Dept. of Rev. v. Rent-A-Center, Inc.

22 Or. Tax 28
Oregon Tax Court·Decided January 26, 2015·No. TC 5224·Published

Opinion

28 January 26, 2015 No. 4

IN THE OREGON TAX COURT

REGULAR DIVISION

DEPARMENT OF REVENUE,

Plaintiff,

v.

RENT-A-CENTER, INC.

& Subsidiaries,

Defendants. (TC 5224)

Plaintiff Department of Revenue (the department) appealed from a Magistrate Division decision as to corporation income tax. The parties initially proceeded on cross-motions for partial summary judgment seeking a ruling as to whether the provisions of ORS 317.705(3)(a) were to be read conjunctively or disjunctively, i.e., whether all three of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) in the statute were to be satisfied or whether one or more, but not necessarily all subparagraphs , could be satisfied. Granting the motion of Defendants (taxpayer) for partial summary judgment, the court ruled that its analysis of the legislative history led to a determination that the legislature intended the word “and” to be read conjunctively within the statute at issue.

Oral argument on cross-motions for partial summary judgment was held December 2, 2014, in the courtroom of the Oregon Tax Court, Salem.

Melisse S. Cunningham, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Salem, filed the motion and argued the cause for Plaintiff Department of Revenue (the department).

Hollis L. Hyans, Morrison and Foerster LLP, New York, filed the cross-motion and argued the cause for Defendants (taxpayer).

Decision for Defendants rendered January 26, 2015.

HENRY C. BREITHAUPT, Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This income tax matter relating to tax year 2003 is before the court on cross-motions for summary judgment. Both Plaintiff Department of Revenue (the department) and Defendants (taxpayer) seek a ruling as to how the provisions of ORS 317.705(3)(a) are to be read. Such a ruling will be of

Cite as 22 OTR 28 (2015) 29

importance to both parties as they proceed with discovery and preparation of this case.

II. FACTS

Neither party has suggested that there are any factual disputes preventing the court from ruling on the proper reading of the statute.

III. ISSUE

The parties are separated by whether all three of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) in the statute must be satisfied—as taxpayer argues—or whether “an exchange of value” may be “demonstrated” by a showing that one or more, but not necessarily all, of the subparagraphs are satisfied—as the department argues.

IV. ANALYSIS

A. The Statute This issue of statutory construction starts, of course, with the language of the statute—ORS 317.705.1 The relevant language provides:

“(2) ‘Unitary group’ means a corporation or group of corporations engaged in business activities that constitute a single trade or business.

“(3)(a) ‘Single trade or business’ means a business enterprise in which there exists directly or indirectly between the members or parts of the enterprise a sharing or exchange of value as demonstrated by:

“(A) Centralized management or a common executive force;

“(B) Centralized administrative services or functions resulting in economies of scale; and “(C) Flow of goods, capital resources or services demonstrating functional integration.

“(b) ‘Single trade or business’ may include, but is not limited to, a business enterprise the activities of which:

1 Unless otherwise noted, the court’s references to the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) are to 2001.

30 Dept. of Rev. v. Rent-A-Center, Inc.

“(A) Are in the same general line of business (such as manufacturing, wholesaling or retailing); or “(B) Constitute steps in a vertically integrated process (such as the steps involved in the production of natural resources, which might include exploration, mining, refining and marketing).”

This statutory language was added to ORS chapter 317 in a special session held in 1984. Or Laws 1984, ch 1, § 4 (Spec Sess) (the 1984 statute).

In 2007 the legislature amended the language of the 1984 statute to change the word “and” in the statute to the word “or.” Or Laws 2007, ch 323, § 1 (the 2007 statute). A Staff Measure Summary for that change states that the bill making the change “[c]larifies language pertaining to the definition of a ‘unitary business.’ ” Staff Measure Summary, SB 178-A, May 11, 2007. The provisions of the 2007 statute were expressly prospective only in application. Or Laws 2007, ch 323, § 3 (effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2007). B. Interpretive Rules Until 2006, interpretive rules promulgated by the department stated that “[e]ach of the three criteria listed in ORS 317.705(3)(a)(A)-(C) must be present to meet the definition of ‘single trade or business.’ ” OAR 150-317.705(3)(a) (2003 ed) (the 2003 Rule). That language did not appear in the rule until late 1986.2 However, ORS 317.705(3)(a) was enacted in 1984, effective January 1, 1986. Or Laws 1984, ch 1, §§ 4, 20 (Spec Sess). Former ORS 314.363(3), which provided that an “affiliated corporation” constituted part of a unitary group when “it is engaged in business activities which are integrated with, dependent upon, or which contribute to the business activities of the group as a whole,”

2 The department first promulgated rules under section 317.705 in 1985, with a December 31, 1985, effective date. See OAR 150-317.705 (1986 edition). The initial rule did not include the language at issue, but provided for a consideration of “all direct and indirect relationships” to determine whether a “single trade or business exists[.]” Id. The “[e]ach of the three criteria” language was added to the rule, and the rule was renumbered to OAR 150-317.705(3)(a), effective December 31, 1986. RD 10-1986 (Dec 31, 1986). The reference to the statute itself was added in late 1987. RD 15-1987 (Dec 10, 1987).

Cite as 22 OTR 28 (2015) 31

was repealed in 1984, also effective January 1, 1986. Or Laws 1984, ch 1, §§ 18, 20 (Spec Sess). The department’s rule under ORS 314.363, which also contained those three factors, remained in the Oregon Administrative Rules until at least 2003.3 That the rule remained listed, however, cannot save the department from the express statutory requirements of ORS 317.705(3)(a)(A) to (C) or the legislature’s repeal of former ORS 314.363.

In late 2006 the department amended its interpretive rule (the 2006 Rule) to state that “the presence of one or two such factors may also demonstrate the flow of value requisite for a single trade or business.” See OAR 150-317.705(3)(a) (2007); REV 11-2006 (Dec 27, 2006) (effective Jan 1, 2007). The rule, read together with OAR 150-305.100-(B) (2010), would apply to all periods open to examination. See U.S. Bancorp v. Dept. of Rev., 337 Or 625, 638-39, 103 P3d 85 (2004) (allowing retroactive application of rules). The 2003 year at issue in this case was open to examination at the time the department took the action about which taxpayer complains in this case.

C. Only the 1984 Statute is Relevant

Notwithstanding the attempts by each party to gain some benefit from the provisions and legislative history of the 2007 statute, the only law relevant to this case is the 1984 statute. The substantive changes made by the 2007 statute were expressly applicable only for years beginning on or after January 1, 2007. Or Laws 2007, ch 323, § 3.

Any legislative history of the 2007 statute may well serve to indicate what the intent of that legislature was. It cannot be considered in determining what the intent of the 1984 legislature was. Comcast Corp. v. Dept. of Rev., 356 Or 282, 327, 337 P3d 768 (2014).

3 OAR 150-314.363-(B) provided that “[a]n affiliated corporation will be considered a member of a unitary group when the corporation’s business activities are integrated with, dependent upon, or contribute to the business activities of the group as a whole.” The rule was not repealed until sometime between 2003 and 2005: OAR 150-314.363-(B) was still present in the 2003 version of the OARs, while it was absent from the 2005 version.

32 Dept. of Rev. v. Rent-A-Center, Inc.

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