The Sales and Use Tax Answer Book is the key reference source for which practitioners have been searching. Not only is it comprehensive and clear; it also provides extensive citation to important case and statutory law. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia impose a sales tax on the retail sale of tangible personal property and selected services. In addition, there are 7,500 cities, municipalities, towns, school districts, counties, and other special taxing districts that levy sales and use taxes. The varying rates, the changing jurisdictional boundaries, the different tax bases, and the often inconsistent and contradictory interpretations of similarly worded statutes are all covered. The book also includes a chapter on sales tax reforms, particularly the Streamlined Sales Tax Project.

The 2008 edition of the Sales and Use Tax Answer Book continues to provide coverage of topics such as subjects of sales and use tax, taxable persons, taxable transactions, interstate and extraterritorial transactions, constitutional issues and the latest updates on the Streamlined Sales Tax Project. Also included are case summaries which cover such areas as statistical sampling methodology, nexus, collection of sales tax by remote sellers, sales tax and the requirements of the commerce clause, sales made through independent contractors or brokers, sales and use tax in internet/electronic commerce, collection of use tax by a remote seller and minimum contacts requirements for out-of-state retailers.

Benefits and Features

Highlights Includes Coverage Of The Following:

• Continuing coverage of the nexus wars with special attention to the Barnes & Noble case in Lousiana;
• A discussion of the inconsistent positions states are taking on taxing video and software delivered over the Internet;
• A summary of the debate over the Internet hotel reseller business model -- Is it really a new model or just a tax scam?
• The latest developments on the Streamlined Sales Tax Project, its membership problems and the continuing debate over sourcing;
• The Multistate Tax Commission's new sampling proposal and whether it will really improve state sampling techniques; and
• New material on bad debts, electronic resale certificates, packaging and drop shipments.

 Bonus Feature:

CCH's Top Multistate Tax Issues for 2008 Course is included with this purchase. A helpful resource that provides explanations of significant laws, this CPE course covers all the regulations, decisions and issues that affect multistate tax practitioners. Readers get the guidance, insights and analysis on important provisions and their impact on multistate tax compliance and tax planning

 Topics and Contents

1 Nature and Purpose of Sales and Use Taxation

2 Constitutional Rights

3 Taxable Persons

4 Taxable Transactions

5 Interstate and Extraterritorial Transactions

6 Subjects of Sales and Use Taxes

7 Amount of Tax

8 Accounting Methods

9 Rates of Tax

10 Returns or Reports

11 Payment

12 Refunds and Credits

13 Organization of State Sales and Use Tax Administrations

14 License and Registration

15 Audits

16 Assessment and Appeals Process

17 Collection of Tax By Seller

18 Collection of Tax By State

19 Penalties

20 Local State Taxes

21 Sales Tax Reform and the Streamlined Sales Tax Project

About the Authors

Bruce M. Nelson, MA, is a CPA with the law firm of Silverstein & Pomerantz, LLP. Prior to joining Silverstein & Pomerantz, he was the Manager of Tax Policy for two years at the state of Colorado. Before that, he was a Senior Tax Manager for several years in a "Big Four" accounting firm, where he ran the state and local tax desk.

Bruce earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master's degree from Colorado State University, and he is a certified public accountant in the state of Colorado. He is also on the adjunct faculty for Regis University where he teaches courses in individual, partnership, and corporate taxation. He is a frequent seminar speaker and teaches continuing education classes in state and local tax for the University of Denver's Graduate Tax Program, the Colorado Society of CPAs, and the American Institute of CPAs.

Bruce has published more than 30 tax articles in many publications including the Journal of Accountancy, Tax Executive, Controller Magazine, the Journal of Multistate Taxation, State Tax Notes and Colorado Lawyer. He is also co-editor of the Guidebook to Colorado Taxes, also published by CCH. Bruce is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado society of Certified Public Accountants.

James T. Collins, JD, is the Executive Director of the Deloitte and Touche Center for Multistate Taxation at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Mr. Collins earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Georgia. In addition, Mr, Collins is an adjunct professor of taxation in the School of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he has taught an interstate and local taxation course since 1980. He serves as the editor in chief and chairman of the editorial board of the Journal of State Taxation and as co-editor of the Journal of Property Tax Management. He was named the 1994 Corporate Wisconsin Tax Professional of the Year.

John C. Healy, MST, CPA, is the Managing Director of the Deloitte and Touche Center for Multistate Taxation and a lecturer in the Graduate Tax Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and is co-editor of CCH Incorporated's Multistate Corporate Tax Guide.

Mr. Healy has more than 30 years of state and local tax experience and has held SALT management positions at Miller Brewing Company and General Electric Medical Systems. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Marquette University and a Master of Science degree in taxation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is also a certified public accountant. Mr. Healey has published numerous articles in professional tax journals and is a past recipient of IPT's Literary Award. He is also the author of Surviiving the Sales Tax Audit in CCH Incorporated's Solutions for State and Local Taxation. Mr. Healey has served as an instructor in a variety of continuing professional education and university tax courses. He is a member of the AICPA and WICPA and is past chair of the WICPA Wisconsin Taxation Committee.