Property Factor — Valuation

(1) Valuation of Owned Property. (a) Property owned by the taxpayer shall be valued at its original cost. As a general rule “original cost” is deemed to be the basis of the property for federal tax purposes (prior to any federal adjustments) at the time of acquisition by the taxpayer and adjusted by subsequent capital additions or improvements thereto and partial disposition thereof, by reason of sale, exchange, abandonment, etc. If original cost of property is unascertainable, the property is included in the factor at its fair market value as of the date of acquisition by the taxpayer. Example 1: The taxpayer acquired a factory building in this state at a cost of $500,000 and 18 months later expended $100,000 for major remodeling of the building. Taxpayer files its return for the current taxable year on the calendar-year basis. Depreciation deduction in the amount of $22,000 was claimed on the building for its return for the current taxable year. The value of the building includable in the numerator and denominator of the property factor is $600,000 as the depreciation deduction is not taken into account in determining the value of the building for purposes of the factor. FRANCHISE AND EXCISE TAX RULES AND REGULATIONS CHAPTER 1320-06-01 Example 2: During the current taxable year, X Corporation merges into Y Corporation in a tax-free reorganization under the Internal Revenue Code. At the time of the merger, X Corporation owns a factory which X built five years earlier at a cost of $1,000,000. X has been depreciating the factory at the rate of two percent per year, and its basis in X’s hands at the time of the merger is $900,000. Since the property is acquired by Y in a transaction in which, under the Internal Revenue Code, its basis in Y’s hands is the same as its basis in X’s, Y includes the property in Y’s property factor at X’s original cost, without adjustment for depreciation, i.e., $1,000,000. (b) Inventory of stock of goods shall be included in the factor in accordance with the valuation method used for federal income tax purposes. (c) Property acquired by gift or inheritance shall be included in the factor at its basis for determining depreciation for federal income tax purposes. (2) Valuation of Rented Property. (a) Property rented by the taxpayer is valued at eight times the net annual rental rate. The net annual rental rate for any item of rented property is the annual rental rate paid by the taxpayer for such property, less the aggregate annual subrental rates paid by subtenants of the taxpayer. Subrents are not deducted when the subrents constitute business earnings. Example 1: The taxpayer receives subrents from a bakery concession in a food market operated by the taxpayer. Since the subrents are business earnings they are not deducted from rent paid by the taxpayer for the food market. (b) “Annual rental rate” is the amount paid as rental for property for a 12-month period (i.e., the amount of the annual rent). Where property is rented for less than a 12-month period, the rent paid for the actual period of rental shall constitute the “annual rental rate” for the tax period. However, where a taxpayer has rented property for a term of 12 or more months and the current tax period covers a period of less than 12 months (due, for example, to a reorganization or change of accounting period), the rent paid for the short tax period shall be annualized. If the rental term is for less than 12 months, the rent shall not be annualized beyond its term. Rent shall not be annualized because of the uncertain duration when the rental term is on a month to month basis. If property owned by others is used by the taxpayer at no charge or rented by the taxpayer for a nominal rate, the net annual rental rate for such property shall be determined on the basis of a reasonable market rental rate for such property. Example 1: Taxpayer A which ordinarily files its returns based on a calendar year is merged into Taxpayer B on April 30. The net rent paid under a lease with five (5) years remaining is $2,500 a month. The rent for the tax period January 1 to April 30 is $10,000. After the rent is annualized the net rent is $30,000 ($2,500 X 12). Example 2: Same facts as in Example 1, except that the lease would have terminated on August 31. In this case the annualized net rent is $20,000 ($2,500 X 8). (c) “Annual rent” is the actual sum of money or other consideration payable, directly or indirectly, by the taxpayer or for its benefit for the use of the property and includes: 1. Any amount payable for the use of real or tangible personal property, or any part thereof whether designated as a fixed sum of money or as a percentage of sales, profits or otherwise. FRANCHISE AND EXCISE TAX RULES AND REGULATIONS CHAPTER 1320-06-01 Example: A taxpayer, pursuant to the terms of a lease, pays a lessor $1,000 per month as a base rental and at the end of the year pays the lessor one percent of its gross sales of $400,000. The annual rent is $16,000 ($12,000 plus one percent of $400,000 or $4,000). 2. Any amount payable as additional rent or in lieu of rents, such as interest, taxes, insurance, repairs or any other items which are required to be paid by the terms of the lease or other arrangement, not including amounts paid as service charges, such as utilities, janitor services, etc. If a payment includes rent and other charges unsegregated, the amount of rent shall be determined by consideration of the relative values of the rent and the other items. Example (i): A taxpayer, pursuant to the terms of a lease, pays the lessor $12,000 a year rent plus taxes in the amount of $2,000 and interest on a mortgage in the amount of $1,000. The annual rent is $15,000. Example (ii): A taxpayer stores part of its inventory in a public warehouse. The total charge for the year was $1,000 of which $700 was for the use of storage space and $300 for inventory insurance, handling and shipping charges, and C.O.D. collections. The annual rent is $700. “Annual rent” does not include incidental day-to-day expenses such as hotel or motel accommodations, daily rental of automobiles, etc. (d) Leasehold improvements shall, for the purposes of the property factor, be treated as property owned by the taxpayer regardless of whether the taxpayer is entitled to remove the improvements or the improvements revert to the lessor upon expiration of the lease. Hence, the original cost of leasehold improvements shall be included in the factor.