Texas Register

TITLE 34 PUBLIC FINANCE
PART 1COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
CHAPTER 3TAX ADMINISTRATION
SUBCHAPTER VFRANCHISE TAX
RULE §3.591Margin: Apportionment
ISSUE 01/15/2021
ACTION Final/Adopted
Preamble Texas Admin Code Rule

(a)Effective date. The provisions of this section apply to franchise tax reports originally due on or after January 1, 2008, except as otherwise noted.

(b)Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

  (1)Capital asset--Any asset that is held for use in the production of income, and that is subject to depreciation, depletion or amortization.

  (2)Employee retirement plan--A plan or other arrangement that qualifies under Internal Revenue Code (IRC), §401(a) (Qualified pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans), or that satisfies the requirement of IRC, §403 (Taxation of employee annuities), or a government plan described in IRC, §414(d) (Definitions and special rules).

  (3)Gross receipts--Revenue as determined under §3.587 of this title (relating to Margin: Total Revenue), except as provided in subsection (e)(2) (concerning capital assets and investments) and subsection (e)(17) (concerning loans and securities) of this section. Non-receipt items excluded from total revenue under §3.587 of this title are not included in the calculation of total revenue under that section and are not deducted from gross receipts. These non-receipt items include the exclusion for uncompensated care, the $500 exclusion per pro bono services case, the exclusion for the direct cost of providing waterway transportation, the exclusion for the direct cost of providing agricultural aircraft services, and the exclusion for the cost of a vaccine. See subsection (d)(5) of this section for gross receipts that are excluded from the apportionment calculation.

  (4)Internal Revenue Code--The Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in effect for the federal tax year beginning on January 1, 2007, not including any changes made by federal law after that date, and any regulations adopted under that code applicable to that period.

  (5)Inventory--Property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. Securities and loans held for investment, hedging, or risk management purposes are not inventory.

  (6)Investment--Any non-cash asset that is not a capital asset or inventory.

  (7)Legal domicile--The legal domicile of a corporation or limited liability company is its state of formation. The legal domicile of a partnership, trust, or joint venture is the principal place of business of the partnership, trust, or joint venture.

  (8)Location of payor--The legal domicile of the payor.

  (9)Principal place of business--The place where an entity's management directs, controls, and coordinates the entity's activities.

  (10)Regulated investment company--Any domestic corporation defined under IRC, §851(a) (Definition of regulated investment company), including a taxable entity that includes trustees or sponsors of employee benefit plans that have accounts in a regulated investment company.

  (11)Security--An instrument defined under IRC, §475(c)(2) (Mark to market accounting method for dealers in securities). This term includes instruments described by §475(e)(2)(B), (C), and (D) of that code.

  (12)Tax reporting period--The period upon which the tax is based under Tax Code, §171.1532 (Business on Which Tax on Net Taxable Margin Is Based) or §171.0011 (Additional Tax).

  (13)Taxable entity--Any entity upon which tax is imposed under Tax Code, §171.0002(a) (Definition of Taxable Entity) and not specifically excluded under Tax Code, §171.0002(b) or §171.0002(c). See also §3.581 of this title (relating to Margin: Taxable and Nontaxable Entities).

  (14)Texas gross receipts--The portion of a taxable entity's gross receipts that is from business done in Texas.

(c)Apportionment formula. Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, a taxable entity's margin is apportioned to Texas to determine the amount of franchise tax due by multiplying the taxable entity's margin by a fraction, the numerator of which is the taxable entity's Texas gross receipts and the denominator of which is the taxable entity's gross receipts from its entire business.

  (1)Regulated investment company services. A taxable entity's margin derived, directly or indirectly, from the sale of management, distribution, or administration services to or on behalf of a regulated investment company, is apportioned to Texas by multiplying that portion of the taxable entity's total margin by a fraction:

    (A)the numerator of which is the average of the sum of shares owned at the beginning of the year and the sum of the shares owned at the end of the year by the investment company shareholders whose principal place of business is in this state or, if the shareholders are individuals, are residents of this state; and

    (B)the denominator of which is the average of the sum of shares owned at the beginning of the year and the sum of shares owned at the end of the year by all investment company shareholders.

  (2)Employee retirement plan services. A taxable entity's margin derived, directly or indirectly, from the sale of management, administration, or investment services to an employee retirement plan is apportioned to Texas by multiplying that portion of the taxable entity's total margin by a fraction:

    (A)the numerator of which is the average of the sum of beneficiaries domiciled in Texas at the beginning of the year and the sum of beneficiaries domiciled in Texas at the end of the year; and

    (B)the denominator of which is the average of the sum of all beneficiaries at the beginning of the year and the sum of all beneficiaries at the end of the year.

(d)General rules for reporting gross receipts.

  (1)A taxable entity that files an annual report must report gross receipts based on the business done by the taxable entity beginning with the day after the date upon which the previous report was based, and ending with the last accounting period ending date for federal income tax purposes ending in the calendar year before the calendar year in which the report is originally due.

  (2)A taxable entity with a beginning date prior to October 4, 2009 that files an initial report must report gross receipts based on its activities commencing with the beginning date, as described in §3.584 of this title (relating to Margin: Reports and Payments), and ending on the last accounting period ending date for federal income tax purposes that is at least 60 days before the original due date of the initial report. A taxable entity with a beginning date on or after October 4, 2009 that files a first annual report must report gross receipts based on its activities commencing with the beginning date and ending on the last accounting period ending date for federal income tax purposes in the same calendar year as the beginning date.

  (3)Taxable entities that are members of an affiliated group that are part of a unitary business must file a combined franchise tax report. See §3.590 of this title (relating to Margin: Combined Reporting), for determining gross receipts for a combined report.

  (4)When a taxable entity computes gross receipts for apportionment, the taxable entity is deemed to have elected to use the same methods that the taxable entity used in filing its federal income tax return.

  (5)Any item of revenue that is excluded from total revenue under Texas law or United States law is excluded from gross receipts from an entity's entire business and Texas gross receipts as provided by Tax Code, §171.1055(a) (Exclusion of Certain Receipts for Margin Apportionment). For example, any amount that is excluded from total revenue under the IRC, §78 (Dividends received from certain foreign corporations by domestic corporations choosing foreign tax credit) or §§951 - 964 (26 U.S. Code Subpart F - Controlled Foreign Corporations), is excluded from gross receipts. Non-receipt items that are excluded from total revenue under §3.587 of this title, such as $500 per pro bono services case; the actual cost of uncompensated care; the direct cost of providing waterway transportation; the direct cost of providing agricultural aircraft services and the cost of a vaccine, are not deducted from gross receipts under this section. See subsection (b)(3) of this section, concerning definition of gross receipts. For example, under Tax Code, §171.1011(g-3) (Determination of Total Revenue from Entire Business), an attorney may exclude $500 from total revenue for handling a pro bono case. Since the $500 is not a receipt, there is no exclusion for pro bono work when calculating gross receipts. Therefore, if a taxable entity starts with its total revenue amount to calculate its gross receipts, the taxable entity must add back the $500 per pro bono services case.

  (6)A taxable entity that uses a 52 - 53 week accounting year end and that has an accounting year that ends during the first four days of January of the year in which the report is originally due may use the preceding December 31 as the date through which margin is computed.

  (7)Any item of allocated revenue excluded under §3.587(c)(9) of this title is excluded from Texas gross receipts and gross receipts from an entity's entire business.

(e)Computation and sourcing of gross receipts.

  (1)Advertising services. Gross receipts from the dissemination of advertising are sourced to the locations of the advertising audience. The locations of the advertising audience should be determined in good faith using the most reasonable method under the circumstances, considering the information reasonably available. The method should be consistently applied from year to year and supported by records retained by the service provider. Locations that may be reasonable include the physical locations of the advertising, advertising audience locations recorded in the books and records of the service provider, and locations listed in published rating statistics. If the locations of nationwide advertising audiences cannot otherwise be reasonably determined, then 8.7% of the gross receipts are sourced to Texas. For reports originally due prior to January 1, 2021, advertising receipts attributable to a radio or television station transmitter in Texas may be sourced to Texas.

  (2)Capital assets and investments.

    (A)Except as provided in subparagraph (C), only the net gain from the sale of a capital asset or investment is included in gross receipts. A net loss from the sale of a capital asset or investment is not included in gross receipts.

    (B)The net gain or net loss from the sale of a capital asset or investment is the amount realized from the sale less the adjusted basis for federal income tax purposes.

    (C)For reports originally due prior to January 1, 2021, a taxable entity may add the net gains and losses from sales of investments and capital assets to determine the total gross receipts from such transactions. If both Texas and out-of-state sales have occurred, then a separate calculation of net gains and losses on Texas sales must be made. If the combination of net gains and losses results in a loss, the taxable entity may not net the loss against other receipts.

    (D)The net gain from the sale of a capital asset or investments is sourced based on the type of asset or investment sold. The net gain from the sale of an intangible asset is sourced to the location of the payor as provided in paragraph (21)(B) of this subsection, concerning gross receipts from the sale of intangible assets, and paragraph (25) of this subsection, concerning securities, of this subsection Examples of intangible assets include, but are not limited to, stocks, bonds, commodity contracts, futures contracts, patents, copyrights, licenses, trademarks, franchises, goodwill, and general receivable rights. The net gain from the sale of real property is sourced as provided in paragraph (23) of this subsection, concerning real property. The net gain from the sale of tangible personal property is sourced as provided in paragraph (29) of this subsection, concerning tangible personal property.

    (E)Examples.

      (i)Example 1. During a report year, a real estate investment company sells two Texas investment properties, reporting a gain on sale of one property and a loss on the sale of the other property. The company should include the net gain on the profitable sale in gross receipts from its entire business but should not include the net loss on the unprofitable sale. The company should not offset the net loss against the net gain. To determine Texas gross receipts, the asset should be sourced based on its nature. Receipts from the sale of real property are sourced to the location of the property, as provided in paragraph (23) of this subsection. The company should include only the net gain on the sale of the Texas investment property in Texas gross receipts and should not include the net loss on the sale of the other Texas investment property.

      (ii)Example 2. The facts are the same as in Example 1, except the real estate investment company also had net gains and net losses from the sale of out-of-state properties. For reports originally due prior to January 1, 2021, the real estate investment company may offset all of the net losses from these sales against all of the net gains. If the result is a net gain, the net gain is included in gross receipts from its entire business. If the result is a net loss, the net loss may not be not included in gross receipts from its entire business. To determine Texas gross receipts, the company may offset the net loss from the sale of the one Texas property against the net gain from the sale of the other Texas property. If the result is a net gain, the net gain is included in Texas gross receipts. If the result is a net loss, the net loss may not be included in Texas gross receipts.

  (3)Computer hardware and digital property.

    (A)Gross receipts from the sale of computer hardware together with any software installed on the hardware are sourced as the sale or lease of tangible personal property under paragraph (29) of this subsection.

    (B)Gross receipts from the lease of computer hardware together with any software installed on the hardware are sourced as the leasing of tangible personal property under paragraph (14)(B) of this subsection.

    (C)Gross receipts from the sale of digital property (computer programs and any content in digital format that is either protected by copyright law or no longer protected by copyright law solely due to the passage of time) that is transferred by fixed physical media are sourced as the sale of tangible personal property under paragraph (29) of this subsection.

    (D)Gross receipts from lease of digital property that is transferred by fixed physical media are sourced as the leasing of tangible personal property under paragraph (14)(B) of this subsection.

    (E)Gross receipts from the sale or lease of digital property that is transferred by means other than by fixed physical media are sourced as the sale of intangible property under paragraph (21)(B) of this subsection.

    (F)Gross receipts from the delivery of digital property as a service are sourced under paragraph (26) of this subsection, unless otherwise provided in this subsection.

    (G)Gross receipts from the delivery of digital property as part of an internet hosting service are sourced as internet hosting receipts under paragraph (13) of this subsection. See paragraph (13)(D) of this subsection for factors distinguishing the purchase of access over the internet to computer services from the purchase or lease of digital property.

    (H)Gross receipts from the use (as opposed to the sale or licensing) of digital property are sourced under paragraph (21)(A) of this subsection.

    (I)Examples.

      (i)Example 1. Movie Studio produces a copyrighted movie in digital format and successively sells the theatrical rights to Movie Theater Chain Company, the broadcast rights to Cable Company, the internet streaming rights to Internet Company A, the internet rental rights to Internet Company B, the digital versatile disc (DVD) sale rights to DVD Company, DVD rental rights to Kiosk Company, and the permanent download sale rights to Download Company. In each instance, Movie Studio's receipts are from the right to use its copyrighted digital property and sourced to where the copyright is used under paragraph (21)(A) of this subsection. Movie Theater Chain Company receipts from ticket sales are from the sale of a service and sourced to the audience location under paragraph (26)(A)(i) of this subsection. Cable Company subscription receipts from broadcasting the movie are from the sale of a service and sourced to the audience location under paragraph (26)(A)(i) of this subsection. Internet Company A's subscription receipts for its streaming service using its website are from an internet hosting service and sourced to the location of the customer under paragraph (13) of this subsection. Internet Company B's receipts from the rental (access for a limited time) of the movie using the company's website are from an internet hosting service and sourced to the location of the customer under paragraph (13) of this subsection. DVD Company's receipts from the sale of DVDs are from the sale of tangible personal property and sourced under paragraph (29) of this subsection. Kiosk Company's receipts from the rental of DVDs are from the rental of property and sourced to the location of the property under paragraph (14) of this subsection. Download Company's receipts from the sale of permanent downloads of the movie are from the sale intangibles and sourced to the location of payor under paragraph (21)(B) of this subsection.

Cont'd...

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