•
Enumerates several characteristics that are indicators of a “unitary business."
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Lists some key U.S. Supreme Court cases which provide further guidance on the extent to which a business enterprise is considered a “unitary business" under the U.S. Constitution. This is significant because the statute provides that “unitary business" shall be construed to the broadest extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.
•
Provides several presumptions to aid taxpayers in determining whether a unitary business exists.
•
Provides specific rules relating to the inclusion of passive holding companies and pass-through entities in the unitary business.
Section Tax 2.63 Controlled Group Election.
•
Explains how to make the election and how to renew it after its 10-year duration.
•
Provides rules relating to the department's authority to disregard the election in cases where it has the primary effect of tax avoidance rather than its intended purpose of simplifying the determination of who must be included in the combined report.
Section Tax 2.64 Alternative Apportionment for Combined Groups Including Specialized Industries.
•
Specifies how and when a qualifying group may file a petition for alternative apportionment and what information must be submitted to the department.
•
Provides that once the department approves the alternative method, that same method must be used for a 7-year period, subject to a limitation that the tax computation under the alternative method cannot be lower than what it would have been if each corporation apportioned its income separately.
Section Tax 2.65 Designated Agent of Combined Group.
•
Explains how to identify which corporation is responsible to act on behalf of the combined group for matters relating to the combined return.
•
Defines the scope and limitations of the agency relationship.
Section Tax 2.66 Combined Estimated Tax Payments.
•
Explains when a combined group member may make its own estimated payments, rather than having the designated agent make the payments on its behalf.
•
Provides rules for determining the combined group's required estimated tax payments.
•
Provides rules for applying estimated payments and overpayments of prior year estimated payments.
•
Enumerates the required components of a combined return and explains how to report separate entity items.
•
Explains how to determine the taxable year of a combined return.
•
Provides rules relating to interest, penalties, and statutes of limitations as they relate to combined returns.
Comparison with federal regulations
The rules are very similar to the federal regulations relating to consolidated groups. The federal regulations listed below are specifically referenced or adopted in this rule order, but modified to apply to combined groups instead of federal consolidated groups.
•
Treas. Reg. §
1.1502-13, relating to intercompany transactions. This federal regulation was actually adopted by statute (s.
71.255(4)(g), Stats.), but is interpreted in this rule order (s.
Tax 2.61(6)(b)).
•
Treas. Regs. §
1.1502-22 and
1.1502-23, relating to capital gains and losses and section 1231 gains and losses (s.
Tax 2.61(6)(c)).
The general purpose of the above federal regulations is to treat the members of a federal consolidated group as if they were divisions of a single corporation. Likewise, the purpose of adopting these rules for Wisconsin purposes is to treat the members of a combined group as if they were divisions of a single corporation.
Comparison with rules in adjacent states
Illinois:
Illinois has comprehensive regulations relating to its combined reporting statute. (including IL Regs. 100.2340, 100.2570, 100.5200, 100.5201, 100.5210, 100.5220, 100.5230, 100.5240, 100.5250, 100.5260, 100.5265, 100.5280, and 100.9700). The following aspects of the rules in this rule order were modeled after the Illinois regulations, with some modifications:
•
Adoption of federal consolidated return regulations
•
Combined estimated tax payments
•
Rules relating to the duties of the designated agent
Iowa:
Iowa does not have a statute which permits or allows combined reporting. Thus, it has no rules or regulations relating to combined reporting.
Michigan:
Michigan adopted combined reporting in 2008, when it enacted its Michigan Business Tax. At the time this rule order was authored, Michigan has not yet promulgated rules or regulations relating to its combined reporting statute. However, Michigan has published an extensive amount of guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions.
Minnesota:
Like Illinois, Minnesota has rules relating to its combined reporting statute (including Rules 8019.0100, 8019.0300, 8019.0405, and 8019.0500, Minn. Rules). The section of this rule order that provides guidance in determining a “unitary business" (s.
Tax 2.62) is modeled after Minnesota's rule 8019.0100, with some modifications.
Summary of factual data and analytical methodologies
The department developed these rules based upon research of the combined reporting laws, rules, regulations, published guidance, and tax form instructions of other states. The Illinois and Minnesota regulations referenced above were frequently used as a resource, in addition to various law journal articles and tax publications.
The combined reporting regulations recently promulgated by Massachusetts (830 CMR 63.32B.2) were heavily relied upon. The Massachusetts combined reporting law (M.G.L. c. 63 §32B), like Wisconsin's, is first effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2009, and Wisconsin's law has many similarities with the Massachusetts law.
The department also studied the regulations under section
1502 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to consolidated returns.
Analysis and supporting documents used to determine effect on small business
Combined reporting primarily affects larger corporations, rather than small businesses. Combined reporting is required for regular “C" corporations, but is not required for the types of entities that are more characteristic of small businesses, such as:
•
Sole proprietorships,
•
Partnerships,
•
Limited liability companies taxed as partnerships, and
•
S corporations
Anticipated costs incurred by private sector
This emergency rule does not have a significant fiscal effect on the private sector independently from the statute it interprets.
Small Business Impact
This emergency rule does not have a significant effect on small business.
Fiscal Estimate
The proposed rules create Tax 2.60 through 2.67 to incorporate tax law changes included in
2009 Act 2 and
2009 Act 28 related to combined reporting for commonly controlled groups of corporations.
The fiscal effect from implementation of combined reporting was included in the fiscal effect for Act 2, and the fiscal effect of certain changes to combined reporting that were a part of Act 28 were included in the fiscal effect for the Act. The administrative rules for these provisions have no fiscal effect independent of Acts 2 and 28.
In addition to the rule changes made necessary by the statutory changes under Acts 2 and 28, the rule also specifies that basis for depreciable assets for corporations that are subject to tax for the first time shall be the federal basis of the assets, except that the basis shall be computed without regard to any bonus depreciation claimed for federal purposes as required by statute. The fiscal effect of this provision is unknown.
Agency Contact Person
Dale Kleven, Dept. of Revenue
Mail Stop 6-40
2135 Rimrock Road, PO Box 8933
Madison WI 53708-8933
Telephone: (608) 266-8253
Notice of Hearing
Revenue
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That pursuant to ss.
146.98 (3),
(4), and
(5) and
227.24 Stats., the Department of Revenue will hold a public hearing to consider emergency rules and the creation of permanent rules revising Chapter
Tax 1, relating to the ambulatory surgical center assessment.
Hearing Information
The hearing will be held:
Date and Time Location
February 11, 2010 Events Room
at 1:00 p.m. State Revenue Building
2135 Rimrock Road
Madison, Wisconsin
Handicap access is available at the hearing location.
Submission of Written Comments
Interested persons are invited to appear at the hearing and may make an oral presentation. It is requested that written comments reflecting the oral presentation be given to the department at the hearing. Written comments may also be submitted to the contact person shown under Agency Contact Person listed below no later than February 18, 2010, and will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Revenue
Statutes interpreted
Statutory authority
Related statute or rule
Section
50.38, Stats., imposes a hospital assessment, and s.
50.14, Stats., imposes an assessment on licensed nursing home beds and intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICF-MR).
Plain language analysis
This proposed rule does the following:
•
Establishes the requirements for administration of the ambulatory surgical center assessment.
•
Describes how the amount of the assessment for each ambulatory surgical center is determined.
•
Details how the department will collect assessments.
