Bill Text: TX HB2294 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the audit, assessment, and collection of sales and use tax on general aviation aircraft under the Texas Tax Code.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-16 - Referred to Ways & Means [HB2294 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB2294-Introduced.html
  84R13171 T
 
  By: Bohac H.B. No. 2294
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the audit, assessment, and collection of sales and use
  tax on general aviation aircraft under the Texas Tax Code.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 101, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  subsection 101.003(14) to read as follows:
               (14)  "General Aviation Aircraft" means any aircraft
  other than those operated by scheduled commercial airlines under
  Part 121 of the Federal Aviation Regulations or aircraft owned by a
  governmental entity.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 111, Section 111.002, Tax
  Code, is amended by adding subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  Deadlines for correspondence, production of documents
  or other action demanded of a taxpayer during an audit that would
  have the effect of waiving the taxpayer's right to protest an audit
  determination if the taxpayer fails to meet the deadline shall be
  promulgated by rule pursuant to Chapter 2001, Government Code.  A
  deadline promulgated by rule as provided by this subsection shall
  use the date that the taxpayer receives the demand from the
  comptroller as the beginning date in computing the deadline period.
         SECTION 3.  Section 151.328, Subchapter H, Chapter 151, Tax
  Code is amended by adding subsections (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), (n),
  and (o) to read as follows:
         (i)  Sales and use tax exemption certificates promulgated by
  the comptroller shall be accepted by the comptroller as prima facie
  evidence that the described transaction qualifies for the
  corresponding sales or use tax exemption as provided by the Tax
  Code, unless the information provided on the certificate by the
  taxpayer demonstrates that the transaction does not qualify for the
  corresponding sales or use tax exemption.  The comptroller shall
  not request documents or other information beyond that which is
  necessary to determine whether the information provided on the
  certificate is factually incorrect in a manner that disqualifies
  the transaction from the requested exemption.
         (j)  The comptroller shall complete any audit related to a
  request for exemption from sales or use tax related to general
  aviation aircraft no later than 180 days from the date of the
  purchase, sale or lease of an aircraft which is the subject of the
  audit.
         (k)  The comptroller shall not treat as precedential or
  otherwise base audit determinations on unpublished
  interpretations, State Office of Administrative Hearings opinions,
  or comptroller opinions including, but not limited to, those
  published in the State Automated Tax Research system.
         (l)  Under this section the term "lease" means a written
  contract between a lessor and lessee transferring operational
  control, as that term is defined in the Federal Aviation
  Regulations, of an aircraft from lessor to lessee in exchange for
  consideration paid by the lessee to the lessor which both lessor and
  lessee agrees to, and which otherwise meets the requirements for an
  aircraft lease described in the portion of the Federal Aviation
  Regulations applicable to the operation of the aircraft in
  question.  "Operational control" with respect to a flight, means
  the exercise of authority over initiating, conducting or
  terminating a flight.
         (m)  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Tax Code, a
  person who contests a sales or use tax audit determination related
  to a general aviation aircraft transaction may exhaust all
  administrative and judicial remedies before paying the contested
  tax.
         (n)  Penalties and interest shall be tolled during the
  administrative and judicial appeal of comptroller sales or use tax
  audit determinations.
         (o)  A person who prevails in a contest regarding a
  comptroller sales or use tax audit determination related to general
  aviation aircraft is entitled to reasonable and necessary attorney
  fees upon a finding by the State Office of Administrative Hearings
  or a district court that the comptroller's audit determination was
  arbitrary and capricious.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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