Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

_- R-124 AWLWIN ~s.Texae PRICE DANIEL .4TTORNEYGmiER‘4l February 21, 1947 Honorable George H. Sheppard Comptroller of Public Accounts Austin, Texas Opinion No. V-36 Re: Liability for the one (1) per cent Motor Vehicle Re- tail Sales Tax levied by Art. 7047k, ,V.A.C.S,, where motor vehicles owned by a partnership are trans- ferred to the oorpora- tion. Dear Sir: IOU have requested the opinion OS this Depert- ment on the above-captioned question based upon the Sol- lowing factual situations: (I) W. B. Kline and hia wife as partners have formed a corporation known as Pridgen-Kline Company, Ine, with a capital stock of $100,000, of’which W, B. Kline owns 499 shares, his wife Louella P. Kline, owns 499 8hare8, and W. R. Carruth and L. 0, Jenkins each own one share, the latter two stockholders not being members OS the former partnership0 Motor vehicles formerly owned by the partnership of a book cost OS #25,990,40 and of a depreciated value OS )7,699!22 have been transferred by the partnership members to the corporation for a consid- eration paid or exchanged by the corporation of $7,669,22, (2) In the second situation E. G. Morrison and F. D, Breedlove, a partnership, have Sormed'a corporation known as Morrison Br08~ Construction Company with a capi- tal stock of $50,000.00 OS which B. C. Morrison owns 74 shares, F, D. Breedlove owns 24 shares, and Yr, Morrisonps wife and Mr. Kline's wiSe each own one share, the respec- tive wives not being member8 of the former partnership0 The partnershin owned redo118 motor vehicles of the book value of #53,607,04 with an original, cost value OS $80,075U920 The corporation purchased from the partner- ship all fixed assets, except real estate for a cash down . -1 Honorable George B. Sheppard, Page 2 (V-36) payment and a chattel mortgage note for the balance of the book value of the ffxed assets. No stock ws8 fssu- ed for the value of any vehicles- The pertinent parts of Artids 7047k, V.A.C.S., being Acts 1941, 47th Legislature, Page 269, Chapter 184, Article VI s are as Sollows: “Section l-(a) There is hereby levied a tax upon evtiry retail sale of every motor vehicle sold in this State, such tax to be equal to one (1) per cent of the total consid- eration paid, or to be paid to the seller by the buyer, which consideration shall include the amount paid or to be paid for said motor vehicle and all accessories attached thereto at the time of the sale, whether such consid- eration be in the nature of cash, aredit, @r ej;Trsz?T-other property, or a combination rf-theseT-- In the event the consideration re- GgTy the seller includes any tax imposed by the Federal Government, then such Federal tax shall be deducted fyu-ur:,such consideratfon for the purpose of compui;ing the amount of tax levied by this Article upon such retail salt “Section 2 u There is hereby levied a use tax upon every motor vehicle purchased at re- tail sale outsid~e of this State and brought in- to thl.s %tste for use u.pum thi: public bfnhways thereof by a resident :,I’ t,nis State or by firms or corporati.ons domiciled !>r doins business in this State* Su@h tax shall be equal to one (1) per cent of the total consideration paid or to (.,.~.. p,e__paid ._, _ ,.~( Pm .- ...__.“ ,I,~,m~~‘xj’&~j~v~j ~.%&~t .,._-.9 H’ .-.jTret pj1 1 sale, The tnx ShR*i bc~ i;i;& etLigati3n of e3,T-d by the person: firm, or cornorstion operating said mot,or vrbicle upon the public hiphways of this State.. ‘Y,ection 3,(a) The term psalcs or ssalesi as herein used shall Elude instalment and credit sales s and the exchange of property, as weli as the sale thereof for mone Ztransaction-EiXZZ5.u~ ----M&i a 57 e iCtTTiii%EZFy’~“~~CG pas sessi?Tii of property is transferred but the seller retains title as security for t~he payment of the price shall be deemed a sale.,” (Emphasis ours) E .-. _.. Honorable George H. Sheppard, Page 3 (V-36) Under each of the foregoing statements of fact,, whiah are based upon information obtnined from each of the corporations, there has been a salb as defined in Section 3(a) above, since the .motor vehicles In each case were sold to the corporation? by the part- nerships either~for money or by .an erchann .EEi~ under th.e worditnx of the statut~e anmhxne oer cent tax levied gy Section l(a) of Article 7047k should be paid by ench of the pnrtnershlps upon the value cl the motor vehicles sold to the respective corp0ratSnn.s. The amount of taxes to be allocated to each vehfcle should be ascertained from the books and reaords ,of ea’oh of the corporations. Under the eiven facts, where corporation acquired motor vehicles from partnership for A consideration as defined in Article 7047k, V.A.C.S., the tax as prescribed ln said article must be psid~ by the seller, Yours very truly ATTORNEYGENERALOF TEXAS BY @Y@d c, K,. ‘Rf@herds Assistant CKR/l h: j rb