ComTech Systems, Inc. v. Limbach

570 N.E.2d 1089, 59 Ohio St. 3d 96, 1991 Ohio LEXIS 957
Ohio Supreme Court·Decided April 24, 1991·No. No. 90-661·Published·Cited by 28 cases

Opinion

Per Curiam.

We hold that (1) Com-Tech’s transactions were taxable under R.C. 5739.01 and 5739.02, (2) Am. Sub. H.B. No. 291 is constitutional, (3) ComTech satisfactorily raised the constitutional questions, and (4) Sub. S.B. No. 112 does not apply retroactively. Consequently, we affirm the BTA’s decision.

[97]*97I. Introduction

Effective July 1,1983, the General Assembly enacted Am. Sub. H.B. No. 291, 140 Ohio Laws, Part II, 2872, which, inter alia, levied a sales tax on automatic data processing and computer services. R.C. 5739.01(B)(3)(e), as enacted by this bill, stated:

“(B) ‘Sale’ and ‘selling’ include***:
"* * *
“(3) All transactions by which:
<<* * *
“(e) Automatic data processing and computer services are or are to be provided for use in business. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, such transactions that occur between members of an affiliated group are not sales when the true object of the transaction is the receipt by the consumer of automatic data processing or computer services rather than the receipt of personal or professional services to which automatic data processing or computer services are incidental or supplemental. For this purpose, personal and professional services includes feasibility studies, consulting and design services, technical instruction and aid, accounting or legal services, or any other situation where the service provider receives data or information and studies, alters, analyzes, interprets or adjusts such materials. * * *” 140 Ohio Laws, Part II, at 3215.

R.C. 5739.01(Y), as enacted by the same bill, defined “[ajutomatic data processing and computer services” as:

“* * * [T]he processing of others’ data; providing direct access to computer equipment by remote or proximate access for the purpose of processing data or examining or acquiring data stored in or accessible to such computer equipment; designing, selling, leasing, modifying, or debugging of specialized or customized computer programs or other software; and consultation, systems analysis, and training services provided in conjunction with the design, installation, revision, conversion, sale, lease, or operation of taxable computer equipment or systems.” Id. at 3220.

Effective July 6,1984, the General Assembly enacted Sub. H.B. No. 794, 140 Ohio Laws, Part II, 4746, amending R.C. 5739.01(B)(3)(e) but leaving R. C. 5739.01(Y) intact. Id. at 4778, 4785. The General Assembly moved the condition concerning the true object of the transaction so that R.C. 5739.01(B)(3)(e) included the following within the definition of “sales”:

“(3) All transactions by which:
ii* * *
“(e) Automatic data processing and computer services are or are to be provided for use in business when the true object of the transaction is the receipt by the consumer of automatic data processing or computer services rather than the receipt of personal or professional services to which automatic data processing or computer services are incidental or supplemental. * * *
“Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, such transactions that occur between members of an affiliated group are not sales. * * *”

Then, effective January 10, 1985, the- General Assembly enacted Sub. S. B. No. 112, 140 Ohio Laws, Part I, 225, and again amended R.C. 5739.01. In the title of the Act, the General Assembly stated one purpose of the Act to be:

“* * * [T]o clarify the exceptions from the sales tax on automatic data processing and computer services * * * >>

This Act modified R.C. 5739.01(B) (3)(e) by deleting the examples of personal and professional services, 140 Ohio Laws, Part I, 227. It also, in R.C. 5739.01(Y), redefined “[ajutomatic [98]*98data processing and computer services” and inserted a new definition of “personal and professional services”:

“(1) ‘Automatic data processing and computer services’ means: processing of others’ data, including keypunching or similar data entry services together with verification thereof; providing access to computer equipment for the purpose of processing data or examining or acquiring data stored in or accessible to such computer equipment; and services consisting of specifying computer hardware configurations and evaluating technical processing characteristics, computer programming, and training of computer programmers and operators, provided in conjunction with and to support the sale, lease, or operation of taxable computer equipment or systems. ‘Automatic data processing and computer services’ shall not include personal or professional services.
“(2) As used in divisions (B)(3)(e) and (Y)(l) of this section, ‘personal and professional services’ means all services other than automatic data processing and computer services, including but not limited to:
“(a) Accounting and legal services such as advice on tax matters, asset management, budgetary matters, quality control, information security, and auditing and any other situation where the service provider receives data or information and studies, alters, analyzes, interprets, or adjusts such material;
“(b) Analyzing business policies and procedures;
“(c) Identifying management information needs;
“(d) Feasibility studies including economic and technical analysis of existing or potential computer hardware or software needs and alternatives;
“(e) Designing policies, procedures, and custom software for collecting business information, and determining how data should be summarized, sequenced, formatted, processed, controlled and reported so that it will be meaningful to management;
“(f) Developing policies, and procedures that document how business events and transactions are to be authorized, executed, and controlled;
“(g) Testing of business procedures; and -
“(h) Training personnel in business procedure applications.
“The services listed in divisions (Y)(2)(a) to (h) of this section, are not automatic data processing or computer service.” Id. at 233-234.

II. Personal Service Exception

A. Under R.C. 5739.01(B)(5), ComTech argues, in Proposition of Law No. 7, that, contrary to the BTA’s finding, its services were personal or professional services under Emery Industries, Inc., supra, and exempt. The commissioner responds that the R.C. 5739.01(B)(5) personal services exemption, upon which Emery relied, and case law interpreting it do not apply to automatic data processing and computer services because this transaction has its own definition for these services. We agree with the commissioner.

Throughout the relevant periods, R.C. 5739.01(B)(5) provided:

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ComTech Systems, Inc. v. Limbach, 570 N.E.2d 1089, 59 Ohio St. 3d 96, 1991 Ohio LEXIS 957 (Ohio 1991).

570 N.E.2d 1089 (ComTech Systems, Inc. v. Limbach) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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