Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. v. Director of Revenue

179 S.W.3d 266, 2005 Mo. LEXIS 455, 2005 WL 3111974
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedNovember 22, 2005
DocketSC 86519
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 179 S.W.3d 266 (Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. v. Director of Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 179 S.W.3d 266, 2005 Mo. LEXIS 455, 2005 WL 3111974 (Mo. 2005).

Opinions

WILLIAM RAY PRICE, JR., Judge.

Petition for Review

I.

The Director of Revenue (Director) seeks review of the decision of the Administrative Hearing Commission (AHC) granting a refund of sales tax paid on fees collected by Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. (Six Flags) on the rental of inner tubes. The inner tube rentals are not subject to Missouri sales tax, pursuant to Section 144.020.1(8),1 because sales or use tax was paid on the purchase of the inner tubes before they were rented to patrons. The AHC’s decision is affirmed.

II.

Six Flags is a Delaware corporation that operates a theme park (“the park”) in Eureka, Missouri. The park is a place of amusement containing rides, such as roller coasters and ferris wheels, and a water park area (“the water park”). Various rides in the water park require the use of an inner tube. Six Flags provides inner tubes for no charge at each ride for which an inner tube is required.

The water park also contains a wave pool. Patrons can, and often do, use the wave pool without an inner tube. Patrons may rent an inner tube for use in the wave pool. The free inner tubes and the rental inner tubes are the same, except in color.

Free inner tubes cannot be taken to the wave pool, but the rented inner tubes can be used on the rides that require an inner tube. Patrons using rented inner tubes on these other rides can avoid waiting in line to obtain a free inner tube.

Six Flags paid sales or use tax on all of its purchases of inner tubes used at the water park. Six Flags also paid sales or use tax on the fees charged for inner tube rentals during the period from June 2000 through September 2000. Six Flags filed a claim for a refund of the Missouri taxes paid on these rental fees pursuant to the double taxation avoidance provision of Section 144.020.1(8). The Director issued a final decision denying Six Flags’ claim for a refund. The AHC reversed the Director’s decision and granted a refund, relying on this Court’s decisions in Six Flags [268]*268Theme Parks, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 102 S.W.3d 526 (Mo. banc 2003), and Westwood Country Club v. Director of Revenue, 6 S.W.3d 885 (Mo. banc 1999). The Director appeals.

III.

“This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to Mo. Const, art. V, section 3 and reviews the AHC’s interpretation of revenue law de novo." Southwestern Bell v. Director of Revenue, 94 S.W.3d 388, 390 (Mo. banc 2002) (citations omitted). “This Court will uphold the AHC’s decision if authorized by law and supported by competent and substantial evidence upon the whole record.” Id. (internal quotations omitted).

IV.

Two statutes apply to this dispute. Section 144.020.1(2) levies “[a] tax equivalent to four percent of the amount paid for admission and seating accommodations, or fees paid to, or in any place of amusement.” Section 144.020.1(8) levies:

A tax equivalent to four percent of the amount paid or charged for rental or lease of tangible personal property, provided that if the lessor or renter of any tangible personal property had previously purchased the property under the conditions of “sale at retail” as defined in subdivision (8) of section 144.010 or leased or rented the property and the tax was paid at the time of purchase, lease or rental, the lessor, sublessor, renter or subrenter shall not apply or collect the tax on the subsequent lease, sublease, rental or subrental from that property.

The goal of statutory construction is to give effect to the legislature’s intent. Corvera Abatement Technologies v. Air Conservation Commission, 973 S.W.2d 851, 858 (Mo. banc 1998). When statutory language is “clear, unambiguous, and admits of only one meaning, there is no room for construction.” Id.

The plain, simple, and unambiguous terms of section 144.020.1(2), when read in isolation, would impose a tax upon the inner tube rentals, while the plain, simple, and unambiguous terms of section 144.020.1(8), when read in isolation, would not. This Court has previously addressed the interaction of these two sections for rentals or leases of property in places of amusement in Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 102 S.W.3d 526 (Mo. banc 2003), and Westwood Country Club v. Director of Revenue, 6 S.W.3d 885 (Mo. banc 1999). These cases hold “that section 144.020.1(8) is a more specific statute than section 144.020.1(2),” thus section 144.020.1(8) controls the situation when it is applicable. Westwood Country Club, 6 S.W.3d at 889; see also Six Flags Theme Parks, 102 S.W.3d at 529. A separate, but equally compelling rational that “the goal of taxing the property only once is met by not taxing the subsequent rental to customers” was also expressed. Id. at 530. This reading harmonizes the two sections and we reaffirm the holdings of these two cases.

V.

Blue Springs Bowl v. Spradling, 551 S.W.2d 596 (Mo. banc 1977), and Eighty Hundred Clayton Corp., d/b/a Tropicana Lanes v. Director of Revenue, 111 S.W.3d 409 (Mo. banc 2003) [hereinafter Tropicana Lanes], while similar, do not control this controversy. Blue Springs Bowl merely held that the “fees or charges paid for participating in the activity of bowling at a commercial bowling establishment” were included in the statutory language of section 144.020.1(2). 551 S.W.2d at 597, 602. The decision did not address the [269]*269applicability of 144.020.1(8) to the rental of personal property.

Tropicana Lanes, refused to overrule Westwood Country Club and its progeny. It merely held that the doctrine of stare decisis required the application of Blue Springs Bowl to a controversy involving bowling shoes. 111 S.W.3d at 410-11. Tropicana Lanes is somewhat inconsistent with the eases that considered section 144.020.1(8). Westwood Country Club holds that fees paid to rent golf carts are not taxable and Six Flags Theme Parks holds that fees paid to rent arcade machines are not taxable. To some extent, fees charged for bowling shoes may be distinguished from fees charged for the rental of golf carts, arcade machines, or inner tubes. Bowling shoes are required to bowl. Id. at 410. Bowling shoes can also be brought from home, rather than rented from the bowling alley. Id. Golf carts are not required to play golf; arcade machines are not required to visit the Six Flags Theme Park; inner tubes are not required for the wave pool in Six Flags’ water park. Tropicana Lanes should be restricted to its facts.

VI.

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Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. v. Director of Revenue
179 S.W.3d 266 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2005)

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Bluebook (online)
179 S.W.3d 266, 2005 Mo. LEXIS 455, 2005 WL 3111974, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/six-flags-theme-parks-inc-v-director-of-revenue-mo-2005.