DIVISION 3-05-001
GENERAL CONDITIONS AND DEFINITIONS
SECTIONS:
3-05-001-0001 WORDS OF TENSE, NUMBER AND GENDER; CODE REFERENCES
3-05-001-0100 GENERAL CONDITIONS AND DEFINITIONS
3-05-001-0100.1 BROKERS
3-05-001-0100.2 DELIVERY, INSTALLATION, OR OTHER DIRECT CUSTOMER SERVICES
3-05-001-0100.3 RETAILERS
3-05-001-0100.4 OUT-OF-CITY/OUT-OF-STATE SALES: SALES TO NATIVE AMERICANS
3-05-001-0100.5 REMEDIATION CONTRACTING
3-05-001-0110 DEFINITIONS: INCOME-PRODUCING CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
3-05-001-0115 DEFINITIONS: COMPUTER SOFTWARE; CUSTOM COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
3-05-001-0120 REPEALED
3-05-001-0001 WORDS OF TENSE, NUMBER AND GENDER; CODE REFERENCES
A. For the purposes of this chapter, all words of tense, number, and gender shall comply with A.R.S. Section 1-214 as amended.
B. For the purposes of this chapter, all code references, unless specified otherwise, shall:
1. Refer to this City Code.
2. Be deemed to include all amendments to such code references. (Ord. 2025-11, Enacted, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0100 GENERAL CONDITIONS AND DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
"Assembler" means a person who unites or combines products, wares, or articles of manufacture so as to produce a change in form or substance of such items without changing or altering component parts.
"Broker" means any person engaged or continuing in business who acts for another for a consideration in the conduct of a business activity taxable under this chapter, and who receives for his principal all or part of the gross income from the taxable activity.
"Business" includes all activities or acts, personal or corporate, engaged in or caused to be engaged in with the object of gain, benefit, or advantage, either directly or indirectly, but does not include either casual activities or sales, or the transfer of electricity from a solar photovoltaic generation system to an electric utility distribution system.
"Business day" means any day of the week when the Tax Collector’s office is open for the public to conduct the Tax Collector’s business.
"Casual activity or sale" means a transaction of an isolated nature made by a person who neither represents himself to be nor is engaged in a business subject to a tax imposed by this chapter. However, no sale, rental, license for use, or lease transaction concerning real property nor any activity entered into by a business taxable by this chapter shall be treated, or be exempt, as casual. This definition shall include sales of used capital assets; provided, that the volume and frequency of such sales do not indicate that the seller regularly engages in selling such property.
"Combined taxes" means the sum of all applicable Arizona transaction privilege and use taxes; all applicable transportation taxes imposed upon gross income by this County as authorized by Article III, Chapter 6, Title 42, Arizona Revised Statutes; and all applicable taxes imposed by this chapter.
"Commercial property" is any real property, or portion of such property, used for any purpose other than lodging or lodging space, including structures built for lodging but used otherwise, such as model homes, apartments used as offices, etc.
"Communications channel" means any line, wire, cable, microwave, radio signal, light beam, telephone, telegraph, or any other electromagnetic means of moving a message.
"Construction contracting" refers to the activity of a construction contractor.
"Construction contractor" means a person who undertakes to or offers to undertake to, or purports to have the capacity to undertake to, or submits a bid to, or does himself or by or through others, construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, move, wreck, or demolish any building, highway, road, railroad, excavation, or other structure, project, development, or improvement to real property, or to do any part thereof. "Construction contractor" includes subcontractors, specialty contractors, prime contractors, and any person receiving consideration for the general supervision and/or coordination of such a construction project except for remediation contracting. This definition shall govern without regard to whether or not the construction contractor is acting in fulfillment of a contract.
"Delivery (of notice) by the Tax Collector" means "receipt (of notice) by the taxpayer."
"Delivery, installation, or other direct customer services" means services or labor, excluding repair labor, provided by a taxpayer to or for his customer at the time of transfer of tangible personal property; provided further, that the charge for such labor or service is separately billed to the customer and maintained separately in the taxpayer’s books and records.
"Engaging," when used with reference to engaging or continuing in business, includes the exercise of corporate or franchise powers.
"Equivalent excise tax" means either:
1. A privilege or use tax levied by another Arizona municipality upon the transaction in question, and paid either to such Arizona municipality directly or to the vendor; or
2. An excise tax levied by a political subdivision of a state other than Arizona upon the transaction in question, and paid either to such jurisdiction directly or to the vendor; or
3. An excise tax levied by a Native American Government organized under the laws of the Federal government upon the transaction in question, and paid either to such jurisdiction directly or to the vendor.
"Federal government" means the United States Government, its departments and agencies; but not including national banks or Federally chartered or insured banks, savings and loan institutions, or credit unions.
"Food" means any items intended for human consumption as defined by rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Revenue, State of Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. Section 42-5106. Under no circumstances shall "food" include alcoholic beverages or tobacco, or food items purchased for use in conversion to any form of alcohol by distillation, fermentation, brewing, or other process. Under no circumstances shall "food" include an edible product, beverage, or ingredient infused, mixed, or in any way combined with medical marijuana or an active ingredient of medical marijuana.
"Gross income" means the gross receipts of a taxpayer derived from trade, business, commerce, or sales and the value proceeding or accruing from the sale of tangible personal property or service, or both, and without any deduction on account of losses. "Gross income" does not include goods, wares, or merchandise, or value thereof, returned by customers if the sale price is refunded either in cash or by credit, nor the value of merchandise traded in on the purchase of new merchandise when the trade-in allowance is deducted from the sales price of the new merchandise before completion of the sale.
"Gross proceeds of sales" means the value proceeding or accruing from the sale of tangible personal property without any deduction on account of the cost of property sold, expense of any kind or losses, but cash discounts allowed and taken on sales are not included as gross income. "Gross proceeds of sales" do not include goods, wares, or merchandise, or value thereof, returned by customers if the sale price is refunded either in cash or by credit, nor the value of merchandise traded in on the purchase of new merchandise when the trade-in allowance is deducted from the sales price of the new merchandise before completion of the sale.
"Gross receipts" means the total amount of the sale, lease, or rental price, as the case may be, of the retail sales of retailers, including any services that are a part of the sales, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise, including all receipts, cash, credits, and property of every kind or nature, and any amount for which credit is allowed by the seller to the purchaser without any deduction from the amount on account of the cost of the property sold, materials used, labor or service performed, interest paid, losses, or any other expense. "Gross receipts" do not include cash discounts allowed and taken nor the sale price of property returned by customers if the full sale price is refunded either in cash or by credit.
"Hotel" means any public or private hotel, inn, hostelry, tourist home, house, motel, rooming house, apartment house, trailer, or other lodging place within the City offering lodging, wherein the owner thereof, for compensation, furnishes lodging to any transient, except foster homes, rest homes, sheltered care homes, nursing homes, or primary health care facilities.
"Jet fuel" means jet fuel as defined in A.R.S. Section 42-5351.
"Job printing" means the activity of copying or reproducing an article by any means, process, or method. "Job printing" includes engraving of printing plates, embossing, copying, micrographics, and photo reproduction.
"Lessee" includes the equivalent person in a rental or licensing agreement for all purposes of this chapter.
"Lessor" includes the equivalent person in a rental or licensing agreement for all purposes of this chapter.
"Licensing (for use)" means any agreement between the user ("licensee") and the owner or the owner’s agent ("licensor") for the use of the licensor’s property whereby the licensor receives consideration, where such agreement does not qualify as a "sale" or "lease" or "rental" agreement.
"Lodging (lodging space)" means any room or apartment in a hotel or any other provider of rooms, trailer spaces, or other residential dwelling spaces; or the furnishings or services and accommodations accompanying the use and possession of said dwelling space, including storage or parking space for the property of said tenant.
"Manufactured buildings" means a manufactured home, mobile home or factory built building, as defined in A.R.S. Section 41-2142.
"Manufacturer" means a person who is principally engaged in the fabrication, production, or manufacture of products, wares, or articles for use from raw or prepared materials, imparting to those materials new forms, qualities, properties, and combinations.
"Medical marijuana" means "marijuana" used for a "medical use" as those terms are defined in A.R.S. Section 36-2801.
"Mining and metallurgical supplies" means all tangible personal property acquired by persons engaged in activities defined in Section 3-05-004-0432 for such use. This definition shall not include:
1. Janitorial equipment and supplies.
2. Office equipment, office furniture, and office supplies.
3. Motor vehicles licensed for use upon the highways of the State.
"Modifier" means a person who reworks, changes, or adds to products, wares, or articles of manufacture.
"Nonprofit entity" means any entity organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes, or operated by the Federal government, the State, or any political subdivision of the State.
"Occupancy (of real property)" means any occupancy or use, or any right to occupy or use, real property including any improvements, rights, or interests in such property.
"Out-of-City sale" means the sale of tangible personal property and job printing if all of the following occur:
1. Transference of title and possession occur without the City; and
2. The stock from which such personal property was taken was not within the corporate limits of the City; and
3. The order is received at a permanent business location of the seller located outside the City; which location is used for the substantial and regular conduct of such business sales activity. In no event shall the place of business of the buyer be determinative of the situs of the receipt of the order.
For the purpose of this definition it does not matter that all other indicia of business occur within the City, including, but not limited to, accounting, invoicing, payments, centralized purchasing, and supply to out-of-City storehouses and out-of-City retail branch outlets from a primary storehouse within the City.
"Out-of-State sale" means the sale of tangible personal property and job printing if all of the following occur:
1. The order is placed from without the State of Arizona; and
2. The property is delivered to the buyer at a location outside the State; and
3. The property is purchased for use outside the State.
"Owner-builder" means an owner or lessor of real property who, by himself or by or through others, constructs or has constructed or reconstructs or has reconstructed any improvement to real property.
"Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, estate, trust, receiver, syndicate, broker, the Federal government, this State, or any political subdivision or agency of this State. For the purposes of this chapter, a person shall be considered a distinct and separate person from any general or limited partnership or joint venture or other association with which such person is affiliated. A subsidiary corporation shall be considered a separate person from its parent corporation for purposes of taxation of transactions with its parent corporation.
"Prosthetic" means any of the following tangible personal property:
1. Drugs and medical oxygen, including delivery hose, mask or tent, regulator and tank, on the prescription of a member of the medical, dental, or veterinarian profession who is licensed by law to administer such substances.
2. Prosthetic appliances as defined in A.R.S. Section 23-501 and as prescribed or recommended by a health professional who is licensed pursuant to A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, or 29.
3. Insulin, insulin syringes, and glucose test strips.
4. Prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses.
5. Hearing aids as defined in A.R.S. Section 36-1901.
6. Durable medical equipment that has a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services common procedure code, is designated reimbursable by Medicare, is prescribed by a person who is licensed under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 17, or 29, can withstand repeated use, is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose, is generally not useful to a person in the absence of illness or injury and is appropriate for use in the home.
7. Orthodontic devices dispensed by a dental professional who is licensed under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 11, to a patient as part of the practice of dentistry.
8. Under no circumstances shall "prosthetic" include medical marijuana regardless of whether it is sold or dispensed pursuant to a prescription, recommendation, or written certification by any authorized person.
"Qualifying community health center":
1. Means an entity that is recognized as nonprofit under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, that is a community-based, primary care clinic that has a community-based board of directors and that is either:
a. The sole provider of primary care in the community.
b. A nonhospital affiliated clinic that is located in a Federally designated medically underserved area in this State.
2. Includes clinics that are being constructed as qualifying community health centers.
"Qualifying health care organization" means an entity that is recognized as nonprofit under Section 501(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and that uses, saves, or invests at least eighty percent (80%) of all monies that it receives from all sources each year only for health and medical related educational and charitable services, as documented by annual financial audits prepared by an independent certified public accountant, performed according to generally accepted accounting standards and filed annually with the Arizona Department of Revenue. Monies that are used, saved, or invested to lease, purchase or construct a facility for health and medical related education and charitable services are included in the eighty percent (80%) requirement.
"Qualifying health sciences educational institution" means an entity that is recognized as nonprofit under Section 501(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and that solely provides graduate and postgraduate education in the health sciences. For the purposes of this definition, "health sciences" includes medicine, nursing, physician’s assistant studies, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, biomedical sciences, podiatry, clinical psychology, cardiovascular science, nurse anesthesia, dentistry, optometry, and veterinary medicine.
"Qualifying hospital" means any of the following:
1. A licensed hospital which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
2. A licensed nursing care institution or a licensed residential care institution or a residential care facility operated in conjunction with a licensed nursing care institution or a licensed kidney dialysis center, which provides medical services, nursing services or health related services and is not used or held for profit.
3. A hospital, nursing care institution or residential care institution which is operated by the Federal government, this State or a political subdivision of this State.
4. A facility that is under construction and that on completion will be a facility under subsection (1), (2) or (3) of this definition.
"Receipt (of notice) by the taxpayer" means the earlier of actual receipt or the first attempted delivery by certified United States mail to the taxpayer’s address of record with the Tax Collector.
"Remediation" means those actions that are reasonable, necessary, cost-effective and technically feasible in the event of the release or threat of release of hazardous substances into the environment such that the waters of the State are or may be affected, such actions as may be necessary to monitor, assess and evaluate such release or threat of release, actions of remediation, removal or disposal of hazardous substances or taking such other actions as may be necessary to prevent, minimize or mitigate damage to the public health or welfare or to the waters of the State which may otherwise result from a release or threat of release of a hazardous substance that will or may affect the waters of the State. Remediation activities include the use of biostimulation with indigenous microbes and bioaugmentation using microbes that are nonpathogenic, nonopportunistic and that are naturally occurring. Remediation activities may include community information and participation costs and providing an alternative drinking water supply.
"Rental equipment" means tangible personal property sold, rented, leased, or licensed to customers to the extent that the item is actually used by the customer for rental, lease, or license to others; provided, that:
1. The vendee is regularly engaged in the business of renting, leasing, or licensing such property for a consideration; and
2. The item so claimed as "rental equipment" is not used by the person claiming the exemption for any purpose other than rental, lease, or license for compensation, to an extent greater than fifteen percent (15%) of its actual use.
"Rental supply" means an expendable or nonexpendable repair or replacement part sold to become part of "rental equipment"; provided, that:
1. The documentation relating to each purchased item so claimed specifically itemizes to the vendor the actual item of "rental equipment" to which the purchased item is intended to be attached as a repair or replacement part; and
2. The vendee is regularly engaged in the business of renting, leasing, or licensing such property for a consideration; and
3. The item so claimed as "rental equipment" is not used by the person claiming the exemption for any purpose other than rental, lease, or license for compensation, to an extent greater than fifteen percent (15%) of its actual use.
"Repairer" means a person who restores or renews products, wares, or articles of manufacture.
"Resides within the City" means in cases other than individuals, whose legal addresses are determinative of residence, the engaging, continuing, or conducting of regular business activity within the City.
"Restaurant" means any business activity where articles of food, drink, or condiment are customarily prepared or served to patrons for consumption on or off the premises, also including bars, cocktail lounges, the dining rooms of hotels, and all caterers. For the purposes of this chapter, a "fast food" business, which includes street vendors and mobile vendors selling in public areas or at entertainment or sports or similar events, who prepares or sells food or drink for consumption on or off the premises is considered a "restaurant," and not a "retailer."
"Retail sale (sale at retail)" means the sale of tangible personal property, except the sale of tangible personal property to a person regularly engaged in the business of selling such property.
"Retailer" means any person engaged or continuing in the business of sales of tangible personal property at retail.
"Sale" means any transfer of title or possession, or both, exchange, barter, lease, rental, or license for use, conditional or otherwise, in any manner or by any means whatsoever, including consignment transactions and auctions, of tangible personal property or other activities taxable under this chapter, for a consideration. "Sale" includes any transaction by which the possession of property is transferred but the seller retains the title as security for the payment of the price. "Sale" also includes fabricating tangible personal property for consumers who furnish either directly or indirectly the materials used in such fabrication work. "Sale" also includes furnishing, preparing, or serving for a consideration any tangible personal property consumed on the premises of the person furnishing, preparing, or serving the tangible personal property.
"Solar daylighting" means a device that is specifically designed to capture and redirect the visible portion of the solar beam, while controlling the infrared portion, for use in illuminating interior building spaces in lieu of artificial lighting.
"Solar energy device" means a system or series of mechanisms designed primarily to provide heating, to provide cooling, to produce electrical power, to produce mechanical power, to provide solar daylighting or to provide any combination of the foregoing by means of collecting and transferring solar generated energy into such uses either by active or passive means, including wind generator systems that produce electricity. Solar energy systems may also have the capability of storing solar energy for future use. Passive systems shall clearly be designed as a solar energy device, such as a Trombe wall, and not merely as a part of a normal structure, such as a window.
"Speculative builder" means either:
1. An owner-builder who sells or contracts to sell, at any time, improved real property (as provided in Section 3-05-004-0416) consisting of:
a. Custom, model, or inventory homes, regardless of the stage of completion of such homes; or
b. Improved residential or commercial lots without a structure; or
2. An owner-builder who sells or contracts to sell improved real property, other than improved real property specified in subsection (1) of this definition:
a. Prior to completion; or
b. Before the expiration of twenty-four (24) months after the improvements of the real property sold are substantially complete.
"Substantially complete" means the construction contracting or reconstruction contracting:
1. Has passed final inspection or its equivalent; or
2. Certificate of occupancy or its equivalent has been issued; or
3. Is ready for immediate occupancy or use.
"Supplier" means any person who rents, leases, licenses, or makes sales of tangible personal property within the City, either directly to the consumer or customer or to wholesalers, jobbers, fabricators, manufacturers, modifiers, assemblers, repairers, or those engaged in the business of providing services which involve the use, sale, rental, lease, or license of tangible personal property.
"Tangible personal property" means personal property which may be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched or is in any other manner perceptible to the senses.
"Tax Collector" means the City Manager or his designee or agent for all purposes under this chapter.
"Taxpayer" means any person liable for any tax under this chapter.
"Taxpayer Problem Resolution Officer" means the individual designated by the City to perform the duties identified in Sections 3-05-005-0515 and 3-05-005-0516. In cities with a population of fifty thousand (50,000) or more, the Taxpayer Problem Resolution Officer shall be an employee of the City. In cities with a population of less than fifty thousand (50,000), the Taxpayer Problem Resolution Officer need not be an employee of the City. Regardless of whether the Taxpayer Problem Resolution Officer is or is not an employee of the City, the Taxpayer Problem Resolution Officer shall have substantive knowledge of taxation. The identity of and telephone number for the Taxpayer Problem Resolution Officer can be obtained from the Tax Collector.
"Telecommunication service" means any service or activity connected with the transmission or relay of sound, visual image, data, information, images, or material over a communications channel or any combination of communications channels.
"Transient" means any person who either at the person’s own expense or at the expense of another obtains lodging space or the use of lodging space on a daily or weekly basis, or on any other basis for less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
"Utility service" means the producing, providing, or furnishing of electricity, electric lights, current, power, gas (natural or artificial), or water to consumers or ratepayers. (Ord. 1924, 01/07/1997; Ord. 1979, Amended, 10/06/1998; Ord. 2004-25, Amended, 01/10/2005; Ord. 2007-28, Amended, 05/01/2007; Ord. 2009-16, Amended, 06/19/2009; Ord. 2011-21, Amended, 10/18/2011; Ord. 2013-26, Amended, 01/07/2014; Ord. 2025-11, Amended, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0100.1 BROKERS
A. For the purposes of proper administration of this chapter and to prevent evasion of taxes imposed, brokers shall be wherever necessary treated as taxpayers for all purposes, and shall file a return and remit the tax imposed on the activity on behalf of the principal. No deduction shall be allowed for any commissions or fees retained by such broker, except as provided in Section 3-05-004-0405, relating to advertising commissions.
B. Brokers for Vendors. A broker acting for a seller, lessor, or other similar person deriving gross income in a category upon which this chapter imposes a tax shall be liable for such tax, even if his principal would not be subject to the tax if he conducted such activity in his own behalf, by reason of the activity being deemed a "casual" one. For example:
1. An auctioneer or other sales agent of tangible personal property is subject to the tax imposed upon retail sales, even if such sales would be deemed "casual" if his principal had sold such items himself.
2. A property manager is subject to the tax imposed upon rental, leasing, or licensing of real property, even if such rental, leasing, or licensing would be deemed "casual" if his principal managed such real property himself.
C. Brokers for Vendees. A broker acting solely for a buyer, lessee, tenant, or other similar person who is a party to a transaction which may be subject to the tax, shall be liable for such tax and for filing a return in connection with such tax only to the extent that his principal is subject to the tax.
D. The liability of a broker does not relieve the principal of liability except upon presentation to the Tax Collector of proof of payment of the tax, and only to the extent of the correct payment. The broker shall be relieved of the responsibility to file and pay taxes upon the filing and correct payment of such taxes by the principal.
E. Location of Business: Retail sales by brokers acting for another person shall be deemed to have occurred at the regular business location of the broker, in a manner similar to that used to determine "out-of-city sales"; provided, however, that an auctioneer is deemed to be engaged in business at the site of each auction. (Ord. 2025-11, Enacted, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0100.2 DELIVERY, INSTALLATION, OR OTHER DIRECT CUSTOMER SERVICES
A. "Delivery charges" exist only when the total charges to the ultimate customer or consumer include, as separately charged to the ultimate customer, charges for delivery to the ultimate consumer, whether the place of delivery is within or without the City, and when the taxpayer’s books and records show the separate delivery charges.
1. Identification to the customer or consumer that the listed price has "delivery included" or other similar expression is insufficient to show the delivery as a separate charge. Only the separately stated charge for the delivery shall be deemed a "delivery charge."
2. Freight In: Charges for delivery from place of production or the manufacturer to the vendor either directly or through a chain of wholesalers or jobbers or other middlemen are deemed "freight-in" and are not considered delivery.
B. "Installation" as used in this definition relates only to attachment to tangible personal property. Installation to real property is deemed construction contracting in this chapter. Examples of installation relating to tangible personal property include installing a radio in an automobile; applying sun screens on the windows of a boat; installing cabinets, carpeting, or "built-in appliances" to a camper or motorized recreational vehicle, or similar activities.
C. Repair of tangible personal property is not included in this definition.
D. "Direct customer services" means services other than repair rendered directly to the customer. Services or labor provided by any person prior to the transfer of tangible personal property to the customer or consumer are not included in this definition. In the following examples, the requirements of subsection (E) of this section are referred to by the words "identify" or "identification."
1. A retailer sells a customer a one hundred dollar ($100.00) "plug-in" appliance, with a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) delivery and installation charge. If the retailer identifies the twenty-five dollar ($25.00) delivery and installation charge, it is a charge for direct customer services.
2. A caterer charges his customer one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for the food and drink served, three hundred dollars ($300.00) for setup and site cleanup, and five hundred dollars ($500.00) for bartender and waiters. If all charges are properly identified, only the three hundred dollars ($300.00) for setup and cleanup is a charge for direct customer services, and the one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) for food and service is considered restaurant gross income.
3. Persons engaged in engraving on wood, metal, stone, etc., or persons engaged in retouching photographs or paintings may consider such charges for labor as direct customer services.
4. All charges by a photographer resulting in the sale of a photograph (sitting fees, developing, making enlargements, retouching, etc.) for services that occur prior to transfer of tangible personal property are not direct customer services.
5. An equipment rental company charging twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for delivery may consider such delivery charge as a charge for direct customer services only if such charge is properly identified.
6. Even if identified, charges for labor incurred in the production of any manufactured article or of a custom-made article (jewelry, artwork, tailoring, draperies, etc.) are not included in this definition, as such labor occurs prior to the transfer of property.
E. Recordkeeping Requirements.
1. Any person who engages in transactions involving these services must:
a. Separately bill, invoice, or charge the customer for such services in a manner by which the customer or consumer may readily identify the specific dollar amount of the service charge; and
b. Maintain business books and records in a manner in which the separate charge for such services can be clearly identified, to the satisfaction of the Tax Collector.
2. Rendering a statement to a customer for a transaction involving such services and the transfer of tangible personal property which only indicates the total amount of the charges with words such as "services included" or "charge includes labor and parts" or a similar expression does not satisfy the requirements of this subsection. (Ord. 2025-11, Enacted, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0100.3 RETAILERS
When in the opinion of the Tax Collector it is necessary for efficient administration of this chapter, he may regard any sales person, representative, peddler, canvasser, or agent of any dealer, distributor, supervisor, or employer under whom he operates or from whom he obtains tangible personal property for sale, rental, lease, or license as a retailer for the purposes of this chapter, irrespective of whether he is making sales, rentals, leases, or licenses on his own behalf or on behalf of others. The Tax Collector may also regard such dealer, distributor, supervisor, or employer as a retailer for the purposes of this chapter. (Ord. 2025-11, Enacted, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0100.4 OUT-OF-CITY/OUT-OF-STATE SALES: SALES TO NATIVE AMERICANS
Sales to Native Americans or tribal councils by vendors located within the City shall be deemed sales within the City, unless all of the following conditions exist:
A. The vendor has properly accounted for such sales in a manner similar to the recordkeeping requirements for out-of-City sales; and
B. All of the following elements of the sale exist:
1. Solicitation and placement of the order occurs on the reservation; and
2. Delivery is made to the reservation; and
3. Payment originates from the reservation. (Ord. 2025-11, Enacted, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0100.5 REMEDIATION CONTRACTING
The following activities are considered remediation contracting and are exempt:
A. Excavation, transportation, treatment, and/or disposal of contaminated soil for purposes of site remediation (rather than characterization);
B. Installation of groundwater extraction and/or injection wells for purposes of groundwater remediation;
C. Installation of pumps and piping into groundwater extraction wells for remediation purposes;
D. Installation of vapor extraction wells for the purpose of soil or groundwater remediation;
E. Construction of remediation systems, such as groundwater treatment plants, vapor extraction systems, or air injection systems;
F. Connection of remediation systems to utilities;
G. Abandonment of groundwater or vapor extraction wells;
H. Removal/demolition of remediation systems;
I. Capping/closure construction activities;
J. Service or handling charges for subcontracted remediation contracting activities. (Ord. 2025-11, Enacted, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0110 DEFINITIONS: INCOME-PRODUCING CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
A. The following tangible personal property, other than items excluded in subsection (D) of this section, shall be deemed "income-producing capital equipment" for the purposes of this chapter:
1. Machinery or equipment used directly in manufacturing, processing, fabricating, job printing, refining or metallurgical operations. The terms "manufacturing," "processing," "fabricating," "job printing," "refining," and "metallurgical" as used in this subsection refer to and include those operations commonly understood within their ordinary meaning. "Metallurgical operations" includes leaching, milling, precipitating, smelting and refining.
2. Mining machinery, or equipment, used directly in the process of extracting ores or minerals from the earth for commercial purposes, including equipment required to prepare the materials for extraction and handling, loading or transporting such extracted material to the surface. "Mining" includes underground, surface and open pit operations for extracting ores and minerals.
3. Tangible personal property, sold to persons engaged in business classified under the telecommunications classification, including a person representing or working on behalf of such a person in a manner described in Section 3-05-004-0415(B)(12) and A.R.S. Section 42-5075, Subsection O, consisting of central office switching equipment; switchboards; private branch exchange equipment; microwave radio equipment, and carrier equipment including optical fiber, coaxial cable, and other transmission media which are components of carrier systems.
4. Machinery, equipment, or transmission lines used directly in producing or transmitting electrical power, but not including distribution. Transformers and control equipment used at transmission substation sites constitute equipment used in producing or transmitting electrical power.
5. Pipes or valves four inches (4") in diameter or larger used to transport oil, natural gas, artificial gas, water, or coal slurry including compressor units, regulators, machinery and equipment, fittings, seals, and any other parts that are used in operating the pipes or valves.
6. Aircraft, navigational and communication instruments, and other accessories and related equipment sold to:
a. A person:
(1) Holding, or exempted by Federal law from obtaining, a Federal certificate of public convenience and necessity for use as, in conjunction with or becoming a part of an aircraft to be used to transport persons for hire in intrastate, interstate or foreign commerce.
(2) That is certificated or licensed under Federal Aviation Administration Regulations (14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 or 135) as scheduled or unscheduled carrier of persons for hire for use as or in conjunction with or becoming part of an aircraft to be used to transport persons for hire in intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.
(3) Holding a foreign air carrier permit for air transportation for use as or in conjunction with or becoming a part of aircraft to be used to transport persons, property, or United States mail in intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.
(4) Operating an aircraft to transport persons in any manner for compensation or hire, or for use in a fractional ownership program that meets the requirements of Federal Aviation Administration Regulations (14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 19, Subpart K), including as an air carrier, a foreign air carrier, or a commercial operator or under a restricted category, within the meaning of 14 Code of Federal Regulations, regardless of whether the operation or aircraft is regulated or certified under Part 91, 119, 121, 133, 135, 136, or 137, or another part of 14 Code of Federal Regulations.
(5) That will lease or otherwise transfer operational control, within the meaning of Federal Aviation Administration Operations Specification A008, or its successor, of the aircraft, instruments, or accessories to one (1) or more persons described in subsection (A)(6)(a)(1), (A)(6)(a)(2), (A)(6)(a)(3), or (A)(6)(a)(4) of this section, subject to A.R.S. Section 42-5009, Subsection Q.
b. Any foreign government.
c. Persons who are not residents of this State and who will not use such property in this State other than in removing such property from this State. This subdivision also applies to corporations that are not incorporated in this State, regardless of maintaining a place of business in this State, if the principal corporate office is located outside this State and the property will not be used in this State other than in removing the property from this State.
7. Machinery, tools, equipment and related supplies used or consumed directly in repairing, remodeling or maintaining aircraft, aircraft engines or aircraft component parts by or on behalf of a certificated or licensed carrier of persons or property.
8. Railroad rolling stock, rails, ties and signal control equipment used directly to transport persons or property.
9. Machinery or equipment used directly to drill for oil or gas or used directly in the process of extracting oil or gas from the earth for commercial purposes.
10. Buses or other urban mass transit vehicles that are used directly to transport persons or property for hire or pursuant to a governmentally adopted and controlled urban mass transportation program and that are sold to bus companies holding a Federal certificate of convenience and necessity or operated by any city, town or other governmental entity or by any person contracting with such governmental entity as part of a governmentally adopted and controlled program to provide urban mass transportation.
11. Metering, monitoring, receiving, and transmitting equipment acquired by persons engaged in the business of providing utility services or telecommunications services; but only to the extent that such equipment is to be used by the customers of such persons and such persons separately charge or bill their customers for use of such equipment.
12. Groundwater measuring devices required under A.R.S. Section 45-604.
13. Machinery or equipment used in research and development. For the purposes of this subsection, "research and development" means basic and applied research in the sciences and engineering, and designing, developing or testing prototypes, processes or new products, including research and development of computer software that is embedded in or an integral part of the prototype or new product or that is required for machinery or equipment otherwise exempt under this section to function effectively. Research and development do not include manufacturing quality control, routine consumer product testing, market research, sales promotion, sales service, research in social sciences or psychology, computer software research that is not included in the definition of research and development, or other nontechnological activities or technical services.
14. New machinery and equipment consisting of agricultural aircraft, tractors, tractor-drawn implements, self-powered implements, machinery and equipment necessary for extracting milk, and machinery and equipment necessary for cooling milk and livestock, and drip irrigation lines not already exempt under subsection (A)(5) of this section and that are used for commercial production of agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, or floricultural crops in this State. For the purposes of this subsection:
a. "New machinery and equipment" means machinery and equipment that have never been sold at retail except pursuant to leases or rentals which do not total two (2) years or more.
b. "Agricultural aircraft" means an aircraft that is built for agricultural use for the aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer or for aerial seeding.
c. "Self-powered implements" includes machinery and equipment that are electric-powered.
15. Included in income producing capital equipment are liquid, solid or gaseous chemicals used in manufacturing, processing, fabricating, mining, refining, metallurgical operations, research and development or job printing, if using or consuming the chemicals, alone or as part of an integrated system of chemicals, involving direct contact with the materials from which the product is produced for the purpose of causing or permitting a chemical or physical change to occur in the materials as part of the production process. This subsection does not include chemicals that are used or consumed in activities such as packaging, storage or transportation but does not affect any deduction for such chemicals that is otherwise provided by this code. Chemicals meeting the requirements of this subsection are deemed not to be expendable under subsection (D) of this section.
16. Cleanrooms that are used for manufacturing, processing, fabrication or research and development, as defined in subsection (A)(13) of this section, of semiconductor products. For purposes of this subsection, "cleanroom" means all property that comprises or creates an environment where humidity, temperature, particulate matter and contamination are precisely controlled within specified parameters, without regard to whether the property is actually contained within that environment or whether any of the property is affixed to or incorporated into real property. Cleanroom:
a. Includes the integrated systems, fixtures, piping, movable partitions, lighting and all property that is necessary or adapted to reduce contamination or to control airflow, temperature, humidity, chemical purity or other environmental conditions or manufacturing tolerances, as well as the production machinery and equipment operating in conjunction with the cleanroom environment.
b. Does not include the building or other permanent, nonremovable component of the building that houses the cleanroom environment.
17. Machinery and equipment that are sold to a person engaged in the commercial production of livestock, livestock products, or agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, or floricultural crops or products in this State, including a person representing or working on behalf of such a person in a manner described in A.R.S. Section 42-5075, Subsection O, if the machinery and equipment are used directly and primarily to prevent, monitor, control, or reduce air, water, or land pollution.
18. Tangible personal property that is used by either of the following to receive, store, convert, produce, generate, decode, encode, control or transmit telecommunications information:
a. Any direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission service that operates pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25.
b. Any satellite television or data transmission facility, if both of the following conditions are met:
(1) Over two-thirds (2/3) of the transmissions, measured in megabytes, transmitted by the facility during the test period were transmitted to or on behalf of one (1) or more direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission services that operate pursuant to 47 Code of Federal Regulations part 25.
(2) Over two-thirds (2/3) of the transmissions, measured in megabytes, transmitted by or on behalf of those direct broadcast television or data transmission services during the test period were transmitted by the facility to or on behalf of those services.
For purposes of subsection (B) of this section, "test period" means the three hundred sixty-five (365) day period beginning on the later of the date on which the tangible personal property is purchased or the date on which the direct broadcast satellite television or data transmission service first transmits information to its customers.
19. Machinery and equipment that is used directly in the feeding of poultry, the environmental control of housing for poultry, the movement of eggs within a production and packaging facility or the sorting or cooling of eggs. This exemption does not apply to vehicles used for transporting eggs.
20. Machinery or equipment, including related structural components, that is employed in connection with manufacturing, processing, fabricating, job printing, refining, mining, natural gas pipelines, metallurgical operations, telecommunications, producing or transmitting electricity or research and development that is used directly to meet or exceed rules or regulations adopted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality or a political subdivision of this state to prevent, monitor, control or reduce land, water or air pollution.
21. Machinery or equipment that enables a television station to originate and broadcast or to receive and broadcast digital television signals and that was purchased to facilitate compliance with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (PL 104-104; 110 Stat. 56; 47 United States Code Section 336) and the Federal Communications Commission order issued April 21, 1997, 47 Code of Federal Regulations Part 73. This subsection does not exempt any of the following:
(a) Repair or replacement parts purchased for the machinery or equipment described in this subsection.
(b) Machinery or equipment purchased to replace machinery or equipment for which an exemption was previously claimed and taken under this subsection.
(c) Any machinery or equipment purchased after the television station has ceased analog broadcasting, or purchased after November 1, 2009, whichever occurs first.
22. Qualifying equipment that is purchased from and after June 30, 2004, through June 30, 2024, by a qualified business under A.R.S. Section 41-1516 for harvesting or processing qualifying forest products removed from qualifying projects as defined in A.R.S. Section 41-1516. To qualify for this deduction, the qualified business at the time of purchase must present its certification approved by the Department of Revenue.
B. The term "income-producing capital equipment" shall further include ancillary machinery and equipment used for the treatment of waste products created by the business activities which are allowed to purchase "income-producing capital equipment" defined in subsection (A) of this section.
C. The term "income-producing capital equipment" shall further include repair and replacement parts, other than the items in subsection (D) of this section, where the property is acquired to become an integral part of another item itemized in subsection (A) or (B) of this section.
D. The tangible personal property defined as income-producing capital equipment in this section shall not include:
1. Expendable materials. For purposes of this subsection, expendable materials do not include any of the categories of tangible personal property specified in subsections (A), (B), or (C) of this section regardless of the cost or useful life of that property.
2. Janitorial equipment and hand tools.
3. Office equipment, furniture, and supplies.
4. Tangible personal property used in selling or distributing activities, other than the telecommunications transmissions described in subsection (A)(18) of this section.
5. Motor vehicles required to be licensed by the State of Arizona, except buses or other urban mass transit vehicles specifically exempted pursuant to subsection (A)(10) of this section without regard to the use of such motor vehicles.
6. Shops, buildings, docks, depots, and all other materials of whatever kind or character not specifically included as exempt.
7. Motors and pumps used in drip irrigation systems.
8. Machinery and equipment or other tangible personal property used by a contractor in the performance of a contract.
E. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Aircraft" includes:
a. An airplane flight simulator that is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for use as a Phase II or higher flight simulator under Appendix H, 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121.
b. Tangible personal property that is permanently affixed or attached as a component part of an aircraft that is owned or operated by a certificated or licensed carrier of persons or property.
2. "Other accessories and related equipment" includes aircraft accessories and equipment such as ground service equipment that physically contact aircraft at some point during the overall carrier operation. (Ord. 1851, 01/03/95, Ord. 1979, 10/06/98; Ord. 2008, Amended, 11/02/1999; Ord. 2025-11, Amended, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0115 DEFINITIONS: COMPUTER SOFTWARE; CUSTOM COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
A. "Computer software" means any computer program, part of such a program, or any sequence of instructions for automatic data processing equipment. Computer software which is not "custom computer programming" is deemed to be tangible personal property for the purposes of this chapter, regardless of the method by which title, possession, or right to use the software is transferred to the user.
B. "Custom computer programming" means any computer software which is written or prepared exclusively for a customer and includes those services represented by separately stated charges for the modification of existing prewritten programs when the modifications are written or prepared exclusively for a customer.
1. The term does not include a prewritten program which is held or existing for general or repeated sale, lease, or license, even if the program was initially developed on a custom basis for in-house, or for a single customer’s, use.
2. Modification to an existing prewritten program to meet the customer’s needs is custom computer programming only to the extent of the modification, and only to the extent that the actual amount charged for the modification is separately stated on invoices, statements, and other billing documents supplied to the customer. (Ord. 2025-11, Amended, 05/20/2025)
3-05-001-0120 REPEALED
(Ord. 2013-26, Repealed, 01/07/2014)