6377.
(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (e), on and after March 1, 2012, there are exempted from 783/4 percent of the taxes imposed by Sections 6051, 6051.3, 6201, and 6201.3 the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, any of the following:(A) Tangible personal property purchased for use by a qualified person to be used primarily in any stage of the manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling of tangible personal property, beginning at the point any raw materials are received by the qualified person and introduced into the process and ending at the
point at which the manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling has altered the tangible personal property to its completed form, including packaging, if required.
(B) Tangible personal property purchased for use by a qualified person to be used primarily in research and development.
(C) Tangible personal property purchased for use by a qualified person to be used primarily to maintain, repair, measure, or test any tangible personal property described in subparagraph (A) or (B).
(D) Tangible personal property purchased by a contractor for use in the performance of a construction contract for a qualified person that will use the tangible personal property as an integral part of the manufacturing, processing,
refining, fabricating, or recycling process, or as a research or storage facility for use in connection with the manufacturing process.
(2) The exemption established by this section shall not apply to the gross receipts from the sale of, or the storage, use, or other consumption of, any of the following:
(A) Tangible personal property that is used primarily in administration, general management, or marketing.
(B) Consumables with a useful life of less than one year.
(C) Furniture, inventory, equipment used in the extraction process, or equipment used to store finished products that have completed the manufacturing process.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Acquire” includes any gift, inheritance, transfer incident to divorce, or any other transfer, whether or not for consideration.
(2) “Fabricating” means to make, build, create, produce, or assemble components of tangible personal property to work in a new or different manner.
(3) “Manufacturing” means the activity of converting or conditioning tangible personal property by changing the form, composition, quality, or character of the tangible personal property for ultimate sale at retail or use in the manufacturing of a product to be ultimately sold at retail. Manufacturing includes any improvements to tangible personal property that result in a greater service life
or greater functionality than that of the original tangible personal property. Manufacturing includes the generation of electricity.
(4) “Primarily” means 50 percent or more of the time. For purposes of subdivision (a), “primarily” means tangible personal property used 50 percent or more of the time in an activity described in subdivision (a).
(5) “Process” means the period beginning at the point at which any raw materials are received by the qualified person and introduced into the manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling activity of the qualified person and ending at the point at which the manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling activity of the qualified person has altered tangible personal property to its completed form, including packaging, if required. Raw materials shall be
considered to have been introduced into the process when the raw materials are stored on the same premises where the qualified person’s manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling activity is conducted. Raw materials that are stored on premises other than where the qualified person’s manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling activity is conducted, shall not be considered to have been introduced into the manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling process.
(6) “Processing” means the physical application of the materials and labor necessary to modify or change the characteristics of tangible personal property.
(7) “Qualified person” means a person that is either of the following:
(A) A new trade or
business that is primarily engaged in those lines of business classified in Industry Groups 3111 to 3399, inclusive, Industry Group 5112, NAICS Industry 221119, or NAICS Industry 541711 of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) published by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 2007 edition. In determining whether a trade or business activity qualifies as a new trade or business, the following rules shall apply:
(i) In any case where a person purchases or otherwise acquires all or any portion of the assets of an existing trade or business (irrespective of the form of entity) that is doing business in this state (within the meaning of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 23101) of Part 11), the trade or business thereafter conducted by that person (or any related person) shall not be treated as a new business if the aggregate fair market value of the acquired assets (including, real, personal, tangible, and
intangible property) used by that person (or any related person) in the conduct of its trade or business exceeds 20 percent of the aggregate fair market value of the total assets of the trade or business being conducted by the person (or any related person). For purposes of this subparagraph only, the following rules shall apply:
(I) The determination of the relative fair market values of the acquired assets and the total assets shall be made as of the last day of the month following the quarterly period in which the person (or any related person) first uses any of the acquired trade or business assets in its business activity.
(II) Any acquired assets that constituted property described in Section 1221(a) of the Internal Revenue Code in the hands of the transferor shall not be treated as assets acquired from an existing
trade or business, unless those assets also constitute property described in Section 1221(a) of the Internal Revenue Code in the hands of the acquiring person (or related person).
(ii) In any case where a person (or any related person) is engaged in one or more trade or business activities in this state, or has been engaged in one or more trade or business activities in this state within the preceding 36 months (prior trade or business activity), and thereafter commences an additional trade or business activity in this state, the additional trade or business activity shall only be treated as a new business if the additional trade or business activity is classified under a different Industry Group (4-digit) of the NAICS published by the United States OMB, 2007 edition, than are any of the person’s (or any related person’s) current or prior trade or business activities in this state.
(iii) In any case where a person, including all related persons, is engaged in trade or business activities wholly outside of this state and that person first commences doing business in this state (within the meaning of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 23101) of Part 11) on or after March 1, 2012, (other than by purchase or other acquisition described in clause (i)), the trade or business activity shall be treated as a new business.
(iv) In any case where the legal form under which a trade or business activity is being conducted is changed, the change in form shall be disregarded and the determination of whether the trade or business activity is a new business shall be made by treating the person as having purchased or otherwise acquired all or any portion of the assets of an existing trade or business under the rules of clause (i).
(v) A qualified person shall not be regarded as a new trade or business when the qualified person has conducted business activities in a new trade or business for 36 months or more.
(B) A trade or business, other than a new trade or business described in subparagraph (A), that is primarily engaged in those lines of business classified in Industry Groups 3111 to 3399, inclusive, Industry Group 5112, NAICS Industry 221119, or NAICS Industry 541711 of the NAICS published by the United States OMB, 2007 edition.
(8) “Qualified person” shall not include a person that is a member of a combined reporting group that is required to apportion its income pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 25128 as that section read on January 1, 2011. For purposes of this paragraph, a person is a member of a combined reporting group if its tax
liability or net income for purposes of Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) is determined by a combined report pursuant to Section 25101 or 25110, or is an entity included in the combined report. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “member” has the same meaning as that term is defined in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 25106.5 of Title 18 of the California Code of Regulations as that paragraph read on January 1, 2011, and “combined reporting group” has the same meaning as that term is defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 25106.5 of Title 18 of the California Code of Regulations as that paragraph read on January 1, 2011.
(9) “Refining” means the process of converting a natural resource to an intermediate or finished product.
(10) “Related person” means any person that is related to another person under either
Section 267 or 318 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(11) “Research and development” means those activities that are described in Section 174 of the Internal Revenue Code or in any regulations thereunder.
(12) “Tangible personal property” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(A) Machinery and equipment, including component parts and contrivances such as belts, shafts, moving parts, and operating structures.
(B) All equipment or devices used or required to operate, control, regulate, or maintain the machinery, including, without limitation, computers, data processing equipment, and computer software, together with all repair and replacement parts with a useful life of one or more
years therefor, whether purchased separately or in conjunction with a complete machine and regardless of whether the machine or component parts are assembled by the qualified person or another person.
(C) Tangible personal property used in pollution control that meets or exceeds standards established by this state or any local or regional governmental agency within this state.
(D) Special purpose buildings and foundations used as an integral part of the manufacturing, processing, refining, or fabricating process, or that constitute a research or storage facility used during the manufacturing process. Buildings used solely for warehousing purposes after completion of the manufacturing process are not included.
(E) Tangible personal
property used in recycling.
(13) “Useful life” for tangible personal property that a qualified person treats as having a useful life of one or more years for state income or franchise tax purposes shall be deemed to have a useful life of one or more years for purposes of this section. Useful life for tangible personal property that a qualified person treats as having a useful life of less than one year for state income or franchise tax purposes shall be deemed to have a useful life of less than one year for purposes of this section.
(c) An exemption shall not be allowed under this section unless the purchaser furnishes the retailer with an exemption certificate, completed in accordance with any instructions or regulations as the board may prescribe, and the retailer retains the exemption certificate in its records. The exemption certificate shall
contain the sales price of the tangible personal property, the sale of, or the storage, use, or other consumption of which is exempt pursuant to subdivision (a) and shall be furnished to the board upon request.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the exemption established by this section shall not apply with respect to any tax levied by a county, city, city and county, or district pursuant to, or in accordance with, the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200)) or the Transactions and Use Tax Law (Part 1.6 (commencing with Section 7251)).
(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), on and after March 1, 2012, for a qualified person described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b), or for a contractor performing a construction contract as described in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of
subdivision (a), the exemption established by this section shall apply only with respect to 20 percent of the tax levied by Sections 6051, 6051.3, 6201, and 6201.3.
(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the exemption provided by this section shall not apply to any sale or use of tangible personal property which, within one year from the date of purchase, is either removed from California or converted from an exempt use under subdivision (a) to some other use not qualifying for the exemption.
(g) If a purchaser certifies in writing to the seller that the tangible personal property purchased without payment of the tax will be used in a manner entitling the seller to regard the gross receipts from the sale as exempt from the sales tax pursuant to this section, and within one year from the date of purchase, the purchaser (1) removes that tangible personal
property outside California, (2) converts that tangible personal property for use in a manner not qualifying for the exemption, or (3) uses that tangible personal property in a manner not qualifying for the exemption, the purchaser shall be liable for payment of sales tax, with applicable interest, as if the purchaser were a retailer making a retail sale of the tangible personal property at the time the tangible personal property is so removed, converted, or used, and the sales price of the tangible personal property to the purchaser shall be deemed the gross receipts from that retail sale.
(h) The exemption established by this section shall apply to a lease of tangible personal property classified as a “continuing sale” or “continuing purchase” in accordance with Section 6006.1 or 6010.1, and to the rentals payable pursuant to such a lease, provided the lessee is a qualified person and the tangible personal property is used in an activity
described in subdivision (a).
(i) At the time necessary information technologies and electronic data warehousing capabilities of the board are sufficiently established, the board shall determine an efficient means by which qualified persons may electronically apply for, and receive, an exemption certificate that contains information that would assist them in complying with this part with respect to the exemption established by this section.
(j) Notwithstanding subdivision (e), beginning on July 1, 2015, the percentage of the tax rate specified in subdivision (e) shall be adjusted, as follows:
(1) The following reports shall be made to the Director of Finance pursuant to a time schedule prescribed by the director:
(A) The Franchise Tax Board shall report
the estimated increase or decrease in revenues for the 2012-13 fiscal year as the result of the amendment, addition, or repeal of Sections 17062, 17073.5, 17137, 23101, 23151, 23153, 25128, 25128.5, 25128.7, 25136, and 25136.1 by the act adding this section.
(B) The State Board of Equalization shall report the estimated annualized decrease in revenues for the 2012-13 fiscal year, by the act adding this section.
(2) The Director of Finance shall, on or before January 1, 2015, based on the estimates provided pursuant to paragraph (1) and any other available information, adjust the percentage of the tax rate specified in subdivision (e) in such a manner so that the act adding this section and all provisions described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) do not result in a net gain or loss in state tax revenues for the 2015–16 fiscal year.
(3) The provisions of this subdivision are severable. If any provision of this subdivision or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.