¶ 1.
In this sales and use tax case, the Tax Appeals Commission concluded: (1) Stuyvesant Dredging, Inc.'s (SDI) activity of separating dredged material from the Fox River into its constituent parts constituted "processing" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. (2007-08),
f 2. We determine the commission's legal conclusions are entitled to great weight deference and, under that deferential standard, we conclude they are rea
BACKGROUND
f 3. The material facts are undisputed. In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered several Wisconsin paper companies to remediate the environmental impact caused by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
f 4. In 2010, the Department conducted a field audit of Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech. After completing its field audit, the Department issued written notices to both entities. The Department concluded
f 5. In 2011, both entities filed petitions for re-determination with the Department. With respect to the taxability of SDI's activities, the Department denied in part the petitions for redetermination in 2012, again concluding that SDI's activities were taxable under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)10.
f 6. Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech petitioned the commission to review the Department's determinations. Fox River Remediation, Tetra Tech, and the Department each moved for summary judgment. The Department argued that SDI's activities were taxable under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)10. or, alternatively, as "processing" of tangible personal property under § 77.52(2)(a)ll. The commission agreed with the alternative argument, concluding that SDI's activities
f 7. Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech petitioned the circuit court to review the commission's decision. The circuit court affirmed the commission's order. Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech now appeal.
DISCUSSION
¶ 8. "In an appeal following a decision of the Tax Appeals Commission, we review the Commission's decision, not the circuit court's." Xerox Corp. v. DOR,
(1) the agency was charged by the legislature with the duty of administering the statute; (2) the interpretation of the agency is one of long-standing; (3) the agency employed its expertise or specialized knowledge in forming the interpretation; and (4) the agency's interpretation will provide uniformity and consistency in the application of the statute.
Xerox Corp.,
¶ 10. The intermediate level of deference, due weight deference, "is appropriate when 'an agency has some experience in the area, but has not developed any particular expertise in interpreting and applying the statute at hand that would put the agency in a better position to interpret the statute than a reviewing court.' " Id., ¶ 48 (quoting Stoughton Trailers, Inc. v. LIRC,
¶ 11. The lowest level of deference, no deference, is appropriate when: "(1) the issue before the agency is clearly one of first impression; (2) a legal question is presented and there is no evidence of any special agency expertise or experience; or (3) the agency's position on an issue has been so inconsistent that it provides no real guidance." Zip Sort, Inc.,
I. The Commission's Legal Conclusions are Entitled to Great Weight Deference.
¶ 12. Utilizing the four-prong test described in Xerox Corp., we conclude the commission's legal conclusions in this case are entitled to great weight deference.
¶ 13. An agency's interpretation and application of a statute satisfy the second prong for great weight deference if "the agency's practice and methods of evaluating' issues of a similar nature" has been "longstanding." Wisconsin Bell, Inc. v. PSC,
¶ 14. An agency's interpretation and application of a statute satisfies the third prong for great weight deference "if the agency has developed expertise interpreting and applying the statute at issue." Xerox Corp.,
f 15. Finally, we conclude the fourth prong is satisfied because the commission's interpretation of Wis. Stat. §§ 77.52(2)(a)ll. and 77.59 "will encourage uniformity and consistency in the application" of those statutory provisions, especially in light of the commission's expertise and long-standing interpretation of those provisions. Xerox Corp.,
II. The Commission's Legal Conclusions are Reasonable.
f 16. "Having concluded that the Commission's decision is entitled to great weight deference, our review is limited to the reasonableness of the [c]om-
A. SDI's Activities Reasonably Constitute "Processing" of Tangible Personal Property Under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll.
¶ 17. The commission concluded that SDI's activities constituted "processing" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll., and were therefore a service subject to Wisconsin's retail sales and use tax. Because "processing" is not defined in the Wisconsin Statutes, the commission utilized a dictionary to interpret "processing" to mean: "to put through the steps of a prescribed procedure; or, to prepare, treat, or convert by subjecting to a special process." See Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1808 (un-abr. 1993) (defining "processing" as "to subject to a particular method, system, or technique of preparation, handling, or other treatment designed to effect a particular result" or "put through a special process"). It was reasonable for the commission to utilize a recognized dictionary definition in such a situation. See Xerox Corp.,
¶ 18. Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech argue the commission's conclusion that SDI's activities constituted "processing" of tangible personal property
¶ 19. First, and perhaps to state the obvious, "processing" has to mean something. While Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech argue it was the commission's burden to derive a reasonable definition of the term (which, they contend, it has failed to do), we do find it compelling that Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech have failed to offer any alternative, proposed interpretation of the term used within Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. Absent any competing, proposed meaning, we find it difficult to conclude the commission's use of an ordinary and accepted meaning of the term given the overall context of the statute is unreasonable.
¶ 20. Second, although the commission has interpreted the term "processing" in Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. in a broad fashion for nearly two decades, see, e.g., Hammersley, supra at 31,399, its application is limited to tangible personal property—i.e., it is inapplicable to retail services not involving tangible personal property, see Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll.
¶ 21. Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech's second argument is to note the commission found that SDI separated the dredged material into its constituent parts. Since Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a) does not list "separation" as a taxable service, they argue the commission's conclusion is unreasonable because there is "ambiguity and doubt that SDI's activity is taxable." We disagree. Just because § 77.52(2)(a) does not specifically list "separation" as a taxable service, it does not follow that ambiguity and doubt exist. If ambiguity and doubt existed any time a taxable service was described utilizing words not explicitly found in § 77.52(2)(a), it would permit a taxpayer to avoid Wisconsin's sales and use tax by, for example, characterizing its "processing" of stone as the "crushing" of
f 22. Next, Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech argue the commission's conclusion that SDI's activities constituted "processing" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. is unreasonable because it is inconsistent with one of the department's administrative rules, Wis. Admin. Code § Tax 11.38(2) (Sept. 2006),
f 23. Finally, Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech argue the commission's conclusion is unreasonable because its interpretation of "processing" in Wis.
¶ 24. The relevant words in Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll.—i.e., producing, fabricating, processing, printing, imprinting—each have independent meaning
B. Wisconsin Stat. § 77.59(3) Did Not Preclude the Department from Raising Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. as an Alternative Legal Basis for Taxation Before the Commission.
f 25. The commission concluded Wis. Stat. § 77.59(3) did not preclude the Department from rais
¶ 26. Wisconsin Stat. § 77.59(3) only requires the notice of determination to "be in writing" and to "specify whether the determination is an office audit determination or a field audit determination." Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech are unable to point to any specific language in § 77.59(3) requiring the Department to provide every possible statutory or legal basis for taxation in its notice of determination. See Midwest Track Assocs., supra at 33,291 ("[T]he Department complied with [the statutory] procedures; it simply provided an alternative ground for its assessment after those procedures had been followed."). The Department's general practice of including the legal theory on which the tax liability is based is just that, a practice, not a statutory requirement. Additionally, the
CONCLUSION
¶ 27. We conclude that the commission's legal conclusions are entitled to great weight deference. Furthermore, we conclude the commission's conclusions—that SDI's activities constituted "processing" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll., and that Wis. Stat. § 77.59(3) did not preclude the Department from raising § 77.52(2)(a)ll. as an alternative legal basis for taxation before the commission—are reasonable. Accordingly, we affirm the circuit court's order affirming the commission's order.
By the Court. Court. Order affirmed.
Notes
The relevant tax years for this case are 2007-09. Therefore, the 2005-06 and 2007-08 versions of the Wisconsin Statutes apply. However, because there are no substantive differences between the 2005-06 and 2007-08 versions of the relevant portions of the Wisconsin Statutes, all subsequent references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2007-08 version unless otherwise indicated.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, PCBs are " 'probable' human carcinogens and a risk factor for other serious, long-term health effects." Vanessa de la Torre, Hartford School Gets New Tests to Find Contaminants, Hartford Courant (Jan. 20, 2015, 9:30 AM), http://www.courant. com/community/hartford/hc-hartford-school-board-pcbs-0121— 20150120-story.html.
Subject to certain exceptions, Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)10. imposes sales and use tax on "the repair, service, alteration, fitting, cleaning, painting, coating, towing, inspection, and maintenance of all items of tangible personal property."
Subject to certain exceptions, Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. imposes sales and use tax on "[t]he producing, fabricating, processing, printing or imprinting of tangible personal property for a consideration for consumers who furnish directly or indirectly the materials used in the producing, fabricating, processing, printing or imprinting."
Wisconsin Stat. § 77.59(3) states, in relevant part:
No determination of the tax liability of a person may be made unless written notice of the determination is given to the taxpayer .... The notice required under this paragraph shall specify whether the determination is an office audit determination or a field audit determination, and it shall be in writing. If the department is unable to obtain service by mail, publication of it as a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, shall be service of notice in any case where notice is required under this subchapter.
Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech argue the commission's legal conclusions are entitled to no deference for two principal reasons. First, they argue the commission exceeded its authority by converting the narrow and selective sales and use tax on specific, enumerated retail services into a general sales and use tax on all retail services. However, the commission's reasonable interpretation of "processing" in Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. does not convert Wisconsin's sales and use tax on specific, enumerated retail services into a general sales and use tax on all retail services. See infra ¶¶ 17-20. Second, they argue the commission did not utilize its expertise to interpret "processing" in Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. because it referred to a dictionary definition. This argument was first raised in their reply brief. Therefore, we decline to address it. See Bilda v. County of Milwaukee,
Although not determinative of whether the commission's interpretation of "processing" in Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. was reasonable, we note that Tetra Tech's vice president of project engineering and senior engineer on the Fox River project testified in his deposition that he considered SDI's activity of separating dredged material from the Fox River into its constituent parts to be "processing."
All references to Wis. Admin. Code § Tax 11.38 are to the September 2006 version, which was in effect during the relevant tax years in this case.
For example, resorting again to dictionary definitions, "processing" is defined as "to subject to a particular method, system, or technique of preparation, handling, or other treatment designed to effect a particular result" or "put through a special process." Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1808 (unabr. 1993). "Producing" is defined as "to give being, form, or shape to." Id. at 1810. "Fabricating" is defined as "to form into a whole by uniting parts." Id. at 811. "Printing" is defined as "to produce printed matter." Id. at 1803. "Imprinting" is defined as "to mark by pressure." Id. at 1137. Each word has independent meaning, even though the meaning of those words may overlap in their application to a particular "activity." Cf. Hammersley Stone Co. v. DOR, Wis. Tax Rep. (CCH) ¶ 400-383 at 31,398-31,400 (WTAC 1998) (crushing of stone constitutes both "processing" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. and "alteration" of tangible personal property under § 77.52(2)(a)10.).
For example, "repair" is defined as "to restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken." Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1923 (unabr. 1993). In contrast, "inspection" is defined as "strict or close examination." Id. at 1170.
See Hammersley, supra at 31,398-31,400 (crushing of stone constitutes both "processing" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)ll. and "alteration" of tangible personal property under Wis. Stat. § 77.52(2)(a)10.).
Fox River Remediation and Tetra Tech argue that the Department's "after-the-fact justification raises significant due process and fairness issues" and assert that "[t]he Department's practice in this case has been arbitrary and unfair." (Footnotes omitted.) However, their due process argument is conclusory and inadequately developed. Therefore, we decline to address it. See Associates Fin. Servs. Co. of Wis. v. Brown,
