Example: Green fees, campground fees, swimming fees, ice skating fees and park shelter house fees are taxable if the activity being conducted at the facility is amusement, athletic, entertainment or recreational in nature.
Note: See s. Tax 11.51 for a list of food products subject to tax.
Examples:
Example: A city government provides that in order to have trash removed by the city, the trash must be put in special bags which are sold for $1 each. The $1 charge is allocated as follows: 18¢ for the bag, 42¢ for removal and 40¢ for cost of the disposal site. The $1 charge for the bag is not subject to tax because the transfer of the bag is incidental to the sale of the waste removal service.
Note: Section 256.35(3m), Stats., regarding the surcharge for customers of wireless providers was repealed by 2017 Wis. Act 59.
Note: Refer to s. Tax 11.04 regarding the purchase of building materials used in the construction of buildings for governmental units.
Note: Form S-211 is available from any department of revenue office.
Example: A governmental unit intends to purchase clothing for a welfare recipient. The governmental unit gives a purchase order to the retailer and the retailer makes the invoice out to the governmental unit. The sale is not subject to sales tax if the welfare recipient pays the retailer with funds given to the recipient by the governmental unit or if the governmental unit pays the retailer directly.
Note: Section Tax 11.05 interprets ss. 77.52(1), (2), (13), and (14) and 77.54(1), (9a), (10), (15), (17), (20n), (30), (32), (37), (42), (44), and (55), Stats.
Wis. Admin. Code Department of Revenue Tax 11.05
The interpretations in s. Tax 11.05 are effective under the general sales and use tax law on and after September 1, 1969, except: (a) Sales by vocational, technical and adult education schools were exempt from July 1, 1972, through October 3, 1973; (b) Mobile meals on wheels became exempt October 4, 1973, pursuant to Chapter 90, Laws of 1973; (c) Admission fees to state parks became exempt on July 1, 1978, pursuant to Chapter 418, Laws of 1977; (d) Sales of coal, fuel oil, propane, steam and wood used for fuel became exempt July 1, 1979, and the electricity and natural gas six-month exemption became effective on November 1, 1979, both pursuant to Chapter 1, Laws of 1979; (e) A governmental unit's charges for parking motor vehicles and aircraft and docking and providing storage space for boats became taxable June 1, 1980, pursuant to Chapter 221, Laws of 1979; (f) Landscaping and lawn maintenance services became taxable on May 1, 1982, pursuant to Chapter 317, Laws of 1981; (g) A governmental unit's charges for copying public records became exempt effective April 27, 1984, pursuant to 1983 Wis. Act 287, later amended effective April 2, 1986, pursuant to 1985 Wis. Act 149 to clarify that the exemption also applies to confidential records, and again amended effective May 1, 1992, pursuant to 1991 Wis. Act 269, to include records under s. 19.35(1) (a), Stats.; (h) The exemption for peat and fuel cubes produced from solid waste became effective April 2, 1986, pursuant to 1985 Wis. Act 149; (i) The exemption for an agency or instrumentality of a Wisconsin governmental unit became effective June 1, 1986, pursuant to 1985 Wis. Act 149; (j) Wood residue used for fuel by businesses became exempt on September 1, 1987, pursuant to 1987 Wis. Act 27; (k) The exemption for admissions to a museum operated by a nonprofit corporation under lease with the state historical society became exempt July 20, 1985, pursuant to 1985 Wis. Act 29; (L) The exclusion of hospital service insurance corporation from the definition of exempt entity became effective September 1, 1985, pursuant to 1985 Wis. Act 29; (m) Revenues from establishing a "911" emergency telephone system became exempt August 1, 1987, pursuant to 1987 Wis. Act 27; (n) State park camping fees became exempt effective September 1, 1989, pursuant to 1989 Wis. Act 31; (o) The exemption for animal identification tags and standard samples by the Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection became effective October 1, 1993, pursuant to 1993 Wis. Act 16; (p) The exemption for fuel used in farming became effective October 1, 1991, pursuant to 1991 Wis. Act 39; (q) The requirement that meals must be served on the premises of hospitals, nursing homes, etc., for exemption to apply became effective October 1, 1991, pursuant to 1991 Wis. Act 39; (r) The exemption for sales to a local exposition district became effective April 26, 1994, pursuant to 1993 Wis. Act 263; (s) The exemption for sales of meals by community-based residential facilities became effective June 1, 1994, pursuant to 1993 Wis. Act 332; (t) The exemption for sales to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority became effective July 29, 1995, pursuant to 1995 Wis. Act 27; (u) The exemption for certain meals, food, food products and beverages furnished by institutions of higher education was revised to apply only if the items are furnished to an undergraduate student, a graduate student or a student enrolled in a professional school if the student is enrolled for credit at that institution and if the items are consumed by that student, or the items are furnished to a national football league team, effective for contracts or agreements entered into on or after October 14, 1997, pursuant to 1997 Wis. Act 27, and further revised to include certain meals, food, food products or beverages paid for to an institution of higher education through the use of an account of the institution, if the items are furnished by the institution, effective December 31, 1997, pursuant to 1997 Wis. Act 41; (v) The exemption for electricity sold for use in farming was expanded to include sales of electricity during the entire year, effective for sales on or after May 1, 2000, pursuant to 1999 Wis. Act 9; (w) The exemption for sales from the collection of public benefit fees became effective October 29, 1999, pursuant to 1999 Wis. Act 9; (x) The exemption for use of recreational facilities in connection with the sale of time-share property became effective December 1, 1999, pursuant to 1999 Wis. Act 9; (y) The exemption for certain items sold from a vending machine became effective July 1, 2001, pursuant to 1999 Wis. Act 9; (z) The exemption for fuel consumed in manufacturing became effective January 1, 2006, pursuant to 2003 Wis. Act 99; (zb) The exemption for regional transit authorities and the Wisconsin Quality Home Health Care Authority became effective July 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 28; (ze) The exemption for federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands in Wisconsin became effective August 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Act 28; (zh) The requirement that governmental units collect sales tax on their sales of used motor vehicles became effective October 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2; (zL) The exemption for low-income assistance fees became effective July 1, 2005, pursuant to 2005 Wis. Act 141; (zp) The exemption for certain admissions to sports activities by governmental units became effective July 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 28; (zr) The exemption for the police and fire protection fee became effective July 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 28; (zu) The change of the term "gross receipts" to "sales price" and the separate impositions of tax on coins and stamps sold above face value under s. 77.52(1) (b), Stats., certain leased property affixed to real property under s. 77.52(1) (c), Stats., and digital goods under s. 77.52(1) (d), Stats., became effective October 1, 2009, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 2; (zy) The exemption for sales of food and food ingredients, except soft drinks, by any facility certified or licensed under ch. 48, Stats., became effective May 6, 2010, pursuant to 2009 Wis. Act 204; (zz) The exemption for regional transit authorities was repealed effective September 28, 2011, pursuant to 2011 Wis. Act 32 and the exemption for the Wisconsin Quality Home Care Authority was repealed effective June 29, 2011, pursuant to 2011 Wis. Act 10; (zza) The exemption for certain title holding entities described under s. 501 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code was effective retroactively to September 1, 2017, pursuant to 2017 Wis. Act 231; and (zzb) The exemption for state veterans organizations was effective July 1, 2018, pursuant to 2017 Wis. Act 190.