Sales & Use Tax Exemption available to Industrial Machinery and Equipment

Sales and Use Tax Exemption for
Purchases of Industrial Machinery and Equipment

Effective April 30, 2014, an exemption from sales and use tax is available for purchases of industrial machinery and equipment used at a fixed location in Florida by an eligible manufacturing business that will manufacture, process, compound, or produce for sale items of tangible personal property. The exemption also includes parts and accessories for the industrial machinery and equipment if they are purchased before the date the machinery and equipment are placed in service.
An "eligible manufacturing business" means any business whose primary business activity at the location where the industrial machinery and equipment are located is within the industries classified under manufacturing NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes 31, 32, and 33 published in 2007 by the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President. The primary business activity of an eligible business is that activity which represents more than 50 percent of the activities conducted at the location where the industrial machinery and equipment are located.
Examples of types of manufacturing establishments represented by the applicable NAICS codes include, but are not limited to, food, apparel, wood, paper, printing, chemical, pharmaceutical, plastic, rubber, metal, transportation, and furniture. A search of qualifying establishments by keyword or NAICS code can be conducted via the internet at http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/sssd/naics/naicsrch.
The selling dealer (vendor) should obtain a signed certificate from the purchaser certifying the purchaser's entitlement to tax exemption under the exemption statute. The signed certificate will relieve the selling dealer of any potential tax liability on nonqualifying purchases. Below is a suggested certificate the selling dealer can have the purchaser complete to document the exempt nature of the sales transaction.
Qualifying purchases made after the effective date of the exemption are eligible for refund of any tax paid under the refund provisions provided by section 215.26, Florida Statutes (F.S.), Repayment of Funds Paid into State Treasury Through Error, and Rule 12A-1.014, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), Refunds and Credits for Sales Tax Erroneously Paid.
The exemption is scheduled for repeal effective April 30, 2017.
This exemption does not replace the exemption provided for qualifying purchases by a new or expanding business under section 212.08(5)(b) and (d), F.S. Each of these exemptions remains in effect under current statute without change. See also Rule 12A-1.096, F.A.C.

References:  Section 6, Chapter 2013-39, Laws of Florida; and Section 212.08(7)(kkk), Florida Statutes