98-007

Response February 10, 1998

 

 

REQUEST LETTER

 

January 13, 1998

 

COMPANY A manufactures custom cabinets in Utah which are installed in homes in the State of STATE. We do not pay sales tax on the materials incorporated in the cabinets because many of the materials are purchased outside the State of Utah.

 

The State of STATE is taking the stand that the use tax on the materials incorporated in the cabinets installed in STATE are Payable to the State of STATE.

 

We need to know if the State of Utah will allow credit for the use tax on these materials if we pay it to the State of STATE.

 

Sincerely,

 

NAME

 

 

RESPONSE LETTER

 

 

February 10, 1998

 

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

 

Advisory Opinion - Credit for use tax paid in STATE

 

Dear NAME,

 

We have received your request for sales tax guidance pertaining to your company’s sales of cabinets which are installed and converted to real property in STATE. As we understand STATES’s practice, that state allows a credit for sales tax paid in another state, but does not apply the credit to use tax paid in another state. We offer the following guidance:

 

Section 59-12-104 (33) of the Utah Code creates a limited sales tax exemption for sales of tangible personal property to persons within this state if the property is subsequently shipped outside of Utah and incorporated into real property outside of Utah pursuant to a contract. However, the exemption is limited to the extent that the other state imposes a sales, use, gross receipts or other similar transaction tax on the property, then allows a credit against those taxes for taxes imposed in Utah. To summarize the exemption, no Utah tax is due on sales unless:

 

1. the sales are also taxable in the state of destination, and

2. the destination state allows a credit for taxes paid in Utah.

 

Your transactions meet the first condition listed above. That is, the transactions are taxable in STATE. To the extent that your company purchases materials from Utah vendors who collect Utah sales tax, your transactions also meet the second condition because STATE will allow a credit for sales tax paid in Utah. As to the use tax paid on items purchased outside of Utah, it is our understanding that STATE will not allow a use tax credit at all. The use tax paid in Utah, then, fails to meet condition 2 outlined above. Therefore, no use tax is due in Utah. You may use a Utah exemption certificate to make these purchases tax free.

 

Please let us know if you have other questions.

 

For the Commission,

Joe B. Pacheco,

Commissioner

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