Tax 11.15(1)(c)7.7. Paper bags purchased by grocery stores, bakeries, or other retailers and used by their customers in carrying out their purchases. Tax 11.15(1)(c)8.8. Feed bags purchased by feed dealers who use the bags to transfer merchandise sold to their customers. Tax 11.15(1)(c)9.9. Bale ties sold to a hay owner and used to deliver hay to the owner’s customers. Tax 11.15(1)(c)10.10. Ice used by a commercial fisher inside a box of fish to preserve the fish during shipment to market. Tax 11.15(1)(c)11.11. LPG tanks used to transfer fuel to customers which are replaced each time the fuel is exhausted. Tax 11.15(1)(c)12.12. Packaging and shipping materials for use in packing, packaging, or shipping meat or meat products, regardless of whether these items are used to transfer merchandise to customers. Tax 11.15 NoteNote: See Tax 11.12 for information on farmer’s container exemption.
Tax 11.15(2)(2) Property not exempt under s. 77.54 (6) (am) 2., Stats. Sales of the following items are not within this exemption: Tax 11.15(2)(a)(a) Wrapping equipment such as paper holders, tape dispensers, staplers, and string holders. Tax 11.15(2)(d)(d) Computer produced gummed label mailing lists used to address envelopes. However, labels for envelopes used to transfer tangible personal property or items or property under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (c), Stats., to customers are exempt. Tax 11.15(2)(e)(e) Containers or other packaging and shipping materials used merely for storage or to transfer merchandise owned by a person from one location to another, such as bakery delivery carts and containers used in delivering bakery products to retailers, where the carts are not transferred by the bakery to the retailer. Tax 11.15 NoteExamples: 1) Wholesaler A’s truck driver delivers bakery products to Grocery Store B. The truck driver brings the bakery products into Grocery Store B on a cart, puts the bakery products from the cart onto Grocery Store B’s shelves and returns the cart to the truck and provides Grocery Store B with an invoice for the bakery products. The cart is not transferred to Grocery Store B (the bakery retailer), and is not an exempt container.
Tax 11.15 Note2) Wholesaler C’s truck driver delivers bread to Grocery Store D. The truck driver brings the bread into Grocery Store D on a cart, and leaves the bread on the cart at Grocery Store D. The truck driver picks up the cart that was left with the last delivery. The truck driver provides Grocery Store D with an invoice for the bread. Grocery Store D’s employees stock its shelves as needed with the bread from the cart. The cart is transferred to Grocery Store D (the bakery retailer), and is an exempt container.
Tax 11.15(2)(f)(f) Lumber or other material used for bracing, blocking, skidding, or shoring items while in transit that is not transferred to the customer of the shipped items; and cardboard and paper used to line box cars. Tax 11.15(2)(g)(g) Price tags and advertising matter used in connection with the sale of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., including counter display cards used for advertising and display purposes. Tax 11.15(2)(h)(h) Tanks on trucks used to deliver merchandise to customers. Tax 11.15(2)(i)(i) Corrugated boxes and other containers and related packing materials purchased by movers for use in transporting a customer’s goods. Tax 11.15(2)(j)(j) Bags, boxes, hangers, and other containers transferred to customers by laundries, dry cleaners, and other persons providing services. Tax 11.15 NoteNote: In a decision dated November 23, 1979 in the case of Leicht Transfer & Storage Co., Inc. vs. Wisconsin Department of Revenue the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission held that corrugated boxes and related packing materials used by Leicht to transport a customer’s property from one location to another do not come within the exemption in s. 77.54 (6) (b), 2011 Stats. This decision was affirmed by the Dane County Circuit Court on May 19, 1980, by the Court of Appeals, District IV on May 26, 1981. Tax 11.15(3)(a)(a) Returnable container deposits received by a retailer at the time of the retail sale of tangible personal property or items or property under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (c), Stats., such as soft drink bottles, beer bottles and containers, and refunds of the deposits may be excluded from the computation of the taxable sales price if they are excluded from the sales price on the retailer’s books of account. Tax 11.15(3)(b)(b) If a retailer’s books of account include container deposits in the sales price and if refunds of the deposits are deducted from the sales price, the retailer shall use this method of reporting the taxable sales price on a sales tax return. Under this method, the sales price from the deposit is subject to the tax and the tax may be collected from the customer. However, when the deposit is refunded to the customer, the applicable sales tax shall also be refunded to the customer. Tax 11.15(4)(a)(a) The sales price from sales to restaurants, cafeterias, caterers, nursing homes, or vending machine operators of disposable items, including paper and plastic cups, plates, butter chips, hamburger and frankfurter baskets or buckets, utensils, straws, placemats, napkins, doggie bags, wrapping materials, and toothpicks, transferred to customers for a valuable consideration by these persons as part of the sale of food, food products, and beverages to customers are not subject to the tax. Tax 11.15(4)(b)(b) The sales price from the sale of disposable products to a restaurant that are transferred with candy, soft drinks, dietary supplements, and prepared foods furnished for no consideration by the restaurant to the restaurant’s own employees during the employee’s work hours is not subject to the tax. Tax 11.15(5)(5) Demurrage, lease, or rental of fuel storage tanks. A gas supplier’s monthly charge to a customer for the use of an LPG or other fuel storage tank which remains indefinitely on the customer’s premises is taxable. The charge a supplier makes because a gas cylinder is retained by a customer beyond a 30-day period is also taxable. These “demurrage” charges constitute taxable rentals paid for the continuation of possession of the container. If a charge is made to the customer for the use of the container and the container is used exclusively for those leasing purposes, the gas supplier may issue an exemption certificate claiming resale when the supplier purchases the container. Tax 11.15(6)(a)(a) If a charge is made by a seller or lessor of tangible personal property or items or property under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (c), Stats., to a customer for a container or packaging materials used in connection with the shipment of the property or item, the charge for the container or packaging materials becomes a part of the sales price or rental charge. If the sale of the property or item shipped is not subject to or is exempt from tax, the charge for the container or packaging materials is not subject to or is exempt from tax. If the sale of the property or item shipped is subject to tax, the charge for the container or packaging materials is subject to tax. This paragraph is applicable to the taxation of containers and packaging materials regardless of whether the charge for the containers or packaging materials is separately stated or not separately stated. Tax 11.15(6)(b)(b) Any credit given by a seller or lessor to a customer for the container or packaging materials used in connection with the shipment of property or items which the customer returns to the seller or lessor shall reduce the seller’s or lessor’s sales price subject to tax in the reporting period during which the materials are returned, if the seller or lessor included the selling price of the container or packaging materials in the sales price subject to tax, and the seller or lessor returns the tax to the customer. Tax 11.15(7)(7) Gift wrapping. The amount charged for gift wrapping packages is taxable. Tax 11.15 NoteNote: The interpretations in s. Tax 11.15 are effective under the general sales and use tax law on and after September 1, 1969, except: (a) The exemption for meat packaging and shipping materials became effective on May 20, 1978, pursuant to Chapter 368, Laws of 1977; (b) Laundries and dry cleaners became the consumers of bags, boxes, hangers, and other containers transferred to customers effective September 1, 1983, pursuant to 1983 Wis. Act 27; and (c) The change of the term “gross receipts” to “sales price” and the separate impositions of tax on coins and stamps sold above face value under s. 77.52 (1) (b), Stats., certain leased property affixed to real property under s. 77.52 (1) (c), Stats., and digital goods under s. 77.52 (1) (d), Stats., became effective October 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2. Tax 11.15 NoteNote: In Dernehl-Taylor Co. v. Department of Revenue (Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission, May 26, 1978), it was held that the gross receipts for doggie bags qualify for the exemption under s. 77.54 (6) (b), 2011 Stats., because they are used to transfer merchandise to customers. Tax 11.15 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, November, 1978, No. 275, eff. 12-1-78; am. (5) (a) and (8), r. (5) (b), Register, June, 1983, No. 330, eff. 7-1-83; cr. (2) (k), Register, December, 1983, No. 336, eff. 1-1-84; renum. (2) (j) to be (1) (c) 12., and am., Register, September, 1984, No. 345, eff. 10-1-84; am. (1) (a), (b), (c) 8., 11. and 12., (2) (g), (4) (a) and (b) and (5) (a), cr. (2) (L), Register, March, 1991, No. 423, eff. 4-1-91; renum. (2) (k) and (L) to be (2) (j) and (k), am. (7), cr. (7) (b), Register, July, 1993, No. 451, eff. 8-1-93; correction in (1) (c) 10. made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 5., Stats., Register, July, 1993, No. 451; am. (1) (a) and (c) 5., r. (3), renum. (4), (5), (6), (7) and (8) to be (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) and am. (5), Register, December, 1997, No. 504, eff. 1-1-98; EmR0924: emerg. am. (1) (a), (c) (intro.), (2) (title), (intro.), (a), (d) to (f), (3), (5) and (6), r. (2) (g), renum. (2) (h) to (k) and (4) to be (2) (g) to (j) and (4) (a) and am. (2) (g) and (4) (a), cr. (4) (b), eff. 10-1-09; CR 09-090: am. (1) (a), (c) (intro.), (2) (title), (intro.), (a), (d) to (f), (3), (5) and (6), r. (2) (g), renum. (2) (h) to (k) and (4) to be (2) (g) to (j) and (4) (a) and am. (2) (g) and (4) (a), cr. (4) (b) Register May 2010 No. 653, eff. 6-1-10; CR. 10-094: am. (1) (title), (a), (b), (c) 1. to 5., 7., 12., (2) (title), (j), (3) (a), (4), (5) Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10; CR 12-014: am. (3) (a) Register August 2012 No. 680, eff. 9-1-12; corrections in (1) (title), (2) (title) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register August 2014 No. 704. Tax 11.16Tax 11.16 Common or contract carriers. Tax 11.16(1)(a)(a) Exemption. Section 77.54 (5) (b), Stats., provides a sales and use tax exemption for motor trucks, truck tractors, road tractors, buses, trailers, and semitrailers, and accessories, attachments, parts, supplies, and materials therefor, sold to common or contract carriers who use such motor trucks, truck tractors, road tractors, buses, trailers, and semitrailers exclusively as common or contract carriers, including the urban mass transportation of passengers as defined in s. 71.38, Stats. Tax 11.16(1)(am)3.3. “Exclusively” means that the motor trucks, truck tractors, road tractors, buses, trailers, and semitrailers are used solely as common or contract carriers to the exclusion of all other uses, except that the sales and use tax exemption for this tangible personal property will not be invalidated by an infrequent and sporadic use other than as a common or contract carrier. Tax 11.16 NoteNote: Under department of transportation rules, a licensed carrier (LC) number is required if a common or contract carrier hauls goods of others for hire. The sales and use tax exemption in par. (a) applies only if the common or contract carrier used the vehicle exclusively for hauling goods of others for hire.
Tax 11.16(1)(b)(b) Accessories and attachments. Accessories, attachments, parts, and supplies for exempt vehicles are exempt from the sales and use tax under s. 77.54 (5) (b), Stats. This exemption includes the following items if they are assigned to and carried on vehicles used exclusively as common or contract carriers: dollies, pianoboards, ladders, walkboards, tire chains, fire extinguishers, flares, bug deflectors, engine block heaters, defroster fans, auxiliary heaters and cooling units and their fuel, radios, flag kits including flags and reflectors, cell phones, tracking devices, global positioning system or “GPS” units, on board recorders, and items designed to be used with a vehicle which protect or secure the vehicle’s load including tape, fitted tarpaulins, tarpaulin straps, furniture pads and covers, load holding chains, logistic straps, and shoring beams. This exemption does not include corrugated boxes, containers, and related materials that are transferred to customers in conjunction with the selling, performing, or furnishing of a moving service, as provided in par. (g). Tax 11.16 NoteNote: In a decision dated May 19, 1980 in the case of Leicht Transfer & Storage Co., Inc. vs. Wisconsin Department of Revenue the Dane County Circuit Court reversed the November 23, 1979 decision of the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission and held that van equipment and supplies that are exempt under s. 77.54 (5) (b), Stats., include furniture pads, covers, packing supplies, tape, pianoboards, ladders, walkboards, straps, lining paper and corrugated boxes. The Court also stated that “It must be kept in mind that it is undisputed that all of the items are assigned to and carried on the vans.” The Court of Appeals District IV, affirmed the Circuit Court’s decision. Under this interpretation, the only corrugated boxes and packing materials that qualify for exemption under s. 77.54 (5) (b), Stats., are those that are assigned to and carried on an exempt van and that are not transferred to a customer. Tax 11.16(1)(c)(c) Repairs. The sale or furnishing of repair, service, alteration, fitting, cleaning, painting, coating, towing, inspection, and maintenance to exempt vehicles shall be exempt. Tax 11.16(1)(d)(d) Exceptions. The exemption shall not apply to the following property used by common or contract carriers: Tax 11.16(1)(d)2.2. Self-propelled vehicles for off-highway use, such as road machinery, fork lifts, and other industrial trucks. Tax 11.16(1)(e)(e) Equipment and supplies. Equipment acquired by a carrier for the repair, service, or maintenance of its exempt vehicles is not exempt, including repair tools, welding torches, battery chargers, and grinding discs. Tax 11.16(1)(f)(f) Conversion to private use. If a vehicle purchased without tax is converted to private use, a use tax or sales tax pursuant to s. Tax 11.14 (2) (c) is due. The tax is measured by the sales price of the vehicle to the purchaser. Tax 11.16(1)(g)(g) Packaging materials. The transfer to a customer of corrugated boxes, containers, and related packing materials in conjunction with moving or transporting a customer’s goods is incidental to the selling, performing, or furnishing of the moving or transportation service. The service provider is the consumer of the property and shall pay tax on its purchase of the property to be transferred. Tax 11.16(1)(h)(h) Occasional sales. Motor carriers are not required to register as retailers with the department if the sales price from their sales of tangible personal property, items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats., and taxable services are less than $2,000 within a calendar year. Persons who are exempt from registration under this standard shall pay sales or use tax on all purchases of tangible personal property, items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats., and taxable services not otherwise exempt, including items that may be resold to customers. Persons who exceed the standard shall register with the department and obtain a seller’s permit. Persons who register may purchase tangible personal property, items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats., and taxable services for resale without paying tax by issuing to their supplier a properly completed exemption certificate claiming resale or they may pay the tax to their supplier and, if the property is resold, claim a credit for the tax paid against any sales tax due. Tax 11.16 NoteNote: Refer to s. Tax 11.002 for description of permit requirements, how to apply for a permit, and the 15-day time period within which the department is required to act on permit applications. Tax 11.16 NoteExamples: 1) A truck purchased to transport pads and packing materials to and from moving jobs qualifies for the exemption in par. (a).
Tax 11.16 Note2) Cutting down trees, cutting them into logs, and hauling them to a mill as a private business operation voids the exemption in par. (a), even though the trucker also hauls logs as a common or contract carrier for other persons at the same time.
Tax 11.16 Note3) Vehicles of a milk or cheese factory that engage in hauling milk from farms to its plant for processing do not qualify for the exemption under par. (a).
Tax 11.16 Note4) Towing of vehicles to the repair facility of a garage-wrecker operator is part of a private repair business that is not exempt under par. (a).
Tax 11.16(2)(a)(a) Section 77.54 (12), Stats., provides a sales and use tax exemption for the sales price from the sales of and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of rail freight or passenger cars, locomotives, or other rolling stock used in railroad operations, or accessories, attachments, parts, lubricants, or fuel therefor. Tax 11.16(2)(b)1.1. The sale or furnishing of repair, service, alteration, fitting, cleaning, painting, coating, towing, inspection, and maintenance to exempt rolling stock. Tax 11.16(2)(b)2.2. Purchases of any equipment that is operated on railroad rails, including an industrial firm’s switching locomotives used to switch freight cars on its own property, except vehicles that may also be used on a highway. Tax 11.16(2)(b)3.3. Fuel used to heat a caboose or run a compressor that cools a railway car. Tax 11.16(2)(b)4.4. A utility’s coal cars used to haul coal from mines to the utility. Tax 11.16(2)(c)1.1. Rails, crossties, and other road building and maintenance materials. However, sales of crossties to a common or contract carrier are exempt if they are shipped wholly or in part by way of the purchasing carrier under a bill of lading, whether the freight is paid in advance or the shipment is made freight charges collect, to a point outside Wisconsin if the property is transported outside Wisconsin for use by the carrier in the conduct of its business as a carrier. The exemption will not be invalidated because of interruption of the shipment for storage, drying, processing, or creosoting of the crossties in Wisconsin. Tax 11.16(3)(a)(a) Section 77.54 (13), Stats., provides a sales and use tax exemption for the sales price from the sales of and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of commercial vessels and barges of 50-ton burden or over primarily engaged in interstate or foreign commerce or commercial fishing, and the accessories, attachments, parts, and fuel therefor. Tax 11.16(3)(b)1.1. Vessels and barges primarily engaged in interstate or foreign commerce or commercial fishing that are documented under the laws of the United States showing a net volumetric tonnage of 50 tons or more. Tax 11.16(3)(b)2.2. Items that become a component part of the exempt commercial vessel. Tax 11.16(3)(b)3.3. The sale or furnishing of repair, service, alteration, fitting, cleaning, painting, coating, towing, inspection, and maintenance of exempt commercial vessels. Tax 11.16(3)(c)(c) The exemption does not apply to consumable supplies or furnishings that are not attached to the vessel, such as bedding, linen, table and kitchenware, tables, chairs, lubricants, work clothes, acetylene gas, nets, fishing tackle, lumber for dry docking, bracing, blocking and dunnage materials and other materials not incorporated into the vessel. Tax 11.16 NoteNote: The interpretations in s. Tax 11.16 are effective under the general sales and use tax law on and after September 1, 1969, except: (a) The sale of packing materials to a service provider became taxable effective September 1, 1983, pursuant to 1983 Wis. Act 27; (b) The exemption for certain railroad crossties became effective July 20, 1985, pursuant to 1985 Wis. Act 29; (c) Section 340.01 (61), Stats., which defined “station wagon” was repealed pursuant to 1999 Wis. Act 80; (d) In Freight Lime and Sand Hauling, Inc. v. Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission, November 20, 2002 (CCH 400-646), trucks hauling property of others for hire were found to qualify for exemption, even though the property being hauled had no value; (e) Section 77.57, Stats., was amended to remove the portion of the statute that allowed a purchaser to use the lesser of the cost or fair market value of an item that was purchased exempt and whose first taxable use occurred more than 6 months after it was purchased, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2; (f) The change of the term “gross receipts” to “sales price” and the separate impositions of tax on coins and stamps sold above face value under s. 77.52 (1) (b), Stats., certain leased property affixed to real property under s. 77.52 (1) (c), Stats., and digital goods under s. 77.52 (1) (d), Stats., became effective October 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2; (g) The definition of “common motor carrier” was amended, pursuant to 2013 Wis. Act 364, which first applies to motor carrier operations occurring on April 25, 2014; and (h) The threshold for exempt occasional sales was changed to less than $2,000 in annual sales, effective for sales beginning January 1, 2018, pursuant to 2017 Wis. Act 59. Tax 11.16 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, November, 1978, No. 275, eff. 12-1-78; am. (1) (a) and (d), (3) (b) 1., Register, November, 1981, No. 311, eff. 12-1-81; am. (3) (b) 1., Register, January, 1983, No. 325, eff. 2-1-83; am. (1) (b), (d) and (2) (b) 2., r. and recr. (1) (e), cr. (1) (h) and (i), Register, December, 1983, No. 336, eff. 1-1-84; am. (1) (f) and (3) (b) 1., Register, July, 1987, No. 379, eff. 8-1-87; am. (1) (e) and (3) (b) 1., Register, April, 1990, No. 412, eff. 5-1-90; correction in (1) (a) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, April, 1990, No. 412; am. (1) (a) and (d) and (2) (c) 1., r. (1) (g), renum. (1) (h) to be (g) and (1) (i) to be (h), Register, June, 1991, No. 426, eff. 7-1-91; EmR0924: emerg. am. (1) (a), (b), (c), (f), (h), (2) (a), (b) 1. to 3., (3) (a) and (b) 3., renum. (1) (d) to be (1) (d) (intro.) and am., cr. (1) (d) 1. and 2., eff. 10-1-09; CR 09-090: am. (1) (a), (b), (c), (f), (h), (2) (a), (b) 1. to 3., (3) (a) and (b) 3., renum. (1) (d) to be (1) (d) (intro.) and am., cr. (1) (d) 1. and 2. Register May 2010 No. 653, eff. 6-1-10; CR 10-094: am. (1) (a), (am), (b), (e), (g), (2) (a), (c) 1., 2., (3) (a) Register November 2010 No. 659, eff. 12-1-10; CR 16-053: am. (1) (am) (title), renum. (1) (am) to (1) (am) 3., cr. (1) (am) (intro.), 1., 2., am. (1) (b) Register June 2018 No. 750, eff. 7-1-18; CR 20-018: am. (1) (h) Register July 2021 No. 787, eff. 8-1-21. Tax 11.17Tax 11.17 Hospitals, clinics and medical professions. Tax 11.17(1)(a)(a) Although professional personnel in hospitals and clinics and other members of medical professions including physicians, surgeons, oculists, optometrists, and podiatrists regularly transfer antibiotics, bandages, splints, and other tangible personal property and items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats., to their patients in the performance of professional services, the transfer of that property, item, or good is an incident of a service rather than a retail sale of the property, item, or good. The persons are, therefore, deemed the consumers of the property, items, or goods in the same way they are the consumers of other materials and supplies used by them in the performance of their services. Accordingly, the suppliers of hospitals, clinics, and members of medical professions are retailers obligated to register and report tax on sales of tangible personal property, items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., and taxable services, unless the transaction is specifically exempt from the tax. Tax 11.17(1)(b)(b) Section 77.54 (14) (b), Stats., specifically provides an exemption for drugs furnished by a licensed physician, surgeon, or podiatrist to that person’s patient for medical treatment. Section 77.54 (22b), Stats., provides an exemption for durable medical equipment for home use, mobility-enhancing equipment, and prosthetic devices, and repair and replacement parts and accessories for such equipment or devices, if such equipment or devices are used by a human being. The scope of these exemptions is set forth in ss. Tax 11.08, 11.09, and 11.45. Tax 11.17(2)(2) Purchases by hospitals. Purchases by hospitals, except hospital service insurance corporations under s. 613.80 (2), Stats., are exempt from the sales and use tax if the hospitals are nonprofit and, as such, qualify as charitable organizations under s. 77.54 (9a), Stats. Each is issued a Certificate of Exempt Status, “CES,” by the department. When purchasing property, items, goods, and services, a hospital shall furnish its CES number to its supplier, and the supplier may then make sales of every type of tangible personal property and items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats., and services to the hospital without tax. Hospitals organized for profit do not qualify for this exemption. Tax 11.17(3)(3) Purchases by clinics and members of the medical profession. Purchases made by physicians and medical clinics that do not hold a Certificate of Exempt Status, “CES,” are subject to the sales or use tax unless specifically exempt by law. To be exempt, the items on the exempt list shall be furnished to patients at the direction of a physician, surgeon, or podiatrist in conjunction with providing medical service, except for items noted with an asterisk. These items are exempt even though not purchased under the direction of the health professional. The following is a partial list of taxable and exempt purchases of clinics and members of the medical professions. Tax 11.17(4)(4) Sales by hospitals, hospital auxiliaries, clinics, and members of the medical professions. Tax 11.17(4)(a)(a) The sales price from sales of the following are exempt from the tax:
