§11-15A-1 Definitions
§11-15A-1. Definitions.
(a) General. -- When used in this article and article fifteen of this chapter, terms defined in subsection (b) of this section shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in those instances where a different meaning is provided in this article or the context in which the word is used clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended by the Legislature:
(b) "Business" means any activity engaged in by any person, or caused to be engaged in by any person, with the object of direct or indirect economic gain, benefit or advantage, and includes any purposeful revenue generating activity in this state;
(2) "Consumer" means any person purchasing tangible personal property, custom software or a taxable service from a retailer as defined in paragraph (7) of this subsection (b) or from a seller as defined in section two, article fifteen-b of this chapter;
(3) "Lease" includes rental, hire and license;
(4) "Person" includes any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, joint stock company, association, public or private corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, cooperative, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, executor, administrator, any other fiduciary, any representative appointed by order of any court or otherwise acting on behalf of others, or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular number;
(5) "Purchase" means any transfer, exchange or barter, conditional or otherwise, in any manner or by any means whatsoever, for a consideration;
(6) "Purchase price" means the measure subject to the tax imposed by this article and has the same meaning as sales price;
(7) "Retailer" means and includes every person engaging in the business of selling, leasing or renting tangible personal property or custom software or furnishing a taxable service for use within the meaning of this article, or in the business of selling, at auction, tangible personal property or custom software owned by the person or others for use in this state: Provided, That when in the opinion of the tax commissioner it is necessary for the efficient administration of this article to regard any salespersons, representatives, truckers, peddlers or canvassers as the agents of the dealers, distributors, supervisors, employees or persons under whom they operate or from whom they obtain the tangible personal property sold by them, irrespective of whether they are making sales on their own behalf or on behalf of the dealers, distributors, supervisors, employers or persons, the tax commissioner may so regard them and may regard the dealers, distributors, supervisors, employers, or persons as retailers for purposes of this article;
(8) "Retailer engaging in business in this state" or any like term, unless otherwise limited by federal statute, shall mean and include, but not be limited to, any retailer having or maintaining, occupying or using, within this state, directly or by a subsidiary, an office, distribution house, sales house, warehouse, or other place of business, or any agent (by whatever name called) operating within this state under the authority of the retailer or its subsidiary, irrespective of whether the place of business or agent is located here permanently or temporarily, or whether retailer or subsidiary is admitted to do business within this state pursuant to article fifteen, chapter thirty-one-d of this code or article fourteen, chapter thirty-one-e of this code;
(9) "Sale" means any transaction resulting in the purchase or lease of tangible personal property, custom software or a taxable service from a retailer;
(10) "Seller" means a retailer, and includes every person selling or leasing tangible personal property or custom software or furnishing a taxable service in a transaction that is subject to the tax imposed by this article;
(11) "Streamlined sales and use tax agreement" or "agreement," when used in this article, shall have the same meaning as when used in article fifteen-b of this chapter, except when the context in which the word agreement is used clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended by the Legislature;
(12) "Tangible personal property" means personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched, or that is in any manner perceptible to the senses. "Tangible personal property" includes, but is not limited to, electricity, water, gas, and prewritten computer software;
(13) "Tax commissioner" or "commissioner" means the state tax commissioner, or his or her delegate. The term "delegate" in the phrase "or his or her delegate," when used in reference to the tax commissioner, means any officer or employee of the state tax division duly authorized by the tax commissioner directly, or indirectly by one or more redelegations of authority, to perform the functions mentioned or described in this article or rules promulgated for this article;
(14) "Taxpayer" includes any person within the meaning of this section, who is subject to a tax imposed by this article, whether acting for himself or herself or as a fiduciary; and
(15) "Use" means and includes:
(A) The exercise by any person of any right or power over tangible personal property or custom software incident to the ownership, possession or enjoyment of the property, or by any transaction in which possession of or the exercise of any right or power over tangible personal property, custom software or the result of a taxable service is acquired for a consideration, including any lease, rental or conditional sale of tangible personal property or custom software; or
(B) The use or enjoyment in this state of the result of a taxable service. As used in this subdivision (15), "enjoyment" includes a purchaser's right to direct the disposition of the property or the use of the taxable service, whether or not the purchaser has possession of the property.
The term "use" does not include the keeping, retaining or exercising any right or power over tangible personal property, custom software or the result of a taxable service for the purpose of subsequently transporting it outside the state for use thereafter solely outside this state.
(b) Additional definitions. -- Other terms used in this article are defined in articles fifteen and fifteen-b of this chapter, which definitions are incorporated by reference into article fifteen-a. Additionally, other sections of this article may define terms primarily used in the section in which the term is defined.