SIMON AVIATION v. Dept. of State Revenue

• Decision Date: 02 April 2004
• Docket Number: No. 49T10-0003-TA-31.,49T10-0003-TA-31.
• Citation: 805 N.E.2d 920
• Parties: SIMON AVIATION, INC., Petitioner, v. INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVENUE, Respondent.
• Court: Indiana Tax Court

805 N.E.2d 920

SIMON AVIATION, INC., Petitioner, v. INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVENUE, Respondent.

No. 49T10-0003-TA-31.

Tax Court of Indiana.

April 2, 2004.

Stephen H. Paul, David Given, Thaddeus R. Ailes, Baker & Daniels, Indianapolis, IN, Attorneys for Petitioner.

Steve Carter, Attorney General of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN, Karen Hsu, Deputy Attorney General, Indianapolis, IN, Attorneys for Respondent.

ORDER ON PARTIES' CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

FISHER, J.

Simon Aviation, Inc. (Simon) appeals the Indiana Department of State Revenue's (Department) imposition of Indiana use tax on aircraft lease payments it made during the years ending December 31, 1993, December 31, 1994, and April 30, 1995 (the years at issue). The matter is currently before the Court on the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. The issue for the Court to decide is whether those lease payments are subject to Indiana's use tax.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The material facts as they relate to this case are undisputed. Simon is an Indiana corporation doing business in Indiana and throughout the country.

In 1985, Simon leased an aircraft from Wells Fargo Leasing Corporation and CIT Group.¹ Simon took delivery of the aircraft in Canada. Simon flew the aircraft to various locations within the United States before it entered Indiana for the first time on November 26, 1986. In March of 1986, Simon leased a second aircraft from Manufacturers Hanover Commercial Corporation. After taking delivery of the aircraft in Connecticut, Simon made several flights on the aircraft to destinations within the United States before it entered the State of Indiana for the first time on October 11, 1986. While both aircraft were primarily hangared in Indiana during the years at issue, they were nonetheless used for interstate travel.

On July 28, 1987, upon Simon's inquiry, the Department issued a ruling in which it stated Simon's lease payments were not subject to Indiana's use tax because the aircraft were used primarily in interstate commerce ("DRS87-10"). The ruling also stated that "[a]ny changes in these facts should be submitted to the Department for reconsideration of this ruling." (Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 1 at 3.)

In the early 1990's, the Department audited Simon and determined that, for tax years 1986 through 1989, Simon's lease payments were subject to use tax. Simon contested the proposed assessment, arguing that it had already received a ruling from the Department that the lease payments were not taxable. In the alternative, Simon argued that the Department was prohibited, under Indiana Code § 6-8.1-3-3, from adopting a position that would retroactively increase its tax liability. On June 2, 1992, the Department issued a letter of findings (1992 LOF), stating:

In the instant case, the audit has established no change in either Indiana law or the taxpayer's situation [that] would warrant invalidating [DRS87-10].

* * * * *

The taxpayer's protest is sustained. The Department finds that [DRS87-10] is still valid and that the assessment is inappropriate. The taxpayer's contention that such a retroactive assessment is prohibited by IC 6-8.1-3-3 is rendered moot by this finding and need not be addressed. This finding applies solely to the leases of the two aircraft under protest. If new aircraft are acquired, new leases obtained, or any of the circumstances in this case change, the taxpayer must notify the Department and request a new ruling.

(Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 2 at 2-3 (emphasis added).)

On March 31, 1993, Simon consolidated and refinanced its aircraft leases with General Electric Capital Corporation (GECC). Simon did not notify the Department of these changes.

On August 4, 1994, the Department sent a letter to Simon in which it stated:

This letter is to advise you that effective July 1, 1994, the Department is hereby rescinding ... DRS87-10.

* * * * *

[DRS87-10] granted [the] exemption under the commerce clause. Exemption under the commerce clause is not warranted as no evidence is available to indicate that Simon ... [is] engaged in public transportation as required by [Indiana Code §] 6-2.5-5-27.

The original decision may have been buttressed by the Missouri Supreme Court decision in King v. L & L Marine Serv., Inc., 647 S.W.2d 524 (Mo.1983). However, it is important to note that this decision was overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court in Director of Revenue v. Superior Aircraft Leasing Co., 734 S.W.2d 504 (Mo.1987).

[Simon's lease payments are taxable under] Indiana Code [§ ] 6-2.5-3-2[.]

(Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 3 at 1-2.) The letter then stated "any aircraft purchased or leased after this date will be subject to Indiana ... use tax." (Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 3 at 3.)

On September 28, 1994, the Department issued another letter to Simon clarifying the substance of the first letter. That letter stated:

As our August 4 letter stated, due to more recent case law, it is now the position of the Department that irrespective of such interstate movement, Indiana Code [§ ] 6-2.5-3-2 subjects [your] aircraft to Indiana ... use tax. The specific clarification requested relates to the implementation of the Department's rescission of DRS87-10 in regard to the subject airplane leases in effect on July 1, 1994. In that regard, the Department will continue to recognize the validity of DRS87-10 as to those leases in effect between Simon ... and [its] respective lessors as of July 1, 1994 and will not treat the periodic lease payments under those leases as subject to Indiana ... use tax due to reliance of [Simon] on DRS87-10. However, in the event [Simon] should renegotiate either or both lease transactions in the future, or ... should purchase or lease additional or replacement aircraft after July 1, 1994, such new transactions would be subject to Indiana ... use tax.

(Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 4 at 1.)

On January 24, 1995, the Department issued yet another letter to Simon. This letter provided in pertinent part:

This letter is a follow up to the Department's letters of August 4, 1994 and September 28, 1994. In those letters the Department addressed the rescission of [DRS87-10] and [its] application to the purchase or lease of additional aircraft occurring after July 1, 1994.

In accordance with Department Regulation[] 45 IAC 15-3-2, the Department hereby makes the rescission of DRS87-10 effective July 1, 1992. The reason for this change is that it recently came to [our] attention that [Simon] was informed [in the 1992 LOF] ... that DRS87-10 was no longer valid to new aircraft acquired or to new leases obtained [thereafter].

In order to put this in its proper perspective, the Department will make the effective date of the rescission July 1, 1992. The Department will continue to apply DRS87-10 as to those leases that were in effect prior to July 1, 1992 and will not treat the periodic lease payments under those leases as subject to Indiana [ ] use tax due to the reliance of [Simon] on DRS87-10. However, in the event [Simon] should renegotiate either or both lease transactions in the future, or if [it] should purchase or lease additional or replacement aircraft after July 1, 1992, such new transactions would be subject to Indiana sales/use tax.

(Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 5 at 1.)

In 1996, the Department conducted another audit of Simon. As a result of this audit, it determined that, for the years at issue, Simon owed Indiana use tax (and interest thereon) on its lease payments with GECC in the amount of $147,367.61.

Simon subsequently protested the proposed assessment. In its protest, Simon alleged, inter alia, that DRS87-10 was still applicable and therefore its lease payments were not subject to use tax. On November 30, 1999, the Department issued a letter of findings (1999 LOF) in which it denied Simon's protest:

[T]he 1992 LOF [ ] served to explicitly notify [Simon] that while [DRS87-10] could be relied on for that transaction, it was not applicable beyond the stated circumstances. The contention that [Simon] could rely on [DRS87-10] after the notification in the 1992 LOF is without merit.

(Pet'r Original Tax Appeal, Attach. 6 at 6.)

Simon initiated this original tax appeal on March 6, 2000. Simon subsequently filed its motion for summary judgment on November 29, 2000. The Department filed a response brief on February 21, 2001.² The Court conducted a hearing on April 4, 2001. Additional facts will be supplied as necessary.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

This Court reviews final determinations of the Department de novo. IND. CODE ANN. § 6-8.1-5-1(h) (West 2000). Accordingly, the Court is not bound by either the evidence or the issues presented at the administrative level. Snyder v. Indiana Dep't of State Revenue, 723 N.E.2d 487, 488 (Ind. Tax Ct.2000), review denied.

In addition, summary judgment is only appropriate where no genuine issues of material fact exist and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Ind. Trial Rule 56(C); Snyder, 723 N.E.2d at 488. Cross motions for summary judgment do not alter this standard. Williams v. Indiana Dep't of State Revenue, 742 N.E.2d 562, 563 (Ind. Tax Ct.2001).

DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

As this Court has previously explained, Indiana imposes a use tax on goods purchased outside of the state and brought into the state for use. See Rhoade v. Indiana Dep't of State Revenue, 774 N.E.2d 1044, 1047 (Ind. Tax Ct.2002). The imposition of this tax is generally based on two theories: (1) that Indiana merchants will lose business if taxpayers purchase goods out-of-state to avoid sales tax liability and (2) that the state will lose tax revenue if taxpayers purchase goods out-of-state. See id. Consequently, Indiana's use tax is functionally equivalent to its sales tax and is

(a) ... imposed on the storage, use, or consumption of tangible personal property in Indiana if the property was acquired in a retail transaction,

...