Wis. Admin. Code Department of Revenue Tax 11.29

Current through October 28, 2024

Section Tax 11.29 - Leases, licenses and rentals of tangible personal property and items, property and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), Stats

(1) DEFINITIONS.

(a) "Lease or rental," as defined in s. 77.51(7) (a), Stats., means any transfer of possession or control of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., for a fixed or indeterminate term and for consideration and includes:

1. A transfer that includes future options to purchase or extend.

2. Agreements related to the transfer of possession or control of motor vehicles or trailers, if the amount of any consideration may be increased or decreased by reference to the amount realized on the sale or other disposition of such motor vehicles or trailers, consistent with section 7701 (h) (1) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(b) "Lease or rental," as defined in s. 77.51(7) (a), Stats., does not include:

1. A transfer of possession or control of tangible personal property or items, property or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., under a security agreement or deferred payment plan, if such agreement or plan requires transferring title to the tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., after making all required payments.

2. A transfer of possession or control of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., under any agreement that requires transferring title to the tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., after making all required payments and after paying an option price that does not exceed the greater of $100 or one percent of the total amount of the required payments.

3. Providing tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., along with an operator, if the operator is necessary for the tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., to perform in the manner for which it is designed and if the operator does more than maintain, inspect, or set up the tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats.

(c) The definition of "lease or rental" provided in pars. (a) and (b) first applies to lease and rental contracts entered into on October 1, 2009 and has no effect on lease or rental contracts entered into prior to October 1, 2009 until such lease or rental contract is renewed, extended, or modified on or after October 1, 2009.

(d) "Receive" as provided in s. 77.522(1) (a) 1, Stats., means taking possession of tangible personal property or items or property under s. 77.52(1) (b) or (c), Stats., or taking possession or making first use of digital goods under s. 77.52(1) (d), Stats., whichever comes first. "Receive" does not include a shipping company taking possession of tangible personal property or items or property under s. 77.52(1) (b) or (c), Stats., on a purchaser's behalf.

(e) "Transportation equipment" as provided in s. 77.522(1) (a) 2, Stats., means any of the following:

1. Locomotives and railcars that are used to carry persons or property in interstate commerce.

2. Trucks and truck tractors that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or greater, trailers, semitrailers, and passenger buses, if such vehicles are registered under the international registration plan under s. 341.405, Stats., and operated under the authority of a carrier that is authorized by the federal government to carry persons or property in interstate commerce.

3. Aircraft that are operated by air carriers that are authorized by the federal government or a foreign authority to carry persons or property in interstate or foreign commerce.

4. Containers that are designed for use on the vehicles described in subds. 1. to 3. and component parts attached to or secured on such vehicles.

(2) GENERAL RULES.

(a) The sales price from the lease, license, or rental of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., shall be subject to the sales and use taxes to the same extent that the sales price from the sale of the same property, item, or good would be subject to the tax. A lease is a continuing sale in Wisconsin under s. 77.51(14) (j), Stats., and a lessor or licensor shall pay tax on the lease, license, or rental receipts sourced to Wisconsin under s. 77.522, Stats., even though the property, item, or good may have been acquired, used, or both previously by the lessee or licensee in another state.

Note: See s. Tax 11.32 for information explaining what is included in the "sales price."

(b)

1. Transfers described in sub. (1) (a) are leases, licenses, or rentals regardless of whether such transfer is considered a lease, license, or rental under generally accepted accounting principles, or any other provision of federal, state, or local law.

2. Transfers described in sub. (1) (b) are not leases, licenses, or rentals, regardless of whether such transfer is considered a lease, license, or rental under generally accepted accounting principles, or any other provision of federal, state, or local law.

(c)

1. If a transaction does not meet the definition of "lease or rental" because title to the property, item, or good transfers to the lessor or licensor under a security or deferred payment plan upon completion of the required payments, the transaction shall be treated as a sale of the property, item, or good and the retailer is liable for the tax on the sales price at the time the property, item, or good is received by the purchaser.

2. The retailer may exclude from the sales price, as provided in s. 77.51(15b) (b) 2, Stats., the interest and financing charges if they are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document that the retailer gives to the purchaser.

Example: Company A purchases a piece of equipment for $10,000. On October 1, 2009, Company A enters into an agreement with Company B, whereas Company B will make 24 monthly payments of $625 each, for a total of $15,000, relating to the equipment. Company B receives the equipment on November 10, 2009. Once Company B makes the last payment, title to the equipment will transfer from Company A to Company B. Since title to the equipment transfers as soon as Company B makes the last payment, the transaction is not treated as a lease, but instead is treated as a sale. Therefore, Company A's purchase of the equipment may be made without any Wisconsin sales or use tax because it is for resale. Company A's charges to Company B ($15,000) are subject to Wisconsin sales or use tax at the time Company B first receives the piece of equipment (November 10, 2009). Company A may exclude from tax that portion of the $15,000 that is related to interest or financing charges if the amount of the interest or financing charges are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document provided by Company A to Company B.

3. If the retailer in a transaction described under subd. 1., has properly reported and paid to Wisconsin the tax due on its sales price from the transaction and the retailer has not excluded from the sales price an amount for interest or financing as described in subd. 2., if the retailer subsequently allows a reduction in the payments that must be made because the purchaser pays off the balance early, the retailer may claim a deduction on its sales and use tax return for this reduction in the sales price. The deduction is limited to the amount of the sales price that the retailer previously remitted tax on to Wisconsin.

Example: Company X enters into an agreement with Company Y that is not a lease or rental because it meets the requirements provided in subd. 1. The agreement provides that Company Y will provide 12 monthly payments of $1,000. Based on this agreement, Company X reported and paid the 5% Wisconsin sales tax on the $12,000. Company X did not separately state any amounts for interest or financing to Company Y and did not claim a deduction from the sales price related to that. After seven payments of $1,000 have been made to Company X, Company Y decides that it is going to pay off the remaining amounts due. Company X indicates to Company Y that if it pays off the entire balance by a particular date, Company Y only needs to pay an additional $4,700, instead of the full $5,000 that is still due based on the agreement. Company Y pays the $4,700 by the date required. Since Company X had previously reported the tax due based on the full $12,000 at the time the agreement was entered into, Company X may claim the $300 difference between the amount it previously reported as the taxable sales price on this transaction ($12,000) and the discounted sales price of the transaction ($11,700, made up of the $7,000 in monthly payments and the $4,700 early payoff amount). Company X would claim the deduction as a discount allowed.

4. If the property, item, or good to which subd. 1. applies is stored, used, or otherwise consumed in Wisconsin and then relocated to a location outside Wisconsin, no refund or partial refund of the Wisconsin tax paid is allowed since the transaction is treated as a "sale" and the property was first stored, used, or otherwise consumed in Wisconsin.

(d)

1. If a transaction does not meet the definition of "lease or rental" because title to the property, item, or good transfers to the lessor or licensor under an agreement that requires transferring title to the property, item, or good after all required payments have been made and after paying an option price that does not exceed the greater of $100 or 1% of the total amount of the payments, the transaction shall be treated as a sale of the property, item, or good and the retailer is liable for the tax on the sales price at the time the property, item, or good is received by the purchaser.

Example: Company C purchases a piece of equipment for $20,000. On October 25, 2009, Company C enters into an agreement with Company D, whereas Company D will make 12 monthly payments of $2,000 each, for a total of $24,000, relating to the equipment. In addition, the agreement provides that after all of the $2,000 payments have been made, Company D may pay an option price of $200 and title to the equipment will be transferred to Company D. Company D receives the equipment on November 10, 2009. Since the agreement provides that title to the equipment will transfer to Company D if company D makes all the required payments and then pays an option price of $200 (which is less than 1% of the total amount of the payments), the transaction is not treated as a lease, but instead is treated as a sale. Therefore, Company C's purchase of the equipment may be made without any Wisconsin sales or use tax because it is for resale. Company C's charges to Company D ($24,200) are subject to Wisconsin sales or use tax at the time Company D first receives the piece of equipment (November 10, 2009). Company C may exclude from tax that portion of the $24,200 that is related to interest or financing charges if the amount of the interest or financing charges are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document provided by Company C to Company D.

(e) If a transaction constitutes a sale-leaseback transaction, the original sale of the property, item, or good to a purchaser may be made without tax for resale if that purchaser makes no taxable storage, use, or other consumption in Wisconsin of the property, item, or good prior to selling it. The sale of the property, item, or good from the first purchaser to a second purchaser (i.e., the person who will lease the equipment back to the first purchaser), may also be made without tax for resale if the second purchaser makes no taxable storage, use, or other consumption in Wisconsin of the property, item, or good prior to selling, leasing, licensing, or renting the property, item, or good back to the first purchaser. If the transfer of that property, item, or good from the second purchaser back to the first purchaser meets the definition of lease or rental in s. 77.51(7) (a), Stats., the tax will be due on each payment as described in par. (a). If the transfer of that property, item, or good from the second purchaser back to the first purchaser does not meet the definition of lease or rental in s. 77.51(7) (a), Stats., the tax will be due on the sales price from the sale of the property, item, or good from the second purchaser back to the first purchaser, as described in pars. (b) to (d).

Example: Company F purchases a piece of equipment for $20,000 from Company X. Prior to making any other use of the equipment, Company F sells the piece of equipment to Company G for $20,000 and immediately enters into an agreement to "lease" it back from Company G based on 12 monthly payments of $2,000 each. Based on the agreement, the "leasing back" of the equipment does not meet the definition of lease or rental contained in s. 77.51(7)(a), Stats., because title to the piece of equipment will transfer to Company F once Company F has made all of the required payments under the agreement to Company G. In this example, Company F may purchase the piece of equipment from Company X without tax because it is for resale. Company G may also purchase the piece of equipment from Company F without tax because it is for resale. However, since the agreement relating to the leaseback of the piece of equipment to Company F does not meet the definition of lease or rental contained in s. 77.51(7)(a), Stats., Company G is required to charge Wisconsin sales or use tax on the sales price of the piece of equipment (that is, the $24,000 required under the agreement), to Company F. Company G may exclude from tax that portion of the $24,000 required under the agreement that is related to interest or financing charges if the amount of the interest or financing charges are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document provided by Company G to Company F.

(3) PURCHASES FOR LEASE, LICENSE, OR RENTAL.

(a) A lessor's or licensor's purchase of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., to be used solely for lease, license, or rental shall be exempt as a purchase for resale.

(b) A lessor's or licensor's purchase of lubricants, repair parts, and repair services for tangible personal property and items, property, and goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., used solely for leasing, licensing, or renting shall also be exempt as a purchase for resale. However, if the same property, items, or goods are purchased by a lessee, licensee, or renter, the purchases shall be taxable.

(c) Charges by a lessor or licensor to a lessee, licensee, or renter under a maintenance contract on leased tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., shall be taxable.

(4) PROPERTY BOTH RENTED AND USED PERSONALLY. If tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., are purchased by a person who uses them part of the time and leases, licenses, or rents them out part of the time, the sale of the property, item, or good to the person shall be taxable. The lessor's or licensor's rental receipts shall also be taxable, unless the transaction is specifically exempt by statute.

(5) SERVICE VS. RENTAL OF EQUIPMENT.

(a)

1. If an item of tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., is provided along with an operator that is necessary for the tangible personal property or item, property, or good to operate in the manner for which it is designed and does more than maintain, inspect, or set up the tangible personal property or item, property, or good, the transaction is considered a service and not a lease, license, or rental of tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats.

Example: A backhoe and operator are provided to dig a trench. This transaction is the sale of a service and not a rental of the backhoe.

2. The purchaser of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods that are used in a transaction described in subd. 1. to provide a service is the consumer of that property, item, or good.

3. The charge by the person providing the service described in subd. 1. is subject to Wisconsin sales and use tax if the service is specifically identified as a taxable service in s. 77.52, Stats.

Example: Company A provides a tractor with a rototiller attachment and an operator to till up the lawn area around Customer B's new home to prepare the seedbed for planting. Company A charges Customer B $50 per hour for the use of the tractor and rototiller attachment and $25 per hour for the operator. Since Company A is providing the tractor and rototiller along with the operator, this is not a lease or rental of the equipment, but instead is deemed to be a service. The charge by Company A to Customer B is subject to Wisconsin sales tax, since Company A is providing a landscaping service. Company A is also required to pay Wisconsin sales or use tax on its purchase of the tractor and rototiller used in providing the service.

(b) If an item of tangible personal property or item, property or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., is provided along with an operator that only maintains, inspects, or sets up the tangible personal property or item, property, or good, the transaction is considered a lease, license, or rental of the tangible personal property or item, property, or good.

Example: Company A rents scaffolding from Company B. Company B provides a person to set up the scaffolding as requested by Company A and to make sure none of the nuts and bolts holding the scaffolding together have loosened up. The entire charge by Company B to Company A is for the lease or rental of the scaffolding.

(c) Charges for the rental of motor trucks shall be taxable. However, if drivers are provided by the truck's owner to operate the trucks, this shall be considered a service and not a lease or rental of the trucks.

(d) The sales price from the lease, license, or rental of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., incidental to the providing of a nontaxable service shall not be taxable. If the tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., is incidental to the providing of a nontaxable service, the tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., is consumed by the service provider and the service provider is required to pay any applicable sales or use tax.

(6) CREDIT FOR SALES TAX PAID. If a lessor of tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., paid a Wisconsin sales tax on the acquisition of the property, item, or good used solely for leasing purposes, the lessor may either request a refund of the sales tax from the seller or the department or may claim a credit against the tax due on rental receipts from the property, item, or good involved, under s. 77.585(2), Stats. If a credit is claimed, it shall expire when the cumulative rental receipts equal the sales price upon which the vendor paid sales tax to Wisconsin.

(7) SOURCING LEASE, LICENSE AND RENTAL PAYMENTS.

(a)First or only payment. Except as provided in pars. (c) and (e), for lease, license, and rental agreements that only require one payment and for the first payment on lease, license, and rental agreements that require more than one payment, the lease, license, or rental is sourced to the location where the purchaser receives the product, as follows:

1. If the tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., is received by the lessee or licensee at the lessor's or licensor's business location, the first or only payment is sourced to the lessor's or licensor's business location.

2. If the tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., is not received by the lessee or licensee at the lessor's or licensor's business location, the first or only payment is sourced to the location where the lessee or licensee or the lessee's or licensee's designated donee receives the product. This would include the location indicated by instructions known to the lessor or licensor for delivery to the lessee or licensee or the lessee's or licensee's designated donee. The delivery may be made by the lessor or licensor or by a shipping company hired by the lessee or licensee.

3. If the location cannot be determined under subds. 1. and 2., the first or only payment is sourced to the lessee's or licensee's address as indicated by the lessor's or licensor's business records, if the records are maintained in the ordinary course of the lessor's or licensor's business and if using that address to establish the location of the lease, license, or rental is not in bad faith.

4. If the location cannot be determined under subd. 1., 2., or 3., the first or only payment is sourced to the lessee's or licensee's address as obtained during the consummation of the lease, license, or rental, including the address indicated on the lessee's or licensee's payment instrument, if no other address is available and if using that address to determine the location of the lease, license, or rental is not in bad faith.

5. If the location cannot be determined under subd. 1., 2., 3. or 4., the first or only payment is sourced as follows:

a. For tangible personal property and items and property under s. 77.52(1) (b) or (c), Stats., except for prewritten computer software, the first or only payment is sourced to the location from which the property or item was shipped.

b. For prewritten computer software delivered electronically and digital goods under s. 77.52(1) (d), Stats., the first or only payment is sourced to the location from which the computer software or digital good was first available for transmission by the seller, but not including any location that merely provided the digital transfer of the product sold.

(b)Subsequent periodic payments. Except as provided in pars. (d) and (e), subsequent periodic payments on the lease, license, or rental of tangible personal property and items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., are sourced to the property's, item's, or good's primary location. The primary location is the address of the property, item, or good provided by the lessee or licensee and that is available in the business records of the lessor or licensor that are maintained in the ordinary course of the lessor's or licensor's business, provided the use of such address does not constitute bad faith.

(c)Motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, and aircraft that are not transportation equipment. Leases, licenses, and rentals of motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, and aircraft that are not transportation equipment are sourced to the primary location of such property as indicated by an address for the property that is provided by the lessee or licensee and that is available in the business records of the lessor or licensor that are maintained in the ordinary course of the lessor's or licensor's business, provided the use of such address does not constitute bad faith, and except that a lease, license, or rental that only requires one payment, shall be sourced as provided in par. (a).

(d)Intermittent use. The sourcing of the lease, license, and rental payments as described in pars. (a), (b), and (c) shall not be altered by any intermittent use of the property, item, or good at different locations.

Example: Company A leases laptop computers that are normally kept in State A and the lease payments are sourced to State A. However, when an employee is travelling and consulting with clients in other states, the employee brings the laptop computer to these other states. The intermittent use of the laptop computer in the other states does not affect the sourcing of these lease payments.

(e)Transportation equipment. Leases, licenses, and rentals of transportation equipment are sourced to the location determined in par. (a).

(8) SPECIAL RENTAL SITUATIONS.

(a)Demurrage. The charge a gas supplier makes to a customer-consumer, because a gas cylinder is retained beyond a 30-day or other period, shall be taxable. The "demurrage" charges shall constitute rentals paid for the continuing possession of the cylinders.

(b)Water softeners. The sales price from the rental of a cylinder type water softener which is periodically removed from a customer's premises for recharging and replaced by another unit shall be taxable.

(c)Chemical toilets. A lessor's entire charge for the use of chemical toilets used at fairs and other similar events shall be taxable, including cleaning services provided as part of the total charge.

(d)Mobile homes and manufactured homes. Rental of a mobile home as defined in s. 101.91(10), Stats., and manufactured homes as defined in s. 101.91(2), Stats., shall be taxable unless:

1. The mobile home or manufactured home is converted to real property by hooking it up to utilities and placing it on a foundation on land owned by the lessor. However, even if it is placed on a foundation and hooked up to utilities, a mobile home or manufactured home shall remain tangible personal property if the lessor does not own the realty on which it is located.

2. The mobile home as defined in s. 101.91(10), Stats., or manufactured home as defined in s. 101.91(2), Stats., is rented or leased for a continuous period of one month or more and is used as a residence by the renter or lessee.

(e)Lease cancellation charge. A payment by a lessee to a lessor for the cancellation of a lease of tangible personal property or item, property, or good under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., shall be taxable. The payment shall be deemed consideration arising from the original lease since it effectively decreases the term of the lease and thereby increases the rental payments for the actual period the property, item, or good was used.

(f)Delivery and erection. Lessors of scaffolding or other tangible personal property or items, property, or goods under s. 77.52(1) (b), (c), or (d), Stats., who set forth separate charges for transportation, assembly, and disassembly shall pay tax on their total sales price. A lessee rents property, items, or goods when it is assembled and in place and the charges for transportation, assembly, and disassembly shall be deemed part of a lessor's rental receipts.

(g)Funeral coaches. The sales price that the owner of a hearse receives when the owner furnishes it without a driver, to a funeral director is subject to tax. However, the sales price the owner of a hearse receives when the owner furnishes it with a driver that does more than maintain, inspect, or set up the hearse is not subject to tax.

(h)Waste reduction and recycling equipment. The lease or rental of waste reduction or recycling machinery and equipment shall not be taxable if used exclusively and directly for waste reduction or recycling activities described in s. 77.54(26m), Stats.

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Revenue Tax 11.29

Cr. Register, July, 1977, No. 259, eff. 8-1-77; cr. (4) (d), (6) (d) 2. and (h), am. (1), (3), (4) (b), (5) and (6) (a), (d) and (g), Register, June, 1991, No. 426, eff. 7-1-91; correction in (6) (d) 2. made under s. 13.93(2m) (b) 7, Stats., Register July 2002 No. 559; EmR0924: emerg. r. and recr. eff. 10-1-09; CR 09-090: r. and recr. Register May 2010 No. 653, eff. 6-1-10; correction to numbering of (8) made under s. 13.92(4) (b) 1, Stats., Register May 2010 No. 653.

For information regarding the lease or rental of highway vehicles and mobile mixing units, see s. Tax 11.79.

Section Tax 11.29 interpretss. 77.51(7), (13) (k), (14) (j), (15a), (15b), 77.52(1), 77.522(1) and (3), 77.54(5) (b) and (d), (8), (26m) and (36), 77.58(6), and 77.585(2), Stats.

The interpretations in s. Tax 11.29 are effective under the general sales and use tax law on and after September 1, 1969, except: (a) The exemption for mobile homes used for lodging for a continuous period of 1 month or more became effective July 1, 1984, pursuant to 1983 Wis. Act 341; (b) The exemption for the lease or rental of incidental property transferred in providing a nontaxable service became effective as a result of Dept. of Revenue vs. Dow Jones & Company, Inc., (COA-District IV, 1/26/89); (c) The exemption for waste reduction and recycling equipment became effective July 1, 1984, pursuant to 1983 Wis. Act 426; (d) The definitions of "lease," "receive," and "transportation equipment" became effective October 1, 2009 pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2; (e) The sourcing rules related to leases became effective October 1, 2009 pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2; and (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.