Special rules - Sales factor

The following special subsections are established in respect to the sales factor of the apportionment formula: 1. Where substantial amounts of gross receipts arise from an incidental or occasional sale of a fixed asset used in the regular course of the taxpayer's trade or business, such gross receipts shall be excluded from the sales factor. For example, gross receipts from the sale of a factory or plant will be excluded. 2. Insubstantial amounts of gross receipts arising from incidental or occasional transactions or activities may be excluded from the sales factor unless such exclusion would materially affect the amount of income apportioned to this state. For example, the taxpayer ordinarily may include or exclude from the sales factor gross receipts from such transactions as the sale of office furniture, business automobiles, and so forth. 3. Where the income-producing activity in respect to business income from intangible personal property can be readily identified, such income is included in the denominator of the sales factor and, if the income-producing activity occurs in this state, in the numerator of the sales factor as well. For example, usually the income-producing activity can be readily identified in respect to interest income received on deferred payments on sales of tangible personal property, subdivision a of subsection 1 of section 81-03-09-26, and income from the sale, licensing, or other use of intangible personal property, subdivision d of subsection 2 of section 81-03-09-31. Where business income from intangible property cannot readily be attributed to any particular income-producing activity of the taxpayer, such income cannot be assigned to the numerator of the sales factor for any state and shall be excluded from the denominator of the sales factor. For example, where business income in the form of dividends received on stock, royalties received on patents or copyrights, or interest received on bonds, debentures, or government securities, results from the mere holding of the intangible personal property by the taxpayer, such dividends and interest shall be excluded from the denominator of the sales factor.