Surrey's on the Plaza, Inc. v. Director of Revenue

128 S.W.3d 508, 2004 Mo. LEXIS 32, 2004 WL 422660
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 9, 2004
DocketNos. SC 85331, SC 85428
StatusPublished

This text of 128 S.W.3d 508 (Surrey's on the Plaza, 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
Surrey's on the Plaza, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 128 S.W.3d 508, 2004 Mo. LEXIS 32, 2004 WL 422660 (Mo. 2004).

Opinion

DUANE BENTON, Judge.

This opinion resolves two cases. In the first, the Director of Revenue assessed Surrey’s on the Plaza, Inc., for its own sales, and those by the prior owner. In the other case, the Director assessed Hooters of Springfield (Missouri), LLC, only for successor liability. The Administrative Hearing Commission ruled against the Director in both cases. The Director appeals; Surrey’s cross-appeals. Mo. Const, art. V, sec. S. This Court reviews de novo the AHC’s construction of state revenue laws. Buchholz Mortuaries v. Director of Revenue, 113 S.W.3d 192, 193 (Mo. banc 2003).

I.

Surrey’s operates horse-drawn carriages in the Country Club Plaza of Kansas City. By City ordinance, Surrey’s has a permit to provide tours on fixed routes, approved at least ten days in advance by a City official. Charges do not include sales tax. Surrey’s claims it is not a “place of amusement” subject to section 144.020.1(2)1

Section 144.020.1 taxes “sellers for the privilege of engaging in the business of selling tangible personal property or rendering taxable service at retail in this state.” Specifically taxed are “fees paid to, or in any place of amusement, entertainment or recreation....” Section 1^-020.1(2); see also section lU-010.1(10)(a).

, Surrey’s asserts it has no place of amusement — as the rides follow several routes on public streets. It analogizes to Moon Shadow, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 945 S.W.2d 436 (Mo. banc 1997). There, a company did not owe tax for renting inner tubes and transporting customers to a “put-in” point on a river. Id. at 437. No place of amusement existed, because the company did not control where customers used the tubes. “An eight-mile stretch of river — owned and controlled mostly by the federal govern[510]*510ment—is not a locality used as a ‘place of amusement’ within the meaning of section 144.020, subd. 1(2).” Id. Like the river in Moon Shadow, Surrey’s argues, it does not control the streets in the Plaza.

A business that controls the locality of amusement or entertainment is liable for sales tax. In Moon Shadow, the company did not control the location where patrons chose to be amused or entertained. Surrey’s business, however, is like those in two other cases. Tax applies to helicopter tours, because the operator controls where the helicopter flies, where entertainment occurs. Fostaire Harbor, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 679 S.W.2d 272, 273 (Mo. banc 1984). Entertaining boat rides are subject to tax, because the operator controls the location of amusement—the boat. Lynn v. Director of Revenue, 689 S.W.2d 45, 48 (Mo. banc 1985).

Surrey’s controls the location of amusement and entertainment by directing the carriage through the Plaza. The carriage functions the same as the helicopter in Fostaire or the boat in Lynn. Patrons do not control the location of amusement or entertainment, as they did in Moon Shadow. The horse-drawn carriages are places of amusement under section 144.020.1(2).

Next, Surrey’s' contends that its rides are not taxable because they are education. Indeed, some evidence—from Surrey’s former owner—suggests that the tours educate customers and promote local business.

A tour is still taxable even if it provides something else—education—in addition to amusement and entertainment. Fostaire, 679 S.W.2d at 273. Surrey’s says the carriage rides are “memorable and romantic tours” for weddings, birthdays, parades, anniversaries, hay-rides, parties, family reunions, company retreats, scout troops, and funerals. It also offers “theme” rides—Cinderella Carriage, Limousine Carriage, and Santa’s Sleigh during winter holidays. These rides amuse and entertain. See High Adventure Game Ranch, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 824 S.W.2d 905, 906 (Mo. banc 1992). In fact, Surrey’s prior owner described the customers as “amused,” and the rides as “entertaining.”

To be taxable, “two elements are essential—that there be fees or charges and they be paid in or to a place of amusement.” L & R Distributing, Inc. v. Missouri Dep’t of Revenue, 529 S.W.2d 375, 378 (Mo. banc 1975). Surrey’s collected fees for “amusing” and “entertaining” carriage rides in a place it controlled. The AHC erred in holding that the rides were not taxable.

II.

Surrey’s cross-appeals, objecting to liability as a successor. Section 144.150 imposes successor liability:

3. ... If the purchaser of a business or stock of goods shall fail to withhold the purchase money as provided in this section and remit at the time of purchase all amounts so withheld to the director to pay all unpaid taxes, interest, additions to tax and penalties due from the former owner or predecessor, the purchaser shall be personally liable for the payment of the taxes, interest, additions to tax and penalties accrued and unpaid on account of the operation of the business by the former owner and person.

Section 144.150.

Surrey’s purchased the horse-drawn-carriage business from Harbour-Whole-sale, Inc. At the time of purchase, Har-bour-Wholesale owed sales tax. Surrey’s has not remitted the tax, for two reasons.

First, Surrey’s contends that the Director did not meet her burden of proof [511]*511under section 144.150, to show that Surrey’s failed to withhold money from the purchase price. See Section 621.050.2(2). This Court once held that failure-to-withhold was a condition of successor liability under section 144.150. Harper v. Director of Revenue, 872 S.W.2d 481, 482 (Mo. banc 1994). Immediately after Hamper, however, the General Assembly amended section 144.150 with the italicized words:

3. ... If the purchaser of a business or stock of goods shall fail to withhold the purchase money as provided in this section and remit at the time of purchase all amounts so withheld to the director to pay all unpaid taxes, interest, additions to tax and penalties due from the former owner or predecessor, the purchaser shall be personally hable for the payment of the taxes, interest, additions to tax and penalties accrued and unpaid on account of the operation of the business by the former owner and person.

S.B. 477, 478, 689, 608 & 532, 1994 Mo. Laws 486.

Before this amendment, the purchaser’s responsibility ended with withholding from the purchase money, in order to create a fund for the Director. See Harper, 872 S.W.2d at 482; Gammaitoni v. Director of Revenue, 786 S.W.2d 126, 129 (Mo. banc 1990). Hamper

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Related

Bates v. Director of Revenue
691 S.W.2d 273 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1985)
Lynn v. Director of Revenue
689 S.W.2d 45 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1985)
Conagra Poultry Co. v. Director of Revenue
862 S.W.2d 915 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1993)
L & R Distributing, Inc. v. Missouri Department of Revenue
529 S.W.2d 375 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1975)
Buchholz Mortuaries, Inc. v. Director of Revenue
113 S.W.3d 192 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2003)
Gammaitoni v. Director of Revenue
786 S.W.2d 126 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1990)
Moon Shadow, Inc. v. Director of Revenue
945 S.W.2d 436 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1997)
Fostaire Harbor, Inc. v. Missouri Director of Revenue
679 S.W.2d 272 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1984)
High Adventure Game Ranch, Inc. v. Director of Revenue
824 S.W.2d 905 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1992)
Harper v. Director of Revenue
872 S.W.2d 481 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
128 S.W.3d 508, 2004 Mo. LEXIS 32, 2004 WL 422660, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/surreys-on-the-plaza-inc-v-director-of-revenue-mo-2004.