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TITLE 34PUBLIC FINANCE
PART 1COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
CHAPTER 3TAX ADMINISTRATION
SUBCHAPTER OSTATE AND LOCAL SALES AND USE TAXES
RULE §3.369Sales Tax Holiday--Certain Energy Star Products, Certain Water-Conserving Products, and WaterSense Products

  (2) Items other than air conditioners and refrigerators. Delivery charges that are billed by the seller to the purchaser are exempt if the product sold is exempt. For example, delivery fees billed in connection with the sale of a qualifying energy-efficient dishwasher during the exemption period are exempt.

  (3) "Per item" delivery fees. Delivery charges billed on a "per item" basis must be properly allocated when a delivery to the same person contains both exempt and taxable items. Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, if multiple items are shipped on a single invoice, the delivery charges must be allocated to each item ordered and separately identified on the invoice. For example, assume that a person purchases a qualifying clothes washer tax-free during the exemption period. The same person also purchases a clothes dryer, which does not qualify for the exemption. The retailer charges the person an additional fee of $25 per appliance for delivery. The $25 delivery fee connected to the delivery of the qualifying clothes washer is exempt from sales tax, but the $25 fee connected to the delivery of the clothes dryer is subject to tax.

  (4) "Flat rate" delivery fees. If the delivery charge is a flat rate per delivery address, and the amount charged is the same regardless of how many items are included in the delivery, for purposes of the exemption, the total charge may be attributed to one of the items in the delivery rather than proportionately allocated between the items. The delivery fee can be allocated to either an exempt qualifying product or a taxable product. The following examples illustrate the way these charges should be handled.

    (A) Delivery fee allocated to exempt item. Assume a seller charges a flat fee of $50 per customer address for delivery regardless of the number of items delivered to that address and during the exemption period, a person purchases an Energy Star qualified refrigerator priced at $1,900, a taxable stove and a taxable microwave. The seller may attribute the $50 delivery charge to the sale of the refrigerator bringing the sales price of the refrigerator to $1,950. The refrigerator sales price does not exceed $2,000, so it still qualifies for the exemption. The seller does not have to allocate the delivery charge between the refrigerator, stove and microwave. The sales invoice must clearly identify that the delivery charge was attributed to the exempt item and must separately state the tax due on the taxable items.

    (B) Delivery fee allocated to taxable item. Assume a seller charges a flat fee of $50 per customer address for delivery regardless of the number of items delivered to that address and during the exemption period, a person purchases an Energy Star qualified refrigerator priced at $1,975 and a taxable stove. The seller may attribute the entire $50 delivery charge to the sale of the stove, thus allowing the total sales price of the refrigerator to remain $1,975. Since the refrigerator sales price does not exceed $2,000 it still qualifies for the exemption. The seller does not have to allocate the delivery charge between the refrigerator and stove. The sales invoice must clearly identify that the delivery charge was attributed to the taxable stove and must separately state the tax due on the taxable item.

(f) Installation charges. A charge for the installation of a qualifying product purchased during the exemption period qualifies for exemption only if the item remains tangible personal property after installation. If the product becomes real property after installation, the charge for installation labor may be taxable or nontaxable depending on whether the product is installed in residential or nonresidential property or as part of a new construction contract.

  (1) Tangible personal property. Products that are free-standing or mobile, such as clothes washers, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, portable dishwashers and window or room air conditioning units are tangible personal property. If qualifying tangible personal property retains its identity as tangible personal property after installation, the installation charge billed by the seller of the item becomes part of the sales price of the item. As part of the sales price, an installation charge billed by the seller qualifies for the exemption, even if the installation is performed after the exemption period. If however, the charge for installation of an Energy Star qualified refrigerator, which remains tangible personal property after installation, causes the total sales price to exceed $2,000, the entire charge of the refrigerator, delivery and installation, is taxable.

  (2) Improvements to real property. Items such as programmable thermostats, central air conditioning units, ceiling fans and built-in refrigerators and dishwashers that are plumbed, wired or otherwise permanently attached to a building structure are improvements to real property. For items that become improvements to real property, the taxability of the installation labor is determined by the type of jobsite: residential, new construction or nonresidential repair or remodeling.

    (A) Residential and new construction. No tax is due on charges for labor to install items such as ceiling fans, programmable thermostats or central air conditioning units in residential property or during a new construction project. See §3.291 of this title (relating to Contractors).

    (B) Nonresidential repair and remodeling. Nonresidential repair and remodeling is a taxable service. Therefore, tax is due on charges for labor to install ceiling fans, built-in appliances, programmable thermostats and central air conditioning units in existing nonresidential real property, regardless of when the installation is performed. Charges for installation labor performed on existing nonresidential real property should be separately stated on the invoice from the sales price of qualifying energy-efficient or WaterSense products. Separately stated charges for products that may conserve water but that are not water-conserving products because they are installed in nonresidential real property are taxable. A lump sum charge for the purchase of a qualifying product and installation labor is subject to tax as the purchase of nonresidential repair and remodeling. See §3.357 of this title (relating to Nonresidential Real Property Repair, Remodeling, and Restoration; Real Property Maintenance).

(g) Purchases by real estate developers, dealers, service providers and contractors. Real estate developers, dealers, service providers and contractors may purchase qualifying products tax-free during the sales tax holiday as discussed in this subsection.

  (1) An exemption or resale certificate is not required for purchases of energy-efficient or WaterSense products.

  (2) A resale certificate must be provided for purchases of water-conserving products that will be subsequently resold to customers or incorporated into customers' real property under a separated contract.

  (3) An exemption certificate or resale certificate may not be provided for purchases of products that may conserve water but will be incorporated into real property under a lump-sum contract.

  (4) There is no limit to the number of qualifying products a person may purchase tax-free during the exemption period.

  (5) Held in inventory. Qualifying products purchased tax-free during the exemption period may be held in inventory until ready for use as discussed in this subsection.

    (A) No use tax is due if an energy-efficient product or WaterSense product purchased tax free during the exemption period by a contractor, developer, etc., is subsequently incorporated into the realty of a contractor's customer under a lump sum contract for new construction or residential repair and remodeling. See §3.291 of this title. Use tax is due on products that may conserve water but do not meet the definition of water-conserving products provided in subsection (a)(7) of this section because the products were incorporated into real property under a lump sum contract.

    (B) Sales tax is due on sales of energy-efficient or WaterSense products transferred to customers as part of a nonresidential repair and remodeling contract preformed after the exemption period. Nonresidential repair and remodeling service providers are responsible for collecting sales tax from customers on sales of energy-efficient or WaterSense products under a separated contract or under a lump sum contract for nonresidential repair and remodeling, unless the transaction (the sale of the energy-efficient or WaterSense product) between the customer and service provider, dealer or contractor occurs during the exemption period under a separated contract. See §3.357 of this title.

(h) Discounts and coupons. An Energy Star qualified air conditioner must be priced at $6,000 or less in order to qualify for the exemption. An Energy Star qualified refrigerator must be priced at $2,000 or less to qualify for the exemption. A seller may offer a discount or a coupon that reduces the sales price of an Energy Star qualified air conditioner or refrigerator. A discount or a coupon affects the application of the exemption as explained in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection. The total sales price of the product includes delivery and installation charges as Cont'd...

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