this section is levied upon the prime contractor and shall be paid by him.
(ii) Amounts included in the contract price or compensation received representing the sale of manufacturing or processing machinery for a manufacturer or custom processor shall be taxed at the rate of two percent (2%) in lieu of the three and one-half percent (3-1/2%).
(b) The following shall be excluded from the tax levied by this section:
(i) The contract price or compensation received for constructing, building, erecting, repairing or adding to any building, electrical system, air conditioning system, heating system or any other improvement or structure which is used for or primarily in connection with a residence or dwelling place for human beings. Such residences shall include homes, apartment buildings, condominiums, mobile homes, summer cottages, fishing and hunting camp buildings and similar buildings, but shall not include hotels, motels, hospitals, nursing or retirement homes, tourist cottages or other commercial establishments.
(ii) The portion of the total contract price attributable to design or engineering services if the total contract price for the project exceeds the sum of One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000.00).
(iii) The contract price or compensation received to restore, repair or replace a utility distribution or transmission system that has been damaged due to ice storm, hurricane, flood, tornado, wind, earthquake or other natural disaster if such restoration, repair or replacement is performed by the entity providing the service at its cost.
(iv) The portion of the contract price or compensation received which is attributable to services rendered to manufacturers.
(c) Sales of materials and services for use in the activities hereby excluded from taxes imposed by this section, except services used in activities excluded pursuant to paragraph (b)(iii) of this subsection, shall be subject to taxes imposed by other sections in this chapter.
(2) Upon every person engaging or continuing in this state in the business of contracting or performing a contract of redrilling, or working over, or of drilling an oil well or a gas well, regardless of whether such well is productive or nonproductive, for any valuable consideration, there is hereby levied, assessed and shall be collected a tax equal to three and one-half percent (3-1/2%) of the total contract price or compensation received when such compensation exceeds Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00).
The words, terms and phrases as used in this subsection shall have the meaning ascribed to them as follows:
"Operator" -- One who holds all or a fraction of the working or operating rights in an oil or gas lease, and is obligated for the costs of production either as a fee owner or under a lease or any other form of contract creating working or operating rights.
"Bottom-hole contribution" -- Money or property given to an operator for his use in the drilling of a well on property in which the payor has no interest. The contribution is payable whether the well is productive or nonproductive.
"Dry-hole contribution" -- Money or property given to an operator for his use in the drilling of a well on property in which the payor has no interest. Such contribution is payable only in the event the well is found to be nonproductive.
"Turnkey drilling contract" -- A contract for the drilling of a well which requires the driller to drill a well and, if commercial production is obtained, to equip the well to such stage that the lessee or operator may turn a valve and the oil will flow into a tank.
"Total contract price or compensation received" -- As related to oil and gas well contractors, shall include amounts received as compensation for all costs of performing a turnkey drilling contract; amounts received or to be received under assignment as dry-hole money or bottom-hole money; and shall mean and include anything of value received by the contractor as remuneration for services taxable hereunder. When the kind and amount of compensation received by the contractor is contingent upon production, the taxable amount shall be the total compensation receivable in the event the well is a dry hole. The taxable amount in the event of production when the contractor receives a production interest of an undetermined value in lieu of a fixed compensation shall be an amount equal to the compensation to the contractor if the well had been a dry hole.
(3) When the work to be performed under any contract is sublet by the prime contractor to different persons, or in separate contracts to the same persons, each such subcontractor performing any part of said work shall be liable for the amount of the tax which accrues on account of the work performed by such person when the tax heretofore imposed has not been paid upon the whole contract by the prime contractor.
When a person engaged in any business on which a tax is levied in Section 27-65-23, also qualifies as a contractor, and contracts with the owner of any project to perform any services in excess of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) herein taxed, such person shall pay the tax imposed by this section in lieu of the tax imposed by Section 27-65-23.
Any person entering into any contract over Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) as defined in this section shall, before beginning the performance of such contract or contracts, either pay the contractors' tax in advance, together with any use taxes due under Section 27-67-5, or execute and file with the Chairman of the State Tax Commission a good and valid bond in a surety company authorized to do business in this state, or with sufficient sureties to be approved by the commissioner conditioned that all taxes which may accrue to the State of Mississippi under this chapter, or under Section 27-67-5 and Section 27-7-5, will be paid when due. Such bonds shall be either (a) "job bonds" which guarantee payment when due of the aforesaid taxes resulting from performance of a specified job or activity regardless of date of completion; or (b) "blanket bonds" which guarantee payment when due of the aforesaid taxes resulting from performance of all jobs or activities taxable under this section begun during the period specified therein, regardless of date of completion. The payments of the taxes due or the execution and filing of a surety bond shall be a condition precedent to the commencing work on any contract taxed hereunder. Provided, that when any bond is filed in lieu of the prepayment of the tax under this section, that the tax shall be payable monthly on the amount received during the previous month, and any use taxes due shall be payable on or before the twentieth day of the month following the month in which the property is brought into Mississippi.
Any person failing either to execute any bond herein provided, or to pay the taxes in advance, before beginning the performance of any contract shall be denied the right to perform such contract until he complies with such requirements, and the commissioner is hereby authorized to proceed either under Section 27-65-59, or by injunction to prevent any activity in the performance of such contract until either a satisfactory bond is executed and filed, or all taxes are paid in advance, and a temporary injunction enjoining the execution of such contract shall be granted without notice by any judge or chancellor now authorized by law to grant injunctions.
Any person liable for a tax under this section may apply for and obtain a material purchase certificate from the commissioner which may entitle the holder to purchase materials and services that are to become a component part of the structure to be erected or repaired with no tax due. Provided, that the contractor applying for the contractor's material purchase certificate shall furnish the State Tax Commission a list of all work sublet to others, indicating the amount of work to be performed, and the names and addresses of each subcontractor.
SECTION 4. Nothing in this act shall affect or defeat any claim, assessment, appeal, suit, right or cause of action for taxes due or accrued under the sales tax laws before the date on which this act becomes effective, whether such claims, assessments, appeals, suits or actions have been begun before the date on which this act becomes effective or are begun thereafter; and the provisions of the sales tax laws are expressly continued in full force, effect and operation for the purpose of the assessment, collection and enrollment of liens for any taxes due or accrued and the execution of any warrant under such laws before the date on which this act becomes effective, and for the imposition of any penalties, forfeitures or claims for failure to comply with such laws.
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.