MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2003 Regular Session
To: Highways and Transportation; Finance
By: Senator(s) Minor
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-65-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO COLLECT THE CONTRACTORS TAX LEVIED ON HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS DESIGNATED UNDER THE 1987 FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY PROGRAM; TO AMEND SECTION 27-65-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AMEND SECTION 27-65-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. 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 one and one-half percent (1-1/2%) 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.
(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.
(4) The Mississippi Transportation Commission shall collect the tax levied under this section on contracts for the construction or reconstruction of highways designated under the highway program created under Section 65-3-97. The Transportation Commission shall collect the tax:
(a) Directly from the person liable for the tax, or
(b) By deducting the amount of the tax from payments made by the Mississippi Transportation Commission under the contract.
SECTION 2. Section 27-65-75, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-65-75. On or before the fifteenth day of each month, the revenue collected under the provisions of this chapter during the preceding month shall be paid and distributed as follows:
(1) On or before August 15, 1992, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 1993, eighteen percent (18%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Sections 27-65-15, 27-65-19(3) and 27-65-21, on business activities within a municipal corporation shall be allocated for distribution to such municipality and paid to such municipal corporation. On or before August 15, 1993, and each succeeding month thereafter, eighteen and one-half percent (18-1/2%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Sections 27-65-15, 27-65-19(3) and 27-65-21, on business activities within a municipal corporation shall be allocated for distribution to such municipality and paid to such municipal corporation.
A municipal corporation, for the purpose of distributing the tax under this subsection, shall mean and include all incorporated cities, towns and villages.
Monies allocated for distribution and credited to a municipal corporation under this subsection may be pledged as security for any loan received by the municipal corporation for the purpose of capital improvements as authorized under Section 57-1-303, or loans as authorized under Section 57-44-7, or water systems improvements as authorized under Section 41-3-16.
In any county having a county seat which is not an incorporated municipality, the distribution provided hereunder shall be made as though the county seat was an incorporated municipality; however, the distribution to such municipality shall be paid to the county treasury wherein the municipality is located and such funds shall be used for road, bridge and street construction or maintenance therein.
(2) On or before September 15, 1987, and each succeeding month thereafter, from the revenue collected under this chapter during the preceding month One Million One Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($1,125,000.00) shall be allocated for distribution to municipal corporations as defined under subsection (1) of this section in the proportion that the number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by distributors to consumers and retailers in each such municipality during the preceding fiscal year bears to the total gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by distributors to consumers and retailers in municipalities statewide during the preceding fiscal year. The State Tax Commission shall require all distributors of gasoline and diesel fuel to report to the commission monthly the total number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by them to consumers and retailers in each municipality during the preceding month. The State Tax Commission shall have the authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as is necessary to determine the number of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold by distributors to consumers and retailers in each municipality. In determining the percentage allocation of funds under this subsection for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1987, and ending June 30, 1988, the State Tax Commission may consider gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel sold for a period of less than one (1) fiscal year. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "fiscal year" means the fiscal year beginning July 1 of a year.
(3) On or before September 15, 1987, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month, until the date specified in Section 65-39-35, the proceeds derived from contractors' taxes levied under Section 27-65-21 on contracts for the construction or reconstruction of highways designated under the highway program created under Section 65-3-97 shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 31-17-127, be deposited by the Mississippi Transportation Commission into the State Treasury to the credit of the State Highway Fund to be used to fund such four-lane highway program. The Mississippi * * * Transportation Commission shall report to the State Tax Commission the amount of the tax that it has collected pursuant to Section 27-65-21(4) and the amount deposited to the credit of the State Highway Fund under this subsection.
(4) On or before August 15, 1994, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month through July 15, 1999, from the proceeds of gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene taxes as provided in Section 27-5-101(a)(ii)1, Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000.00) shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of a special fund designated as the "State Aid Road Fund," created by Section 65-9-17. On or before August 15, 1999, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month, from the total amount of the proceeds of gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene taxes apportioned by Section 27-5-101(a)(ii)1, Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000.00) or an amount equal to twenty-three and one-fourth percent (23.25%) of such funds, whichever is the greater amount, shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the "State Aid Road Fund," created by Section 65-9-17. Such funds shall be pledged to pay the principal of and interest on state aid road bonds heretofore issued under Sections 19-9-51 through 19-9-77, in lieu of and in substitution for the funds heretofore allocated to counties under this section. Such funds may not be pledged for the payment of any state aid road bonds issued after April 1, 1981; however, this prohibition against the pledging of any such funds for the payment of bonds shall not apply to any bonds for which intent to issue such bonds has been published, for the first time, as provided by law prior to March 29, 1981. From the amount of taxes paid into the special fund pursuant to this subsection and subsection (9) of this section, there shall be first deducted and paid the amount necessary to pay the expenses of the Office of State Aid Road Construction, as authorized by the Legislature for all other general and special fund agencies. The remainder of the fund shall be allocated monthly to the several counties in accordance with the following formula:
(a) One-third (1/3) shall be allocated to all counties in equal shares;
(b) One-third (1/3) shall be allocated to counties based on the proportion that the total number of rural road miles in a county bears to the total number of rural road miles in all counties of the state; and
(c) One-third (1/3) shall be allocated to counties based on the proportion that the rural population of the county bears to the total rural population in all counties of the state, according to the latest federal decennial census.
For the purposes of this subsection, the term "gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene taxes" means such taxes as defined in paragraph (f) of Section 27-5-101.
The amount of funds allocated to any county under this subsection for any fiscal year after fiscal year 1994 shall not be less than the amount allocated to such county for fiscal year 1994. Monies allocated to a county from the State Aid Road Fund for fiscal year 1995 or any fiscal year thereafter that exceed the amount of funds allocated to that county from the State Aid Road Fund for fiscal year 1994, first must be expended by the county for replacement or rehabilitation of bridges on the state aid road system that have a sufficiency rating of less than twenty-five (25), according to National Bridge Inspection standards before such monies may be approved for expenditure by the State Aid Road Engineer on other projects that qualify for the use of state aid road funds.
Any reference in the general laws of this state or the Mississippi Code of 1972 to Section 27-5-105 shall mean and be construed to refer and apply to subsection (4) of Section 27-65-75.
(5) One Million Six Hundred Sixty-six Thousand Six Hundred Sixty-six Dollars ($1,666,666.00) each month shall be paid into the special fund known as the "State Public School Building Fund" created and existing under the provisions of Sections 37-47-1 through 37-47-67. Such payments into said fund are to be made on the last day of each succeeding month hereafter.
(6) An amount each month beginning August 15, 1983, through November 15, 1986, as specified in Section 6 of Chapter 542, Laws of 1983, shall be paid into the special fund known as the Correctional Facilities Construction Fund created in Section 6 of Chapter 542, Laws of 1983.
(7) On or before August 15, 1992, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 2000, two and two hundred sixty-six one-thousandths percent (2.266%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2) shall be deposited by the commission into the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund created pursuant to Section 37-61-35. On or before August 15, 2000, and each succeeding month thereafter, two and two hundred sixty-six one-thousandths percent (2.266%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2), shall be deposited into the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund created under Section 37-61-35 until such time that the total amount deposited into the fund during a fiscal year equals Forty-two Million Dollars ($42,000,000.00). Thereafter, the amounts diverted under this subsection (7) during the fiscal year in excess of Forty-two Million Dollars ($42,000,000.00) shall be deposited into the Education Enhancement Fund created under Section 37-61-33 for appropriation by the Legislature as other education needs and shall not be subject to the percentage appropriation requirements set forth in Section 37-61-33.
(8) On or before August 15, 1992, and each succeeding month thereafter, nine and seventy-three one-thousandths percent (9.073%) of the total sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter, except that collected under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2) shall be deposited into the Education Enhancement Fund created pursuant to Section 37-61-33.
(9) On or before August 15, 1994, and each succeeding month thereafter, from the revenue collected under this chapter during the preceding month, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) shall be paid into the State Aid Road Fund.
(10) On or before August 15, 1994, and each succeeding month thereafter through August 15, 1995, from the revenue collected under this chapter during the preceding month, Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) shall be deposited into the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-51-105.
(11) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before February 15, 1995, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(2) and the corresponding levy in Section 27-65-23 on the rental or lease of private carriers of passengers and light carriers of property as defined in Section 27-51-101 shall be deposited, without diversion, into the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-51-105.
(12) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before August 15, 1995, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of Section 27-65-17(1) on retail sales of private carriers of passengers and light carriers of property, as defined in Section 27-51-101 and the corresponding levy in Section 27-65-23 on the rental or lease of these vehicles, shall be deposited, after diversion, into the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-51-105.
(13) On or before July 15, 1994, and on or before the fifteenth day of each succeeding month thereafter, that portion of the avails of the tax imposed in Section 27-65-22, which is derived from activities held on the Mississippi state fairgrounds complex, shall be paid into a special fund hereby created in the State Treasury and shall be expended pursuant to legislative appropriations solely to defray the costs of repairs and renovation at such Trade Mart and Coliseum.
(14) On or before August 15, 1998, and each succeeding month thereafter through July 15, 2005, that portion of the avails of the tax imposed in Section 27-65-23 which is derived from sales by cotton compresses or cotton warehouses and which would otherwise be paid into the General Fund, shall be deposited in an amount not to exceed Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) into the special fund created pursuant to Section 69-37-39.
(15) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before September 15, 2000, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of Section 27-65-19(1)(f) and (g)(i)2, shall be deposited, without diversion, into the Telecommunications Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund established in Section 27-38-7.
(16) On or before August 15, 2000, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under the provisions of this chapter on the gross proceeds of sales of a project as defined in Section 57-30-1 shall be deposited, after all diversions except the diversion provided for in subsection (1) of this section, into the Sales Tax Incentive Fund created in Section 57-30-3.
(17) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, on or before April 15, 2002, and each succeeding month thereafter, the sales tax revenue collected during the preceding month under Section 27-65-23 on sales of parking services of parking garages and lots at airports shall be deposited, without diversion, into the special fund created pursuant to Section 27-5-101(d).
(18) The remainder of the amounts collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.
(19) It shall be the duty of the municipal officials of any municipality which expands its limits, or of any community which incorporates as a municipality, to notify the commissioner of such action thirty (30) days before the effective date. Failure to so notify the commissioner shall cause such municipality to forfeit the revenue which it would have been entitled to receive during this period of time when the commissioner had no knowledge of the action. If any funds have been erroneously disbursed to any municipality or any overpayment of tax is recovered by the taxpayer, the commissioner may make correction and adjust the error or overpayment with such municipality by withholding the necessary funds from any subsequent payment to be made to the municipality.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.