Chapter 77

77.51(12m)(c)4.a. a. The purchaser presents a coupon, certificate, or other documentation to the seller to claim the price reduction or discount, if the coupon, certificate, or other documentation is authorized, distributed, or granted by the 3rd party with the understanding that the 3rd party will reimburse the seller for the amount of the price reduction or discount.

77.51(12m)(c)4.b. b. The purchaser identifies himself or herself to the seller as a member of a group or organization that may claim the price reduction or discount.

77.51(12m)(c)4.c. c. The seller provides an invoice to the purchaser, or the purchaser presents a coupon, certificate, or other documentation to the seller, that identifies the price reduction or discount as a 3rd-party price reduction or discount.

77.51(12p) (12p) “Purchaser” means a person to whom a sale of tangible personal property is made or to whom a service is furnished.

77.51(12t) (12t) “Real property construction activities” means activities that occur at a site where tangible personal property or items or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (d) that are applied or adapted to the use or purpose to which real property is devoted are permanently affixed to that real property. “Real property construction activities” does not include affixing property subject to tax under s. 77.52 (1) (c) to real property or affixing to real property tangible personal property that remains tangible personal property after it is affixed. The department may promulgate rules to determine whether activities that occur at a site where tangible personal property or items or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (d) are affixed to real property are real property construction activities for purposes of this subchapter. If the classification of property or an activity is not identified by rule, the department’s determination of whether personal property becomes a part of real property shall be made by considering the following criteria:

77.51(12t)(a) (a) Actual physical annexation to the real property.

77.51(12t)(b) (b) Application or adaptation to the use or purpose to which the real property is devoted.

77.51(12t)(c) (c) An intention on the part of the person making the annexation to make a permanent accession to the real property.

77.51(13) (13) “Retailer” includes:

77.51(13)(a) (a) Every seller who makes any sale on the seller’s own behalf or on behalf of another person, regardless of whether the sale is mercantile in nature, of tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or a service specified under s. 77.52 (2) (a).

77.51(13)(am) (am) Any person making any retail sale of a motor vehicle, aircraft, snowmobile, recreational vehicle, as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), trailer, semitrailer, all-terrain vehicle, utility terrain vehicle, off-highway motorcycle, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), or boat registered or titled, or required to be registered or titled, under the laws of this state or of the United States.

77.51(13)(b) (b) Every person engaged in the business of making sales of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) for storage, use or consumption or in the business of making sales at auction of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) owned by the person or others for storage, use or other consumption.

77.51(13)(c) (c) When the department determines that it is necessary for the efficient administration of this subchapter to regard any salespersons, representatives, peddlers, marketplace providers, or canvassers as the agents of the dealers, distributors, marketplace sellers, supervisors, or employers under whom they operate or from whom they obtain the tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) sold by them, irrespective of whether they are making the sales on their own behalf or on behalf of such dealers, distributors, marketplace sellers, supervisors, or employers, the department may so regard them and may regard the dealers, distributors, marketplace sellers, supervisors, or employers as retailers for purposes of this subchapter.

77.51(13)(d) (d) Every wholesaler to the extent that the wholesaler sells tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a person other than a seller as defined in sub. (17) provided such wholesaler is not expressly exempt from the sales tax on such sale or from collecting the use tax on such sale.

77.51(13)(e) (e) A person selling tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a service provider who transfers the property, items, or goods in conjunction with the selling, performing or furnishing of any service and the property, items, or goods are incidental to the service, unless the service provider is selling, performing or furnishing services under s. 77.52 (2) (a) 7., 10., 11. and 20. This subsection does not apply to sub. (2).

77.51(13)(f) (f) A service provider who transfers tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) in conjunction with but not incidental to the selling, performing or furnishing of any service and a service provider selling, performing or furnishing services under s. 77.52 (2) (a) 7., 10., 11. and 20. This subsection does not apply to sub. (2).

77.51(13)(fm) (fm) A person selling, performing, or furnishing any service under s. 77.52 (2) (a) 5. or 12. to a service provider described in s. 77.52 (2m) (am).

77.51(13)(i) (i) A person selling items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), materials, or supplies to barbers, beauty shop operators, or bootblacks for use by them in the performance of their services.

77.51(13)(j) (j) A person selling items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), materials, and supplies to producers of X-ray films.

77.51(13)(k) (k) With respect to a lease, any person deriving rentals from a lease of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) sourced to this state as provided under s. 77.522.

77.51(13)(m) (m) A person selling tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a veterinarian to be used or furnished by the veterinarian in the performance of services in some manner related to domestic animals, including pets or poultry.

77.51(13)(n) (n) A person selling household furniture, furnishings, equipment, appliances or other items of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a landlord for use by tenants in leased or rented living quarters.

77.51(13)(o) (o) A person selling drugs for animals or bees to a veterinarian. As used in this paragraph, “animal” includes livestock, pets, and poultry.

77.51(13)(p) (p) All persons described in this subsection regardless of all of the following:

77.51(13)(p)1. 1. Whether the transaction is mercantile in nature.

77.51(13)(p)2. 2. Whether the seller sells smaller quantities from inventory.

77.51(13)(p)3. 3. Whether the seller makes or intends to make a profit on the sale.

77.51(13)(p)4. 4. Whether the seller or the buyer receives a benefit the seller or buyer bargained for.

77.51(13)(p)5. 5. The percentage of the seller’s total sales that the sale represents.

77.51(13)(p)6. 6. Any activities other than those described in pars. (a) to (o) in which the seller is engaged.

77.51(13)(p)7. 7. Whether the seller sells on the seller’s own behalf or on behalf of another person.

77.51(13)(q) (q) A marketplace provider who facilitates, on behalf of a marketplace seller, sales that are sourced to this state as provided under s. 77.522 of tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or services.

77.51(13g) (13g) Except as provided in subs. (13gm) and (13h), “retailer engaged in business in this state”, for purposes of the use tax, includes any of the following:

77.51(13g)(a) (a) Any retailer owning any real property in this state.

77.51(13g)(ab) (ab) Any retailer leasing or renting out any tangible personal property, or items or property under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (c), if such property or items are located in this state.

77.51(13g)(ac) (ac) Any retailer maintaining, occupying, or using, permanently or temporarily, directly or indirectly, or through a subsidiary, an agent, or some other person, an office, place of distribution, sales or sample room or place, warehouse or storage place, or other place of business in this state.

77.51(13g)(b) (b) Any retailer having any representative, including a manufacturer’s representative, agent, salesperson, canvasser, or solicitor operating in this state under authority of the retailer or its subsidiary for the purpose of selling, delivering, or the taking orders for any tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or services or for the purpose of performing any of the other activities described in this subsection.

77.51(13g)(c) (c) Any retailer selling tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or taxable services for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, unless otherwise limited by federal law.

77.51(13g)(d) (d) Any person who has an affiliate in this state, if the person is related to the affiliate and if the affiliate uses facilities or employees in this state to advertise, promote, or facilitate the establishment of or market for sales of items by the related person to purchasers in this state or for providing services to the related person’s purchasers in this state, including accepting returns of purchases or resolving customer complaints. For purposes of this paragraph, 2 persons are related if any of the following apply:

77.51(13g)(d)1. 1. One person, or each person, is a corporation and one person and any person related to that person in a manner that would require a stock attribution from the corporation to the person or from the person to the corporation under section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code owns directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively at least 50 percent of the corporation’s outstanding stock value.

77.51(13g)(d)2. 2. One person, or each person, is a partnership, estate, or trust and any partner or beneficiary; and the partnership, estate, or trust and its partners or beneficiaries; own directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50 percent of the profits, capital, stock, or value of the other person or both persons.

77.51(13g)(d)3. 3. An individual stockholder and the members of the stockholder’s family, as defined in section 318 of the Internal Revenue Code, owns directly, indirectly, beneficially, or constructively, in the aggregate, at least 50 percent of both persons’ outstanding stock value.

77.51(13g)(e) (e) Any person servicing, repairing, or installing equipment or other tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) in this state.

77.51(13g)(f) (f) Any person delivering tangible personal property or items under s. 77.52 (1) (b) into this state in a vehicle operated by the person that sells the property or items that are delivered.

77.51(13g)(g) (g) Any person performing construction activities in this state.

77.51(13gm) (13gm) 

77.51(13gm)(a) (a) “Retailer engaged in business in this state” does not include a retailer who has no activities as described in sub. (13g), except for activities described in sub. (13g) (c), unless the retailer’s annual gross sales into this state exceed $100,000 in the previous or current calendar year.

77.51(13gm)(b) (b) If an out-of-state retailer’s annual gross sales into this state exceed $100,000 in the previous calendar year, the retailer shall register with the department and collect the taxes administered under s. 77.52 or 77.53 on sales sourced to this state under s. 77.522 for the entire current calendar year.

77.51(13gm)(c) (c) If an out-of-state retailer’s annual gross sales into this state are $100,000 or less in the previous calendar year, the retailer is not required to register with the department and collect the taxes administered under s. 77.52 or 77.53 on sales sourced to this state under s. 77.522 until the retailer’s gross sales exceed $100,000 for the current calendar year, at which time the retailer shall register with the department and collect the tax for the remainder of the current calendar year.

77.51(13gm)(d) (d) All of the following apply for purposes of this subsection:

77.51(13gm)(d)2. 2. “Gross sales” includes both taxable and nontaxable sales.

77.51(13gm)(d)5. 5. An out-of-state retailer’s annual gross sales include all sales into this state by the retailer on behalf of other persons and all sales into this state by another person on the retailer’s behalf.

77.51(13h) (13h) “Retailer engaged in business in this state”, notwithstanding sub. (13g), beginning on the applicable date does not include a foreign corporation that is the publisher of printed materials the only activities of which in this state do not exceed the storage of its raw materials for any length of time in this state in or on property owned by a person other than the foreign corporation and the delivery of its raw materials to another person in this state if that storage and delivery are for printing by that other person, and the purchase from a printer of a printing service or of printed materials in this state for the publisher and the storage of the printed materials for any length of time in this state in or on property owned by a person other than the publisher and do not exceed maintaining, occupying and using, directly or by means of another person, a place that is in this state, that is not owned by the publisher and that is used for the distribution of printed materials. In this subsection, “applicable date” for publishers of books and periodicals other than catalogs means January 1, 1980, and for all other publishers means January 1, 1990. In this subsection “raw materials” means tangible personal property which becomes an ingredient or component part of the printed materials or which is consumed or destroyed or loses its identity in the printing of the printed materials.

77.51(13r) (13r) Any person purchasing from a retailer as defined in sub. (13) shall be deemed the consumer of the tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or services purchased.

77.51(13rm) (13rm) “Retail sale” or “sale at retail” means any sale, lease, or rental for any purpose other than resale, sublease, or subrent.

77.51(13rn) (13rn) “Ringtones” means digitized sound files that are downloaded onto a device and that may be used to alert the customer regarding a communication, but not including ringback tones or other digital audio files that are not stored on the purchaser’s communication device.

77.51(13s) (13s) “Safety classes” means all classes approved by the department of natural resources related to hunting, including hunting with a bow, and related to firearms, all-terrain vehicles, utility terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, boats, and snowmobiles.

77.51(14) (14) “Sale” includes any of the following: the transfer of the ownership of, title to, possession of, or enjoyment of tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or services for use or consumption but not for resale as tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or services and includes:

77.51(14)(a) (a) Any sale at an auction with respect to tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) which are sold to a successful bidder, except the sale of tangible personal property, items, or goods sold at auction which are bid in by the seller and on which title does not pass to a new purchaser.

77.51(14)(b) (b) The furnishing or distributing of tangible personal property, or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d), or taxable services for a consideration by social clubs and fraternal organizations to their members or others.

77.51(14)(c) (c) A transaction whereby the possession of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) are transferred but the seller retains the title as security for the payment of the price.

77.51(14)(f) (f) The furnishing, preparing or serving for consideration of food, meals, confections or drinks.

77.51(14)(h) (h) A transfer for a consideration of the title or possession of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) which have been produced, fabricated, or printed to the special order of the customer or of any publication.

77.51(14)(j) (j) The granting of possession of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) by a lessor to a lessee, or to another person at the direction of the lessee. Such a transaction is deemed a continuing sale.

77.51(14)(m) (m) A transaction for which a person’s books and records show the transaction created, with regard to the transferee, an obligation to pay a certain amount of money or an increase in accounts payable or, with regard to the transferor, a right to receive a certain amount of money or an increase in accounts receivable.

77.51(14)(n) (n) All activities described in this subsection regardless of all of the following:

77.51(14)(n)1. 1. Whether the transaction is mercantile in nature.

77.51(14)(n)2. 2. Whether the seller sells smaller quantities from inventory.

77.51(14)(n)3. 3. Whether the seller makes or intends to make a profit on the sale.

77.51(14)(n)4. 4. Whether the seller or the buyer receives a benefit the seller or buyer bargained for.

77.51(14)(n)5. 5. The percentage of the seller’s total sales that the sale represents.

77.51(14)(n)6. 6. Any activities other than those described in sub. (13) (a) to (o) in which the seller is engaged.

77.51(14)(n)7. 7. Whether the seller sells on the seller’s own behalf or on behalf of another person.

77.51(14a) (14a) For purposes of ss. 77.54, 77.55, and 77.56, “sale” includes licenses, leases, and rentals.

77.51(14g) (14g) “Sale” does not include:

77.51(14g)(a) (a) The transfer of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a corporation upon its organization solely in consideration for the issuance of its stock;

77.51(14g)(b) (b) The contribution of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a newly formed partnership solely in consideration for a partnership interest therein;

77.51(14g)(bm) (bm) The contribution of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a limited liability company upon its organization solely in consideration for a membership interest;

77.51(14g)(c) (c) The transfer of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a corporation, solely in consideration for the issuance of its stock, pursuant to a merger or consolidation;

77.51(14g)(cm) (cm) The transfer of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a limited liability company, solely in consideration for a membership interest, pursuant to a merger;

77.51(14g)(d) (d) The distribution of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) by a corporation to its stockholders as a dividend or in whole or partial liquidation;

77.51(14g)(e) (e) The distribution of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) by a partnership to its partners in whole or partial liquidation;

77.51(14g)(em) (em) The distribution of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) by a limited liability company to its members in whole or partial liquidation;

77.51(14g)(f) (f) Repossession of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) by the seller from the purchaser when the only consideration is cancellation of the purchaser’s obligation to pay the remaining balance of the purchase price;

77.51(14g)(fm) (fm) The transfer of transmission facilities, as defined in s. 196.485 (1) (h), to a transmission company, as defined in s. 196.485 (1) (ge), after the organizational start-up date, as defined in s. 196.485 (1) (dv), of such company in exchange for securities, as defined in s. 196.485 (1) (fe);

77.51(14g)(g) (g) The transfer of property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) in a reorganization as defined in section 368 of the internal revenue code in which no gain or loss is recognized for franchise or income tax purposes; or

77.51(14g)(h) (h) Any transfer of all or substantially all the property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) held or used by a person in the course of an activity requiring the holding of a seller’s permit, if after the transfer the real or ultimate ownership of the property, items, or goods is substantially similar to that which existed before the transfer. For the purposes of this section, stockholders, bondholders, partners, members or other persons holding an interest in a corporation or other entity are regarded as having the real or ultimate ownership of the property, items, or goods of the corporation or other entity. In this paragraph, “substantially similar” means 80 percent or more of ownership.

77.51(15a) (15a) 

77.51(15a)(a) (a) “Sales, lease, or rental for resale, sublease, or subrent” includes transfers of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a service provider that the service provider transfers in conjunction with but not incidental to the selling, performing, or furnishing of any service, and transfers of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), or (d) to a service provider that the service provider physically transfers in conjunction with the selling, performing, or furnishing services under s. 77.52 (2) (a) 7., 10., 11., or 20. This paragraph does not apply to sub. (2).