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TITLE 34PUBLIC FINANCE
PART 1COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
CHAPTER 3TAX ADMINISTRATION
SUBCHAPTER OSTATE AND LOCAL SALES AND USE TAXES
RULE §3.346Use Tax

  (2) Use tax is not applicable to the storage, use, or other consumption of taxable items in this state if the sale, lease, or rental of the taxable items would be exempt from the sales tax had the items been purchased within Texas.

(d) User liability, payment of the tax and credit for tax paid to another state.

  (1) The person storing, using, or consuming a taxable item in this state is liable for the tax imposed under this section, and except as provided by paragraph (2) of this subsection, the liability continues until the tax is paid to the state.

  (2) The liability may be extinguished by payment of the Texas use tax directly to the comptroller or to a seller authorized to collect it. See the use tax permit requirements for out-of-state sellers in §3.286 of this title.

  (3) The basis of the use tax is the total purchase price of the taxable item, including any related charges such as shipping and handling fees, regardless of whether such fees are separately stated. See §3.303 of this title (relating to Transportation and Delivery Charges).

  (4) The tax must be reported and remitted to the comptroller with the return covering the period in which the taxable items are first stored, used, or otherwise consumed in Texas as provided by §3.286 of this title. Purchasers without a sales and use tax permit should refer to §3.286 of this title to view the tax responsibilities of non-permitted purchasers.

  (5) Credit is allowed against the use tax liability to the extent that a similar sales or use tax was legally due and paid to another state under the conditions provided in Tax Code, Chapter 141 and Chapter 151, §151.303. See §3.338 of this title (relating to Multistate Tax Credits and Allowance of Credit for Tax Paid to Suppliers).

(e) Presumption.

  (1) Tangible personal property that is shipped or brought into this state by, or at the direction of, a purchaser is presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, to have been purchased from a seller for storage, use, or consumption in this state. A taxable service used in this state is presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, to have been purchased from a seller for use in this state.

  (2) Tangible personal property purchased out of state and used for its intended purpose outside of Texas for more than one year before the date of entry into Texas will not be presumed to have been purchased for use in Texas. This presumption applies only if the use outside Texas is substantial and constitutes a primary use for which the property was purchased. Either the comptroller or the purchaser may introduce evidence to establish the intent or absence of intent to use the taxable items in Texas at the time of purchase.

  (3) If tangible personal property is shipped outside of Texas by the seller such that the transaction is exempt from sales tax under Tax Code, §151.330(a), and the property is outside of Texas for less than one year before reentering Texas, the presumption is that the property is purchased for use in Texas.

(f) Local use tax is due to the jurisdictions where taxable items are first stored, used, or consumed.

(g) Direct payment permit holders - election to pay use tax at time of first storage or upon first removal from storage for use in Texas. If, at the time an item is purchased and stored in the state, it is not known if the item will be used in Texas or removed from the state for use elsewhere, a direct payment permit holder can elect to either pay state and local use tax at the time an item is first removed from storage for use in Texas or elect to pay state and local use tax on the item when first stored in Texas. This election must consistently apply to all stored items once the election is made and consistently apply to all state and local taxes that are due. Local tax is due to the jurisdictions where the item is first stored regardless of which election is chosen. A direct pay permit holder who elects to pay Texas use tax when items are first stored may claim a refund as provided by other sections of this title of taxes paid on items that are removed from storage in Texas for use elsewhere.


Source Note: The provisions of this §3.346 adopted to be effective March 7, 1979, 4 TexReg 554; amended to be effective November 17, 1981, 6 TexReg 4070; amended to be effective December 3, 1984, 9 TexReg 5929; amended to be effective December 21, 1990, 15 TexReg 7029; amended to be effective February 9, 2011, 36 TexReg 587; amended to be effective November 11, 2012, 37 TexReg 8857

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