McGraw-Hill, Inc. v. State

9 N.J. Tax 372
New Jersey Tax Court·Decided October 28, 1987·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

LASSER, P.J.T.C.

McGraw Hill, Inc. (taxpayer) contests the imposition of a deficiency use tax assessment, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:32B-6, by the Director, Division of Taxation, on the cost of books donated by taxpayer to charitable organizations. The case is before the court on cross-motions for summary judgment. The facts have been stipulated.

Taxpayer, a book publisher engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling books, has a program for the donation of books to charitable organizations which qualify for exemption under Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) § 501(c)(3), provided taxpayer is satisfied that the organization’s use of the books will be for charitable purposes that comply with I.R.C. § 170(e)(3). Under I.R.C. § 170(e)(3), taxpayer is able to claim a special charitable deduction for inventory donated through its charitable donation program.1

[376] None of the subject books are printed in New Jersey. They are printed by unrelated, out-of-state printing companies and are shipped by these printers to taxpayer’s warehouse in Hightstown, New Jersey. Taxpayer does not pay sales or use tax to any state on books shipped to any of its warehouses, including sales or use taxes on component materials incorporated in such books. The cost of component materials (paper, printing and binding) are referred to as manufacturing costs and are treated as purchases for resale.

The books given to charitable organizations are current titles which the donee could not reasonably be expected to purchase.

When books are to be given to charitable organizations, the Hightstown warehouse staff is instructed by the New York office to remove the books from warehouse inventory and make them ready for pick-up by a common carrier. The books are shipped under commercial shipping terms which provide that title passes upon receipt. Shipments may be cancelled at any. time before delivery and are insured by taxpayer until they are accepted by the charitable organization. When books are not accepted by donees, the insurance continues until the books are returned to taxpayer’s warehouse.

Taxpayer claims that the subject books, which were stored in its Hightstown warehouse and were donated to charitable organizations, are not subject to New Jersey use tax. It contends that purchases of the component materials are exempt as purchases for resale under N.J.S.A. 54:32B-2(e). Taxpayer argues that the donation of books to a charitable organization constitutes a resale of the books because the donation is a transfer of tangible personal property for consideration. The consideration claimed is taxpayer’s promise to give the books in exchange for the donee’s promise to use them for charitable purposes and to furnish taxpayer with documentary evidence supporting the special charitable nature of the gift. Taxpayer further claims that consideration for the resale is also supplied by the federal government, which grants taxpayer a tax deduction for the gift. Taxpayer relies on Fairlawn Shopper v. [377] Director, Div. of Tax., 98 N.J. 64, 484 A.2d 659 (1984) and Telepages, Inc. v. Taxation Div. Director, 9 N.J.Tax 30 (Tax Ct.1987) for the proposition that consideration for a resale transaction can be paid by a third party. Taxpayer also contends that the resale transactions (the donations of books) are exempt sales because either (1) the “sales” are sales made to New Jersey charities and are exempt as sales to charitable organizations under N.J.S.A. 54:32B-9, or (2) the “sales” are sales made to out-of-state charities and are exempt because the transfer of title does not take place in New Jersey.

Taxpayer argues, in the alternative, that if the transfers are gifts, not sales, it is not obligated to pay a use tax on books given to out-of-state charities because the transfers to charitable organizations by common carrier, with title passing outside of New Jersey, do not give rise to any taxable sales or use in New Jersey.

The Director contends that the donations are gifts, not sales, and that taxpayer’s exercise of control over the donated books subjects taxpayer to New Jersey use tax. The Director relies on Cosmair, Inc. v. Taxation Div. Director, 8 N.J.Tax 9 (Tax Ct.1985), aff’d 9 N.J.Tax 89 (App.Div.1986), certif. granted 107 N.J. 626, 527 A.2d 451 (1987) to support his contention that the donated books are subject to use tax measured by the wholesale price of the books charged others by taxpayer, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:32B-6(B).

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Taxpayer contends that donation of books to a charitable organization is a sale, not a gift, and therefore taxpayer is not subject to tax on the purchase of the component materials because the N.J.S.A. 54:32B-2(e) “sale for resale” exemption applies. Section 2(e) defines retail sale as:

(1) A sale of tangible personal property to any person for any purpose, other than (A) for resale either as such or as converted into or as a component part of a product produced for sale by the purchaser____

[378] Taxpayer characterizes its transfer of books to charitable organizations as gifts for federal income tax purposes, and reports the gifts as deductions under I.R.C. § 170.

Taxpayer’s counsel stated at oral argument that taxpayer’s motive for donating books to charitable organizations is to obtain the federal income tax deduction. Consistent with this motive, taxpayer complies with the requirements of I.R.C. § 170 and receives the deduction.2

To support its contention that the transactions are sales for New Jersey sales and use tax purposes, taxpayer relies on N.J.S.A. 54:32B-2(f), which defines a sale as:

[a]ny transfer of title or possession or both, exchange or barter, rental, lease or license to use or consume, conditional or otherwise, in any manner or by any means whatsoever for a consideration, or any agreement therefor, including the rendering of any service, taxable under this act, for a consideration or any agreement therefor.

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McGraw-Hill, Inc. v. State, 9 N.J. Tax 372 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1987).

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