Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to introduce a new tax on certain business-to-business services in the state of Minnesota. By imposing a gross receipts tax, the state seeks to generate additional revenue from transactions between businesses.

Main Provisions

• Gross Receipts Tax: A tax rate of 2% is applied to the gross receipts from retail sales of various business services.
• Taxable Services: Includes legal, accounting, architectural, engineering, research and development, specialized design, computer services, management consulting, and several other listed services.
• Collection and Remittance: Businesses providing these services may collect the tax from purchasers, and are required to remit the collected tax to the commissioner of revenue.
• Use Tax: Businesses acquiring services from out-of-state suppliers are also subject to the 2% use tax unless they have already paid a similar tax in another jurisdiction.
• Tax Credits: If taxes have been paid in another state on the same transaction, businesses can receive a credit against the Minnesota tax for taxes paid to the other state.
• Tax Administration: The bill outlines procedures for filing returns, ensuring compliance, and managing appeals. These processes align with existing practices under Minnesota's tax code.
• Revenue Allocation: Funds collected from this tax are designated for the Minnesota general fund.
• Penalties and Enforcement: Provisions are in place to ensure compliance, including treating unpaid taxes as a personal debt against the responsible party.

Significant Changes

• This bill introduces a new tax category specifically focused on business-to-business services, expanding the types of transactions subject to taxation in Minnesota.
• Source and payment regulations for this tax align closely with those for existing Minnesota sales taxes, providing consistency in tax administration.

Relevant Terms

• Gross receipts tax
• Business-to-business services
• Legal services tax
• Accounting services taxation
• Use tax
• Tax credit
• Minnesota general fund