Tax 11.50(5)(b)1.1. A buyer who purchases any of the items listed in par. (a) 1. to 8. from an auctioneer who is a retailer shall pay the tax to the auctioneer, unless an exemption applies. If the buyer does not pay the tax to the auctioneer, the buyer shall file a return and pay the tax, as prescribed by the department, prior to registering or titling the item in Wisconsin. Tax 11.50(5)(b)2.2. Auction sales of the items listed in par. (a) 1. to 8. do not qualify for exemption as occasional sales of personal farm property or household goods if the items are registered or titled or required to be registered or titled in Wisconsin. Auction sales of boats also do not qualify for exemption as occasional sales of personal farm property or household goods if the boats are registered or titled or required to be registered or titled under the laws of the United States. Tax 11.50 NoteNote: The interpretations in s. Tax 11.50 are effective under the general sales and use tax law on and after September 1, 1969, except: (a) The standard in sub. (4) (d) 2. became effective January 1, 1989, pursuant to 1987 Wis. Act 399; (b) The occasional sale exemption for five or fewer auctions at a location became effective January 1, 2000, pursuant to 1999 Wis. Act 9; (c) The requirement for auctioneers to collect, report, and remit tax on sales of motor vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, recreational vehicles as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), Stats., trailers, semi-trailers, all-terrain vehicles, and aircraft, regardless of whether the auctioneer is a dealer of such items became effective October 1, 2009; and (d) 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 11.50 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, January, 1978, No. 265, eff. 2-1-78; am. (3) (e), Register, December, 1983, No. 336, eff. 1-1-84; am. (4) (d) 3., Register, April, 1985, No. 352, eff. 5-1-85; am. (4) (d) 3., Register, December, 1987, No. 384, eff. 1-1-88; am. (2), (3) (a), (b), (c), (d) and (h) and (4) (a) (intro.), 1. (intro.), a. and 2. and (d) (intro.), 1. and 2., r. (4) (d) 3., renum. (4) (c) to be (3) (i), Register, June, 1991, No. 426, eff. 7-1-91; EmR0924: emerg. r. and recr. eff. 10-1-09; CR 09-090: r. and recr. Register May 2010 No. 653, eff. 6-1-10; CR 16-053: am. (4) (a) 1. a., (5) (title), cr. (5) (a) 7m. Register June 2018 No. 750, eff. 7-1-18; CR 19-112: am. (4) (a) 1. a., (5) (title), cr. (5) (a) 9. Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20. Tax 11.51(1)(a)(a) All sales of tangible personal property and items, property and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats., are taxable except when a specific exemption applies. One of the exemptions is for “food and food ingredients,” which generally exempts all food and food ingredients for human consumption, except candy, soft drinks, dietary supplements, and prepared food. This exemption also does not include many items normally available in grocery and food stores, such as soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, paper products, and detergents. Tax 11.51(1)(b)(b) “Food and food ingredients” is defined in s. 77.51 (3t), Stats., to mean a substance in liquid, concentrated, solid, frozen, dried, or dehydrated form, that is sold for ingestion, or for chewing, by humans and that is ingested or chewed for its taste or nutritional value. “Food and food ingredient” does not include alcoholic beverages or tobacco. Tax 11.51(1)(c)(c) The lists in sub. (2) shall serve as a guide to grocers to determine the kinds of items that are taxable and exempt. Tax 11.51(2)(a)(a) Taxable sales by grocers. Taxable sales include sales of the following items: Adhesive tape.
Air fresheners.
Albums.
Alcoholic beverages.
Almond bark.
Ammonia.
Anti-acid products.
Anti-freeze.
Appliances.
Ash trays.
Aspirin.
Auto supplies.
Baby needs, except food.
Bags of all kinds.
Bakeware.
Baking chips, sweetened.
Baking chocolate that contains a sweetener in the form of bars, drops, or pieces.
Barbecue supplies.
Baskets.
Batteries, except hearing aid batteries.
Beauty aids.
Beer.
Binders.
Bird food and supplies.
Bleach.
Blueing.
Bobby pins and rollers.
Books.
Bottled water, sweetened.
Bottles.
Bowl cleaner.
Breath mints, unless they contain flour.
Breath sprays and strips.
Brooms.
Brushes.
Bubble bath.
Butterscotch chips.
Cake decorations, non-edible.
Cake decorations that are candy.
Calcium tablets.
Cameras and supplies.
Can openers.
Candy.
Candy apples.
Canning and freezer supplies.
Caramel apples.
Caramel corn.
Cat food and supplies.
Cereal bars, unless they contain flour.
Charcoal and starter.
Chewing gum.
Chocolate chips and other flavored chips, if sweetened.
Chocolate covered potato chips, unless they contain flour.
Chocolate covered raisins and nuts.
Cigarette lighter fluid, wicks, flints.
Cigarettes.
Cigars.
Cleaning equipment and supplies.
Cleansers.
Clocks.
Clothes lines.
Clothespins.
Clothing.
Cocktail mixes containing 50% or less fruit or vegetable juice.
Cod liver oil.
Coffee drinks that contain sweeteners, unless it also contains milk or milk products.
Cold remedies.
