House of Carpets, Inc. v. Bureau of Revenue

507 P.2d 1078, 84 N.M. 747
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 23, 1973
Docket993
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 507 P.2d 1078 (House of Carpets, Inc. v. Bureau of Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
House of Carpets, Inc. v. Bureau of Revenue, 507 P.2d 1078, 84 N.M. 747 (N.M. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinions

OPINION

LOPEZ, Judge.

Plouse of Carpets, Incorporated, appeals from a decision and order of the Commissioner of Revenue pursuant to § 72-13-39, N.M.S.A.1953 (Repl.Vol. 10, pt. 2, Supp. 1971).

The Bureau of Revenue conducted two audits on the books and records of taxpayer for the period January 1, 196-1 to September 30, 1967. On the basis of these audits, the Bureau issued two assessments of ■emergency school, gross receipts, and municipal taxes, plus penalty and interest taxes against taxpayer for failure to include in its reported gross receipts, amounts received for installation of carpet. Taxpayer had included in its gross receipts for this period only amounts received for carpet and pad. Taxpayer protested pursuant to § 72-13-38, N.M.S.A.1953 (Repl.Vol. 10, pt. 2, Supp.1969).

Following an informal conference with taxpayer, the Commissioner ordered a partial abatement of the assessed taxes, with related interest and penalty. The taxpayer and the Commissioner then entered into a “Stipulation of Facts” regarding the remaining assessments. Thereafter, the Commissioner denied all further relief requested by taxpayer in its protest.

Taxpayer contends that having to pay gross receipts tax on amounts it received for installation of carpet constitutes (a) double taxation upon same subject matter, and (b) that the imposition of the gross receipts tax under the circumstances violates N.M. Const. Art. 8, § 1.

House of Carpets is a New Mexico corporation engaged in the business of selling carpet. When a customer enters taxpayer’s store seeking information about carpet, he is quoted a standard price for the total charge for installed carpet. Billings by the taxpayer to the customer reflect the total amount charged for carpet, pad, and installation, along with an amount indicated as “sales tax” on the entire price.

Installation is physically accomplished by House of Carpets Service, (hereinafter Service, Inc.) a New Mexico corporation engaged in the business of installing, cleaning, repairing, and maintaining carpet and padding for anyone requesting such services; however, its major customer is taxpayer.

Taxpayer and Service, Inc., are separate corporate entities, with separate tax registration numbers and are not subsidiaries of each other or of any third corporation. Service, Inc., bills taxpayer for installing carpet. Taxpayer, in turn, bills the ultimate customer for the purchase of installed carpet and pad. Taxpayer paid Service, Inc., for installing carpet; and, in turn, the buyer of the carpet-pad-installation package paid taxpayer for the goods plus the service of having them installed for use. Service, Inc., does not bill or receive payment from taxpayer’s customers. Service, Inc., paid gross receipts tax on amounts received for installation of carpet.

Taxpayer raises the theories of agency and trusteeship in his appeal. These theories are not subject to review. A party will not be permitted to change his theory of the case on appeal. A claimant “ . . . may appeal to the court of appeals for further relief, but only to the same extent and upon the same theory as was asserted . . . before the commissioner or his delegate. . . .” Section 72-13-39, supra.

Taxpayer’s installation receipts are subject to gross receipts tax.

Receipts derived from sales by taxpayer of carpet installation services performed on or after January, 1964 and before July 1, 1967, were assessed in accordance with the old law — § 72-16-2, N.M.S.A.1953 (Repl. Vol. 10, pt. 2, Supp.1965) of the Emergency School Tax Act, which was a privilege tax on businesses then in force. This statute remained in effect until July 1, 1967. Section 72-16-2, subd. D, supra, defines “gross receipts” as:

“ . . . the total sum, . . . received as compensation for personal and professional services, for the exercise of which a privilege tax is imposed by the Emergency School Tax Act, . the total receipts of a taxpayer derived from trades, business, commerce, and the gross proceeds of sales as hereinafter defined, . . .”

Section 72-16-2, subd. E, supra, defines “gross proceeds of sales” as:

“. . . the sum or value proceeding or accruing from the sale of tangible personal property, . . . and including any services that are a part of such sales, . . ., whether received in money or otherwise, . . . .”

This inclusion of taxable receipts encompasses those of taxpayer here. The Emergency School Tax Act, specifically provided that services which are part of the sale of tangible personalty, such as carpet and pad, be included in the taxable proceeds of sales. Where a statute expressly authorizes inclusion of services which are part of sales within the definition of gross receipts, taxation is justified whenever property is sold which requires rendition of some service to make it suitable for sale to the customer in question, even if the service portion of the sale is the principal cost involved. 47 Am.Jur., Sales and Use Taxes, § 26 (1943).

Section 72-16-2, subd. H, supra, defines “retail” as “. . . the sale of tangible personal property for consumption and not for resale in the form of tangible personal property, and ‘retailer’ means every person engaged in the business of making sales at retail.” From the facts of the case, it can be said that taxpayer is engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property for consumption by the purchaser, and not for resale.

Legislative language in the old law —§ 72-16-2, subd. H, supra, of the Emergency School Tax Act, evidencing the intent to impose a sales tax on the proceeds of retail sales along with those from related services, clearly required taxation of taxpayer’s installation receipts. See Dikewood Corporation v. Bureau of Revenue, 74 N.M. 75, 390 P.2d 661 (1964).

In the present case, taxpayer provided a service, installation, to render the product sold suitable for the customer’s use. See Spagat v. Mahin, 50 Ill.2d 183, 277 N.E.2d 834 (1971); Gross Income Tax Division v. L. S. Ayres & Co., 233 Ind. 194, 118 N.E.2d 480 (1954).

The Gross Receipts and Compensating Tax Act became effective July 1, 1967. Taxpayer’s receipts derived from transactions occurring on or after that date were assessed in accordance with its provisions.

Similar to the old Emergency School Tax Act, the new law, § 72-16A-2, N.M. S.A.1953, (Repl.Vol. 10, pt. 2, Supp.1967), was passed “. . . to provide revenue for public purposes by levying a tax on the privilege of engaging in certain activities within New Mexico. . . .” Section 72-16A-3, subd. B, supra, states that: “ ‘buying’ or ‘selling’ means any transfer of property for consideration or any performance of service for consideration; ” thus again embracing both portions of what taxpayer sells to customers. Subparagraph F of this section defines “gross receipts” somewhat differently than the former provision, “. . . the total amount of money or the value of other consideration, received from selling property in New Mexico, . . .

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House of Carpets, Inc. v. Bureau of Revenue
507 P.2d 1078 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1973)

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507 P.2d 1078, 84 N.M. 747, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/house-of-carpets-inc-v-bureau-of-revenue-nmctapp-1973.