Direct production of agricultural commodities; sales of agricultural machinery

Sec. 6. (a) In general, all purchases of tangible personal property by persons engaged in the direct production, extraction, harvesting, or

processing of agricultural commodities are taxable. (The exemption provided in this regulation [45 IAC 2.2] extends only to

agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment.)

(b) The state gross retail tax shall not apply to sales of agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment to be directly used by the purchaser

in the direct production, extraction, harvesting, or processing or [sic.] agricultural commodities.

(c) Purchasers of agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment to be directly used by the purchaser in the direct production, extraction,

harvesting, or processing of agricultural commodities are exempt from tax provided such machinery, tools, and equipment have a direct effect upon

the agricultural commodities produced, harvested, etc. Property is directly used in the direct production, extraction, harvesting, or processing of

agricultural commodities if the property in question has an immediate effect on the article being produced. Property has an immediate effect on the

article being produced if it is an essential and integral part of an integrated process, i.e. confinement buildings, cooling, heating, and ventilation

equipment. The fact that such machinery, tools, or equipment may not touch the commodity or livestock or, by itself, cause a change in the product,

is not determinative.

(d) Exempt purchases: (1) Feeds–Sales of agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment used by the purchaser directly in feeding

exempt animals, poultry, etc., are exempt from tax. This exemption does not extend to machinery, equipment, and tools used for the handling,

movement, transportation, or storage of feed prior to the actual feeding process.

(2) Seeds and plants–Sales of agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment to be used directly by the purchaser to plant seeds and

plants purchased exempt from tax are exempt from tax. This exemption does not apply to lawn tractors used to plant grass seed, storage equipment,

transportation equipment, or to machinery, tools, or equipment to be incorporated into real estate.

(3) Fertilizers–Sales of agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment to be directly used by the purchaser to fertilize crops. This

exemption does not apply to storage equipment, transportation equipment, or to machinery, tools, or equipment to be incorporated into real

estate.

(4) Insecticides and fungicides–Sales of agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment to be directly used by the purchaser to apply

insecticides and fungicides are exempt from tax. This exemption does not apply to storage equipment, transportation equipment, or machinery, tools,

or equipment to be incorporated into real estate.

(5) Other exempt agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment. Sales of other agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment to be directly

used by the purchaser in the direct production, extraction, harvesting, or processing or [sic.] agricultural commodities are exempt from tax

provided such machinery, tools, and equipment are directly used in the production process, i.e. they have an immediate effect upon the agricultural

commodities being produced. Property has an immediate effect on the article being produced if it is an essential and integral part of an integrated

process which produces agricultural commodities.

(6) Automatic watering equipment for crops; fruit or crop harvesting or picking equipment; machinery and equipment used to bale crops;

pruning machinery and equipment used for fruit trees; and equipment used to shear wool from sheep and similar tangible personal property.

(7) Tangible personal property used in or for the purpose of storing work-in-process or semi-finished goods is not subject to tax if the work-

in-process or semi-finished goods are ultimately or completely produced for resale and are, in fact, resold. Storage facilities or containers for

materials or items currently undergoing production during the production process are deemed temporary storage facilities and containers.

(8) Machinery, tools, and equipment used to move a crop from the field where it was grown and harvested to equipment for temporary

storage or for further processing.

(9) Machinery, tools, and equipment used to move exempt items such as seeds, plants, fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides from

temporary storage to the location where such will be used in an exempt process.

(10) Replacement parts used to replace worn, broken, inoperative, or missing parts on exempt machinery and equipment.

(11) Safety clothing or equipment which is required to allow a farmer to participate in the production process without injury or to prevent

contamination of the livestock or commodity during production.

(e) Taxable purchases: (1) Storage equipment. Machinery, tools, and equipment used for storage of agricultural commodities after

completion of the production of agricultural commodities are taxable.

(2) Machinery, tools, and equipment which become incorporated into real property are taxable except such machinery, tools, and equipment

that are directly used in the production process; i.e., they have a direct effect upon the agricultural commodities being produced, harvested, extracted,

or processed.

(3) Machinery, tools, and equipment used in general farm maintenance are taxable. The sale of paint brushes and sprays, oilers, blowers,

wheelbarrows, brooms, chain saws, power tools, welders, tire spreaders, drills, sanders, wrenches, and other tools used in general cleaning and

maintenances are taxable. However, replacement parts used to replace worn, broken, inoperative, or missing parts on exempt machinery and

equipment, are exempt from tax.

(4) Sales of machinery, tools, and equipment to be used in managerial, sales, research, and development, or other nonoperational activities

not directly used in production, harvesting, extraction, and processing of agricultural commodities are taxable. This category includes, but is not

limited to, machinery, tools, and equipment used in any of the following activities: farm management and administration; selling and marketing;

exhibition of farm products; safety and fire prevention; illumination for farm buildings; lighting fixtures for general illumination; heating and cooling

equipment for general temperature control; transportation of animals, poultry, feed, fertilizer, etc., to the farm for use in farming; transportation of

animals, poultry, and other farm produce from the farm to market.

(f) "Agricultural machinery, tools, and equipment" as used in this regulation [45 IAC 2.2] refers to machinery, tools,

and equipment used on a farm to cultivate, grow, produce, reproduce, harvest, extract or process animals, poultry, and crops used to produce food

or agricultural commodities for human or animal consumption (or for further use in producing food or agricultural commodities).

(g) "Direct production, extraction, harvesting or processing agricultural commodities" means action which has an immediate effect on the

agricultural commodities being produced by "farming" as defined in Regs. 6-2.5-5-1(010) [45 IAC 2.2-5-1] for a human, animal,

or poultry consumption. Property has an immediate effect on the article being produced if it is an essential and integral part of an integrated process

which produces agricultural commodities.

(h) Farmer and farming. Refer to Regs. 6-2.5-5-1(010) [45 IAC 2.2-5-1] for definitions of "farmer" and "farming".