39-14-802. Advanced conversion technologies research account created; funds deposited; use of funds.
(a) There is created the advanced conversion technologies research account into which shall be deposited revenues as provided by law. Interest on earnings from funds in the account shall be credited to the account.
(b) Deposits into the account created by subsection (a) of this section shall only be expended pursuant to W.S. 21-17-121(f). Funds deposited in the account shall not be expended until a dollar for dollar match has been provided from nonstate of Wyoming public funds. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008 or 9-4-207, unexpended funds shall not revert.
(a) As used in this article:
(i) "Lodging service" means the provision of sleeping accommodations to transient guests and shall include the providing of sites for the placement of tents, campers, trailers, mobile homes or other mobile sleeping accommodations for transient guests;
(ii) "Lodging tax" means the excise tax imposed on lodging services;
(iii) Repealed By Laws 2009, Ch. 170, § 2.
(iv) "Quarterly return" means a tax return for each of four (4) periods of three (3) consecutive months in a calendar year beginning with January, April, July or October;
(v) "Real property" means land and appurtenances, including structures affixed thereto. An article shall be considered real property if:
(A) It is buried or embedded; or
(B) It is physically or constructively annexed to the real property; and
(C) It is adapted to the use of the real property; and
(D) Considering the purpose for which the annexation was made, one can reasonably infer that it was the intent of the annexing party to make the article a permanent part of the real property.
(vi) "Retail sale" means any sale, lease or rental for any purpose other than for resale, sublease or subrent;
(vii) "Sale" means any transfer of title or possession in this state for a consideration. "Sale" includes a purchase by a person for storage, use or consumption in this state and includes the fabrication of tangible personal property when the materials are furnished by the purchaser. "Sale" does not include an exchange or transfer of tangible personal property upon which the seller or lessor has directly or indirectly paid sales or use tax incidental to:
(A) A division of partnership assets among the partners according to their interests in the partnership. As used in this subparagraph, "partnership" includes a limited partnership;
(B) The formation of a corporation by the owners of a business and the transfer of their business assets to the corporation in exchange for all the corporation's outstanding stock, except qualifying shares, in proportion to assets contributed;
(C) The transfer of assets of shareholders in the formation or dissolution of professional corporations;
(D) The dissolution and the pro rata distribution of the corporation's assets to its stockholders;
(E) The transfer of assets from a parent corporation to a subsidiary corporation which is owned at least eighty percent (80%) by the parent corporation, which transfer is solely in exchange for stock or securities of the subsidiary corporation;
(F) The transfer of assets from a subsidiary corporation which is owned at least eighty percent (80%) by the parent corporation to a parent corporation or to another subsidiary which is owned at least eighty percent (80%) by the parent corporation, which transfer is solely in exchange for stock or securities of the parent corporation or the subsidiary which received the assets;
(G) A transfer of a partnership interest;
(H) The formation of a partnership by the transfer of assets to the partnership or transfers to a partnership in exchange for proportionate interests in the partnership;
(J) The repossession of personal property by a chattel mortgage holder or foreclosure by a lienholder;
(K) The transfer of assets between parent and closely held subsidiary corporations, or between subsidiary corporations closely held by the same parent corporation, or between affiliated companies, partnerships and corporations which are owned in similar percentages by the same persons. "Closely held subsidiary corporation" means a corporation in which the parent corporation owns stock possessing at least eighty percent (80%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and owns at least eighty percent (80%) of the total number of shares of all other classes of stock;
(M) The lease or rental of tangible personal property for consideration between parent and closely held subsidiary corporations, between subsidiary corporations closely held by the same parent corporation, or between affiliated companies, partnerships, corporations or other business entities which are owned in similar percentages by the same persons. As used in this subparagraph, "closely held subsidiary corporation" means a corporation in which the parent corporation owns stock possessing at least eighty percent (80%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and owns at least eighty percent (80%) of the total number of shares of all other classes of stock;
(N) The sale of a business entity when sold to a purchaser of all or not less than eighty percent (80%) of the value of all of the assets which are located in this state of the business entity when the purchaser continues to use the tangible personal property in the operation of an ongoing business entity in this state. As used in subparagraphs (M) and
(N) of this section, "business entity" means and includes an individual, partnership, corporation, corporate division, joint stock company or any other association or entity, public or private, or separate business unit thereof.
(viii) "Sales price":
(A) Shall apply to the measure subject to sales tax and means the total amount or consideration, including cash, credit, property and services for which personal property or services are sold, leased or rented, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise, without any deduction for the following:
(I) The seller's cost of property sold;
(II) The cost of materials used, labor or service cost, interest, losses, all costs of transportation to the seller and any other expense of the seller;
(III) Charges by the seller for any services necessary to complete the sale other than delivery and installation charges;
(IV) Delivery charges;
(V) Installation charges;
(VI) Repealed by Laws 2007, Ch. 10, § 2.
(B) Shall not include:
(I) Discounts, including cash, terms or coupons which are not reimbursed by a third party, which are allowed by a seller and taken by a purchaser on a sale;
(II) Interest, financing and carrying charges from credit extended on the sale of personal property or services, if the amount is separate stated on the invoice, bill of sale or similar document given to the purchaser; and
(III) Any tax legally imposed directly on the consumer which is separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale or similar document given to the purchaser.
(C) "Sales price" shall include consideration received by the seller from third parties if:
(I) The seller actually receives consideration from a party other than the purchaser and the consideration is directly related to the price reduction or discount on the sale;
(II) The seller has an obligation to pass the price reduction or discount through to the purchaser;
(III) The amount of the consideration attributable to the sale is fixed and determinable by the seller at the time of the sale of the item to the purchaser; and
(IV) One (1) of the following criteria is met: (1) The purchaser presents a coupon, certificate or other documentation to the seller to claim a price reduction or discount where the coupon certificate or documentation is authorized, distributed or granted by a third party with the understanding that the third party will reimburse any seller to whom the coupon, certificate or documentation is presented; (2) The purchaser identifies himself to the seller as a member of a group or organization entitled to a price reduction or discount. A preferred customer card that is available to any patron shall not constitute membership in such a group; or (3) The price reduction or discount is identified as a third party price reduction or discount on the invoice received by the purchaser or on a coupon, certificate or other documentation presented by the purchaser.
(ix) "Tangible personal property" means all personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt or touched, or that is in any other manner perceptible to the senses. "Tangible personal property" includes electricity, water, gas, steam and prewritten computer software; and includes any controlled substances as defined by W.S. 35-7-1002(a)(iv) which are not sold pursuant to a written prescription of or through a licensed practitioner as defined by W.S. 35-7-1002(a)(xx);
(x) "Taxpayer" means the purchaser of tangible personal property, admissions or services which are subject to taxation under this article;
(xi) "Tertiary production" means the crude oil recovered from a petroleum reservoir by means of a tertiary enhanced recovery project to which one (1) or more tertiary enhanced recovery techniques meeting the certification requirements of the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission or the United States government are being applied;
(xii) Repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 186, § 2.
(xiii) "Transportable home" means and includes the following as defined:
(A) "Modular home" means a residential dwelling constructed in a factory to a residential construction code other than the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards;
(B) "Prebuilt home" means any residential dwelling that is wholly, or in substantial part, made, fabricated, formed or assembled in manufacturing facilities for installation or assembly on a building site. Prebuilt home shall include, but not be limited to, a manufactured home, modular home and mobile home;
(C) "Manufactured home" means a residential dwelling built in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards which is a unit more than eight and one-half (8 1/2) feet in width which is designed, constructed and equipped as a dwelling place or place of business to which wheels may be attached for movement upon streets or highways. Transportable homes are not included within the meanings of trailer houses or trailers.
(xiv) "Transient guest" means a guest who remains for less than thirty (30) continuous days;
(xv) "Vendor" means any person engaged in the business of selling at retail or wholesale tangible personal property, admissions or services which are subject to taxation under this article. "Vendor" includes a vehicle dealer as defined by W.S. 31-16-101(a)(xviii), a remote seller to the extent provided by W.S. 39-15-501 and a marketplace facilitator to the extent provided by W.S. 39-15-502. A person is not in the business of selling if selling tangible personal property, admissions or services which are subject to taxation under this article is not a habitual or regular activity of the person. Agents acting under the authority of the vendor include but are not limited to truckers, peddlers, canvassers, salespersons, representatives, employees, supervisors, distributors, delivery persons or any other persons performing services in this state. "Vendor" also includes every person who engages in regular or systematic solicitation by three (3) or more separate transmittances of an advertisement or advertisements in any twelve (12) month period in a consumer market in this state by the distribution of catalogs, periodicals, advertising flyers, or other advertising, or by means of print, radio, television or other electronic media, by mail, telegraph, telephone, computer data base, cable, optic, microwave, satellite or other communication system for the purpose of effecting retail sales of tangible personal property;
(xvi) "Wholesale sale" means a sale of tangible personal property or services to a vendor for subsequent sale;
(xvii) "Delivery charge" means a charge by the seller for preparation and delivery to a location designated by the purchaser of personal property or services including, but not limited to, transportation, shipping, handling, postage, crating and packing;
(xviii) "Well site" means an area where production equipment is installed to store or prepare oil or gas for transportation off the well site. Production equipment includes, but is not limited to, wellheads, valves, tanks, dehydrators, heater-treaters, separators, flow lines, meters, flares, vapor recovery units and emission equipment. Except as provided in this paragraph, production equipment for purposes of defining a well site shall not include compressors, off well site gathering lines and processing facilities;
(xix) "Directly and predominantly in manufacturing" means an item manufactured from inventoried raw or prepared material beginning at the point at which raw or prepared material is moved from plant inventory on a contiguous plant site and ending at a point at which manufacturing has altered the raw or prepared material to its completed form, including packaging, if required. Machinery used during the manufacturing process to move material from one direct production step to another in a continuous flow and machinery used in testing during the manufacturing process shall be deemed to be used directly and predominantly in manufacturing;
(xx) "Machinery" means all tangible personal property eligible for a sales tax exemption pursuant to W.S. 39-15-105(a)(viii)(O), used to produce an article of tangible personal property. The term includes both the basic unit and any adjunct or attachment necessary for the basic unit to accomplish its intended function, the materials for the construction or repair of machinery, and machine tools;
(xxi) "Manufacturing" means the operation of producing a new product, article, substance or commodity different from and having a distinctive nature, character or use from the raw or prepared material;
(xxii) "NAICS" means the Northern American Industry Classification System manual of 2002 that organizes establishments into industries on the basis of the activity in which they are primarily engaged;
(xxiii) "Certified automated system" means software certified under the streamlined sales and use tax agreement to calculate the tax imposed by each jurisdiction on a transaction, determine the amount of tax to remit to the appropriate state and maintain a record of the transaction;
(xxiv) "Certified service provider" means an agent certified under the streamlined sales and use tax agreement to perform all the seller's sales and use tax functions, other than the seller's obligation to remit tax on its own purchases;
(xxv) "Computer" means an electronic device that accepts information in a digital or similar form and manipulates it for a result based on a sequence of instructions;
(xxvi) "Computer software" means a set of coded instructions designed to cause a computer or automatic data processing equipment to perform a task;
(xxvii) "Delivered electronically" means delivered to the purchaser by means other than tangible storage media;
(xxviii) "Drug" means a compound, substance or preparation, and any component of a compound, substance or preparation, other than food and food ingredients, dietary supplements or alcoholic beverages:
(A) Recognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary, or a supplement to any of them;
(B) Intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease; or
(C) Intended to affect the structure or any function of the body.
(xxix) "Durable medical equipment" means equipment including its repair and replacement parts which:
(A) Can withstand repeated use;
(B) Is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose;
(C) Generally is not useful to a person in the absence of illness or injury;
(D) Is not worn in or on the body;
(E) Does not include "mobility enhancing equipment".
(xxx) "Electronic" means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic or similar capabilities;
(xxxi) "Intangible personal property" includes:
(A) Money and cash on hand including currency, gold, silver and other coin, specie and specie legal tender as provided in W.S. 9-4-1304, bank drafts, certified checks and cashier's checks;
(B) Money on deposit;
(C) Accounts receivable and other credits;
(D) Bonds, promissory notes, debentures and other evidences of debt;
(E) Shares of stock or other written evidence of ownership;
(F) Judgments for the payment of money;
(G) Annuities and annuity contracts.
(xxxii) "Lease" or "rental" means any transfer of possession or control of tangible personal property for consideration for a fixed or indeterminate period of time. A lease or rental may include future options to purchase or extend the lease or rental. "Lease" or "rental" shall include any agreement covering a motor vehicle or trailer where the amount of consideration may be increased or decreased by reference to the amount realized upon sale or disposition of the property as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 7701(h)(l). The definitions in this paragraph shall be used for sales and use tax purposes regardless of whether a transaction is characterized as a lease or rental under generally accepted accounting principles, the Internal Revenue Code, the Uniform Commercial Code, or other applicable provisions of federal, state or local law. "Lease" or "rental" shall not include:
(A) A transfer of possession or control of property under a security agreement or deferred payment plan that requires the transfer of title upon completion of the required payments;
(B) A transfer of possession or control of property under an agreement that requires the transfer of title upon completion of required payments and payment of an option price which does not exceed the greater of one hundred dollars ($100.00) or one percent (1%) of the total required payments; or
(C) Providing tangible personal property along with an operator for a fixed or indeterminate period of time, with the condition that the operator is necessary for the equipment to perform as designed. For purposes of this subparagraph, an operator shall do more than maintain, inspect or set up the tangible personal property.
(xxxiii) "Load and leave" means delivery to the purchaser by use of a tangible storage media where the tangible storage media is not physically transferred to the purchaser;
(xxxiv) "Mobility enhancing equipment" means equipment including its repair and replacement parts which:
(A) Is primarily and customarily used to provide or increase the ability to move from one (1) place to another and which is appropriate for use either in a home or a motor vehicle;
(B) Is not generally used by persons with normal mobility;
(C) Does not include any motor vehicle or equipment on a motor vehicle normally provided by a motor vehicle manufacturer;
(D) Does not include "durable medical equipment".
(xxxv) "Over-the-counter-drug" means a drug that contains a label that identifies the product as a drug as required by 21 C.F.R. § 201.66. The "over-the-counter-drug" label includes:
(A) A drug facts panel; or
(B) A statement of any active ingredient with a list of the ingredient contained in the compound, substance or preparation.
(xxxvi) "Prescription" means an order, formula or recipe issued in any form of oral, written, electronic or other means of transmission by a duly licensed practitioner as defined by W.S. 35-7-1002(a)(xx);
(xxxvii) "Prewritten computer software" means computer software including any prewritten upgrade, which is not designed and developed by the author or other creator to the specifications of a specific purchaser. The combining of two (2) or more prewritten computer software programs or prewritten portions thereof does not cause the combination to be other than prewritten computer software. Prewritten computer software includes software designed and developed by the author or other creator to the specifications of a specific purchaser when it is sold to a person other than the specific purchaser. Where a person modifies or enhances computer software of which the person is not the author or creator, the person shall be deemed to be the author or creator only of the person's modifications or enhancements. Prewritten computer software or a prewritten portion thereof that is modified or enhanced to any degree, where the modification or enhancement is designed and developed to the specifications of a specific purchaser remains prewritten computer software. However, where there is a reasonable, separately stated charge or an invoice or other statement of the price given to the purchaser for the modification or enhancement, the modification or enhancement shall not constitute prewritten computer software;
(xxxviii) "Prosthetic device" means a replacement, corrective or supportive device including repair and replacement parts for the device, worn on or in the body to:
(A) Artificially replace a missing portion of the body;
(B) Prevent or correct physical deformity or malfunction; or
(C) Support a weak or deformed portion of the body.
(xxxix) Telecommunications definitions:
(A) "800 service" means a telecommunications service that allows a caller to dial a toll-free number without incurring a charge for the call. The service is typically marketed under the name "800", "855", "866", "877" and "888" toll-free calling, and any subsequent numbers designated by the Federal Communications Commission;
(B) "900 service" means an inbound toll telecommunications service purchased by a subscriber that allows the subscriber's customers to call in to the subscriber's prerecorded announcement or live service. 900 service shall not include the charge for collection services provided by the seller of the telecommunications services to the subscriber or service or product sold by the subscriber to the subscriber's customer. The service is typically marketed under the name "900" service, and any subsequent numbers designated by the Federal Communications Commission;
(C) "Ancillary services" means services that are associated with or incidental to the provision of telecommunications services, including but not limited to detailed telecommunications billing, directory assistance, vertical service and voice mail services;
(D) "Coin-operated telephone service" means a telecommunications service paid for by inserting money into a telephone accepting direct deposits of money to operate;
(E) "Conference bridging service" means an ancillary service that links two (2) or more participants of an audio or video conference call and may include the provision of a telephone number. Conference bridging service shall not include the telecommunications services used to reach the conference bridge;
(F) "Detailed telecommunications billing service" means an ancillary service of separately stating information pertaining to individual calls on a customer's billing statement;
(G) "Directory assistance" means an ancillary service of providing telephone number information or address information;
(H) "Fixed wireless service" means a telecommunications service that provides radio communication between fixed points;
(J) "International" means a telecommunications service that originates or terminates in the United States and terminates or originates outside the United States, respectively. United States includes the District of Columbia or a United States territory or possession;
(K) "Interstate" means a telecommunications service that originates in one (1) state of the United States or a United States territory or possession, and terminates in a different state of the United States or a United States territory or possession;
(M) "Intrastate" means a telecommunications service that originates in one (1) state of the United States or a United States territory or possession and terminates in the same state of the United States or a United States territory or possession;
(N) "Mobile wireless service" means a telecommunications service that is transmitted, conveyed or routed regardless of the technology used, whereby the origination or termination points of the transmission, conveyance or routing are not fixed, including, by way of example only, telecommunications services that are provided by a commercial mobile radio service provider;
(O) "Paging service" means a telecommunications service that provides transmission of coded radio signals for the purpose of activating specific pagers, which transmissions may include messages or sounds;
(P) "Pay telephone service" means a telecommunications service provided through any pay telephone;
(Q) "Prepaid calling service" means the right to access exclusively telecommunications services, which require advance payment and which enables the origination of call using an access number or authorization code, whether manually or electronically dialed, and that is sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount;
(R) "Prepaid wireless calling service" means a telecommunications service that provides the right to utilize mobile wireless service as well as other nontelecommunications services including the download of digital products delivered electronically, content and ancillary services, which require advance payment that is sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount;
(S) "Private communications service" means a telecommunications service that entitles the customer to exclusive or priority use of a communications channel or group of channels between or among termination points, regardless of the manner in which the channel or channels are connected, and includes switching capacity, extension lines, stations and any other associated services that are provided in connection with the use of the channel or channels;
(T) "Residential telecommunications service" means a telecommunications service or ancillary services provided to an individual for personal use at a residential address, including an individual dwelling unit such as an apartment. In the case of institutions where individuals reside such as schools or nursing homes, telecommunications service is considered residential if it is provided to and paid for by an individual resident rather than the institution;
(U) "Telecommunications service" means the electronic transmission, conveyance or routing of voice, data, audio, video or any other information or signals to a point, or between or among points. The term telecommunications service includes such transmission, conveyance or routing in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, code or protocol of the content for purposes of transmission, conveyance or routing without regard to whether such service is referred to as voice over internet protocol services or is classified by the Federal Communications Commission as enhanced or value added. Telecommunications service shall not include:
(I) Data processing and information services that allow data to be generated, acquired, stored, processed or retrieved and delivered by an electronic transmission to a purchaser where the purchaser's primary purpose for the underlying transaction is the processed data or information;
(II) Installation or maintenance of wiring or equipment on a customer's premises;
(III) Tangible personal property;
(IV) Advertising, including but not limited to directory advertising;
(V) Billing and collection services provided to third parties;
(VI) Internet access service;
(VII) Radio and television audio and video programming services, regardless of the medium, including the furnishing of transmission, conveyance and routing of the services by the programming service provider. Radio and television audio and video programming services shall include but not be limited to cable service as defined in 47 U.S.C. 522(6) and audio and video programming services delivered by commercial mobile radio service providers, as defined in 47 C.F.R. 20.3;
(VIII) Ancillary services; or
(IX) Digital products delivered electronically including but not limited to software, music, video, reading materials or ring tones.
(W) "Value-added nonvoice data service" means a service that otherwise meets the definition of telecommunications services in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, content, code, or protocol of the information or data primarily for a purpose other than transmission, conveyance or routing;
(Y) "Vertical service" means an ancillary service that is offered in connection with one (1) or more telecommunications services, which offers advanced calling features that allow customers to identify callers and to manage multiple calls and call connections, including conference bridging services;
(Z) "Voice mail service" means an ancillary service that enables the customer to store, send or receive recorded messages. Voice mail service does not include any vertical services that the customer may be required to have in order to utilize the voice mail service.
(xl) "Bundled transaction" means the retail sale of two (2) or more products, except real property and services to real property, where the products are otherwise distinct and identifiable, and the products are sold for one (1) nonitemized price. A bundled transaction does not include the sale of any products in which the sales price varies or is negotiable based on the selection by the purchaser of the products included in the transaction:
(A) "Distinct and identifiable products" does not include:
(I) Packaging such as containers, boxes, sacks, bags and bottles or other materials such as wrapping, labels, tags and instruction guides that accompany the retail sale of the products and are incidental or immaterial to the retail sale thereof;
(II) A product provided free of charge with the required purchase of another product. A product is provided free of charge if the sales price of the product purchased does not vary depending on the inclusion of the product provided free of charge;
(III) Items included in the definition of sales price.
(B) "One (1) nonitemized price" does not include a price that is separately identified by product on a binding sales or other supporting sales-related documentation made available to the customer in paper or electronic form including, but not limited to an invoice, bill of sale, receipt, contract, service agreement, lease agreement, periodic notice of rates and services, rate card or price list;
(C) A transaction that otherwise meets the definition of a bundled transaction as defined above, is not a bundled transaction if it is:
(I) The retail sale of tangible personal property and a service where the tangible personal property is essential to the use of the service, and is provided exclusively in connection with the service, and the true object of the transaction is the service; or
(II) The retail sale of services where one (1) service is provided that is essential to the use or receipt of a second service and the first service is provided exclusively in connection with the second service and the true object of the transaction is the second service; or
(III) A transaction that includes taxable products and nontaxable products and the purchase price or sales price of the taxable products is de minimis. "De minimis" means the seller's purchase price or sales price of the taxable products is ten percent (10%) or less of the total purchase price or sales price of the bundled products. Sellers shall use either the purchase price or the sales price of the products to determine if the taxable products are de minimis. Sellers shall not use a combination of the purchase price and sales price of the products to determine if the taxable products are de minimis. Sellers shall use the full term of a service contract to determine if the taxable products are de minimis; or
(IV) The retail sale of exempt tangible personal property and taxable tangible personal property where: (1) The transaction includes food and food ingredients, drugs, durable medical equipment, mobility enhancing equipment, over the counter drugs, prosthetic devices or medical supplies; and (2) Where the seller's purchase price or sales price of the taxable tangible personal property is fifty percent (50%) or less of the total purchase price or sales price of the bundled tangible personal property. Sellers shall not use a combination of the purchase price and sales price of the tangible personal property when making the fifty percent (50%) determination of the transaction.
(D) When a bundled transaction includes a telecommunications service, ancillary service, internet access or audio or video programming service:
(I) If the price of the bundle is attributable to products that are taxable and products that are nontaxable, the portion of the price attributable to the nontaxable products may be subject to tax unless the provider can identify by reasonable and verifiable standards such portion from its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business for other purposes, including, but not limited to nontax purposes;
(II) If the price of the bundle is attributable to products that are subject to tax at different rates, the total price may be treated as attributable to the products subject to tax at the highest rate unless the provider can identify by reasonable and verifiable standards the portion of the price attributable to the products subject to tax at the lower rate from its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business for other purposes, including, but not limited to nontax purposes.
(xli) "Food for domestic home consumption" means substances whether in liquid, concentrated, solid, frozen, dried or dehydrated form that are sold for ingestion or chewing by humans and are consumed for their taste or nutritional value. "Food for domestic home consumption" does not include alcoholic beverages, tobacco or prepared foods;
(xlii) "Direct mail" means printed material delivered or distributed by United States mail or other delivery service to a mass audience or to addressees on a mailing list provided by the purchaser or at the direction of the purchaser when the cost of the items are not billed directly to the recipients. "Direct mail" includes tangible personal property supplied directly or indirectly by the purchaser to the direct mail seller for inclusion in the package containing the printed material. "Direct mail" does not include multiple items of printed material delivered to a single address;
(xliii) "Specified digital products" means electronically transferred:
(A) "Digital audio-visual works" which means a series of related images which, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion, together with accompanying sounds, if any;
(B) "Digital audio works" which means works that result from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken or other sounds, including ringtones; or
(C) "Digital books" which means works that are generally recognized in the ordinary and usual sense as books.
(xliv) "Data processing services center" means a business or business unit which is primarily engaged in providing infrastructure to house a group of network server computers and associated network storage devices in one (1) physical location in order to centralize one (1) or more of the following: storage, management, processing or dissemination of data and information pertaining to a particular business, taxonomy or body of knowledge. The business may provide specialized hosting activities such as web hosting, streaming services or application hosting; application service provisioning; or general time-share mainframe facilities to itself or to its clients. The client of a data processing services center may be a person or company not affiliated with the data processing services center or other business unit within the business entity which owns the data processing services center;
(xlv) "Qualifying computer equipment" means tangible personal property eligible for the exemption provided by W.S. 39-15-105(a)(viii)(S). The term shall include computers, servers, monitors, keyboards, storage devices and other peripherals, racking systems, cabling and trays necessary for the operation of the data processing services center;
(xlvi) "Prepared food":
(A) Includes:
(I) Food sold in a heated state or heated by the seller;
(II) Two (2) or more food ingredients mixed or combined by the seller for sale as a single item; or
(III) Food sold with eating utensils provided by the seller including plates, knives, forks, spoons, glasses, cups, napkins or straws. A container or package used to transport the food is not an eating utensil.
(B) Does not include:
(I) Food that is only cut, repackaged or pasteurized by the seller;
(II) Eggs, fish, meat, poultry or foods containing raw animal foods and which are required or recommended to be cooked by the consumer to prevent food borne illness;
(III) Food sold by a seller whose proper primary NAICS classification is manufacturing in sector 311, except subsector 3118 dealing with bakeries;
(IV) Food sold in an unheated state by weight or volume as a single item; or
(V) Bakery items including bread, rolls, buns, biscuits, bagels, croissants, pastries, donuts, danishes, cakes, tortes, pies, tarts, muffins, bars, cookies, tortillas and other bakery goods unless the item is sold as prepared food under subdivision (xlvi)(A)(III) of this subsection.
(xlvii) "Exempt motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is exempt from taxation under W.S. 39-15-105. Upon transfer of title of an exempt motor vehicle, a county treasurer shall provide an applicant documentation noting any valid sales tax exemption and a receipt specifying the amount of sales tax collected;
(xlviii) "Purchase price" means the sales price paid for property purchased for storage, use or consumption in this state;
(xlix) "Storage" means the keeping or retention in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a vendor for any purpose except for sale in the course of business or subsequent use outside the state;
(xlx) "Use" means the exercise of any right or power over tangible personal property incident to ownership or by any transaction where possession is given by lease or contract.
(a) This article is known and may be cited as the "Sales and Use Tax Act".
(b) The administration of this article is vested in the department of revenue.
(c) The department may provide for the issuance, affixing and payment of revenue stamps or the issuance of tokens or other devices to more efficiently secure the payment, collection and accounting for taxes imposed by this article.
(d) Written notice by the department, using contact information provided by the taxpayer, shall be sufficient for the purposes of this article. Written notice may be provided electronically by the department if the contact information provided by the taxpayer includes an electronic communication option.
(e) No state employee or other person who by virtue of his employment has knowledge of the business affairs of any person filing or required to file any tax returns under this article shall make known their contents in any manner or permit any person to have access to any returns or information contained therein except as provided by law. The department may also allow the following:
(i) The delivery to the taxpayer or his legal representatives upon written request of a copy of any return or report in connection with his tax;
(ii) The publication of statistics so classified to prevent the identification of particular returns or reports;
(iii) The inspection by the attorney general of the state of the report or return of any person who brings an action against the state, or against whom an action is contemplated or has been instituted;
(iv) The introduction into evidence of any report or return or information therefrom in any administrative or court proceeding to which the person making the report or return is a party;
(v) The furnishing of any information to the United States government and its territories, the District of Columbia, any state allowing similar privileges to the department or to the multistate tax commission for relay to tax officials of cooperating states. Information furnished shall be only for tax purposes;
(vi) The inspection of tax returns and records by the state department of audit;
(vii) The sharing of information with local government entities and other state agencies, provided a written request is made to the department and the governmental entity or agency demonstrates sufficient reason to obtain the information for official business purposes.
(f) No person shall fail or refuse to make any return or payment required by this article or shall make any false return or statement or shall evade the payment of any tax due. No person shall aid or abet another in any attempt to evade payment of the tax due. No person shall knowingly attest by signature to a false or fraudulent return. The district court of the county in which violations of this subsection occur shall have jurisdiction.
(g) The state preempts the field of imposing tax upon sales and purchases of tangible personal property and storage, use and consumption of tangible personal property as provided by this article. No county, city, town or other political subdivision may impose, levy or collect taxes upon sales or storage, use or consumption of tangible personal property except as provided in this section.
(h) The use tax imposed under this chapter shall be administered in the same manner as the sales tax imposed under this chapter and shall be distributed in the same manner as sales taxes collected under this chapter subject to the specific requirements of this chapter.
(a) Taxable event. The following shall apply:
(i) Except as provided by W.S. 39-15-105, there is levied an excise tax upon:
(A) The sales price of every retail sale of tangible personal property within the state and upon the purchase price of persons making first use of taxable services or storing, using or consuming taxable personal property or specified digital products in this state;
(B) The gross rental paid for the lease or contract transferring possession of tangible personal property if the transfer of possession would be taxable if a sale occurred;
(C) The sales price paid for intrastate telecommunications services including the consideration paid for the sale, rental or leasing of any equipment or ancillary services incidental thereto, and the sales price paid for intrastate calls which originate and terminate in a single state and are billed to a customer with a place of primary use in this state from mobile telecommunications services as provided by the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act, 4 U.S.C. §§ 116 through 126. The definitions and provisions of the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act shall apply to this article;
(D) The sales price paid to carriers for intrastate transportation of passengers;
(E) The sales price paid to public utilities as defined in W.S. 37-1-101 through 37-3-114 and to persons furnishing gas, electricity or heat for domestic, industrial or commercial consumption;
(F) The sales price paid for meals and cover charges, excluding all gratuities regardless of whether offered by the customer or invoiced by the seller, at any place where meals are regularly served to the public;
(G) The sales price paid for living quarters in hotels, motels, tourist courts and similar establishments providing lodging service for transient guests;
(H) The sales price paid for each admission to any place of amusement, entertainment, recreation, games or athletic event;
(J) The sales price paid for services performed for the repair, alteration or improvement of tangible personal property;
(K) The sales price paid for all services and tangible personal property used in rendering services to real or tangible personal property within an oil or gas well site beginning with and including the setting and cementing of production casing, or if production casing is not set as in the case of an open hole completion, after the completion of the underreaming or the attainment of total depth of the oil or gas well and continuing with all activities sequentially required for the production of any oil or gas well regardless of the chronological occurrence of the activity. All services required during the entire productive life of the well, including recompletion, all the way through abandonment shall be subject to this subparagraph. The provisions of W.S. 39-15-301 through 39-15-311 shall not apply to this subparagraph;
(M) The sales price paid for motor vehicles, house trailers, trailer coaches, trailers or semitrailers as defined by W.S. 31-1-101;
(N) The sales price paid for alcoholic beverages;
(O) The sales price paid for computer hardware including the basic set of operating instructions called system software which is necessary to the basic operation of the computer hardware and the sales price paid for the hardware media used to transfer computer software programs;
(P) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, the sales price of every retail sale of specified digital products within the state. A sale of specified digital products is only subject to the tax under this section if the purchaser has permanent use of the specified digital product. A vendor who purchases specified digital products for further commercial broadcast, rebroadcast, transmission, retransmission, licensing, relicensing, distribution, redistribution or exhibition in whole or in part to another person shall be considered a wholesaler and not subject to the tax imposed by this article. Those services provided by a trade association as part of a member benefit are not subject to the tax imposed by this subparagraph.
(b) Basis of tax. The following shall apply:
(i) Except as provided by W.S. 39-15-105, there is levied and shall be paid by the purchaser on all sales and purchases an excise tax upon all events as provided by subsection (a) of this section;
(ii) For purposes of W.S. 39-15-107(b)(i), the sales price of motor vehicles, house trailers, trailer coaches, trailers or semitrailers as defined by W.S. 31-1-101 shall be declared by the purchaser upon a copy of the original invoice from the vendor or upon an affidavit furnished by the department if not purchased from a vendor and the tax collected shall be based upon the declaration or invoice;
(iii) Except for those vehicles specified under W.S. 39-15-107(b)(viii), the tax imposed by this article upon the sale of a motor vehicle, house trailer, trailer coach, trailer or semitrailer purchased inside or outside the state of Wyoming as a gift shall be collected from the donee prior to the first registration based upon the fair market value of the gift at the time of the gift;
(iv) The tax imposed by this article upon the sale of a transportable home shall be collected upon the first sale of the transportable home. The tax shall be collected on seventy percent (70%) of the sales price of the transportable home. No tax shall be collected upon any subsequent sale of the home.
(c) Taxpayer. The following shall apply:
(i) Except as otherwise provided every vendor shall collect the tax imposed by this article and is liable for the entire amount of taxes imposed;
(ii) Every person purchasing goods or services taxed by this article and every person making first use of taxable services or storing, using or consuming tangible personal property or specified digital products from a vendor who does not maintain a place of business in this state is liable for the taxes and shall pay any tax owed to the department unless the taxes have been paid to a vendor. Specified digital products are only subject to the tax imposed by this article as specified in subparagraph (a)(i)(P) of this section. The liability is not extinguished until the tax has been paid to the state except that a receipt given to the person by a registered vendor in accordance with paragraph (i) of this subsection is sufficient to relieve the purchaser from further liability;
(iii) Any tax due under this article constitutes a debt to the state from the persons who are parties to the transaction, other than any vendor or other seller who is prohibited or not authorized by law to collect any tax under this article, and is a lien from the date the tax is due on all the real and personal property of those persons;
(iv) The vendor shall file a return within thirty (30) days after discontinuing or selling his business. His successor in business shall withhold from the purchase price enough money to pay the taxes, penalties and interest due on the outstanding amount of all credit, installment and conditional sales upon which the tax has not been paid until the time the former owner produces a receipt from the department showing that all taxes have been paid or a certificate that no taxes are due. If the successor fails to withhold from the purchase price the amount due and the taxes, penalty and interest are unpaid the original vendor and successor vendor are liable for the payment of the unpaid taxes, penalties and interest.
(a) Except as provided by W.S. 39-15-105 there is levied and shall be paid by the purchaser on all sales and purchases an excise tax of three percent (3%) upon all events as provided by W.S. 39-15-103(a).
(b) Effective July 1, 1993, in addition to the excise tax under subsection (a) of this section there is imposed an additional excise tax of one percent (1%) which shall be administered as if the tax rate under subsection (a) of this section was increased from three percent (3%) to four percent (4%). The revenue from these increases shall be distributed in the same manner as other excise tax revenue under those sections.
(c) Repealed by Laws 2000, Ch. 26, § 1.
(d) Repealed By Laws 2007, Ch. 140, § 2.
(e) The license fee and taxes imposed by this article are in addition to all other licenses and taxes provided by law except as otherwise provided.
(f) The tax rate imposed upon a sale or purchase subject to this chapter shall be sourced as follows:
(i) The retail sale, excluding lease or rental, of a product shall be sourced as follows:
(A) When the product is received by the purchaser at a business location of the seller, the sale shall be sourced to that business location;
(B) When the product is not received by the purchaser at a business location of the seller's, the sale shall be sourced to the location where receipt by the purchaser, or the purchaser's agent designated as such by the purchaser, occurs, including the location indicated by instruction for delivery to the purchaser or donee, known to the seller;
(C) When subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph do not apply, the sale shall be sourced to the location indicated by an address for the purchaser that is available from the business records of the seller that are maintained in the ordinary course of the seller's business when use of this address does not constitute bad faith;
(D) When subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph do not apply, the sale shall be sourced to the location indicated by an address for the purchaser obtained during the consummation of the sale, including the address of a purchaser's payment instrument, if no other address is available, when use of this address does not constitute bad faith;
(E) When none of the previous rules of subparagraphs (A) through (D) of this paragraph apply, including the circumstance in which the seller is without sufficient information to apply any of the previous rules, then the location shall be determined by the address from which tangible personal property was shipped, from which the digital good or the computer software delivered electronically was first available for transmission by the seller, or from which the service was provided, disregarding for these purposes any location that merely provided the digital transfer of the product sold;
(F) For the purposes of this paragraph the terms "receive" and "receipt" mean taking possession of tangible personal property, making first use of services or taking possession or making first use of digital goods, whichever comes first. The terms "receive" and "receipt" do not include possession by a shipping company on behalf of the purchaser.
(ii) The lease or rental of tangible personal property, other than property identified in paragraph (iii) or
(iv) of this subsection, shall be sourced as follows:
(A) For a lease or rental that requires recurring periodic payments, the first periodic payment shall be sourced the same as a retail sale in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (i) of this subsection. Periodic payments made subsequently to the first payment shall be sourced to the primary property location for each period covered by the payment. The primary property location shall be as indicated by an address for the property provided by the lessee that is available to the lessor from its records maintained in the ordinary course of business, when use of this address does not constitute bad faith. The property location shall not be altered by intermittent use at different locations, such as use of the business property that accompanies employees on business trips and service calls;
(B) For a lease or rental that does not require recurring periodic payments, the payment shall be sourced the same as a retail sale in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (i) of this subsection;
(C) This paragraph shall not affect the imposition or computation of sales or use tax on leases or rentals based on a lump sum or accelerated basis, or on the acquisition of property for lease.
(iii) The lease or rental of a motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or aircraft that does not qualify as transportation equipment, as defined in paragraph (iv) of this subsection shall be sourced as follows:
(A) For a lease or rental that requires recurring periodic payment, each periodic payment shall be sourced to the primary property location. The primary property location shall be as indicated by an address for the property provided by the lessee that is available to the lessor from its records maintained in the ordinary course of business, when use of this address does not constitute bad faith. This location shall not be altered by intermittent use at different locations;
(B) For a lease or rental that does not require recurring periodic payments, the payment shall be sourced the same as a retail sale in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (i) of this subsection;
(C) This paragraph shall not affect the imposition or computation of sales or use tax on a lease or rental based on a lump sum or accelerated basis, or on the acquisition of property for lease.
(iv) The retail sale, including lease or rental of transportation equipment shall be sourced the same as a retail sale in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (i) of this subsection. As used in this paragraph, "transportation equipment" means any of the following:
(A) Locomotives and railcars that are utilized for the carriage of persons or property in interstate commerce;
(B) Trucks and truck-tractors with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of greater than ten thousand (10,000) pounds, trailers, semi-trailers or passenger buses that are:
(I) Registered through the international registration plan; and
(II) Operated under authority of a carrier authorized and certified by the United States department of transportation or another federal or a foreign authority to engage in the carriage of personnel or property in interstate or foreign commerce.
(C) Aircraft that are operated by an air carrier authorized and certified by the United States department of transportation or another federal authority or foreign authority to engage in the carriage of persons or property in interstate or foreign commerce;
(D) Containers designed for use on and component parts attached or secured on the items set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph.
(v) Repealed By Laws 2010, Ch. 35, § 2.
(vi) Repealed By Laws 2013, Ch. 179, § 2.
(vii) Repealed By Laws 2013, Ch. 179, § 2.
(viii) Repealed By Laws 2013, Ch. 179, § 2.
(ix) Except for the defined telecommunication services in paragraph (xi) of this subsection, the sale of telecommunication service sold on a call-by-call basis shall be sourced to:
(A) Each level of taxing jurisdiction where the call originates and terminates in that jurisdiction; or
(B) Each level of taxing jurisdiction where the call either originates or terminates and in which the service address is also located.
(x) Except for the defined telecommunication services in paragraph (xi) of this subsection, a sale of telecommunication service sold on a basis other than a call-by-call basis and any ancillary service incidental to the sale, shall be sourced to the customer's place of primary use;
(xi) The sales of the following telecommunication services shall be sourced to each level of taxing jurisdiction as follows:
(A) A sale of mobile telecommunications services other than air-to-ground radio telephone service and prepaid calling service, shall be sourced to the customer's place of primary use as required by the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act, P.L. 106-252;
(B) A sale of post-paid calling service shall be sourced to the origination point of the telecommunications signal as first identified by either:
(I) The seller's telecommunications system; or
(II) Information received by the seller from its service provider, where the system used to transport such signals is not that of the seller.
(C) A sale of prepaid calling service and prepaid wireless calling service shall be sourced in accordance with paragraph (i) of this subsection. Provided however, in the case of a sale of a prepaid wireless calling service, the rule provided in subparagraph (i)(E) of this subsection shall include as an option the location associated with the mobile telephone number;
(D) A sale of a private communication service shall be sourced as follows:
(I) Service for a separate charge related to a customer channel termination point shall be sourced to each level of jurisdiction in which the customer channel termination point is located;
(II) Service where all customer termination points are located entirely within one (1) jurisdiction or levels of jurisdiction shall be sourced in the jurisdiction in which the customer channel termination points are located;
(III) Service for segments of a channel between two (2) customer channel termination points located in different jurisdictions and which segments of a channel are separately charged shall be sourced fifty percent (50%) in each level of jurisdiction in which the customer channel termination points are located;
(IV) Service for segments of a channel located in more than one (1) jurisdiction or levels of jurisdiction and which segments are not separately billed shall be sourced in each jurisdiction based on the percentage determined by dividing the number of customer channel termination points in the jurisdiction by the total number of customer channel termination points.
(E) As used in paragraphs (ix) through (xi) of this subsection, the following definitions apply:
(I) "Air-to-ground radio/telephone service" means a radio service, as that term is defined in 47 C.F.R. 22.99, in which common carriers are authorized to offer and provide radio telecommunications service for hire to subscribers in aircraft;
(II) "Call-by-call basis" means any method of charging for telecommunications services where the price is measured by individual calls;
(III) "Communications channel" means a physical or virtual path of communications over which signals are transmitted between or among customer channel termination points;
(IV) "Customer" means the person or entity that contracts with the seller of telecommunications services. If the end user of telecommunications services is not the contracting party, the end user of the telecommunications service is the customer of the telecommunication service, but this sentence only applies for the purpose of sourcing sales of telecommunications services under paragraphs (ix) through (xi) of this subsection. "Customer" does not include a reseller of telecommunications service or the mobile telecommunications service of a serving carrier under an agreement to serve the customer outside the home service provider's licensed service area;
(V) "Customer channel termination point" means the location where the customer either inputs or receives the communications;
(VI) "End user" means the person who utilizes the telecommunication service. In the case of an entity, "end user" means the individual who utilizes the service on behalf of the entity;
(VII) "Home service provider" means the same as that term is defined in § 124(5) of P.L. 106-252, Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act;
(VIII) "Mobile telecommunications service" means the same as that term is defined in § 124(5) of P.L. 106-252, Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act;
(IX) "Place of primary use" means the street address representative of where the customer's use of the telecommunications service primarily occurs, which shall be the residential street address or the primary business street address of the customer. In the case of mobile telecommunications services, "place of primary use" shall be within the licensed service area of the home service provider;
(X) "Post-paid calling service" means the telecommunications service obtained by making a payment on a call-by-call basis either through the use of a payment mechanism such as a bank card, travel card, credit card, or debit card, or by charge made to a telephone number which is not associated with the origination or termination of the telecommunications service. A post-paid calling service includes a telecommunications service, except a prepaid wireless calling service, that would be a prepaid calling service except it is not exclusively a telecommunications service;
(XI) "Prepaid calling service" means the right to access exclusively telecommunications services, which are paid for in advance and which enables the origination of calls using an access number or authorization code, whether manually or electronically dialed, and that is sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount;
(XII) "Private communications service" means a telecommunications service that entitles the customer to exclusive or priority use of a communications channel or group of channels between or among termination points, regardless of the manner in which the channel or channels are connected, and includes switching capacity, extension lines, stations and any other associated services that are provided in connection with the use of the channel or channels;
(XIII) "Service address" means: (1) The location of the telecommunications equipment to which a customer's call is charged and from which the call originates or terminates, regardless of where the call is billed or paid; (2) If the location in section (1) of this subdivision is not known, service address means the origination point of the signal of the telecommunications services first identified by either the seller's telecommunications system or in information received by the seller from its service provider, where the system used to transport the signals is not that of the seller; (3) If neither location specified in section (1) or (2) of this subdivision is known, the service address means the location of the customer's place of primary use.
(XIV) "Prepaid wireless calling service" means a telecommunications service that provides the right to utilize mobile wireless service as well as other nontelecommunications services, including the download of digital products delivered electronically, content and ancillary services, which must be paid for in advance that is sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount.
(xii) A purchaser of advertising and promotional direct mail may provide the seller with either:
(A) A direct pay permit;
(B) An agreement certificate of exemption claiming direct mail or other written statement approved, authorized or accepted by the state; or
(C) Information showing the jurisdictions to which the advertising and promotional direct mail is to be delivered to recipients.
(xiii) If a purchaser provides a permit, certificate or statement under subparagraph (xii)(A) or (B) of this subsection, the seller, in the absence of bad faith, is relieved of any obligation to collect, pay or remit any tax on any transaction involving advertising and promotional direct mail to which the permit, certificate or statement applies. The purchaser shall source the sale to the jurisdictions to which the advertising and promotional direct mail is to be delivered to recipients and shall pay any applicable tax due;
(xiv) If the purchaser provides the seller information showing the jurisdictions where the advertising and promotional direct mail is to be delivered to recipients, the seller shall source the sale to the jurisdictions to which the advertising and promotional direct mail is to be delivered and shall collect and remit the applicable tax. In the absence of bad faith, the seller is relieved of any further obligation to collect any additional tax on the sale of advertising and promotional direct mail where the seller has sourced the sale according to the delivery information provided by the seller;
(xv) If the purchaser does not provide the seller with any of the items under paragraph (f)(vi) of this section, the sale shall be sourced according to subparagraph (f)(i)(E) of this section;
(xvi) As used in this subsection:
(A) "Advertising and promotional direct mail" means printed material that meets the definition of direct mail the primary purpose of which is to attract public attention to a product, person, business or organization or to attempt to sell, popularize or secure financial support for a product, person, business or organization;
(B) "Direct mail" means printed material delivered or distributed by United States mail or other delivery service to a mass audience or to addressees on a mailing list provided by the purchaser or at the direction of the purchaser when the cost of the items are not billed directly to the recipients. "Direct mail" includes tangible personal property supplied directly or indirectly by the purchaser to the direct mail seller for inclusion in the package containing the printed material. "Direct mail" does not include multiple items of printed material delivered to a single address;
(C) "Product" means tangible personal property, a product transferred electronically or a service;
(D) "Other direct mail" means any direct mail that is not advertising and promotional direct mail regardless of whether advertising and promotional direct mail is included in the same mailing. "Other direct mail" includes, but is not limited to:
(I) Transactional mail that contains personal information specific to the addressee including, but not limited to, invoices, bills, statements of account and payroll advices;
(II) Any legally required mailing including, but not limited to, privacy notices, tax reports and stockholder reports;
(III) Other nonpromotional direct mail delivered to existing or former shareholders, customers, employees or agents including, but not limited to, newsletters and informational documents.
(E) "Other direct mail" does not include the development of billing information or the provision of any data processing service that is more than incidental.
(g) Any vendor or certified service provider relying on an incorrect rate, boundary or jurisdictional information provided by the department in its tax rate database required under the streamlined sales and use tax agreement shall not be held liable for any under collection of tax caused by the department's error.
(h) In addition to the sales tax under subsections (a) and
(b) of this section there is imposed an assessment upon the sale of lodging services of five percent (5%) as follows:
(i) Three percent (3%) to be distributed as provided in W.S. 39-15-111(p)(i); and
(ii) Two percent (2%) to be distributed as provided in W.S. 39-15-111(p)(ii).
(a) The following sales, purchases or leases are exempt from the excise tax imposed by this article:
(i) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property which are protected by the United States constitution and the Wyoming constitution, the following are exempt:
(A) Sales which the state of Wyoming is prohibited from taxing under the laws or constitutions of the United States or Wyoming.
(ii) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property protected by federal law, the following are exempt:
(A) Interstate transportation of freight or passengers;
(B) Sales of railroad rolling stock including locomotives purchased by interstate railroads, aircraft purchased by interstate air carriers which are holders of valid United States civil aeronautics board permits or authorities, and trucks, truck-tractors, trailers, semitrailers and passenger buses in excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross vehicle weight which are purchased by common or contract interstate carriers or which are operating in interstate commerce under exemption clauses in federal law if they are to be used in interstate commerce;
(C) Leases of motor vehicles with or without trailers when the lease rental is computed from the gross receipts of the operation, if the operator is operating under a valid interstate authority or permit;
(D) Sales to Wyoming joint apprenticeship and training programs approved by the United States department of labor;
(E) To comply with the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, sales of food purchased with supplemental nutrition assistance benefits.
(iii) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property consumed in production, the following are exempt:
(A) Sales of tangible personal property to a person engaged in the business of manufacturing, processing or compounding when the tangible personal property purchased becomes an ingredient or component of the tangible personal property manufactured, processed or compounded for sale or use and sales of containers, labels or shipping cases used for the tangible personal property so manufactured, processed or compounded. This subparagraph shall apply to chemicals and catalysts used directly in manufacturing, processing or compounding which are consumed or destroyed during that process;
(B) Sales of livestock, feeds for use in feeding livestock or poultry for marketing purposes and seeds, roots, bulbs, small plants and fertilizer planted or applied to land, the products of which are to be sold. This exemption applies to, but is not limited to, sales of seeds, roots, bulbs, small plants and fertilizer planted or applied to land subject to a state or federal crop set aside program;
(C) Intrastate transportation by public utility or others of raw farm products to processing or manufacturing plants;
(D) Sales of power or fuel to a person engaged in the business of manufacturing, processing or agriculture when the same is consumed directly in manufacturing, processing or agriculture;
(E) Sales of power or fuel to a person transporting tangible personal property by railroad or by pipeline when the power or fuel is consumed directly in generating motive power for actual transportation purposes, regardless of ownership of the transported tangible personal property, except power or fuel which is not taxed as gasoline or gasohol under W.S. 39-17-101 through 39-17-111 or as diesel fuel under W.S. 39-17-201 through 39-17-211 and which is used to propel a motor vehicle upon the highway as defined in W.S. 39-17-201(a)(xii). As used in this subparagraph, "pipeline" means a system of connected pipes and other equipment that is used to transport oil, natural gas or other hydrocarbons from a well site to an interstate or intrastate transmission customer sales delivery point, including between intermediate points along a transportation path;
(F) Wholesale sales excluding sales of controlled substances as defined by W.S. 35-7-1002(a)(iv) which are not sold pursuant to a written prescription of or through a licensed practitioner as defined by W.S. 35-7-1002(a)(xx);
(G) Sales of fuel for use as boiler fuel in the production of electricity;
(H) Repealed By Laws 2000, Ch. 4, § 2.
(J) The cost of food or meals furnished by a food establishment licensed under W.S. 35-7-124 without charge to an employee for consumption on the premises is not taxable either to the establishment or the employee.
(iv) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property sold to government, charitable and nonprofit organizations, irrigation districts and weed and pest control districts, the following are exempt:
(A) Sales to the state of Wyoming or its political subdivisions;
(B) Sales made to religious or charitable organizations including nonprofit organizations providing meals or services to senior citizens as certified to the department of revenue by the department of health in or for the conduct of the regular religious, charitable or senior citizen functions and activities and sales of meals made to senior citizens, guests of seniors and meals delivered to the homebound in regular conduct of senior citizen centers functions and activities;
(C) Occasional sales made by religious or charitable organizations for fund raising purposes for the conduct of regular religious or charitable functions and activities, and not in the course of any regular business. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "regular business" means the habitual or regular activity of the organization excluding any incidental or occasional operation;
(D) Sales to a joint powers board organized under the Wyoming Joint Powers Act;
(E) Sales price of admission to county or municipal owned recreation facilities such as swimming pools, athletic facilities and recreation centers;
(F) Labor or service charges, including transportation and travel, for the repair, alteration or improvement of real property or tangible personal property owned by, or incorporated in projects under contract to the state of Wyoming or any of its political subdivisions, including an irrigation district created under W.S. 41-7-201 through 41-7-210, and a weed and pest control district created under W.S. 11-5-101 et seq.;
(G) Sales to an irrigation district created under W.S. 41-7-201 through 41-7-210;
(H) Sales to a weed and pest control district created under W.S. 11-5-101 et seq.;
(J) Intrastate transit of persons services by a government, charitable or nonprofit organization.
(v) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property which are alternatively taxed, the following are exempt:
(A) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 165, § 1.
(B) Sales of transportable homes after the tax has been once paid;
(C) Sales of gasoline or gasohol taxed under W.S. 39-17-101 through 39-17-111 and of diesel fuels taxed under W.S. 39-17-201 through 39-17-211. The exemption provided by this subparagraph shall not apply to gasoline or gasohol taxed under W.S. 39-17-104(a)(iii) or to diesel fuel taxed under W.S. 39-17-204(a)(ii);
(D) Gratuities or tips which are offered to tipped employees as specified in W.S. 27-4-202(b) are exempt from the tax whether offered by the consumer or separately invoiced by the seller.
(E) Sales of alternative fuels taxed under W.S. 39-17-301 through 39-17-311.
(vi) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property which are essential human goods and services, the following are exempt:
(A) Intrastate transportation by public utility or others of sick, injured or deceased persons by ambulance or hearse;
(B) Sales of the following tangible personal property sold under a prescription: drugs for human relief excluding over-the-counter-drugs, insulin for human relief and any syringe, needle or other device necessary for the administration thereof, oxygen for medical use, blood plasma, prosthetic devices, hearing aids, eyeglasses, contact lenses, mobility enhancing equipment, durable medical equipment and any assistive device. As used in this subparagraph, "assistive device" means any item, piece of equipment or product system, as defined by department rule, which is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of an individual with a permanent disability, excluding any medical device, surgical device or organ implanted or transplanted into or attached directly to an individual;
(C) Sales of all noncapitalized equipment and disposable supplies which are used in the direct medical or dental care of a patient. The exemption in this subparagraph shall not include capitalized equipment or office supplies used in the normal course of business;
(D) Sales of water delivered by pipeline or truck;
(E) Sales of food for domestic home consumption;
(F) Tangible personal property sold by any person for delivery in this state is deemed sold for storage, use or consumption herein and is subject to the tax imposed by this article unless the person selling the property has received from the purchaser a signed certificate stating the property was purchased for resale and showing his name and address.
(vii) For the purpose of exempting sales of services provided primarily to businesses, the following are exempt:
(A) Interstate or intrastate transportation of drilling rigs, including charges for the movement or conveyance of the drilling rig to or away from the well site and the loading, unloading, assembly or disassembly of the drilling rig;
(B) A person regularly engaged in the business of making loans or a supervised financial institution, as defined in W.S. 40-14-140(a)(xix), that forecloses a lien or repossesses a motor vehicle on which it has filed a lien shall not be liable for payment of sales or use tax, penalties or interest due under this section for that vehicle.
(viii) For the purpose of exempting sales of services and tangible personal property as an economic incentive, the following are exempt:
(A) Intrastate transportation of:
(I) Employees to or from work when paid or contracted for by the employee or employer;
(II) Freight and property including oil and gas by pipeline.
(B) Sales of the services of professional engineers, geologists or members of similar professions including the sales price paid for all services to real or tangible personal property leading to building location, drilling and all related activities that must be completed prior to setting the production casing, including coring, logging and testing done prior to the setting of production casing for the drilling of any oil or gas well or for the deepening or extending of any well previously drilled for oil or gas beyond the maximum point to which they were initially drilled. The exemption in this subparagraph shall also apply to any and all seismographic and geophysical surveying, stratigraphic testing, coring, logging and testing calculated to reveal the existence of geologic conditions favorable to the accumulation of oil or gas;
(C) Sales of school annuals;
(D) Sales of newspapers;
(E) Repealed By Laws 2000, Ch. 47, § 1.
(F) Sales of carbon dioxide and other gases used in tertiary production;
(G) Sales of lodging services provided by a person known to the trade and public as a guide or outfitter, including but not limited to sleeping accommodations, placement of tents, snow shelters, base camps, temporary structures which are dismantled or abandoned after use and all other forms of temporary shelter are exempt from the excise tax imposed by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii) as distributed by W.S. 39-15-211(a)(ii);
(H) The sale of farm implements. For purposes of this subparagraph, "farm implements" means any tractor or other machinery designed or adapted and used exclusively for agricultural operations and specifically excludes any vehicle titled under chapter 2 of title 31, snowmobiles, lawn tractors, all-terrain vehicles and repair or replacement parts;
(J) The sale of aircraft repair, remodeling or maintenance services at a federal aviation administration certified repair station including, but not limited to, repair or replacement materials or parts;
(K) Repealed by Laws 2022, ch. 108, § 1.
(M) Sales of goods or services made for the purpose of raising money or charges for admission to any amusement, entertainment, recreation, game or athletic event for any kindergarten through grade twelve (12) public school located in this state;
(N) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 41, § 2.
(O) The sale or lease of machinery to be used in this state directly and predominantly in manufacturing as follows:
(I) Repealed by Laws 2024, ch. 67, § 2.
(II) Repealed by Laws 2024, ch. 67, § 2.
(III) Repealed by Laws 2010, ch. 33, § 2.
(IV) Until December 31, 2042, the sale or lease of machinery to be used in this state directly and predominantly in manufacturing tangible personal property;
(V) The sale or lease of machinery to be used in an industrial sovereign zone established under W.S. 9-20-202 and used directly and predominantly in the production of a value-added manufactured product as defined in W.S. 9-20-201(a)(ii).
(P) The sale or lease of any aircraft used in a federal aviation administration commercial operation including the sale of all:
(I) Tangible personal property permanently affixed or attached as a component part of the aircraft, including, but not limited to, repair or replacement materials or parts;
(II) Aircraft repair, remodeling and maintenance services performed on the aircraft, its engine or its component materials or parts.
(Q) Repealed by Laws 2015, ch. 120, § 1.
(R) The sale of equipment used to construct a new coal gasification or coal liquefaction facility. The exemption provided by this subparagraph shall be limited to the acquisition of equipment used in a project to make it operational. The exemption shall not apply to tools and other equipment used in construction of a new facility, contracted services required for construction and routine maintenance activities nor to equipment utilized or acquired after the facility is operational;
(S) Subject to meeting the applicable provisions of this subparagraph, the following purchases by a data processing services center as defined in W.S. 39-15-101(a)(xliv):
(I) The sales price paid for the purchase or rental of qualifying prewritten and other computer software, computer equipment including computers, servers, monitors, keyboards, storage devices, containers used to transport and house such computer equipment and other peripherals, racking systems, cabling and trays that are necessary for the operation of a data processing services center when the aggregate purchase of the qualifying equipment exceeds two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) in any calendar year;
(II) The sales price paid for the purchase or rental of qualifying uninterruptable power supplies, back-up power generators, specialized heating and air conditioning equipment and air quality control equipment used for controlling the computer environment necessary for the operation of a data processing services center when the aggregate purchase of the qualifying equipment exceeds two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) in any calendar year;
(III) For the purpose of claiming the exemptions in subdivisions (I) and (II) of this subparagraph, the purchaser shall demonstrate to the department that he: (1) Has a physical location in this state where the qualifying equipment purchased shall be maintained and operated until the qualifying equipment is scheduled for replacement or until it has reached the end of its serviceable life; (2) Shall make an initial total capital asset investment in a physical location in this state: a. For the exemption in subdivision (I) of this subparagraph, of not less than five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) or has made a capital investment in a physical location in this state of not less than five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) in the five (5) years immediately preceding March 5, 2010; b. For the exemption in subdivision (II) of this subparagraph, of not less than fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00) or has made a capital investment in a physical location in this state of not less than fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00) in the five (5) years immediately preceding April 1, 2011. (3) Has retained adequate documentation to demonstrate that the total qualifying purchases exceed the applicable annual threshold for each exemption claimed under this subparagraph; (4) Has received certification from the Wyoming business council that the purchaser has created or will create a number of jobs in Wyoming that is appropriate to the size and stage of development of the data processing services center as determined by the Wyoming business council; (5) Will accrue the excise tax on otherwise qualifying purchases where the applicable annual threshold was not met. The tax shall be remitted to the department not later than the end of January immediately following the end of the calendar year where the threshold was not met to avoid the assessment of penalty and interest on any amount of tax due; (6) Shall keep adequate written records and documentation in accordance with department rule and regulation to show compliance with the requirements of this subparagraph. If the purchaser does not meet all the requirements of this subparagraph, any tax owed shall be remitted to the department not later than the end of January immediately following the end of the calendar year in which the requirements were not met.
(IV) For the purpose of claiming the exemptions in subdivisions (I) and (II) of this subparagraph, for data centers where one (1) or more entities occupies the facility, the purchaser shall demonstrate that all the requirements of subdivision (III) are met in the aggregate by the entities occupying the facility regardless of multiple ownerships of equipment and buildings.
(T) Sales of and retail commissions on lottery tickets or shares and equipment necessary to operate a lottery under W.S. 9-17-101 through 9-17-128;
(U) Repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 120, § 1.
(ix) For the purpose of avoiding application of the sales tax more than once on the same article of tangible property for the same taxpayer:
(A) The trade-in value of tangible personal property shall be excluded from the sales price of new tangible personal property when trade-in and purchase occur in one (1) transaction; and
(B) The sales price paid for a motor vehicle, house trailer, trailer coach, trailer or semitrailer as defined in W.S. 31-1-101 if the vehicle is purchased by a nonresident of Wyoming and the vehicle is to be removed from the state of Wyoming within thirty (30) days of purchase. The purchaser shall declare under penalty of perjury on a form prescribed by the department that he is not a resident of Wyoming.
(x) Sales of lodging services offered by any county fair board during a county fair or other board authorized events;
(xi) Purchases of motor vehicles made from immediate family members or transfers of motor vehicles made to immediate family members, subject to all of the following:
(A) As used in this paragraph, "immediate family member" means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, grandparent or grandchild;
(B) The seller or donor of the motor vehicle shall have paid sales tax or use tax as required by law when the seller or donor purchased or received the vehicle;
(C) The sale or gift of the motor vehicle shall be made by the seller or donor to an immediate family member to qualify for the exemption under this paragraph;
(D) A vehicle sold or gifted under this paragraph shall be considered an exempt motor vehicle for purposes of this chapter.
(b) Repealed by Laws 2024, ch. 67, § 2.
(a) Every vendor shall obtain from the department a sales tax license to conduct business in the state. The license shall be granted only upon application stating the name and address of the applicant, the name and address of all agents operating in the state, the character of the business in which the applicant proposes to engage, the location of all places of business together with other information as the department may require. Effective July 1, 1997, a license fee of sixty dollars ($60.00) shall be required from each new vendor, except for any remote vendor who has no requirement to register in this state, or who is using one (1) of the technology models pursuant to the streamlined sales and use tax agreement. Failure of a vendor to timely file any return may result in forfeiture of the license granted under this section. The department shall charge sixty dollars ($60.00) for reinstatement of any forfeited license. The department shall send any vendor who reports no gross sales for three (3) consecutive years a form prescribed by the department to show cause why the vendor's license should not be revoked. The vendor shall complete and file the report with the department within thirty (30) days of receipt of the form. If the department finds just cause for the vendor to retain the license, no further action shall be taken. If the department finds just cause to revoke the license, the vendor shall be notified of the revocation. Any vendor whose license is revoked under this subsection may appeal the decision to the state board of equalization as provided in subsection (g) of this section.
(b) A separate license is required for each place of business.
(c) Each license shall be numbered and shall:
(i) Contain the name and residence of the licensee;
(ii) Indicate the place and character of the business of the licensee;
(iii) Be posted in a conspicuous place at the place of business for which it is issued.
(d) No license is transferable.
(e) Licenses issued under this section are valid without further payment of fees until revoked by the department.
(f) Any person discontinuing business shall notify the department, return his license for cancellation and preserve all business records in the state until the department issues a receipt showing all taxes have been paid.
(g) The department may, after providing two (2) written notices of intent to revoke identifying the reasons therefore, revoke the license of any vendor violating any provision of this article. The notices shall be provided at least one (1) week apart and the final notice shall be provided at least thirty (30) days prior to any revocation. The revocation of the department shall inform the vendor of all steps necessary to conform with the revocation and shall include the consequences of failure to cease business activities and the opportunity to appeal as provided in this subsection. The vendor may appeal a revocation under this subsection to the state board of equalization not more than thirty (30) days following the revocation of the license. Appeals before the state board shall be conducted as contested case proceedings under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act. If a license is revoked under this subsection, no license shall thereafter be issued to that person until the applicant has:
(i) Filed a new application with the department;
(ii) Filed with the department all past due returns and has remitted in full all taxes, penalties and interest due.
(h) The department may, after providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing, suspend the license of any vendor violating any provision of this article until the time the vendor is in compliance.
(j) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, and pursuant to department rules and regulations, a vendor who purchases wholesale goods for use in manufacturing, processing or compounding as provided by W.S. 39-15-105(a)(iii), and who does not engage in any retail sale of those goods, shall not be required to obtain a sales tax license.
(k) The department may enter into an agreement with an entity which is not otherwise required to obtain a license under this article and which has one (1) or more independent sales contractors working in this state. Any entity licensed pursuant to this subsection shall be subject to the licensing provisions of this section and shall collect and remit the tax imposed under this article on all taxable sales transactions occurring between entities and the independent sales contractor. Any entity licensed under this subsection shall be subject to all collection and enforcement provisions imposed by this article.
(a) Returns, reports and preservation of records. The following shall apply:
(i) Each vendor shall on or before the last day of each month file a true return showing the preceding month's gross sales and remit all taxes to the department. The returns shall contain such information and be made in the manner as the department by regulation prescribes. The department may provide an option for the return to be submitted and for any taxes to be remitted electronically. The department may allow extensions for filing returns and paying the taxes by regulation, but no extension may be for more than ninety (90) days. If the total tax to be remitted by a vendor during any month is less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00), a quarterly or annual return as authorized by the department, and remittance in lieu of the monthly return may be made on or before the last day of the month following the end of the quarter or year for which the tax is collected. If the accounting methods regularly used by any vendor are such that reports of sales made during a calendar month would impose unnecessary hardships, the department after receiving a formal request filed by the vendor may accept reports at intervals as would be more convenient to the taxpayer. Any vendor shall report whether the vendor sells nicotine products, as defined by W.S. 39-18-101(a)(xi), in this state to the department in the form and manner required by the department. The department may reject any report required under this paragraph of any vendor who does not comply with the nicotine sales reporting requirements. Every person purchasing goods or services taxable by this article who does not pay the tax owed to a vendor and every person storing, using or consuming tangible personal property purchased from a vendor who does not maintain a place of business in this state is liable for the tax imposed by this article and shall, on or before the last day of each month, file a return showing the gross purchases made during the preceding month and remit all taxes due to the department as provided in this paragraph. The return shall contain such information and be made in the manner as the department shall prescribe by rule and regulation. The department, by rule and regulation, may allow an extension for filing a return and paying any tax due, but no extension shall be granted for more than ninety (90) days;
(ii) Every vendor and person liable for the payment of sales tax under this article shall preserve for three (3) years at his principal place of business, suitable records and books as may be necessary to determine the amount of tax for which he is liable under this article, together with all invoices and books showing all merchandise purchased for resale. All records, books and invoices shall be available for examination by the department during regular business hours except as arranged by mutual consent;
(iii) If any vendor or person liable for the payment of sales tax under this article fails to comply with paragraph
(ii) of this subsection, he shall bear the burden of proof as to the correctness of any assessment of taxes imposed by the department for the period for which records were not preserved in any court action or proceeding;
(iv) If a vendor fails to file a return as required by this article, the department shall give written notice to the vendor to file a return on or before the last day of the month following the notice of delinquency. If a vendor then fails to file a return the department shall make a return from the best information available which will be prima facie correct and the tax due therein is a deficiency and subject to penalties and interest as provided by this article;
(v) The department shall preserve returns and reports for three (3) years;
(vi) If any vendor discontinues his business or sells his stock of goods he shall make a final return and payment within thirty (30) days thereafter. His successor in business shall withhold from the purchase price an amount equal to any taxes, penalty or interest due until the time the former owner produces a receipt from the department showing that all amounts due have been paid or a certificate that no taxes are due. If the successor fails to withhold from the purchase price the amount due the successor is liable for same;
(vii) Taxes collected under paragraphs (b)(i) and
(ii) of this section are due and payable and shall be remitted in full by the county treasurer to the department monthly or as required by the department together with reports as required by the department;
(viii) When applying for registration, every new owner of a motorcycle shall produce either:
(A) A receipt from the department showing that the sales or use tax has been paid;
(B) A receipt on forms provided by the department showing that the motorcycle was purchased from a Wyoming licensed dealer and that the dealer has collected the sales tax; or
(C) A certificate from the department that no sales or use tax is due.
(ix) As soon as practicable after the return is filed the department shall examine it and if it appears from the information on the return the tax to be remitted is incorrect, the tax shall be recomputed. If the amount remitted exceeds that which is due from the recomputed return, the excess shall be refunded or credited as provided in W.S. 39-15-109(c) and (d);
(x) Taxes paid on gross receipts represented by accounts found to be worthless may be credited against subsequent liability of the vendor. The vendor shall not take the credit for any bad debt until he has used the customary debt collection procedures as documented in writing by the vendor and has written off the debt; or until the debt qualifies as a bad debt under 26 U.S.C. section 166 excluding financing charges or interest, sales or use taxes charged on the purchase price, uncollectible amounts on property that remain in the possession of the seller until the full purchase price is paid, any expenses incurred in attempting to collect any debt, and repossessed property. If any account is thereafter collected by the vendor, a tax shall be paid upon the amount collected. The amount collected shall be applied proportionally first to the taxable price of the property or service and the sales tax thereon, and then to interest, service charges and any other charges. Should the bad debt exceed the taxable sales for a subsequent period the vendor may request a refund of the tax on the bad debt from the department so long as the claim is made within three (3) years of the date of the return on which the bad debt could first be claimed. A certified service provider under W.S. 39-15-401 through 39-15-408 acting on behalf of a vendor may claim the bad debt allowance for the vendor and shall remit the credit or refund received to the vendor. Should the bad debt apply to more than one (1) state, the debt may be allocated between the affected states.
(b) Payment. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, there is levied and shall be paid by the purchaser an excise tax at the rate applied under W.S. 39-15-104 upon sales and purchases in Wyoming. The vendor shall collect the tax and give the purchaser a receipt therefor displaying the tax paid separately. The following shall apply:
(i) Except as provided by paragraph (viii) of this subsection, no vendor shall collect taxes imposed by this article upon the sale of motor vehicles, house trailers, trailer coaches, trailers or semitrailers. The taxes imposed shall be collected by the county treasurer prior to the first registration in Wyoming and not upon subsequent registration by the same applicant. The county treasurer may allow the taxes to be paid electronically after the amount of sales tax has been determined by the county treasurer. The county treasurer may charge a fee of not more than the costs of processing the transaction but not to exceed a fee of three percent (3%) as necessary to recoup fees incurred due to electronic payments. The county treasurer shall provide the applicant a receipt specifying the amount of sales tax collected and noting any valid exemption from sales tax. The county treasurer shall collect and remit to the department the tax in effect in the county of the owner's principal residence as indicated on the owner's driver's license or other government issued identification. The tax shall not be collected if the vehicle was previously registered by the same nonresident owner in another state;
(ii) Except for those vehicles specified under paragraph (viii) of this subsection, the tax imposed by this article upon the sale of a motor vehicle, house trailer, trailer coach, trailer or semitrailer purchased as a gift shall be collected from the donee prior to the first registration based upon the fair market value of the gift at the time of the gift;
(iii) Motor vehicle vendors and vendors of house trailers, trailer coaches, trailers or semitrailers shall not be required to pay sales taxes on motor vehicles, house trailers, trailer coaches, trailers or semitrailers if they are registered in the vendor's name, are included as a part of the vendor's inventory and are held principally in the conduct of the vendor's business for sale, demonstration or delivery prior to sale and use, except a motor vehicle vendor shall be liable for payment of sales or use tax on the transfer of a motor vehicle with less than one thousand (1,000) miles on the odometer he purchases if:
(A) The vendor is not a properly licensed dealer under W.S. 31-16-101 et seq.;
(B) The vehicle he purchased was transferred with a manufacturer's statement of origin or manufacturer's certificate of origin from a properly licensed dealer; and
(C) The vehicle was transferred into his inventory for sale, demonstration or delivery.
(iv) A person regularly engaged in the business of making loans or a supervised financial institution, as defined in W.S. 40-14-140(a)(xix), that forecloses a lien or repossesses a motor vehicle on which it has filed a lien, or an insurance company that acquires ownership of a motor vehicle pursuant to a damage settlement, shall not be liable for payment of sales or use tax, penalties or interest due under this section for that vehicle;
(v) The taxes are due and payable on the last day of the month following the month in which they were collected or as required by the department as specified in this article;
(vi) If a sale is made on credit, contract or conditional basis and title does not pass until a future date, there shall be paid upon each payment that portion of the total tax which the amount paid bears to the purchase price. If a vendor discontinues business, the tax shall be computed and paid on the outstanding amount of all credit, installment and conditional sales;
(vii) If any vendor collects a tax in excess of that imposed by this article it shall be remitted to the department after making reasonable attempts to identify and refund the excess tax to the taxpayer that originally paid the tax;
(viii) Notwithstanding W.S. 39-15-107(b)(i), the tax imposed under this article upon the sale of mopeds and motorcycles as defined in W.S. 31-5-102(a) and off-road recreational vehicles defined by W.S. 31-1-101(a)(xv) shall be collected by the vendor in the manner prescribed by this section;
(ix) When the department has reason to believe the collection of any tax, penalty or interest will be jeopardized by delay it shall immediately levy a jeopardy assessment and the amount assessed shall be immediately due and payable. Notice of the assessment shall be given to the vendor personally or by written notice. If the jeopardy assessment is not paid within ten (10) days after the service of notice upon the vendor, the deficiency penalty and interest provided in W.S. 39-15-108(c)(ii) shall attach to the amount of the jeopardy assessment;
(x) The department may enter into contracts with collection agencies for required collection services on deficiencies of sales tax occurring under W.S. 39-15-101 through 39-15-111. Any taxes recovered by the collection agencies and remitted to the department shall be distributed in accordance with W.S. 39-15-111(b). Any person owing a tax submitted to a collection agency may be assessed a fee in an amount necessary to cover the cost of collection, not to exceed twenty percent (20%) of the tax owed, as provided in W.S. 9-1-415(a). The collection agency shall collect the fee with the tax that is submitted for collection and the amount collected as a fee may be deducted from funds remitted to the department. The contracts entered into under this paragraph shall not be for a term of more than two (2) years and shall be awarded only after competition;
(xi) If a vendor or direct payer pays taxes due and payable under this chapter on or before the fifteenth day of the month that the taxes are due under paragraph (v) of this subsection, a credit shall be allowed against the taxes imposed by this chapter for expenses incurred by a vendor or direct payer for the accounting and reporting of taxes. The credit is equal to one and ninety-five hundredths percent (1.95%) of the amount of tax due, provided that the total credit under this paragraph shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) in any month. The vendor or direct payer shall deduct the credit for each tax period on forms prescribed and furnished by the department. The credit shall be deducted only from the share of the tax that is distributed to the general fund under W.S. 39-15-111(b)(i);
(xii) The county treasurer may collect the tax due and any interest, penalties or costs of collection through the use of a collection agency or by the filing of a civil action.
(c) Timelines. Except as otherwise specifically provided, there are no general applicable provisions for timelines for this article. 39-15-107.1 Direct payment of sales tax; permit required; authorization; rules and regulations.
(a) Upon application by any person liable for the payment of sales tax under this article or a licensed vendor, the director of the department of revenue, in his sole discretion, may issue to the applicant a permit to be known as a direct payment permit authorizing the applicant to make direct payment to the department of revenue of any sales tax imposed under this article. The decision of the director shall not be appealable. The direct payment permit shall be signed by an authorized representative of the department. Any direct payment permit issued under this section may be revoked by the department of revenue at any time upon ninety (90) days written notice to the permittee.
(b) Any applicant issued a direct payment permit authorized by subsection (a) of this section shall pay any sales tax authorized by this article directly to the department of revenue. The applicant shall issue to each vendor furnishing or supplying any goods or services subject to Wyoming sales tax proof that the applicant has a direct payment permit in the form prescribed by the department. The proof of the direct payment permit shall indicate that the applicant assumes all obligations to pay any sales tax due under this article directly to the department of revenue.
(c) Receiving proof of the direct payment permit under subsection (b) of this section shall discharge the vendor furnishing or supplying goods or services to the applicant from any duty to collect or liability for sales taxes owed by the applicant. Any person holding a direct payment permit may be audited by the department of audit once in each calendar year.
(d) The department of revenue shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
The department of revenue may enter into a voluntary disclosure agreement with any person establishing sufficient contact with this state to qualify the person as a vendor under this article. Application for voluntary disclosure shall be made in a manner and form as prescribed by the department of revenue and shall include a report of transactions taxable under this article. The report shall include a period of not more than the three (3) previous years immediately preceding the agreement. Agreements which include foreclosure to audit shall be cosigned by the director of the department of audit or his designee. The department of revenue shall not enter into a voluntary disclosure agreement with any person currently engaged in an audit or similar investigation by the department of audit or the department of revenue. For good cause, the department of revenue may waive penalties and interest applicable to any tax liability under this article disclosed in a voluntary disclosure agreement.
39-15-107.3. Voluntary licensing and monetary allowances offered under the streamlined sales tax agreement.
(a) Any vendor who licenses to collect and remit applicable sales or use tax on sales made to purchasers in this state in accordance with terms of the streamlined sales and use tax agreement shall not be subject to audit prior to the date of licensure provided the vendor was not licensed in this state and licensing occurs within twelve (12) months of the effective date of the streamlined sales and use tax agreement. The vendor shall not be assessed for uncollected sales or use tax together with penalty or interest for sales made during the period the vendor was not licensed in this state, provided licensing occurs within twelve (12) months of the effective date of this provision. This provision shall not apply to any vendor who has received notice of the commencement of an audit and the audit is not finally resolved including any administrative and judicial processes. The voluntary licensure provision shall not be available for sales or use taxes already paid or remitted to the state or for taxes collected by the vendor. The provisions of this section shall be fully effective absent fraud or intentional misrepresentation of a material fact so long as the vendor continues to license and continues collection and remittance of applicable sales or use taxes for a period of not less than thirty-six (36) months following his initial licensure as a vendor. The voluntary licensure provision shall only apply to sales or use taxes due from a vendor acting as a seller and not as a purchaser.
(b) A certified service provider and user of any technology model approved by the department who collects the Wyoming sales and use taxes shall be granted a monetary allowance for collecting the taxes as provided in the streamlined sales and use tax agreement. Any allowance shall be funded entirely from taxes collected under the technology models and shall be based on the contracted amount between the governing board and the service providers.
(a) Audits. To assess credits and deficiencies against taxpayers and vendors, the department is authorized to rely on final audit findings made by the department of audit, taxpayer information, vendor information or department review subject to the following conditions:
(i) Audits shall commence when the taxpayer or vendor receives written notice of the engagement of the audit. The issuance of the written notice of the audit shall toll the statute of limitations provided in W.S. 39-15-110 for the audit period specified in this subsection. The audit shall be completed by the department of audit with final findings issued to the taxpayer or vendor within one (1) year of the date of the notice of engagement. This time limit may be extended only upon mutual agreement between the taxpayer or vendor and the department;
(ii) After receiving notice of an audit under this subsection, the taxpayer or vendor shall preserve all records and books necessary to determine the amount of tax due for the time period that is being audited;
(iii) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, audits shall encompass a time period not to exceed three (3) years immediately preceding the reporting period when the audit is engaged. The three (3) year limit shall not apply to an audit if:
(A) There is evidence of a violation of paragraph (c)(iv) or subsection (f) of this section by the taxpayer or vendor for the reporting period being audited; or
(B) There is evidence of gross negligence by the taxpayer or vendor in reporting or remitting taxes for the reporting period being audited.
(iv) If a taxpayer is not willing or able to produce adequate records to demonstrate taxes due, the department or the department of audit may project taxes based on the best information available. If a vendor is not willing or able to comply with the record requirements of paragraph (c)(xi) of this section, the department or the department of audit may project taxes based on the best information available;
(v) Audits under this subsection are subject to the authority and procedures provided in W.S. 9-2-2003;
(vi) Any assessment or levy, including the assessment of a penalty and interest, if any, resulting from final audit findings or department review shall be issued not later than one (1) year following the completion of the audit or review.
(b) Interest. The following shall apply:
(i) If the amount of tax paid is less than the amount due, the difference together with interest thereon at the rate of one percent (1%) per month from the time the return was due shall be paid by the vendor or any person liable for the payment of the sales tax under this article within ten (10) days after notice and demand is made by the department. Effective July 1, 1994, interest at an annual rate equal to the average prime interest rate as determined by the state treasurer during the preceding fiscal year plus four percent (4%) shall be added to the delinquent tax. To determine the average prime interest rate, the state treasurer shall average the prime interest rate for at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the thirty (30) largest banks in the United States. The interest rate on delinquent taxes shall be adjusted on January 1 of each year following the year in which the taxes first became delinquent. In no instance shall the delinquent tax rate be greater than eighteen percent (18%) from any sale made on or after July 1, 1994. The interest rate on any delinquent tax from any sale made before July 1, 1994, shall be one percent (1%) per month from the date the return was due until paid;
(ii) If the sales or use tax on a vehicle, including local option sales or use tax, under W.S. 39-15-101 through 39-15-211, is not paid within sixty-five (65) days after the date of the sale, or in the case of a motor vehicle brought into this state, sixty-five (65) days after the vehicle is brought into the state if the owner submits to the county treasurer an affidavit and any other satisfactory proof as necessary to verify the date the vehicle was brought into the state:
(A) Interest shall accrue at the rate of one percent (1%) per month or fractional portion thereof from the sixty-fifth day after the date of sale until the date of payment of all sales tax interest and civil fees due. County treasurers shall collect interest due under this subsection which shall be forwarded to the department and credited to the state general fund;
(B) A civil fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) from the sixty-fifth day through the seventy-fifth day after the date of sale shall also be assessed by the county treasurer under this paragraph. If all sales tax, interest and civil fees due are not paid by the seventy-fifth day, the civil fee shall be the twenty-five dollar ($25.00) amount or ten percent (10%) of the amount of tax due, whichever is greater, and shall be assessed by the county treasurer. Civil fees collected under this subparagraph shall be credited to the general fund of the county which makes the collection;
(C) The tax is delinquent if the taxpayer or his agent knew or reasonably should have known that the tax liability was not paid within the sixty-five (65) day period.
(iii) The department may credit or waive interest imposed by this subsection as part of a settlement or for any other good cause.
(c) Penalties. The following shall apply:
(i) If any part of the deficiency is due to negligence or intentional disregard of rules and regulations but without intent to defraud there shall be added a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the deficiency plus interest as provided by paragraph (b)(i) of this section. The taxes, penalty and interest shall be paid by the vendor or any person liable for the payment of the sales tax under this article within ten (10) days after notice and demand is made by the department;
(ii) If any part of the deficiency is due to fraud with intent to evade there shall be added a penalty of twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the deficiency plus interest as provided by paragraph (b)(i) of this section. The taxes, penalty and interest shall be paid by the vendor or any person liable for the payment of the sales tax under this article within ten (10) days after notice and demand is made by the department;
(iii) No vendor shall advertise or state directly or indirectly to the public that the taxes imposed by this article shall be assumed by the vendor or that it will not be considered in the price, or if added, will be refunded;
(iv) Any vendor who under the pretense of collecting the taxes imposed by this article collects and retains an excessive amount or who intentionally fails to remit to the department the full amount of taxes when due is guilty of:
(A) A misdemeanor if the amount of taxes collected is five hundred dollars ($500.00) or less punishable by a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both; or
(B) A felony if the amount of taxes collected exceeds five hundred dollars ($500.00) punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or imprisonment for not to exceed three (3) years, or both.
(v) Any person who violates W.S. 39-15-102(e) is guilty of a misdemeanor. Each violation is a separate offense;
(vi) Any person who files a false or fraudulent return is subject to the provisions of W.S. 6-5-303;
(vii) Any person who violates any provision of this article for which there are no specific penalties is guilty of a misdemeanor. Each violation is a separate offense;
(viii) The department may, after providing two (2) written notices of intent to revoke identifying the reasons therefore, revoke the license of any vendor violating any provision of this article. The notices shall be provided at least one (1) week apart and the final notice shall be provided at least thirty (30) days prior to any revocation. The revocation of the department shall inform the vendor of all steps necessary to conform with the revocation and shall include the consequences of failure to cease business activities and the opportunity to appeal as provided in this subsection. The vendor may appeal a revocation under this paragraph to the state board of equalization not more than thirty (30) days following the revocation of the license. Appeals before the state board shall be conducted as contested case proceedings under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act. If a license is revoked under this subsection, no license shall thereafter be issued to that person until the applicant has:
(A) Filed a new application with the department;
(B) Filed with the department all past due returns and has remitted in full all taxes, penalties and interest due.
(ix) The department may, after providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing, suspend the license of any vendor violating any provision of this article until the time the vendor is in compliance;
(x) Upon request of the department, the attorney general may institute proceedings to restrain and enjoin any person from:
(A) Acting as a vendor until they have received a license as required by W.S. 39-15-106(a);
(B) Continuing to act as a vendor if they have not remitted to the department, when due, all taxes, penalty and interest imposed by this article.
(xi) Every vendor shall preserve for three (3) years at his principal place of business, suitable records and books as may be necessary to determine the amount of tax for which he is liable under this article, together with all invoices and books showing all merchandise purchased for resale. All records, books and invoices shall be available for examination by the department during regular business hours except as arranged by mutual consent;
(xii) If a vendor fails to file a return as required by this article, the department shall give written notice to the vendor to file a return on or before the last day of the month following the notice of delinquency. If a vendor then fails to file a return the department shall make a return from the best information available which will be prima facie correct and the tax due therein is a deficiency and subject to penalties and interest as provided by this article;
(xiii) The department may impose a penalty of ten dollars ($10.00) upon any vendor who fails to file his return in a timely manner as required by W.S. 39-15-107(a) provided the vendor files his return within thirty (30) days of receiving notice from the department pursuant to paragraph (xii) of this subsection. The department may impose a penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) upon any vendor who fails to file his return within thirty (30) days of receiving notice from the department pursuant to paragraph (xii) of this subsection;
(xiv) The department, for good cause, may waive a penalty imposed for failure to file a return provided that the taxpayer requests the waiver in writing within ninety (90) days after the due date, setting forth the reasons for the late filing;
(xv) The department may credit or waive penalties imposed by this subsection as part of a settlement or for any other good cause;
(xvi) Notwithstanding W.S. 39-15-102(e), if any vendor or taxpayer is one hundred fifty (150) days or more delinquent on taxes due under this article, has not entered into a formal payment arrangement with the department and after thirty (30) days written notice, the department shall post monthly the name of the vendor or taxpayer, the sales and use tax license number, physical address and the unpaid balance owed by the vendor or taxpayer on the website of the department indicating that the vendor or taxpayer has not paid the tax due under this article.
(d) Liens. The following shall apply:
(i) Any tax due under this article constitutes a debt to the state from the persons who are parties to the transaction, other than any vendor or other seller who is prohibited or not authorized by law to collect any tax under this article, and is a lien from the date the tax is due on all the real and personal property of those persons. The lien does not apply to purchasers who paid the tax to the vendor. Notice of the lien shall be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the persons who are parties to the transaction reside or in which the vendor conducts business. The tax lien shall have preference over all liens except any valid mortgage or other liens of record filed or recorded prior to the date the tax became due. The department shall cancel lien statements within sixty (60) days after taxes due are paid or collected. No other action by the department is required to perfect a lien under this paragraph regardless of the type of property involved;
(ii) Except as provided by W.S. 39-15-107(b)(viii), no vendor shall collect taxes imposed by this article upon the sale of motor vehicles, house trailers, trailer coaches, trailers or semitrailers. The taxes imposed shall be collected by the county treasurer prior to the first registration in Wyoming and not upon subsequent registration by the same applicant. Upon a failure to pay the tax due upon any vehicle as provided by paragraph (b)(ii) of this section, the county treasurer shall notify the county clerk and the county clerk shall notify the department. The department may file a lien against the vehicle as provided by paragraph (i) of this subsection and shall note the lien on the title of the vehicle. After review by and approval of the board of county commissioners, the county may also collect the tax due and any interest, penalties or costs of collection through the use of a collection agency or by the filing of a civil action.
(e) Tax sales. The following shall apply:
(i) The tax due together with interest, penalties and costs may be collected by appropriate judicial proceedings or the department, with board approval, or its representative, may seize and sell at public auction so much of the person's property as will pay all the tax, interest, penalties and costs. Notice of the auction must be published for four (4) weeks in a newspaper published in the resident county of the persons involved.
(f) Automated sales suppression device. The following shall apply:
(i) As used in this subsection:
(A) "Automated sales suppression device" or "zapper" means a software program accessed by any means whatsoever which falsifies the electronic records of an electronic cash register or other point of sale system, including but not limited to transaction data and transaction reports;
(B) "Electronic cash register" means a device which keeps a register or supporting documents through the means of an electronic device or computer system designed to record transaction data for the purpose of computing, compiling or processing related sales transaction data;
(C) "Phantom-ware" means a hidden, preinstalled or installed at a later time, programming option embedded in the operating system of an electronic cash register or hardwired into the electronic cash register which can be used to create a virtual second till or may eliminate or manipulate transaction records which may or may not be preserved in a digital format to represent the true or manipulated record of transactions in the electronic cash register;
(D) "Transaction data" means data associated with items purchased by a customer, the price for each item, a taxability determination for each item, a segregated tax amount for each of the taxed items, the amount of cash or credit tendered, the net amount returned to the customer in change, the date and time of the purchase, the name, address and identification number of the vendor, and the receipt or invoice number of the transaction;
(E) "Transaction report" means a report documenting data, including but not limited to data associated with sales, taxes collected, media totals and discount voids at an electronic cash register which is printed on cash register tape at the end of a day or shift, or a report documenting every transaction at an electronic cash register which is stored electronically.
(ii) No person shall knowingly with the intent to evade the imposition, collection, reporting or remittance of sales tax sell, purchase, possess, install or transfer any automated sales suppression device, zapper or phantom-ware;
(iii) A violation of paragraph (ii) of this subsection shall be a felony punishable by a fine up to five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or imprisonment for not to exceed three (3) years, or both;
(iv) The offense created by this subsection shall be in addition to and considered a separate offense from any offense related to the nonpayment of taxes owed to the state or any political subdivision;
(v) Any automated sales suppression device, zapper or phantom-ware or any device containing an automated sales suppression device, zapper or phantom-ware shall be considered contraband and shall be subject to seizure, confiscation and forfeiture.
(a) Interpretation requests. There are no specific applicable provisions for interpretation requests for this article.
(b) Appeals. Except as provided by this subsection, no person who feels aggrieved by the payment of the taxes, penalty and interest imposed by this article may appeal a decision of the state board of equalization until all taxes, penalty and interest have been paid. For good cause shown, the court to which the decision of the board is appealed may stay enforcement of the board's order assessing and levying the tax during the pendency of the appeal. The court's stay of enforcement shall not affect the accruing of interest upon any assessment and levy.
(c) Refunds. The following shall apply:
(i) Any tax, penalty or interest which has been erroneously paid, computed or remitted to the department by a vendor shall either be credited against any subsequent tax liability of the vendor or refunded. If a vendor erroneously collects taxes from a taxpayer and remits those taxes to the department, the vendor may seek a refund or credit against subsequent tax liability only after the vendor has refunded the erroneously collected tax to the taxpayer that originally paid the tax to the vendor. If the taxpayer that originally paid the tax to the vendor cannot be identified, the tax shall not be refunded or credited to the vendor. No credit or refund shall be allowed after three (3) years from the date of overpayment. The receipt of a claim for a refund by the department shall toll the statute of limitations. All refund requests received by the department of revenue shall be approved or denied within ninety (90) days of receipt, provided that referral of a refund request by the department of revenue to the department of audit shall toll the ninety (90) day period pending the outcome of the audit process. Any refund or credit erroneously made or allowed may be recovered in an action brought by the attorney general in any court of competent jurisdiction;
(ii) Any tax erroneously paid by a taxpayer shall be refunded by the vendor who originally collected the tax. No cause of action shall lie against the vendor by the taxpayer until not less than sixty (60) days elapse following a request by the taxpayer for a refund from the vendor.
(d) Credits. The following shall apply:
(i) Any tax, penalty or interest which has been erroneously paid, computed or remitted to the department by a vendor shall either be credited against any subsequent tax liability of the vendor or refunded. If a vendor erroneously collects taxes from a taxpayer and remits those taxes to the department, the vendor may seek a credit against subsequent tax liability or a refund only after the vendor has refunded the erroneously collected tax to the taxpayer that originally paid the tax to the vendor. If the taxpayer that originally paid the tax to the vendor cannot be identified, the tax shall not be credited or refunded to the vendor. No credit or refund shall be allowed after three (3) years from the date of overpayment. The receipt of a claim for a refund by the department shall toll the statute of limitations. Any refund or credit erroneously made or allowed may be recovered in an action brought by the attorney general in any court of competent jurisdiction;
(ii) Repealed by Laws 2001, Ch. 147, § 3.
(iii) Repealed by Laws 2016, ch. 33, § 2.
(iv) The taxpayer or vendor is entitled to receive an offsetting credit for any overpaid excise tax identified by an audit that is within the scope of the audit period, without regard to the limitation period for requesting refunds. This paragraph shall not apply to any tax which was erroneously collected from a taxpayer and remitted by a vendor unless the auditor can determine that the erroneously collected taxes have been refunded to the taxpayer that originally paid the tax to the vendor;
(v) The department shall allow a credit for sales tax legally imposed and paid to another state on a purchase equal to but not exceeding the liability for use tax under this article on that purchase. The department may require that any claim for a credit be substantiated in writing showing the sales tax paid.
(e) Redemption. There are no specific applicable provisions for redemption for this article.
(f) Escrow. There are no specific applicable provisions for escrow for this article.
(g) If a mobile telecommunications service customer believes that the amount of tax, assessment or assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction included in the customer's billing is erroneous, the customer shall notify the home service provider in writing. The written notification shall include the street address of the customer's place of primary use, the account name and number, a description of the error claimed by the customer, and any other information which the home service provider reasonably requires to process the request. Within sixty (60) days of receiving a written notice under this subsection, the home service provider shall review its records to determine the customer's taxing jurisdiction. If the review shows that the amount of tax, assessment or assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction is in error, the home service provider shall correct the error and refund or credit the amount of tax, charge or fee erroneously billed to the customer for a period of not to exceed three (3) years. If the review shows that the amount of tax, assessment and assignment of place of primary use or taxing jurisdiction are correct, the home service provider shall provide a written explanation to the customer. The procedures in this subsection shall be the first course of remedy available to a customer for a billing dispute, and no cause of action based upon the billing dispute shall accrue until the customer has reasonably exercised the rights and procedures set forth in this subsection.
(a) No credit or refund shall be allowed after three (3) years from the date of overpayment. The receipt of a claim for a refund by the department shall toll the statute of limitations.
(b) The department may bring an action to recover any delinquent taxes, penalty or interest in any appropriate court within three (3) years following the delinquency. In the case of an assessment created by an audit, the delinquency period is deemed to start thirty (30) days after the date the assessment letter is sent. Any tax penalty and interest related to the audit assessment shall be calculated from the filing period during which the deficiency occurred. In any such action a certificate by the department is prima facie evidence of the amount due.
(c) Every vendor and person storing, using or consuming tangible personal property in this state shall preserve within this state for three (3) years suitable records and books as may be necessary to determine the amount of tax for which the vendor or person is liable under the provisions of this article, together with invoices and books showing all merchandise purchased. All records, books and invoices shall be available for examination by the department during regular business hours except as arranged by mutual consent.
(a) License fees and interest collected by the department pursuant to this article shall be transferred to the state treasurer who shall credit them to the general fund. All penalties collected by the department under this article shall be paid to the state treasurer and credited as provided in W.S. 8-1-109, except the total sum of penalties collected by the department and paid to the state treasurer shall be allocated based upon the ratio of each county's population to the population of the state.
(b) Revenues earned under W.S. 39-15-104 during each fiscal year shall be recognized as revenue during that fiscal year for accounting purposes. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (p) of this section, for all revenue collected by the department under W.S. 39-15-104 the department shall:
(i) Credit sixty-nine percent (69%) to the state general fund for deposit by the state treasurer except as provided by subsections (c) and (d) of this section and less any credit allowed pursuant to W.S. 39-15-107(b)(xi);
(ii) Deduct one percent (1%) from the remaining share to cover all administrative expenses and costs attributable to the remaining share and credit for deposit by the state treasurer into the general fund for that amount;
(iii) From the remaining share, deduct an amount equivalent to one percent (1%) of the tax collected under W.S. 39-15-104. From this amount, the department shall distribute forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) of sales tax and ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) of use tax annually to each county in equal monthly installments and then distribute the remainder to each county in the proportion that the total population of the county bears to the total population of the state. The balance shall then be paid monthly to the treasurers of the counties, cities and towns for payment into their respective general funds. The percentage of the balance that will be distributed to each county and its cities and towns will be determined by computing the percentage that net sales taxes collected attributable to vendors in each county including its cities and towns bear to total net sales taxes collected of vendors in all counties including their cities and towns. Subject to subsection (h) of this section, this percentage of the balance shall be distributed within each county as follows:
(A) To each county in the proportion that the population of the county situated outside the corporate limits of its cities and towns bears to the total population of the county including cities and towns;
(B) To each city and town within the county in the proportion the population of the city or town bears to the population of the county.
(c) If any person commences after the effective date of this act to construct an industrial facility, as that term is defined in W.S. 35-12-102, under a permit issued pursuant to W.S. 35-12-106, or if the federal or state government commences to construct any project within this state with an estimated construction cost as specified in the definition of industrial facility in W.S. 35-12-102 the department of revenue shall thereafter pay to the county treasurer and the county treasurer will distribute to the county, cities and towns of that county in which the industrial facility or project is located, impact assistance payments from the monies available under paragraph (b)(i) of this section. Each payment to the county treasurer shall be equal to an amount determined by the industrial siting council under this subsection and shall continue during the period of construction except that in the case of an industrial facility or a federal or state government project which is expected to continue in phases for an indefinite period of time, the department of revenue shall discontinue payments under this section when construction of any phase has ceased or been substantially completed for twelve (12) consecutive months. The person constructing the industrial facility and the counties affected by the construction of the industrial facility shall provide evidence at the public hearing held pursuant to W.S. 35-12-110(f)(i) of the mitigated and unmitigated impacts that the construction will have on the counties, cities and towns determined by the industrial siting council to be affected by the construction of the industrial facility. The industrial siting council shall review the evidence of the impacts and determine, applying a preponderance of evidence standard, the dollar amount of the unmitigated impacts. The council shall state, in the order issued under W.S. 35-12-113(a), the total dollar amount of the impact assistance payment and include specific findings of fact detailing the basis for the total dollar amount determination and if requested by the affected county, city or town, its justification for rejecting, in whole or in part, an application for an impact assistance payment. The impact assistance payment shall be distributed by the department of revenue in an amount and on a schedule determined by the council, based on evidence presented at the hearing. Under no circumstances shall the total dollar amount of the impact assistance payment exceed the maximum allowable percentage specified in this subsection of the total estimated material costs of the facility, as those costs are determined by the council. The maximum allowable percentage shall be two and twenty-five hundredths percent (2.25%) for facilities with total estimated materials costs of three hundred fifty million dollars ($350,000,000.00) or less except as otherwise provided in this subsection, two percent (2%) for facilities with total estimated materials costs in excess of three hundred fifty million dollars ($350,000,000.00) but less than eight hundred fifty million dollars ($850,000,000.00) and one and one-half percent (1.50%) for facilities with total estimated materials costs of eight hundred fifty million dollars ($850,000,000.00) or more. For facilities with total estimated materials costs of three hundred fifty million dollars ($350,000,000.00) or less, the council may increase the maximum allowable percentage to not more than two and seventy-six hundredths percent (2.76%) if the council includes in the specific findings required under this subsection that the maximum allowable percentage of two and twenty-five hundredths percent (2.25%) is insufficient to mitigate the identified impacts. The council shall submit a report to the joint appropriations committee and the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee not later than ten (10) business days after increasing the maximum allowable percentage as specified in this subsection, including data to support the increase. The impact assistance payments shall be distributed to the county treasurer and the county treasurer will distribute to the county and to the cities and towns therein based on a ratio established by the industrial siting council during a public hearing held in accordance with W.S. 35-12-110(f)(i). In determining the distribution ratio, the industrial siting council may consider the extent and location of the unmitigated impacts, the populations of the affected counties, cities and towns, including any disproportionate impacts on smaller communities, and any other equitable factor. The industrial siting council shall review the distribution ratio for construction projects on a regular basis and make appropriate adjustments. A governing body which is primarily affected by the facility, or any person issued a permit pursuant to W.S. 35-12-106, may petition the industrial siting council for review and adjustment of the distribution ratio or the amount of the impact assistance payment upon a showing of good cause. The impact assistance payment shall be in addition to all other distributions under this section, but no impact assistance payment shall be made for any period in which the county or counties are not imposing at least a one percent (1%) tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) or at least a total of a two percent (2%) tax authorized under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i), (iii) and (vi). For purposes of this subsection, the industrial facility or federal or state government project will be deemed to be located in the county in which a majority of the construction costs will be expended, provided that upon a request from the county commissioners of any adjoining county to the industrial siting council, the council may determine that the social and economic impacts from construction of the industrial facility or federal or state government project upon the adjoining county are significant and establish the ratio of impacts between the counties and certify that ratio to the department of revenue who will thereafter distribute the impact assistance payment to the counties pursuant to that ratio. Each county, city and town that receives a distribution under this subsection shall provide an annual report to the industrial siting council describing how the impact assistance payment was expended. The report shall first be submitted not later than one (1) year after the impact assistance payment is approved and annually each year thereafter for the duration in which distributions are made and until all distributions are expended. The industrial siting council shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this subsection.
(d) As used in subsection (c) of this section:
(i) "Period of construction" begins at the commencement of construction and ends when the physical components of the industrial facility or federal or state government project are ninety percent (90%) complete, provided, if payments are already being made under this act, commencement of construction of another industrial facility or federal or state government project will not be considered for purposes of establishing a new impact assistance payment amount or determining when payments will commence under this act, but will only be considered for determining when the period of construction ends;
(ii) Repealed by Laws 2015, ch. 107, § 2.
(iii) "Unmitigated impact" means an expense:
(A) Incurred by a county, city or town directly or indirectly attributable to the construction of an industrial facility;
(B) That is not otherwise mitigated by any other entity;
(C) For medical services, fire and law enforcement services, roads and public utilities. Expenses shall be supported by an analysis prepared by the county, city or town of the current excess capacity in each of these areas. Expenses in these areas may include the employment of additional employees or officers only if the county, city or town has determined overtime compensation or contract labor would not be appropriate; and
(D) Excluding expenses for which a county, city or town previously received an impact assistance payment unless the county, city or town can demonstrate the expenses are new or ongoing.
(e) Vendors shall annually provide the department information indicating the amount of tax under this article collected from sales of propane, butane, liquefied gas and compressed natural gas. Upon verification by the department, the state treasurer shall annually transfer from the revenues deposited pursuant to paragraph (b)(i) of this section to the state highway fund ten percent (10%) of the amount collected under this article on sales of propane, butane, liquefied gas and compressed natural gas. This transfer of revenue replaces highway revenues existing prior to the enactment of this act.
(f) In addition to the distribution specified in subsection (b) of this section, until June 30, 2004, twenty-nine and one-half percent (29.5%) and thereafter thirty-one percent (31%) of sales taxes collected from out-of-state vendors shall be distributed to counties, cities and towns in the same percentage as determined in paragraph (b)(iii) of this section.
(g) Repealed By Laws 2007, Ch. 140, § 2.
(h) If an annexation occurs under W.S. 15-1-404, the department of revenue shall determine whether the proportion of sales taxes to be distributed to the general fund of the county in which the annexation takes place will be reduced by more than five percent (5%) solely as a result of the annexation. If so, then the distribution formula for sales taxes for the affected municipality and county is subject to the following:
(i) Beginning with the month following the month in which the annexation occurs and continuing through the remainder of the fiscal year in which the annexation occurs, the annexing municipality shall receive credit only for thirty-five percent (35%) of the population of the area to be annexed with the remainder credited to the county;
(ii) In each of the succeeding four (4) fiscal years, the annexing municipality shall receive credit for an additional one-fourth (1/4) of the remaining sixty-five percent (65%) of the population of the area annexed with the remainder credited to the county;
(iii) The department of revenue shall proportionally adjust credits for population under paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this subsection for the remainder of the period based upon new population figures if a federal decennial census occurs before the period under paragraph (ii) of this subsection ends.
(j) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 54, § 2.
(k) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 54, § 2.
(m) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 54, § 2.
(n) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 54, § 2.
(o) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 54, § 2.
(p) All revenue collected by the department under W.S. 39-15-104(h) shall be distributed as follows:
(i) The department shall credit the revenue collected under W.S. 39-15-104(h)(i) as follows:
(A) Eighty percent (80%) of the average annual revenue collected under this paragraph during the immediately preceding five (5) years shall be deposited each year in the Wyoming tourism account, which is hereby created. No funds shall be expended from the account until appropriated by the legislature. Funds in the account shall be used for the operation of the Wyoming tourism board and the Wyoming office of tourism;
(B) Any amount of revenue that exceeds the amount determined under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be deposited as provided in this subparagraph. Revenue under this subparagraph shall be transferred to the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account, which is hereby created. No funds shall be expended from the account until appropriated by the legislature.
(ii) The assessment revenue collected under W.S. 39-15-104(h)(ii) shall be distributed to each county on a monthly basis in proportionate shares determined by the amount of revenue collected within the county and its municipalities under W.S. 39-15-104(h)(ii) in relation to the entire amount collected under W.S. 39-15-104(h)(ii), to be distributed as follows:
(A) If the county imposes a countywide lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the assessment revenue shall be distributed in the same manner as taxes collected under that paragraph are distributed under W.S. 39-15-211(a)(ii)(B) through (E);
(B) If the county has not imposed a countywide lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the assessment revenue shall be distributed as follows:
(I) If no city or town in the county has imposed a lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the assessment revenue shall be distributed to the county to be expended as provided in W.S. 39-15-211(a)(ii)(B);
(II) If any city or town in the county has imposed a lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), assessment revenue equal to the amount of the tax imposed by the city or town shall be distributed to the city or town to be used as provided in W.S. 39-15-211(a)(ii)(B) through (E). The remainder shall be distributed to the county to be expended as provided in W.S. 39-15-211(a)(ii)(B).
(q) No funds distributed to the Wyoming tourism account or the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account as provided by subsection (p) of this section shall be expended for lobbying or legislative activities associated with any Wyoming local government or the Wyoming legislature.
(r) The funds collected and remitted to the department under W.S. 39-15-107(b)(i) and (ii) for sales taxes imposed under W.S. 39-15-104 and transferred under W.S. 39-15-111(b)(i) and (ii) on sales of motor vehicles and trailers during each fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 are appropriated annually to the highway fund for the operation, maintenance, construction and reconstruction of state highways. The department of revenue shall credit the highway fund the specified amounts no later than ninety (90) days after the end of the fiscal year.
(s) Taxes collected under subsections W.S. 39-15-107(a)(i) and (ii) shall be remitted in full by the county treasurer to the department monthly or as required by the department together with reports as required by the department. County treasurers shall be reimbursed monthly in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the amount of use tax remitted to the department in the preceding month for deposit into the county general fund.
(a) The state preempts the field of imposing tax upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services and purchases for storage, use or consumption in this state as provided by this article and no county, city, town or other political subdivision may impose, levy or collect taxes upon retail sales, admissions and services or purchases for storage, use or consumption in this state except as provided in this article. Any tax imposed under this article on retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services shall also impose an excise tax at the same rate on purchases for storage, use or consumption in this state as provided in this article.
(b) In addition to the state tax imposed under article 1 of this chapter a county, city, town or resort district may impose excise taxes as specified under this article.
(c) The administration of the county, city, town or resort district sales taxes is vested in the department which may prescribe forms and rules and regulations for making returns and for the ascertainment, assessment and collection of the taxes. The department shall keep complete records of all monies received and disbursed by it.
(d) No applicant to the state of Wyoming for grant or loan funds shall be penalized for failure to enact the tax provided in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii).
(a) Taxable event. The following shall apply:
(i) The following provisions apply to imposition of the general purpose excise tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i):
(A) Except as provided by subparagraph (F) of this paragraph, no tax shall be imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) until the proposition to impose the taxes is submitted to the vote of the qualified electors of the county, and a majority of those casting their ballots vote in favor of imposing the taxes. If a county seeks to increase a tax rate previously approved by the qualified electors of the county that increase shall be separately proposed and voted upon, provided that the total amount of the separate propositions is subject to the limitations specified in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) and (iv). A county may impose both taxes authorized in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) and (ii), but the proposition to impose each tax also shall be individually stated and voted upon. Except as otherwise provided, excise taxes imposed under this paragraph shall commence as provided by W.S. 39-15-207(c) following the election approving the imposition of the tax;
(B) The proposition to impose an excise tax shall be at the expense of the county and be submitted to the electors of the county upon the receipt by the board of county commissioners of a petition requesting the election signed by at least five percent (5%) of the electors of the county or of a resolution approving the proposition from the governing body of the county and the governing bodies of at least fifty percent (50%) of the incorporated municipalities within the county. If proposed by petition by electors, the number of electors required shall be determined by the number of votes cast at the last general election. The election shall be at the direction and under the supervision of the board of county commissioners;
(C) The proposition may be submitted at an election held on a date authorized under W.S. 22-21-103. A notice of election shall be given in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the election is to be held, and the notice shall specify the object of the election. The notice shall be published at least once each week for a thirty (30) day period preceding the election. At the election the ballots shall contain the words "for the county sales and use tax" and "against the county sales and use tax". If a portion of the proceeds from the tax will be used for economic development as provided by W.S. 39-15-211(a)(i), the ballot shall contain the words "a portion (or specific percentage) of the tax proceeds shall be used for economic development" in a clear and appropriate manner. If the proposition is approved the same proposition shall be submitted at subsequent general elections as provided in this subparagraph until the proposition is defeated. If the tax proposed is approved after July 1, 1989, the same proposition shall be submitted at every other subsequent general election until the proposition is defeated. However in those counties where the tax is not in effect, the county commissioners with the concurrence of the governing bodies of fifty percent (50%) of the municipalities may establish the initial term of the tax at four (4) years. The term of the tax shall be stated in the proposition submitted to the voters. If a proposition establishing the term of the tax at four (4) years is approved, the proposition shall be submitted at the second general election following the election at which the proposition was initially approved and at the general election held every four (4) years thereafter until the proposition is defeated;
(D) If the proposition to impose or continue the tax is defeated the proposition shall not again be submitted to the electors of the county for at least eleven (11) months. If the proposition is defeated at any general election following initial adoption of the proposition the tax is repealed and shall not be collected following June 30 of the year immediately following the year in which the proposition is defeated except:
(I) If the proposition was for less than the full amount authorized in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i), this subparagraph shall not prohibit a separate proposition for the remaining authorized amount of the tax as provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;
(II) If the proposition was to increase the amount of the tax originally adopted by the electors, the defeat of the proposition to increase the amount of the tax shall not repeal the proposition originally adopted by the electors.
(E) If the proposition is approved by the qualified electors or under subparagraph (F) of this paragraph, the board of county commissioners shall by ordinance impose an excise tax upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services. The board of county commissioners or the city or town council shall adopt an ordinance for the tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i). The ordinance shall include the following:
(I) A provision imposing an excise tax upon every retail sale of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the county, whichever is appropriate;
(II) Provisions identical to those contained in article 1 of this chapter except for W.S. 39-15-102(a), insofar as it relates to sales taxes, except the name of the county as the taxing agency shall be substituted for that of the state and an additional license to engage in business shall not be required if the vendor has been issued a state license pursuant to law;
(III) A provision that any amendments made to article 1 not in conflict with article 1 of this chapter shall automatically become a part of the sales tax ordinances of the county, city or town;
(IV) A provision that the county, city or town, as appropriate, shall contract with the department prior to the effective date of the county sales tax ordinances whereby the department shall perform all functions incident to the administration of the sales tax ordinances of the county, city or town;
(V) A provision that the amount subject to the sales tax shall not include the amount of any sales tax imposed by the state of Wyoming.
(F) In lieu of the requirements of subparagraph
(C) of this paragraph providing for the submission of the proposition at subsequent elections, the tax authorized under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) may be continued by an election or by a resolution as provided in this subparagraph. For the tax to be continued by an election, the county commissioners, with the concurrence of the governing bodies of fifty percent (50%) of the municipalities, shall submit a proposition to the voters establishing the term of the tax as permanent. The proposition under this subparagraph shall be submitted in the same manner as a proposition to impose the tax under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph provided that the proposition shall be submitted as a separate question at the same election with a proposition to impose or continue the tax under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph. The tax may be continued by resolution, subject to the following terms and conditions:
(I) The tax shall be initially imposed following approval of the electorate in accordance with subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph;
(II) The tax shall be continued if favorably supported by a resolution adopted by the governing body of the county and by ordinances adopted by the governing bodies of at least a majority of the incorporated municipalities within the county;
(III) Ordinances under this subparagraph shall conform with subdivisions (E)(I) through (V) of this paragraph;
(IV) Excise taxes shall be continued under this subparagraph only if the county clerk has certified to the county treasurer that a sufficient number of ordinances or resolutions to continue the tax under this subparagraph have been adopted at least ninety (90) days prior to the election to determine the continuation of the tax. Within five (5) days of receipt of such certification from the county clerk, the county treasurer shall notify the department of revenue of this tax. If the tax is not continued pursuant to this subparagraph it shall be subject to the provisions of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph for continuation;
(V) The tax may be terminated in the same manner as it was continued under subdivisions (II) and (IV) of this subparagraph except that ordinances and resolutions shall be for the rescinding of the tax. If the tax is continued under subdivisions (II) and (IV) of this subparagraph, it may also be terminated by an election to rescind the tax conducted subject to subparagraphs (B) through (D) of this paragraph.
(ii) The following provisions apply to imposition of the lodging excise tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii):
(A) The tax on lodging services authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii) shall be in addition to and not in lieu of the tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) and (iii) if both taxes are imposed. If the proposition to impose a tax on lodging services within the county is approved in accordance with subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, a city or town shall not impose a lodging tax in addition to the county wide tax even though the additional tax does not exceed the limitation established under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii);
(B) No tax shall be imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii) until the proposition to impose the taxes is submitted to the vote of the qualified electors of the county or of a city or town if the proposition is to impose the tax only city wide or town wide, and a majority of those casting their ballots vote in favor of imposing the taxes. If a county seeks to increase a tax rate previously approved by the qualified electors of the county, that increase shall be separately proposed and voted upon, provided that the total amount of the separate propositions is subject to the limitations specified in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii). A county may impose both taxes authorized in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) and (ii), but the proposition to impose each tax shall be individually stated and voted upon. Except as otherwise provided, excise taxes imposed under this paragraph shall commence as provided by W.S. 39-15-207(c) following the election approving the imposition of the tax;
(C) The proposition to impose an excise tax shall be at the expense of the county and be submitted to the electors of the county upon the receipt by the board of county commissioners of a petition requesting the election signed by at least five percent (5%) of the electors of the county or of a resolution approving the proposition from the governing body of the county and the governing bodies of at least fifty percent (50%) of the incorporated municipalities within the county. If proposed by petition by electors, the number of electors required shall be determined by the number of votes cast at the last general election. The election shall be at the direction and under the supervision of the board of county commissioners;
(D) The proposition may be submitted at an election held on a date authorized under W.S. 22-21-103. A notice of election shall be given in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the election is to be held or in the city or town if only a city wide or town wide tax is proposed, and the notice shall specify the object of the election. The notice shall be published at least once each week for a thirty (30) day period preceding the election. At the election the ballots shall contain the words "for the county (or city or town) lodging tax" and "against the county (or city or town) lodging tax". If the proposition is approved the same proposition shall be submitted at subsequent general elections as provided in this subparagraph until the proposition is defeated. If the proposition to impose the lodging tax pursuant to W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii) is approved, the same proposition shall be submitted, until defeated, at the second general election following the election at which the proposition was initially approved and at the general election held every four (4) years thereafter. If a county, city or town has in place a lodging tax pursuant to W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), either through a petition or by request of the county, city or town, the proposition posed at the next election may contain a larger tax not to exceed two percent (2%);
(E) If the proposition to impose or continue the tax is defeated the proposition shall not again be submitted to the electors of the county for at least eleven (11) months. If the proposition is defeated at any general election following initial adoption of the proposition the tax is repealed and shall not be collected following June 30 of the year immediately following the year in which the proposition is defeated except:
(I) If the proposition was for less than the full amount authorized in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), this subparagraph shall not prohibit a separate proposition for the remaining authorized amount of the tax as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph;
(II) If the proposition was to increase the amount of the tax originally adopted by the electors, the defeat of the proposition to increase the amount of the tax shall not repeal the proposition originally adopted by the electors.
(F) If the proposition is approved by the qualified electors the board of county commissioners, city council or town council, as appropriate, shall by ordinance impose an excise tax upon the sales price for lodging services. Following approval of a proposition to impose the tax, the county, city or town shall within thirty (30) days following certification of the election results and annually thereafter each year the tax is in effect, notify the department of revenue of the ordinance or resolution imposing the lodging tax and shall submit a list to the department of all persons selling lodging services within their respective jurisdiction. The board of county commissioners or the city or town council shall adopt an ordinance for the tax authorized by this paragraph. The ordinance shall include the following:
(I) A provision imposing an excise tax on every sale of lodging services within the county, city or town at the rate approved by the qualified electors, whichever is appropriate;
(II) Provisions identical to those contained in article 1 of this chapter except for W.S. 39-15-102(a), insofar as it relates to sales taxes except the name of the county as the taxing agency shall be substituted for that of the state and an additional license to engage in business shall not be required if the vendor has been issued a state license pursuant to law;
(III) A provision that any amendments made to article 1 not in conflict with article 1 of this chapter shall automatically become a part of the sales tax ordinances of the county, city or town;
(IV) A provision that the county, city or town, as appropriate, shall contract with the department prior to the effective date of the county sales tax ordinances whereby the department shall perform all functions incident to the administration of the sales tax ordinances of the county, city or town;
(V) A provision that the amount subject to the tax shall not include the amount of any sales tax imposed by the state of Wyoming.
(G) No person shall be liable for payment of the tax imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii) for any sale of lodging services made more than one (1) year prior to the date he is notified by the department of revenue of his liability for the tax.
(iii) The following provisions apply to imposition of the specific purpose excise tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii):
(A) Before any proposition to impose the tax or incur the debt shall be placed before the electors, the governing body of a county and the governing bodies of at least fifty percent (50%) of the incorporated municipalities within the county shall adopt a resolution approving the proposition, setting forth a procedure for qualification of a ballot question for placement on the ballot and specifying how excess funds shall be expended;
(B) The revenue from the tax shall be used in a specified amount for specific purposes authorized by the qualified electors. Specific purposes may include one (1) time major maintenance, renovation or reconstruction of a specifically defined section of a public roadway and may include, in conjunction with another specific purpose, funding a reserve account as provided in subparagraph (H) of this paragraph. Specific purposes shall not include ordinary operations of local government except those operations related to a specific project or as authorized by subparagraph (H) of this paragraph;
(C) No tax shall be imposed under this paragraph until the proposition to impose the tax for specific purposes in specific amounts is approved by the vote of the majority of the qualified electors voting on the proposition. The amount of revenue to be collected and the purpose or purposes for which it is proposed to be used shall be specified in the proposition. The election shall be held in accordance with W.S. 22-21-101 through 22-21-112. Any debt created may also be repaid, in whole or in part, by a property tax levy if general obligation bonds are authorized by the electors. If a county seeks to increase a tax rate previously approved by the qualified electors of the county that increase shall be separately proposed and voted upon, provided that the total amount of the separate propositions is subject to the limitations specified in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii) and (iv). Any excise tax imposed under this subsection shall commence as provided by W.S. 39-15-207(c) following the election approving the imposition of the tax, except that it shall commence on the first day of any subsequent month following the receipt of tax funds in the approved amount by any tax previously imposed under this subsection as provided by subparagraph (E) of this paragraph. Unless terminated earlier by the sponsoring entities pursuant to subparagraph (G) of this paragraph, the relevant portion of the tax shall terminate as provided by W.S. 39-15-207(c) when the amount approved by the electors is collected;
(D) No debt may be incurred or approved which when added to the existing indebtedness of the sponsoring entity or entities, would exceed the constitutional debt limitation of the sponsoring entity or entities. However, nothing herein prohibits the approval of a proposition which establishes a fund for accumulation of funds sufficient to carry out the purpose approved or to pay a sufficient amount of the cost so as to bring the remainder of the debt within the debt limitation of the sponsoring entity or entities;
(E) Upon certification of the election results by the county clerk to the treasurer, the county treasurer shall, within ten (10) days, notify the department of revenue of the requirement for imposition of any tax under this subsection and shall, upon the estimated collection of all tax funds in the amount approved, notify the department of revenue that the special sales tax levy is terminated. When determining the point in time in which to terminate the tax, the county treasurer in consultation with the department shall estimate future receipts of tax collections to minimize excess collection. The county treasurer shall make his best effort to ensure that sufficient money is collected while minimizing any excess collection. In no event shall the action or inaction of the county treasurer or the department be deemed to prohibit the collection of the full amount of the tax approved by the voters. The department of revenue shall, upon notification, inform all holders of sales tax licenses within the county of the requirement for the collection and payment of the additional tax. After receipt of notice that the amount has been collected or that the sponsoring entities have terminated the tax pursuant to subparagraph (G) of this paragraph, the department shall notify the license holders of the termination of the tax;
(F) The first county imposing the tax provided by this act shall be responsible for payment of costs incurred by the department to initially set up computer records and support systems for administration of this tax. These costs shall be withheld by the department from the proceeds to be distributed pursuant to the preceding paragraph until such costs are fully recovered;
(G) The sponsoring entities may agree to terminate the tax if the tax collected reaches the actual cost of the completed projects and the amount specified in the proposition exceeds the actual cost of the completed projects. The sponsoring entities shall inform the department of revenue and the county treasurer that the tax is terminated;
(H) If approved in the resolution adopted pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and approved by the qualified electors pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, a specified amount of revenue from the tax or the tax revenue from a specified period not to exceed the specified amount may be deposited into a reserve account. Funds in the reserve account may be invested as provided in W.S. 9-4-831 and may be expended for specific purposes previously authorized under this paragraph and for the ordinary operations of local government. A reserve account under this paragraph may be designated as a maintenance and sinking fund for a specific project or projects and the earnings and principal amount in the fund may be expended for the applicable project or projects. A reserve account under this paragraph may be designated as an inviolate account to constitute a permanent or perpetual trust fund which shall be invested in a manner to obtain the highest return possible consistent with preservation of the corpus. Any earnings from investment of the corpus of a permanent or perpetual trust fund designated under this subsection shall be deposited in a separate account and may be expended as authorized in this subparagraph.
(iv) The following provisions apply to imposition of the resort district excise tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(v):
(A) The tax shall be imposed if favorably supported by a resolution adopted by the board of the resort district and approved by a majority of the district voters under W.S. 18-16-119. If a resort district seeks to increase a tax rate previously approved by the district voters that increase shall be separately proposed and voted upon, provided that the total amount of the separate propositions is subject to the limitations specified in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(v);
(B) The tax may be terminated by a resolution to rescind the tax adopted by the board of the resort district.
(v) The following provisions apply to imposition of the excise tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vi) the purpose of which is economic development:
(A) No tax shall be imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vi) until the proposition to impose the tax is submitted to the vote of the qualified electors of the county, and a majority of those casting their ballots vote in favor of imposing the taxes. If a county seeks to increase a tax rate previously approved by the qualified electors of the county that increase shall be separately proposed and voted upon, provided that the total amount of the separate propositions is subject to the limitations specified in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iv) and (vi). Except as otherwise provided, excise taxes imposed under this paragraph shall commence as provided by W.S. 39-15-207 following the election approving the imposition of the tax;
(B) The proposition to impose an excise tax shall be at the expense of the county and be submitted to the electors of the county upon the receipt by the board of county commissioners of a petition requesting the election signed by at least five percent (5%) of the electors of the county or of a resolution approving the proposition from the governing body of the county and the governing bodies of at least fifty percent (50%) of the incorporated municipalities within the county. If proposed by petition by electors, the number of electors required shall be determined by the number of votes cast at the last general election. The election shall be at the direction and under the supervision of the board of county commissioners;
(C) The proposition may be submitted at an election held on a date authorized under W.S. 22-21-103. A notice of election shall be given in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the election is to be held, and the notice shall specify the object of the election. The notice shall be published at least once each week for a thirty (30) day period preceding the election. At the election the ballots shall contain the words "for the county sales and use tax for economic development" and "against the county sales and use tax for economic development". If the tax proposed is approved, the same proposition shall be submitted at every other subsequent general election until the proposition is defeated. However, the county commissioners with the concurrence of the governing bodies of fifty percent (50%) of the municipalities may establish the initial term of the tax at four (4) years. The term of the tax shall be stated in the proposition submitted to the voters. If a proposition establishing the term of the tax at four (4) years is approved, the proposition shall be submitted at the second general election following the election at which the proposition was initially approved and at the general election held every four (4) years thereafter until the proposition is defeated;
(D) If the proposition to impose or continue the tax is defeated the proposition shall not again be submitted to the electors of the county for at least eleven (11) months. If the proposition is defeated at any general election following initial adoption of the proposition the tax is repealed and shall not be collected following June 30 of the year immediately following the year in which the proposition is defeated except:
(I) If the proposition was for less than the full amount authorized in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vi), this subparagraph shall not prohibit a separate proposition for the remaining authorized amount of the tax as provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;
(II) If the proposition was to increase the amount of the tax originally adopted by the electors, the defeat of the proposition to increase the amount of the tax shall not repeal the proposition originally adopted by the electors.
(E) If the proposition is approved by the qualified electors, the board of county commissioners shall by ordinance impose an excise tax upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services. The board of county commissioners or the city or town council shall adopt an ordinance for the tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vi). The ordinance shall include the following:
(I) A provision imposing an excise tax upon every retail sale of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the county;
(II) Provisions identical to those contained in article 1 of this chapter except for W.S. 39-15-102(a), insofar as it relates to sales taxes, except the name of the county as the taxing agency shall be substituted for that of the state and an additional license to engage in business shall not be required if the vendor has been issued a state license pursuant to law;
(III) A provision that any amendments made to article 1 not in conflict with article 1 of this chapter shall automatically become a part of the sales tax ordinances of the county, city or town;
(IV) A provision that the county, city or town, as appropriate, shall contract with the department prior to the effective date of the county sales tax ordinances whereby the department shall perform all functions incident to the administration of the sales tax ordinances of the county, city or town;
(V) A provision that the amount subject to the sales tax shall not include the amount of any sales imposed by the state of Wyoming.
(F) The tax may be terminated by an election to rescind the tax conducted subject to subparagraphs (B) through
(D) of this paragraph;
(G) In no event shall any of the revenue collected from the tax imposed under this paragraph be expended, either directly or indirectly, to finance or involuntarily acquire any public utility as defined in W.S. 37-1-101 or any telecommunications system by condemnation or other legal process.
(vi) The following provisions apply to imposition of the municipal tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vii):
(A) The tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vii) shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any tax imposed by a county under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i), (iii) or (vi) if those taxes are imposed;
(B) If a county has imposed at least one percent (1%) of the tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) and has voted to initially approve or continue a tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii), or if the board of county commissioners has adopted a resolution by the county under subparagraph (J) of this paragraph, a city or town within the county where the tax was imposed may propose an excise tax as provided in this paragraph. Except for a tax authorized under subparagraph (J) of this paragraph, the tax shall not be proposed until at least ninety (90) days following the approval or continuation of a tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii). The amount of the tax proposed under this subparagraph shall not exceed the amount of tax that the city or town collects during the same time period pursuant to the tax imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii). The tax imposed under this paragraph shall terminate not more than ninety (90) days following the termination of the tax imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii) or as provided in subparagraph (J) of this paragraph;
(C) Revenue from the tax shall be used for general purposes or for a specific purpose in a specified amount as specified in the proposition to impose the tax. A city or town may impose a portion of the tax for separate purposes provided that the purposes are voted on separately, each proposition specifies the purpose of the tax and the total amount of the tax does not exceed the full amount authorized in W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vii) and subparagraph (B) of this paragraph;
(D) No tax shall be imposed under this paragraph until a specific proposition to impose the tax is approved by a vote of the majority of the qualified electors voting on the specific proposition in a general election. The purpose of the tax and the maximum estimated amount of revenue to be collected shall be specified in the proposition. The election shall be held in accordance with W.S. 22-21-101 through 22-21-112. Any excise tax imposed under this paragraph shall commence as provided by W.S. 39-15-207(c) following the election approving the imposition of the tax;
(E) A notice of election shall be given in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the election is to be held, and the notice shall specify the proposition that will be considered at the election. The notice shall be published at least once each week for a thirty (30) day period preceding the election. At the election for each proposition, the ballots shall contain the words "for the municipal sales and use tax" and "against the municipal sales and use tax". The ballot shall describe the purposes of the tax in a clear and appropriate manner;
(F) If the proposition to impose or continue the tax is defeated the proposition shall not again be submitted to the electors of the city or town for at least eleven (11) months. If the proposition is defeated at any general election following initial adoption of the proposition the tax is repealed and shall not be collected following June 30 of the year immediately following the year in which the proposition is defeated except:
(I) If the proposition was for less than the full amount authorized in W.S. 39—15-204(a)(vii), this subparagraph shall not prohibit a separate proposition for the remaining authorized amount of the tax as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph;
(II) If the proposition was to increase the amount of the tax originally adopted by the electors or to impose a tax for a different purpose, subject to the maximum allowable tax, the defeat of the proposition shall not repeal the proposition originally adopted by the electors.
(G) If the proposition is approved by the qualified electors, the city or town council shall adopt an ordinance for the tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vii) consistent with the approved proposition. The ordinance shall include the following:
(I) A provision imposing sales tax upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the city or town, whichever is appropriate;
(II) Provisions identical to those contained in article 1 of this chapter except for W.S. 39-15-102(a), insofar as it relates to sales taxes, except the name of the city or town as the taxing agency shall be substituted for that of the state and an additional license to engage in business shall not be required if the vendor has been issued a state license pursuant to law;
(III) A provision that any amendments made to article 1 of this chapter that are not in conflict with article 1 of this chapter shall automatically become a part of the sales tax ordinances of the city or town;
(IV) A provision that the city or town shall contract with the department prior to the effective date of the sales tax ordinances whereby the department shall perform all functions incident to the administration of the sales tax ordinances of the city or town;
(V) A provision that the amount subject to the sales tax shall not include the amount of any sales tax imposed by the state of Wyoming.
(H) Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (J) of this paragraph, if the tax is imposed for a specific purpose and in a specified amount the tax shall terminate when the amount specified in the proposition approved by the electors is collected. A city or town may agree to terminate the tax if the tax collected reaches the actual cost of the completed projects and the amount specified in the proposition exceeds the actual cost of the completed projects. A city or town shall inform the department that a tax is terminated;
(J) If a county has not imposed taxes under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) and 39-15-204(a)(iii) as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the board of county commissioners may adopt a resolution to authorize cities and towns within the county to propose a municipal tax under this paragraph. The resolution shall establish the maximum taxation rate in increments of one-quarter of one percent (.25%) not to exceed a rate of one percent (1%). The proposition by a city or town for a municipal tax authorized under this subparagraph shall specify that the municipal tax shall terminate after two (2) years.
(b) Basis of tax. There are no specific applicable provisions for the basis of tax for this article.
(c) Taxpayer. There are no specific applicable provisions for the taxpayer for this article.
(a) In addition to the state tax imposed under W.S. 39-15-101 through 39-15-111 any county of the state may impose the following excise taxes and any city or town may impose the taxes authorized by paragraphs (ii) and (vii) of this subsection and any resort district may impose the tax authorized by paragraph
(v) of this subsection:
(i) An excise tax at a rate in increments of one-half of one percent (.5%) not to exceed a rate of two percent (2%) upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the county, the purpose of which is for general revenue;
(ii) An excise tax at a rate in increments of one percent (1%) not to exceed a rate of two percent (2%) upon the sales price paid for lodging services as defined under W.S. 39-15-101(a)(i), the primary purpose of which is for local travel and tourism promotion;
(iii) An excise tax not to exceed two percent (2%) upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the county. The total excise tax imposed within any county under this paragraph shall not exceed two percent (2%). The revenue from the tax shall be used in a specified amount for specific purposes authorized by the qualified electors and as provided in W.S. 39-15-211(b)(iv). Specific purposes shall not include ordinary operations of local government except those operations related to a specific project or as authorized by W.S. 39-15-203(a)(iii)(H);
(iv) In no event shall the total excise tax imposed within any county under the provisions of paragraphs (i), (iii) and (vi) of this subsection exceed three percent (3%);
(v) An excise tax at a rate in increments of one-half of one percent (.5%) not to exceed a rate of three percent (3%) upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the district, the purpose of which is for general revenue for the resort district;
(vi) An excise tax at a rate in increments of one-quarter of one percent (.25%) not to exceed a rate of one percent (1%) upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the county, the purpose of which is for economic development;
(vii) An excise tax at a rate in increments of one-quarter of one percent (.25%) not to exceed a rate of one percent (1%) upon retail sales of tangible personal property, admissions and services made within the city or town, the purpose of which is for general revenue or for a specific purpose and in a specified amount as provided in the proposition to impose the tax.
There are no specific applicable provisions for exemptions for this article. The provisions of W.S. 39-15-105 shall apply to the taxes imposed by this article.
(a) Returns, reports and preservation of records. There are no specific applicable provisions for returns, reports and preservation of records for this article.
(b) Payment. There are no specific applicable provisions for payment for this article.
(c) Timelines. Local tax rates and boundary changes for purposes of this article shall be effective on the first day of a calendar quarter after sixty (60) days notice has been given to a vendor. In the case of a vendor selling from a printed catalog, the new tax rate shall take effect on the first day of the calendar quarter following one hundred twenty (120) days notice provided to the vendor.
No person shall be liable for payment of the tax imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii) for any sale of lodging services made more than one (1) year prior to the date he is notified by the department of revenue of his liability for the tax.
(a) For all revenue collected by the department from the taxes imposed under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i), (ii), (v) and (vi) the department shall:
(i) For revenues collected under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i):
(A) Deduct one percent (1%) to defray the costs of collecting the tax and administrative expenses incident thereto which shall be deposited into the general fund;
(B) Deposit the remainder into an account for monthly distribution to counties imposing the tax and its cities and towns. The distribution to the county and its cities and towns shall be equal to the amount collected in each county less the costs of collection as provided by subparagraph (a)(i)(A) of this section. The distribution shall be as follows:
(I) To the county for deposit into its general fund in the proportion the population of the county situated outside the corporate limits of its cities and towns bears to the total population of the county;
(II) To the incorporated cities and towns within the county for deposit into their treasuries in the proportion the population of each city or town bears to the total population of the county.
(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, a county and its cities and towns receiving distributions under this paragraph may expend not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount received under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph for the purposes of economic development provided:
(I) The intent to use a portion of the amount distributed for economic development was indicated by specific language on the ballot as provided by W.S. 39-15-203(a)(i)(C) or the enactment of a resolution or ordinance stating that a portion of the proceeds would be used for "economic development";
(II) The county has not imposed a tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vi).
(ii) For revenues collected under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii):
(A) During the first year the tax is imposed in a county, city or town, two percent (2%) shall be deducted for the costs to the state of initial implementation of collection and administration of the tax, and one percent (1%) each year thereafter for state administrative costs with the proceeds to be deposited in the state general fund;
(B) Except as provided in subparagraph (a)(ii)(C) of this section, distribute the balance on a monthly basis to the treasurer of each county, city or town imposing the tax in an amount equal to the amount collected in each entity less the costs of collection as provided by subparagraph (a)(ii)(A) of this section. Amounts distributed under this subparagraph shall be used for the following purposes:
(I) Except as provided by subdivision (III) of this subparagraph, at least ninety percent (90%) of the amount distributed shall be used to promote travel and tourism within the county, city or town imposing the tax. Expenditures for travel and tourism promotion shall be limited to promotional materials, television and radio advertising, printed advertising, digital content, social media, promotion of tours, staging of events, educational materials, and other specific tourism related objectives, provided that none of these funds shall be spent for capital construction or improvements. If the amount is collected under a tax imposed countywide, expenditures of this amount shall be made in accordance with the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act by a joint powers board established pursuant to law by the county and a majority of incorporated municipalities within the county. Membership of the board shall include at least one (1) representative appointed by each governmental entity made a party to the agreement and the majority of the board membership shall be comprised of representatives of the travel and tourism industry;
(II) Except as provided by subdivision
(III) of this subparagraph, the amount remaining not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the total amount distributed shall be used for general revenue within the governmental entity imposing the tax. If the amount is collected under a tax imposed countywide, the joint powers board established under subdivision (a)(ii)(B)(I) of this section shall distribute the amount remaining to the county for deposit in its general fund in the proportion that the amount collected outside the corporate limits of its cities and towns bears to the total amount collected within the county, and to incorporated cities and towns within the county for deposit into their treasuries in the proportion that the amount collected within the corporate limits of each city and town bears to the total amount collected within the county;
(III) If any of the conditions specified in subparagraph (H) of this paragraph are met, the amount collected less the cost of collection as provided by subparagraph (a)(ii)(A) of this section shall be distributed as follows: (1) Sixty percent (60%) shall be used to promote travel and tourism within the county, city or town imposing the tax in accordance with subdivision (I) of this subparagraph; (2) Ten percent (10%) shall be deposited in the general fund of the county. If the amount is collected under a tax imposed countywide, the joint powers board established under subdivision (a)(ii)(B)(I) of this section shall distribute the amount to the county for deposit in its general fund in the proportion that the amount collected outside the corporate limits of its cities and towns bears to the total amount collected within the county, and to incorporated cities and towns within the county for deposit into their treasuries in the proportion that the amount collected within the corporate limits of each city and town bears to the total amount collected within the county; (3) Thirty percent (30%) shall be used for the provision of visitor impact services within the governmental entity imposing the tax. If the amount is collected under a tax imposed countywide, the joint powers board shall distribute the amount to the county under the same terms and conditions as provided under subdivision (III)(2) of this subparagraph, but the funds shall only be used for the purposes specified in this subdivision. As used in this section, "visitor impact services" includes, but is not limited to, provision of vehicle parking, public transportation, public restrooms, pedestrian and bicycle pathways, museums and other displays.
(C) If the proposition to continue the tax is defeated and a county, city or town does not reimpose the tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the department shall retain revenues collected during the last three (3) months the tax is in effect to provide for refund of any overpayment of tax. One (1) year after the tax expires, the department shall distribute the balance of the revenues retained under this subparagraph to the treasurer of that county, city or town;
(D) Repealed by Laws 2020, ch. 14, § 2.
(E) Repealed by Laws 2020, ch. 14, § 2.
(F) Repealed by Laws 2020, ch. 14, § 2.
(G) Repealed by Laws 2020, ch. 14, § 2.
(H) The amount collected shall be distributed as provided in subdivision (B)(III) of this paragraph if the revenue collected by the county, city or town equals or exceeds the amounts as specified in subdivisions (I) through (III) of this subparagraph, adjusted annually for the percentage increase in the Wyoming cost-of-living index for the previous fiscal year as determined by the division of economic analysis of the department of administration and information:
(I) If the county, city or town is not imposing a lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the amount of assessment revenue received from the two percent (2%) assessment on lodging services imposed pursuant to W.S. 39-15-104(h)(ii) for each of the preceding three (3) years equals or exceeds one million eight hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,850,000.00) or it can reasonably be presumed, based on sales tax collection records, that the annual amount that will be received by the city, town or county will equal or exceed one million eight hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,850,000.00);
(II) If the county, city or town has imposed a one percent (1%) lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the amount of assessment revenue received from that tax plus the two percent (2%) assessment on lodging services imposed pursuant to W.S. 39-15-104(h)(ii) for each of the preceding three (3) years equals or exceeds two million seven hundred eighty thousand dollars ($2,780,000.00) or it can reasonably be presumed, based on sales tax collection records, that the annual amount that will be received by the city, town or county will equal or exceed two million seven hundred eighty thousand dollars ($2,780,000.00);
(III) If the county, city or town has imposed a two percent (2%) lodging tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(ii), the amount of assessment revenue received from that tax plus the two percent (2%) assessment on lodging services imposed pursuant to W.S. 39-15-104(h)(ii) for each of the preceding three (3) years equals or exceeds three million seven hundred thousand dollars ($3,700,000.00) or it can reasonably be presumed, based on sales tax collection records, that the annual amount that will be received by the city, town or county will equal or exceed three million seven hundred thousand dollars ($3,700,000.00).
(iii) For revenues collected under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(v):
(A) Deduct one percent (1%) to defray the costs of collecting the tax and administrative expenses incident thereto which shall be deposited into the general fund;
(B) Deposit the remainder into an account for monthly distribution to resort districts imposing the tax.
(iv) For revenues collected under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vi):
(A) Deduct one percent (1%) to defray the costs of collecting the tax and administrative expenses incident thereto which shall be deposited into the general fund;
(B) Deposit the remainder into an account for monthly distribution to counties imposing the tax and its cities and towns. The distribution to the county and its cities and towns shall be equal to the amount collected in each county less the costs of collection as provided by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. The distribution shall be as follows:
(I) To the county for deposit into its general fund in the proportion the population of the county situated outside the corporate limits of its cities and towns bears to the total population of the county;
(II) To the incorporated cities and towns within the county for deposit into their treasuries in the proportion the population of each city or town bears to the total population of the county.
(b) For all revenue collected by the department from the taxes imposed by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(iii) the department shall:
(i) Deduct one percent (1%) to defray the costs of collecting the tax and administrative expenses incident thereto which shall be deposited into the general fund;
(ii) Deposit the remainder into an account for monthly distribution to the county treasurer of the county in which the tax has been imposed to be distributed immediately by the treasurer to the sponsoring entity;
(iii) Any interest earned from investment of the revenues may only be used for costs related to the purposes approved on the ballot, including operation and maintenance costs, and shall be distributed to each sponsoring entity in the same proportion as its cost is to the total cost of all purposes identified on the ballot;
(iv) If taxes collected exceed the amount necessary for the approved purpose, the excess funds shall be retained by the county treasurer for one (1) year for refund of overpayments of the tax imposed pursuant to this act upon order of the department. After one (1) year any interest earned on the excess funds and the excess funds less any refunds ordered shall be deposited in the applicable reserve account authorized by W.S. 39-15-203(a)(iii)(H) or transferred to the county or municipality as specified in the resolution adopted pursuant to W.S. 39-15-203(a)(iii)(A). If the resolution fails to specify how excess funds will be expended and after all approved purposes have been completed, the county treasurer shall transfer the excess funds less any refunds ordered to each city and town within the county in the proportion the population of the city or town bears to the population of the county and to the county in the proportion that the population of the unincorporated areas of the county bears to the population of the county. After a public hearing, with notice of the public hearing published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least thirty (30) days before the public hearing, the governing body of the county and each municipality may appropriate its proportion of excess funds for other specific purposes authorized by a majority vote of the governing body, which shall not include the ordinary operations of local government. Excess funds collected on the propositions approved prior to January 1, 1989, and any interest earned shall be retained by the county treasurer for use in any purposes approved by the electors in accordance with procedures set forth in this section and for refunds of overpayment of taxes imposed pursuant to this act upon the order of the department, except that, with the approval of the governing bodies adopting the initial resolution, the excess funds and any interest earned may be used for the needs of the project for which the tax was approved.
(c) Repealed By Laws 1999, ch. 54, § 2.
(d) For all revenue collected by the department from the taxes imposed by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(vii) the department shall:
(i) Deduct one percent (1%) to defray the costs of collecting the tax and administrative expenses incident thereto which shall be deposited into the general fund;
(ii) Deposit the remainder into an account for monthly distribution to the city or town in which the tax has been imposed which shall only be used by the city or town for costs related to the purposes approved in the proposition to impose the tax.
(a) As used in this article:
(i) "Contractor" means any general or prime contractor or subcontractor;
(ii) "General or prime contractor" means:
(A) Any person who agrees with the owner or lessee of real property in this state to perform services or furnish materials and services for the construction, alteration, improvement or repair of real property in this state; or
(B) Any person who acts in behalf of the owner or lessee of real property in this state to arrange for the furnishing of services or the furnishing of materials and services for the construction, alteration, improvement or repair of real property in this state; or
(C) Any person who owns or leases real property in this state for the purpose of developing that property and in the development thereof alters or makes improvements to the property or contracts for the alteration or improvement of the property.
(iii) "Nonresident general or prime contractor" means any general or prime contractor who has not been a bona fide resident of the state of Wyoming for at least one (1) year prior to bidding upon a contract;
(iv) "Nonresident subcontractor" means any subcontractor who has not been a bona fide resident of the state of Wyoming for at least one (1) year prior to bidding upon a contract;
(v) "Sales tax" means the excise tax imposed by the Selective Sales Tax Act of 1937;
(vi) "Subcontractor" means any person who agrees with another contractor to perform any part of that contractor's obligation for furnishing services or furnishing materials and services for the construction, alteration, improvement or repair of real property in this state;
(vii) "Surety bond" means a bond or undertaking executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the state;
(viii) Repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 186, § 2.
(ix) "Use tax" means the excise tax imposed by the Use Tax Act of 1937.
(a) Taxable event. There are no specific applicable provisions for taxable event for this article.
(b) Taxpayer. The following shall apply:
(i) Any contractor who furnishes tangible personal property under contract or in the development of real property is the consumer or user of the tangible personal property within the meaning of the sales tax laws of Wyoming;
(ii) Any subcontractor who contracts with a general or prime contractor is liable for sales taxes as a general or prime contractor. The general or prime contractor shall withhold three percent (3%), plus the increased rate under W.S. 39-15-104(b) if the tax under that section is in effect, of the payments due a nonresident subcontractor arising out of the contract entered into between both contractors. The contractor shall withhold the payments until the subcontractor furnishes him with a certificate issued by the department showing all sales taxes accruing by reason of the contract between them have been paid. The department may demand the withholdings at any time to satisfy the sales tax liability of the subcontractor and any balance shall be released by the department to him. If a contractor fails to withhold payments or refuses to remit them upon demand by the department he is liable for any sales taxes due the state by the nonresident subcontractor. This paragraph shall not apply to any subcontractor hired to provide labor only to alter, construct, improve or repair real property;
(iii) To secure payment of sales taxes by nonresident prime contractors, each nonresident contractor shall file with the department of revenue a surety bond or legal security equal to three percent (3%), plus the increased rate under W.S. 39-15-104(b) if the tax under that section is in effect, of the payments due under the contract or an amount determined by the department. The bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all sales taxes which become due and payable to this state under the contract or in the real property development. This bond requirement does not apply for a nonresident contractor who has furnished a surety bond as provided by W.S. 39-15-306(b)(v);
(iv) Any nonresident prime contractor and any resident prime contractor who hires a nonresident subcontractor shall register any project with the department of revenue not more than fifteen (15) days following the start of a project pursuant to a contract. The nonresident prime contractor shall provide a properly executed bond as required by paragraph (iii) of this subsection, or a cash deposit of not less than four percent (4%) of the total payments due under the contract. The cash deposit shall be refunded to the contractor upon the department's receipt of a properly executed surety bond or upon satisfactory completion of the project. Failure to register with the department within the time period required by this paragraph shall result in a penalty assessment of one percent (1%) of the total payments due under the contract.
(a) Licenses and permits. There are no specific applicable provisions for licenses and permits for this article.
(b) Bonding. The following shall apply:
(i) To secure payment of sales taxes by nonresident prime contractors, each nonresident contractor shall file with the department of revenue a surety bond or legal security equal to three percent (3%), plus the increased rate under W.S. 39-15-104(b) if the tax under that section is in effect, of the payments due under the contract or an amount determined by the department. The bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all sales taxes which become due and payable to this state under the contract or in the real property development. This bond requirement does not apply for a nonresident contractor who has furnished a surety bond as provided by paragraph (v) of this subsection;
(ii) Any person a party to or performing work on a contract under this section may be enjoined from commencing or continuing any work until an approved bond has been filed with the department. Such an action shall be brought in the name of the state by the attorney general or by a district attorney. The state is not required to post security in seeking a restraining order or preliminary injunction under this section;
(iii) In lieu of filing the bond or security required under paragraph (i) of this subsection, a nonresident contractor may file and maintain with the department a surety bond or legal security in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00). The bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all sales taxes which become due and payable to this state under any of the contractor's contracts or in any of the contractor's real property developments in this state. A nonresident contractor electing to file a bond or security under this subsection shall maintain it until he is no longer required to file any bond or security under this article or until a bond or security is filed under paragraph (i) of this subsection;
(iv) If a nonresident subcontractor contracts with a general or prime contractor and posts with the department a surety bond deemed sufficient by the department conditioned upon payment when due of all sales taxes in the performance of the contract, the withholding provisions of W.S. 39-15-303(b)(ii) do not apply;
(v) Whenever a nonresident general or prime contractor or nonresident subcontractor furnishes a surety bond for the faithful performance of his contract or subcontract there is imposed an additional obligation upon the surety company to the state of Wyoming and the department as its agent that the nonresident contractor shall pay all sales taxes which become due in the performance of the contract. In the case of a nonresident general or prime contractor this additional obligation includes liability to pay the department all sales taxes which have not been paid to a licensed vendor or the department by the nonresident contractor. The nonresident general or prime contractor or his surety company is authorized to recover from the nonresident subcontractor the amount of sales taxes accruing with respect to purchases made by the nonresident subcontractor which were paid to the department by the nonresident contractor or the surety company, or an amount equal to the sales taxes so paid by the nonresident contractor may be withheld from payments made under the contract. The liability of the surety company under this section is limited to three percent (3%), plus the increased rate under W.S. 39-15-104(b) if the tax under that section is in effect, of the contract price;
(vi) Six (6) months after the completion of the contract and the acceptance of the work and services performed, the additional obligation upon the surety company ceases unless written notice of unpaid sales taxes is given the surety company by the department.
(a) As used in this article:
(i) "Agreement" means the streamlined sales and use tax agreement;
(ii) "Certified automated system" means software certified jointly by the states that are signatories to the agreement to calculate the tax imposed by each jurisdiction on a transaction, determine the amount of tax to remit to the appropriate state and maintain a record of the transaction;
(iii) "Certified service provider" means an agent certified jointly by the states that are signatories to the agreement to perform all of the seller's sales tax functions;
(iv) "Department" means the department of revenue;
(v) "Director" means the director of the department of revenue;
(vi) "Person" means an individual, trust, estate, fiduciary, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, corporation or any other legal entity;
(vii) "Sales tax," "use tax" or "sales and use tax" means the tax levied under W.S. 39-15-101 through 39-15-311;
(viii) "Seller" means any person making sales, leases, or rentals of personal property or services;
(ix) "State" means any state of the United States and includes the District of Columbia;
(x) Repealed by Laws 2026, ch. 19, § 3.
(a) The department of revenue is authorized and directed to enter into the streamlined sales and use tax agreement with one (1) or more states to simplify and modernize sales and use tax administration in order to substantially reduce the burden of tax compliance for all sellers and for all types of commerce. In furtherance of the agreement, the department is authorized to act jointly with other states that are members of the agreement to establish standards for certification of a certified service provider and certified automated system and establish performance standards for multistate sellers.
(b) The department of revenue is further authorized to take other actions reasonably required to implement the provisions set forth in this article. Other actions authorized by this section include, but are not limited to, the adoption of rules and regulations and the joint procurement, with other member states, of goods and services in furtherance of the cooperative agreement.
(c) The director of the department or the director's designee, the chairman of the senate revenue committee or his designee and the chairman of the house revenue committee or his designee are authorized to represent this state before the other states that are signatories to the agreement.
No provision of the agreement authorized by this article in whole or part shall invalidate or amend any provision of the law of this state. Adoption of the agreement by this state shall not amend or modify any law of this state. Implementation of any condition of the agreement in this state, whether adopted before, at or after membership of this state in the agreement, shall be by action of the legislature.