Texas Supreme Court disposes of various natural gas compressor taxation suits by holding taxing location is inventory yard, not temporary physical locations
Ward County Appraisal District v EES Leasing, et al, 15-0965 (Tex. Nov. 16, 2018)
The Texas Supreme Court issued several connected opinions relating to the proper taxing entity for compressor equipment and pipelines.
EXLP Leasing owns and leases out compressor stations used to deliver natural gas into pipelines, with some of the pipelines located in Ward County and some in Midland County. EXLP began paying taxes on the compressors located in Ward County to Midland County, where EXLP contends it “maintain[s] a yard from which its inventory … is leased, to which leased compressors are returned after [the] leases expire[s], and where the inventory in the area is serviced.” But Ward County continued to tax full market value. EXLP Leasing filed suit arguing Tax Code provisions amended in 2012 are unconstitutional on their face and as applied because the statutory formula for valuing leased heavy equipment bears no relationship to any measure of market value as required by the Texas Constitution. The Court, on October 10, 2018, issued an opinion in EXLP Leasing, LLC v. Galveston Central Appraisal District, 554 S.W.3d 572 (Tex. 2018), which disposed of the issues by holding taxable situs for dealer-held heavy equipment was the location where the dealer maintained its inventory, rather than the various locations where leased equipment might have otherwise been physically located.
The Court adopted its reasoning in EXLP Leasing to the varying claims and facts in the consolidated cases. The Court upheld the constitutionality of the Tax Code provisions but held EXLP neither expects nor intends for the compressors located in Ward County to permanently remain in Ward County. Their “permanent” home is the inventory yard and therefore, the proper place for taxation of inventory. However, specific to this case, the County argued the specific compressors were not “heavy equipment” as listed in the Tax Code. The Court held the definition of “heavy equipment” applied to self-powered machines. The Legislature intended “self-powered” to mean a piece of a machinery or equipment supplied with mechanical power through an internal motor or engine. As a result, EXLP Leasing’s engines are “heavy equipment” falling under the same Tax Code provisions.
If you would like to read this opinion click here. Per Curiam opinion. Companion cases of Reeves County Appraisal District v Midcron (opinion), Reeves County Appraisal District v Valereus Compression Services (opinion) and Loving County Appraisal District v EXLP Leasing (opinion) are linking.
