Benda v. Girard

592 N.W.2d 452, 1999 Minn. LEXIS 284, 1999 WL 298478
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedMay 13, 1999
DocketC2-98-763
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 592 N.W.2d 452 (Benda v. Girard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benda v. Girard, 592 N.W.2d 452, 1999 Minn. LEXIS 284, 1999 WL 298478 (Mich. 1999).

Opinions

OPINION

GILBERT, J.

This case involves the precise legal issue of whether a non-resident who performs managerial and administrative services for his employer in Minnesota for several days out of a calendar year is subject to Minnesota income tax for that portion of his salary attributable to the work performed in Minnesota. The trial court and court of appeals held that under Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1) (1998), respondent Victor C. Benda was not subject to Minnesota income tax for that part of his salary earned while performing managerial and executive services for his employer in Minnesota. We affirm.

The facts of this case are not in dispute. In calendar years 1991 through 1993, Benda, a resident of Texas, was President and Chief Operating Officer of Analysts International Corporation (AIC), a Minnesota corporation. Benda performed most of his work for AIC in Texas. However, Benda also performed services for his employer in Minnesota on several days of each calendar year in question. Benda filed Minnesota nonresident individual income tax returns for the calendar years 1991 through 1993, in which he did not assign as Minnesota income the compensation he received for performing services for AIC while in Minnesota.

AIC is engaged in the business of providing experienced technical personnel to perform software services for its customers. In calendar years 1991 through 1993, AIC had 26 branch offices throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, including two offices in Minnesota. Benda’s duties as President and Chief Operating Officer included review and approval of long-term strategy and policy, management compensa[454]*454tion plans, regional operational performance, employee benefits, and quality control programs. Benda was also responsible for planning corporate growth and employee recognition programs, and was a member of AIC’s acquisition team and board of directors.

Benda worked for AIC in Minnesota on 17 days in 1991, 36 days in 1992, and 27 days in 1993. While in Minnesota, Benda performed the following managerial activities on behalf of AIC: quality review, strategic planning, monitoring regional operational performance, attending board of directors’ meetings, and attending corporate social functions and award ceremonies. While in Minnesota, Benda did not engage in delivering services marketed by AIC, and never performed services directly for customers or clients of AIC.

On June 12,1995, the Department of Revenue (Department) notified Benda that the Department was assessing him an additional $10,567.49 for the years 1991 through 1993. Of this amount, $9,394.78 was income tax liability and $1,172.71 was interest. The assessment was based on the fact that Benda had “received income for personal and professional services performed in Minnesota.” The Department relied on Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1). The Department calculated the percent of Benda’s salary assignable to Minnesota by dividing the number of days Benda worked in Minnesota by the total number of days he worked during the year.

On June 26, 1995, Benda filed an administrative appeal for each of the three years. On November 28, 1995, the Commissioner issued a Notice of Determination on Appeal, stating the proper amount owed by Benda as $10,871.97.1

Benda paid this amount under protest on January 24, 1996. On May 20, 1996, Benda filed a complaint in Ramsey County District Court seeking a refund of tax and interest paid. In his complaint, Benda asserted that he was not engaged in “personal or professional services” within the scope of Minn. Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1), interpreting that phrase to require performance of services that produced income for AIC.

The parties stipulated as to relevant facts, and filed cross-motions for summary judgment. While the state asserted that Benda had performed personal or professional services within Minnesota, Benda asserted that his employment activities performed in Minnesota were not personal or professional services under the meaning of Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1). The trial court entered summary judgment in favor of Benda, relying in part on Minn. R. 8002.0200, subp. 1C (1997), the regulation enacted by the Department to assist in interpreting Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1).

Relying on the limitations contained in the rule, the trial court stated that the state’s interpretation of Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1) was “overly broad” and would “in effect subject to taxation any salaried person who is in Minnesota on business.” The trial court determined that Benda did not fall within the scope anticipated by the rule. The trial court reasoned that “the people engaged in the occupations enumerated in the Rule generate income for themselves or their employer directly from the performance of specific services and not merely from their status as a salaried employee.” The trial court concluded that under the plain meaning of the Rule, “nonresident salaried employees who are not involved directly in performing income producing services are not subject to Minnesota income taxes,” and thus entered summary judgment in favor of Benda.2

The court of appeals affirmed, relying on Rule 8002.0200, subp. 1C, as well as on this court’s previous cases interpreting similarly worded provisions of Minn.Stat. § 290.17. Benda v. Girard, 585 N.W.2d 422, 424-25 (Minn.App.1998). These earlier cases indicate that in order for a nonresident taxpayer to be subject to Minnesota income tax for income from a business consisting principally of the performance of personal or professional services, the taxpayer himself must have engaged in the performance of those services. See id. at 424 (citing Schonwetter v. [455]*455Commissioner of Revenue, 316 N.W.2d 273, 275-76 (Minn.1982)). The court of appeals interpreted these cases as stating that the definition of personal or professional services is limited to “businesses that provide services typically performed for the benefit of an individual, identifiable client.” Id. Accordingly, the court of appeals concluded that because Benda did not provide any services directly to any of AIC’s clients while in Minnesota, he had not engaged in personal or professional services. Id. at 425. The court of appeals held that “[m]anagerial services performed for the employee’s own corporate employer and not performed for the benefit of an identifiable client are not included” as “professional or personal services” as that phrase is used in Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1). Id. Therefore, the court affirmed the trial court’s entry of summary judgment. Id.

The state petitioned this court for review on the issue of whether “managerial services performed in Minnesota by a nonresident salaried corporate officer for his employer [are] included in the statutory concept of ‘personal or professional services’ ” as used in Minn.Stat. § 290.17, subd. 2(a)(1).

While in Minnesota, Benda engaged in executive functions for AIC such as quality review, strategic planning, monitoring regional operations performance, attending board of directors’ meetings, and attending corporate social functions and award ceremonies. Benda asserts that these functions differ from personal or professional services and are excluded from taxation by Minn.Stat. § 290.17 and Minn. R. 8200.0200, subp.

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Benda v. Girard
592 N.W.2d 452 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
592 N.W.2d 452, 1999 Minn. LEXIS 284, 1999 WL 298478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benda-v-girard-minn-1999.