Payroll Factor

(1) In General. (a) The payroll factor of the apportionment formula shall include the total amount paid by the taxpayer in the regular course of its trade or business for compensation during the tax period. (b) The total amount “paid” to employees is determined upon the basis of the taxpayer’s accounting method. If the taxpayer has adopted the accrual method of accounting, all compensation properly accrued shall be deemed to have been paid. Notwithstanding the taxpayer’s method of accounting, at the election of the taxpayer, compensation paid to employees may be included in the payroll factor by use of the cash method if the taxpayer is required to report such compensation under such method for unemployment compensation purposes. The compensation of any employee on account of activities which are connected with the production of nonbusiness earnings shall be excluded from the factor. Example 1: The taxpayer used some of its employees in the construction of a storage building which, upon completion, is used in the regular course of taxpayer’s trade or business. The wages paid to those employees are treated as a capital expenditure by the taxpayer. The amount of such wages is included in the payroll factor. Example 2: The taxpayer owns various securities which it holds as an investment separate and apart from its trade or business. The management of the taxpayer’s investment portfolio is the only duty of Mr. X, an employee. The salary paid to Mr. X is excluded from the payroll factor. (c) The term “compensation” means wages, salaries, commissions and any other form of remuneration paid to employees for personal services. Payments made to an independent contractor or any other person not properly classifiable as an employee are excluded. Only amounts paid directly to employees are included in the payroll FRANCHISE AND EXCISE TAX RULES AND REGULATIONS CHAPTER 1320-06-01 factor. Amounts considered paid directly include the value of board, rent, housing, lodging, and other benefits or services furnished to employees by the taxpayer in return for personal services provided that such amounts constitute income to the recipient under the federal Internal Revenue Code. In the case of employees not subject to the federal Internal Revenue Code, e.g., those employed in foreign countries, the determination of whether such benefits or services would constitute income to the employees shall be made as though such employees were subject to the federal Internal Revenue Code. (d) The term “employee” means any officer of a corporation, or any individual who, under the usual common law rules applicable in determining the employer-employee relationship, has the status of an employee. Generally, a person will be considered to be an employee if he is included by the taxpayer as an employee for purposes of the payroll taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act; except that, since certain individuals are included within the term “employees” in the Federal Insurance Contributions Act who would not be employees under the usual common law rule, it may be established that a person who is included as an employee for purposes of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act is not an employee for purposes of this regulation. (2) Denominator. The denominator of the payroll factor is the total compensation paid everywhere during the tax period. Accordingly, compensation paid to employees whose services are performed entirely in a state where the taxpayer is immune from taxation, for example, by Public Law 86-272, is included in the denominator of the payroll factor. Example: A taxpayer has employees in its state of legal domicile (State A) and is taxable in State B. In addition, the taxpayer has other employees whose services are performed entirely in State C where the taxpayer is immune from taxation by Public Law 86-272. As to these latter employees, the compensation will be assigned to State C where their services are performed (i.e., included in the denominator - but not the numerator - of the payroll factor) even though the taxpayer is not taxable in State C. (3) Numerator. The numerator of the payroll factor is the total amount paid in this state during the tax period by the taxpayer for compensation. The tests in T.C.A. §67-4-2012 to be applied in determining whether compensation is paid in this state are derived from the Model Unemployment Compensation Act. Accordingly, if compensation paid to employees is included in the payroll factor by use of the cash method of accounting or if the taxpayer is required to report such compensation under such method for unemployment compensation purposes, it shall be presumed that the total wages reported by the taxpayer to this state for unemployment compensation purposes constitute compensation paid in this state except for compensation excluded under Rule 1320-06-01-.30. The presumption may be overcome by satisfactory evidence that an employee’s compensation is not properly reportable to this state for unemployment compensation purposes. (4) Zero Denominator. In the use of any apportionment formula, where the denominator of a factor is zero, such factor must be eliminated entirely and the average then computed from the remaining factor or factors.