Bill Text: MI SB0616 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Sales tax; exemptions; exemption for certain data center equipment; provide for. Amends sec. 12 of 1933 PA 167 (MCL 205.62) & adds sec. 4ee.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-12-31 - Assigned Pa 0251'15 With Immediate Effect [SB0616 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2015-SB0616-Engrossed.html

SB-0616, As Passed House, December 15, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

 

SENATE BILL NO. 616

 

(as amended December 15, 2015)

 

     A bill to amend 1933 PA 167, entitled

"General sales tax act,"

by amending section 12 (MCL 205.62), as amended by 2008 PA 438, and

by adding section 4ee.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     Sec. 4ee. (1) [subject to subsections (2) and (3), beginning]

January 1, 2016 through December 31,

2035, a sale of data center equipment to the owner or operator of a

qualified data center or a colocated business for assembly, use, or

consumption in the operations of the qualified data center or a

sale of data center equipment to a person engaged in the business

of constructing, altering, repairing, or improving real estate for

others to the extent the data center equipment is to be affixed to

or made a structural part of a qualified data center is exempt from

the tax under this act.

     [(2) the exemption under this section only continues to apply after January 1, 2022, if the numbers gathered by the local economic development corporations are certified and reported to the department of talent and economic development and subsequently forwarded to the department and demonstrate that the qualified data centers, the colocated businesses, and the contractors of the qualified data centers, collectively, have, in aggregate, established in this state at least 400 data center industry jobs or data center industry related jobs, or a

combination of both, since January 1, 2016. The department of talent and economic development shall submit a report NO LATER THAN APRIL 1, 2022 related to the number of DATA CENTER INDUSTRY JOBS OR DATA CENTER INDUSTRY RELATED JOBS that have been established since january 1, 2016 TO THE SPEAKER AND MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR.

     (3) THE EXEMPTION UNDER THIS SECTION ONLY continues to APPLy AFTER JANUARY 1, 2026, IF THE numbers gathered by the local economic development corporations are certified and reported to the DEPARTMENT OF TALENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and subsequently forwarded to the department and demonstrate THAT THE QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS, THE COLOCATED BUSINESSES, AND THE CONTRACTORS OF THE QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS, COLLECTIVELY, HAVE, IN AGGREGATE, ESTABLISHED in this state AT LEAST 1,000 DATA CENTER INDUSTRY JOBS OR DATA CENTER INDUSTRY RELATED JOBS, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH, SINCE JANUARY 1, 2016. THE DEPARTMENT OF TALENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT NO LATER THAN APRIL 1, 2026 RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF DATA CENTER INDUSTRY JOBS OR DATA CENTER INDUSTRY RELATED JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN established SINCE JANUARY 1, 2016 TO THE SPEAKER AND MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR.

 


     (4)] As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Affiliate" means a person that directly, or indirectly

 

through 1 or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is

 

under common control with a specified person.

 

     (b) "Colocated business" means a person that has entered into

 

a contract with the owner or operator of a qualified data center to

 

use or deploy data center equipment physically located within the

 

qualified data center for a period of 1 or more years.

 

     (c) "Data center equipment" means only computers, servers,

 

routers, switches, peripheral computer devices, racks, shelving,

 

cabling, wiring, storage batteries, back-up generators,

 

uninterrupted power supply units, environmental control equipment,

 

other redundant power supply equipment, and prewritten computer

 

software used in operating, managing, or maintaining the qualified

 

data center or the business of the qualified data center or a

 

colocated business. Data center equipment also includes any

 

construction materials used or assembled under the qualified data

 

center's proprietary method for the construction or modification of

 

a qualified data center, including, but not limited to, building

 

materials, infrastructure, machinery, wiring, cabling, devices,

 

tools, and equipment that would otherwise be considered a fixture

 

or related equipment. Data center equipment does not include any

 

equipment owned by a third party that is used to supply the

 

qualified data center's primary power.

 

     (d) "Qualified data center" means a facility composed of 1 or

 

more buildings located in this state and the facility is owned or

 

operated by an entity engaged at that facility in operating,

 


managing, or maintaining a group of networked computers or

 

networked facilities for the purpose of centralizing, or allowing 1

 

or more colocated businesses to centralize, the storage,

 

processing, management, or dissemination of data of 1 or more other

 

persons who is not an affiliate of the owner or operator of a

 

qualified data center or of a colocated business and that entity

 

receives 75% or more of its revenue from colocated businesses that

 

are not an affiliate of the owner or operator of the qualified data

 

center.

 

     Sec. 12. (1) If an exemption from the tax under this act is

 

claimed, the seller shall obtain identifying information of the

 

purchaser and the reason for claiming the exemption at the time of

 

the purchase or at a later date. The seller shall obtain the same

 

information for a claimed exemption regardless of the medium in

 

which the transaction occurred.

 

     (2) A seller shall use a standard format for claiming an

 

exemption electronically as adopted by the governing board under

 

the streamlined sales and use tax agreement.

 

     (3) A purchaser is not required to provide a signature to

 

claim an exemption under this act unless a paper exemption form is

 

used.

 

     (4) A seller shall maintain a proper record of all exempt

 

transactions and shall provide the record if requested by the

 

department.

 

     (5) A seller who complies with the requirements of this

 

section is not liable for the tax if a purchaser improperly claims

 

an exemption. A purchaser who improperly claims an exemption is

 


liable for the tax due under this act. This subsection does not

 

apply if a seller fraudulently fails to collect the tax, solicits a

 

purchaser to make an improper claim for exemption, or accepts an

 

exemption form when the purchaser claims an entity-based exemption

 

if both of the following circumstances occur:

 

     (a) The subject of the transaction sought to be covered by the

 

exemption form is actually received by the purchaser at a location

 

operated by the seller.

 

     (b) The state in which that location operated by the seller is

 

located provides an exemption form that clearly and affirmatively

 

indicates that the claimed exemption is not available in that

 

state.

 

     (6) A seller who obtains a fully completed exemption form or

 

captures the relevant data elements as outlined in this section

 

within 120 days after the date of sale is not liable for the tax.

 

     (7) If the seller has not obtained an exemption form or all

 

relevant data elements, the seller may either prove that the

 

transaction was not subject to tax by other means or obtain a fully

 

completed exemption form from the purchaser, by the later of the

 

following:

 

     (a) 120 days after a request by the department.

 

     (b) The date an assessment becomes final.

 

     (c) The denial of a claim for refund.

 

     (d) In the instance of a credit audit, the issuance of an

 

audit determination letter or informal conference decision and

 

order of determination.

 

     (e) The date of a final order of the court of claims or the

 


Michigan tax tribunal, as applicable, with respect to an

 

assessment, order, or decision of the department.

 

     (8) The department may, in its discretion, allow a seller

 

additional time to comply with subsection (7).

 

     (9) A seller is not liable for the tax under this act if the

 

seller obtains a blanket exemption form for a purchaser with which

 

the seller has a recurring business relationship. Renewals of

 

blanket exemption forms or updates of exemption form information or

 

data elements are not required if there is a recurring business

 

relationship between the seller and the purchaser. For purposes of

 

this section, a recurring business relationship exists when a

 

period of not more than 12 months elapses between sales

 

transactions.

 

     (10) A certified service provider shall be considered a seller

 

under this section. As used in this section, "certified service

 

provider" means that term as defined in section 25 of the

 

streamlined sales and use tax administration act, 2004 PA 174, MCL

 

205.825.

 

     Enacting section 1. The legislature shall annually appropriate

 

sufficient funds from the state general fund to the state school

 

aid fund created in section 11 of article IX of the state

 

constitution of 1963 to fully compensate for any loss of revenue to

 

the state school aid fund resulting from the enactment of this

 

amendatory act.

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