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                            tax.utah.gov

                                                                 Publication 37
                                                                 Revised 10/18

 Business Activity
  and
         Nexus 
             in
                Utah
    
             Utah State Tax Commission
             210 North 1950 West
             Salt Lake City, Utah 84134                                       If you need an accommodation under the Americans 
             801-297-2200                                                     with Disabilities Act, email taxada@utah.gov, or call 
             1-800-662-4335                                                   801-297-3811 or TDD at 801-297-2020. Please allow 
             nexus@utah.gov                                                   three working days for a response.
             tax.utah.gov

                                                                 3.  maintain a stock of goods in Utah;
Purpose
  The purpose of this publication is to defi ne nexus and pro-    4.  regularly solicit orders (whether or not those orders are 
  vide general guidelines for determining whether a business     accepted in Utah), unless the activity in Utah is only ad-
  entity’s activities create nexus with the state of Utah.       vertising or solicitation by direct mail, email, the Internet, 
                                                                 telephone or similar means;
                                                                 5.  regularly deliver property in Utah other than by common 
Definitions
                                                                 carrier or U.S. mail; or
  Nexus                                                          6.  regularly engage in any activity related to the leasing or 
  Nexus means a business entity has established a direct or      servicing of property located in Utah.
  representational presence within a state or jurisdiction. This 
  presence allows the state to require the business to collect   A seller also has nexus in Utah if:
  and pay certain taxes.                                         1.  a.  the seller has more than 10 percent interest in a 
  The standards are different for determining whether a          related seller, or
  business has nexus for purposes of sales tax or corporate      b.  a related seller has more than 10 percent interest in 
  franchise/income tax.                                          the seller, or
                                                                 c.  a related seller wholly owns the seller, and
  Retailer
  Utah law defi nes a retailer as any person regularly en-        2.  a.  the seller sells the same or very similar line of prod-
  gaged in regular solicitation of a consumer market in Utah.    ucts as the related seller under the same or a very 
  A retailer includes commission merchants, auctioneers,         similar business name, or
  salespersons, representatives, distributors, supervisors and   b.  the place of business of the related seller or one of its 
  employers.                                                     in-state employees is used to advertise, promote or 
                                                                 assist sales by the seller to a buyer.
Sales Tax
  The United States Constitution requires a business to have 
  suffi cient nexus with Utah in order for Utah to require that   Corporate Tax
  business to collect and pay sales tax.                         Public Law 86-272 restricts a state from imposing a net in-
                                                                 come tax on income earned within its borders from interstate 
  A business that engages in the following activities exceeds    commerce if the company’s only business activity within the 
  the minimum threshold of nexus, subjecting it to Utah’s sales  state is the solicitation of orders for sales of tangible person-
  and use tax requirements.                                      al property. Only the solicitation to sell tangible personal 
  Retailers must collect and pay sales and use tax if they:      property has immunity under P.L. 86-272.
  1.  sell tangible personal property, products transferred      Businesses that earn income from Utah sources, other than 
   electronically, or services for storage, use, or  consump-    from merely soliciting sales of tangible personal property, 
   tion in the state; in either the previous calendar year or    are required to fi le a Utah corporation franchise and income 
   the current calendar year, that result in either:             tax return. For example, a corporation has Utah nexus and is 
    a.  gross revenues of more than $100,000; or                 subject to this tax if it:
    b.  200 or more separate transactions.                       1.  sells or performs services in Utah in which the customer 
                                                                 receives the greater benefi t of the service in Utah, or 
  2.  have or use an offi ce, distribution house, sales house, 
   warehouse, service enterprise or other place of business;     2.  earns income from the use of intangible property in Utah.



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   Corporations that make loans or issue credit cards to Utah      17. Consigning tangible personal property to any person, 
   customers (e.g., banks) are subject to the Utah corporate       including an independent contractor, for sale.
   franchise or income tax whether or not they have a business     18. Maintaining an offi ce or place of business (in-home or 
   location in Utah.                                               otherwise) of any kind other than an in-home offi ce.
   For the sale of tangible personal property to be protected      •   Any offi ce or other place of business in Utah that does 
   under P.L. 86-272, it must be limited solely to solicitation,   not strictly qualify as an in-home offi ce does not have 
   except for de minimis activities and activities conducted by    protection under this rule.
   independent contractors. “De minimis” means those activities 
   that, when taken together, establish only a trivial connection  •   It doesn’t matter whether the company pays directly, 
   with the taxing state.                                          indirectly or not at all for the cost of maintaining the in-
                                                                   home offi ce.
   The following activities establish nexus in Utah (See Utah 
   Administrative Rule R865-6F-6):                                 19. Entering into or selling/disposing of franchising or licens-
                                                                   ing agreements, or selling/transferring tangible personal 
   1.  Repairing, maintaining or servicing the property.           property associated with a franchise or license by the 
   2.  Collecting current or delinquent accounts, whether direct-  franchise or licensor to its franchisee or licensee in Utah.
   ly or by third parties, through assignment or otherwise.        20. Conducting any activity that serves an independent busi-
   3.  Investigating credit worthiness.                            ness function apart from the solicitation of orders, even if 
   4.  Installing or supervising installation at or after shipment the activity increases sales.
   or delivery.
                                                                   If you have any questions about business activity or nexus 
   5.  Conducting training courses, seminars or lectures           that are not answered above, please contact the Tax Commis-
   for personnel (other than personnel involved only in            sion at the address in the heading of this publication.
   solicitation).
                                                                   To request an agreement to resolve prior business tax li-
   6.  Providing any kind of technical assistance or service       abilities from the Auditing Division’s Voluntary Disclosure 
   beyond the solicitation of orders.                              Program, the following written information is required.
   7.  Investigating, handling or otherwise helping to resolve     1.  A description of the company’s activities, including:
   customer complaints, other than mediating direct cus-
   tomer complaints, when the sole purpose is to ingratiate        a.  the number of years doing business in Utah,
   the sales personnel with the customer.                          b.  a list of the type of property owned and/or leased in 
   8.  Approving or accepting orders.                              Utah,
   9. Repossessing property.                                       c.  a description of equipment leased for use in Utah,
   10. Securing deposits on sales.                                 d.  the number and length of time representatives acting 
                                                                   on your behalf or employees have been in Utah, and
   11. Picking up or replacing damaged or returned property.
                                                                   e.  how Utah business is solicited.
   12. Hiring, training or supervising personnel (except person-
   nel involved only in solicitation).                             2.  The type of tax being offered and a statement why the 
                                                                   company is not offering other tax types.
   13. Using agency stock checks or any other instrument or 
   process by which employees make sales in Utah.                  3.  A declaration of estimated tax liability for the disclosure 
                                                                   period, by tax type.
   14. Maintaining a sample or display room for longer than two 
   weeks (14 days) at any one location within Utah during          4.  A declaration of the estimated tax liability for periods 
   the tax year.                                                   prior to the disclosure period, by tax type.
   15. Carrying samples for sale or exchange for  anything of      5.  Disclosure as to whether the company has collected or 
   value.                                                          withheld tax.
   16. Owning, leasing, using or maintaining in Utah:              6.  A statement indicating whether the Utah State Tax Com-
                                                                   mission or the Multistate Tax Commission has contacted 
   a.  a repair shop;                                              the company, and the nature of the contacts.
   b.  a parts department;                                         7.  The voluntary disclosure agreement terms proposed by 
   c.  any kind of offi ce other than an in-home offi ce;            the company.
   d. a warehouse;                                                 See Pub 4 for more information regarding the Voluntary 
   e.  a meeting place for directors, offi cers, or employees;      Disclosure Program, or visit the Tax Commission website at 
                                                                   tax.utah.gov.
   f.  stock of goods other than samples for sales person-
   nel or that are used entirely ancillary to solicitation;
   g.  a telephone answering service that is publicly attrib-
   uted to the company or to employees or agents of the 
   company in their representative status;
   h.  mobile stores, such as vehicles driven by employees 
   who make sales from the vehicles;
   i.  real property or fi xtures to real property of any kind.     This publication is provided for general guidance 
                                                                   only. It does not contain all sales or use tax laws 
                                                                   or rules. If you need additional information, call 
                                                                   (801) 297-2200 or 1-800-662-4335.

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