Current through Vol. 42, No. 4, November 1, 2024
Section 710:65-13-51 - Exemption for sales of computers, data processing, telephonic and certain related equipment and services to a qualified aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility(a) Sales of computers, data processing equipment, related peripherals and telephone, telegraph or telecommunications service and equipment for use in a qualified aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility are exempt from sales and use tax.(1) For purposes of this exemption, "qualified aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility" is defined as any new or expanded business which adds at least Two Hundred Fifty (250) new full-time-equivalent employees, as certified by the Employment Security Commission. In order to qualify for the exemption, the construction cost of the new or expanded facility must exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00).(2) For purposes of this exemption, the following will apply: (A)"Computer" means an electronic device that accepts information in digital or similar form and manipulates it for a result based on a sequence of instructions. [68 O.S. § 1352 ](B)"Data processing equipment" includes machines which perform work using programmed instruction, and which singly or collectively have capabilities of memory, logic, arithmetic and/or communication and all machines used in support of machines possessing those capabilities;(C)"Related peripheral" means input, output, processing, storage, software and communication facilities which are connected or related to a device in a system or network; and(D)"Telecommunications" includes data transmission between a computing system and remotely located devices.(3) The exemption shall include, but shall not be limited, to the following: (F) Video Display Terminal(4) The exemption shall not apply to the following:(B) Furniture, such as: (vi) Acoustical Protector(C) Accessories, such as: (b) No exemption shall be granted if the qualified aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility fails to file the documentation required below with the Commission within thirty-six (36) months of the date of purchase and the required certification issued by the Employment Security Commission within sixty (60) months of the date of first purchase.(c) Pursuant to statute, the exemption for sales to an aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility outlined above will be administered as a refund for state and local taxes paid by the aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility to the vendor or, in the case of use tax, self-remitted to the State of Oklahoma.(d) All persons who believe that they fall within the exemption provided shall file an Application/Intent to Qualify with the Commission. The Application/Intent to Qualify shall be on forms provided by the Commission and shall include, as attachments, specifications of the new or expanded facility, a complete description of the maintenance repair or manufacturing that will take place within the facility, and other information requested by the Commission. Upon receipt of the Application, the Application will be reviewed by the Commission for completeness and compliance with the exemption. A copy of the Application will be forwarded to the Employment Security Commission for establishment of the entity's base line employment. The applicant will be notified of any action taken regarding the Application by the Commission.(e) For each purchase made, the entity who believes that it will be certified shall file the following documentation with the Commission on forms provided for that purpose by the Commission: (1) Invoice indicating the amount of state and local taxes billed to the aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility;(2) Affidavit of the vendor of the tangible personal property that state and local sales tax reflected on that invoice has not been credited, rebated, or refunded to the aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility, but rather, that the sales tax charged has been collected by the vendor and remitted to the Commission. Any number of invoices from the same vendor may be attached to one affidavit so long as the affidavit covers all invoices attached;(3) All additional documentation required to be submitted by the Commission.(f) At the option of the entity who believes it will be certified as a qualified aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility, the documentation required in (e) of this Section can be filed monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. However, all documentation must be filed no later than thirty-six (36) months after the item is purchased. The Commission will review the documentation submitted and determine within thirty (30) days whether the refund claimed will be allowed. In the event that the claim is denied, the person who submitted the documentation will be notified by the Commission as to the reason for denial. The entity submitting the documentation will similarly be notified that a claim has been approved.(g) Each month, the Commission shall transfer from sales tax collected, to an account designated by the Commission, the estimated amount of claims approved the previous month.(h) Upon completion of the new or expanded business and the addition of the employees as required by statute, the entity believing it falls within the exemption shall apply for certification on forms provided by the Commission. Each application for certification shall be reviewed by the Commission for the purpose of determining that the total cost of construction exceeded the sum of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) required by law. During such time that the Commission is reviewing the application for certification, the Commission will forward a copy of the application for certification to the Employment Security Commission who will review employees hired. Upon completion of the review by the Commission and the Employment Securities Commission, the Tax Commission will notify the applicant of the approval or denial of the certification requested.(1) The applicant whose certification has been approved shall receive a refund in the amount not to exceed the total amount of state and local sales taxes paid and previously approved by the Commission. The qualified aircraft maintenance or manufacturing facility will also receive accrued interest upon the principal amount of the refund made as provided for by statute. [ See: 68 O.S. § 1357(16) ](2) The following shall apply when a request for certification is denied: (A) Any applicant whose request for certification is denied may, within sixty (60) days after the mailing of the denial by the Commission, file with the Commission a protest under oath, signed by the applicant or a duly authorized agent setting out: (i) a statement of denial as determined by the Commission;(ii) a statement of the applicant's disagreement with such denial, and(iii) supporting documentation relied on by the taxpayer in support of certification.(B) If an applicant fails to file a written protest within the sixty (60) days, then the denial, without further action of the Commission, shall become final and no appeal will be entertained.(C) Applicants filing a protest to the denial of certification by the Commission shall be scheduled for a hearing en banc before the Commission for a date, time and place set by the Commission. Notice of the date, time and place will be given by mail at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing. The burden of proving that the denial of certification was erroneous is on the applicant. The applicant can present testimony, evidence and argument in support of the requested certification.(D) The Commission will issue an order in each case. That order is directly appealable to the Supreme Court. The appeal must be perfected within thirty (30) days of the mailing of the order by filing a Petition in Error with the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma and by filing a designation of the record with the Secretary of the Commission at the same time the Petition in Error is filed. [NOTE: For further information the applicant should refer to the Rules of Practice and Procedure before the Office of the Administrative Law Judges (710:1-5-21 through 710:1-5-49 ). [ See: 68 O.S. §§ 225, 1357.5, 1404.4 ]Okla. Admin. Code § 710:65-13-51
Amended at 11 Ok Reg 3521, eff 6-26-94; Amended at 12 Ok Reg 2635, eff 6-26-95; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 2581, eff 6-25-04; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 2397, eff 6-25-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2070, eff 7-1-08; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 2354, eff 6-25-09Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 32, Issue 23, August 17, 2015, eff. 8/27/2015