§ 44-5-3. Ratable property of a city or town — Definitions.
(a) The ratable property of the city or town consists of the ratable real estate and the
ratable tangible personal property (which do not include manufacturer's manufacturing
machinery and equipment of a manufacturer) and the ratable tangible personal property
of manufacturers consisting of manufacturer's manufacturing machinery and equipment
of a manufacturer.
(b)(1) For the purposes of this section and §§ 44-5-20, 44-5-22, 44-5-38, and § 9 of chapter 245, public laws of Rhode Island, 1966, "manufacturingâ€� includes
the handling and storage of manufacturer's inventories as defined in § 44-3-3(a)(20)(ii).
(2) "Manufacturer's machinery and equipment� or "manufacturing machinery and equipment�
is defined as:
(i) Machinery and equipment which is used exclusively in the actual manufacture or conversion
of materials or goods in the process of manufacture by a manufacturer as defined in
§ 44-3-3(a)(20) and machinery, fixtures, and equipment used exclusively by a manufacturer for research
and development or for quality assurance of its manufactured products; and
(ii) Machinery and equipment which is partially used in the actual manufacture or conversion
of raw materials or goods in the process of manufacture by a manufacturer as defined
in § 44-3-3(a)(20) and machinery, fixtures, and equipment used by a manufacturer for research and development
or for quality assurance of its manufactured products, to the extent to which the
machinery and equipment is used for the manufacturing processes, research and development,
or quality assurance. In the instances where machinery and equipment is used in both
manufacturing activities, the assessment on machinery and equipment is prorated by
applying the percentage of usage of the equipment for manufacturing, research and
development, and quality assurance activity to the value of the machinery and equipment
for purposes of taxation, and the portion of the value used for manufacturing, research
and development, and quality assurance is exempt from taxation. The burden of demonstrating
this percentage usage of machinery and equipment for manufacturing and for research
and development and/or quality assurance of its manufactured products rests with the
manufacturer.
(3) This definition of "manufacturing� or "manufacturer's machinery and equipment� does
not include:
(i) Motor vehicles required by law to be registered with the division of motor vehicles;
(ii) Store fixtures and other equipment situated in or upon a retail store or other similar
selling place operated by a manufacturer, whether or not the retail establishment
store or other similar selling place is located in the same building in which the
manufacturer operates his or her manufacturing plant; and
(iii) Fixtures or other equipment situated in or upon premises used to conduct a business
which is unrelated to the manufacture of finished products for trade and their sale
by the manufacturer of the products, whether or not the premises where the unrelated
business is conducted is in the same building in which the manufacturer has his or
her manufacturing plant. The levy on tangible personal property of manufacturers consisting
of manufacturer's manufacturing machinery and equipment of a manufacturer is at the
rate provided in § 44-5-38.
(c) Notwithstanding any exemption provided by this section, and except for the exemptions
created by §§ 44-3-3(a)(22), 44-3-3(a)(48), and 44-3-3(a)(49), which exemptions shall remain intact, cities and towns shall only tax renewable
energy resources, as defined in § 39-26-5, and associated equipment at five dollars ($5.00) per kilowatt of alternating current
nameplate capacity for the tangible property
.