Tennessee § 67-4-2106 - Rate of tax.

§ 67-4-2106. Rate of tax.

The privilege tax imposed on all taxpayers shall be a tax of twenty-five cents (25¢) per one hundred dollars ($100), or major fraction thereof, of a taxpayer's net worth, determined in accordance with subsection (b), at the close of the tax year covered by the required return. For purposes of this section, for taxpayer's filing on a separate entity basis, “net worth” is defined as the difference between a taxpayer's total assets less its total liabilities computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. However, if the taxpayer does not maintain its books and records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, net worth shall be computed in accordance with the accounting method used by the taxpayer for federal tax purposes, so long as the method fairly reflects the taxpayer's net worth for purposes of the tax levied by this part. For taxpayers required by this part to file as a unitary group on a combined basis, “net worth” is defined as the difference between each unitary groups' taxpayers' total assets less its total liabilities computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. For a taxpayer electing to compute its net worth on a consolidated basis, net worth is defined as the difference between the total assets less the total liabilities of the affiliated group at the close of business on the last day of the tax year, as shown by a pro forma consolidated balance sheet including all members of the group. The pro forma consolidated balance sheet shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles wherein transactions and holdings between members of the group and holdings in non-domestic persons have been eliminated. For a captive REIT affiliated group, “net worth” is defined as the difference between the total assets less the total liabilities of the affiliated group at the close of business on the last day of the tax year, as shown by a pro forma consolidated balance sheet including all members of the group. The pro forma consolidated balance sheet shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles wherein transactions and holdings between members of the group and holdings in non-domestic persons have been eliminated. For purposes of the franchise tax levied by this part, a business entity shall be classified as a corporation, partnership, or other type business entity, consistent with the way the entity is classified for federal income tax purposes, and subject to tax in accordance with this part 21. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, entities that are disregarded for federal income tax purposes, except for limited liability companies whose single member is a corporation, shall not be disregarded for Tennessee franchise tax purposes. Except for unitary groups of financial institutions, captive REIT affiliated groups, and business entities that have been required or permitted to file franchise tax returns on a combined, consolidated or separate accounting basis under § 67-4-2112, each taxpayer shall be considered a separate and single business entity for Tennessee franchise tax purposes and shall file its Tennessee franchise tax return on a separate entity basis reflecting only its own business activities even though it may have filed a consolidated federal income tax return with other members of its unitary group. Acts 1999, ch. 406, § 4; 2000, ch. 982, §§ 29-31; 2004, ch. 932, § 5; 2010, ch. 1134, §§ 13, 14. Compiler's Notes. Acts 1999, ch. 406, § 19(b) provided that §§ 67-4-2101 — 67-4-2120 shall apply to tax years ending on and after June 30, 1999, for limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships, in which one or more corporations subject to franchise taxes under prior law directly or indirectly have in the aggregate an eighty percent (80%) or more ownership interest at any time after June 30, 1998; however, §§ 67-4-2101 — 67-4-2120 shall apply to tax years beginning on or after July 1, 1999, for all other taxpayers. Acts 2000, ch. 982, § 60(a) provided that §§ 1-38 of that act shall apply to tax years beginning on or after July 1, 1999, and to limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships whose tax years ended on or after June 30, 1999, and in which one (1) or more corporations subject to franchise and excise taxes under title 67, chapter 4, parts 8 and 9 before their repeal by Chapter 406 of the Public Acts of 1999, directly or indirectly had in the aggregate an eighty percent (80%) or more ownership interest at any time after June 30, 1998. Acts 2004, ch. 932, § 11 provided that the amendment by that act shall apply to all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2004. Acts 2010, ch. 1134, § 66, provided that §§ 13, 14 of the act, which amended subsections (b) and (c), shall apply to all tax years ending on or after July 1, 2010. Law Reviews. The Race is On: Choosing a Business Entity After the Tennessee Tax Revision and Reform Act of 1999 (Dania Leatherman and Marie A. Nelson), 35 Tenn. B.J. 24 (1999).