Tex. Tax Code § 171.1012 – Determination of Cost of Goods Sold

(a) In this section:
1. (1) "Goods" means real or tangible personal property sold in the ordinary course of business of a taxable entity.
2. (2) "Production" means construction, manufacture, development, mining, extraction, improvement, creation, raising, or growth.
  1. (i) personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched or that is perceptible to the senses in any other manner;
  2. (ii) films, sound recordings, videotapes, live and prerecorded television and radio programs, books, and other similar property embodying words, ideas, concepts, images, or sound, without regard to the means or methods of distribution or the medium in which the property is embodied, for which, as costs are incurred in producing the property, it is intended or is reasonably likely that any medium in which the property is embodied will be mass-distributed by the creator or any one or more third parties in a form that is not substantially altered; and
  3. (iii) a computer program, as defined by Section 151.0031.
  4. (B) "Tangible personal property" does not include:
    1. (i) intangible property; or
    2. (ii) services.
  (3)(A) "Tangible personal property" means:
(b) Subject to Section 171.1014, a taxable entity that elects to subtract cost of goods sold for the purpose of computing its taxable margin shall determine the amount of that cost of goods sold as provided by this section.
(c) The cost of goods sold includes all direct costs of acquiring or producing the goods, including:
1. (1) labor costs;
2. (2) cost of materials that are an integral part of specific property produced;
3. (3) cost of materials that are consumed in the ordinary course of performing production activities;
4. (4) handling costs, including costs attributable to processing, assembling, repackaging, and inbound transportation costs;
5. (5) storage costs, including the costs of carrying, storing, or warehousing property, subject to Subsection (e);
6. (6) depreciation, depletion, and amortization, reported on the federal income tax return on which the report under this chapter is based, to the extent associated with and necessary for the production of goods, including recovery described by Section 197, Internal Revenue Code;
7. (7) the cost of renting or leasing equipment, facilities, or real property directly used for the production of the goods, including pollution control equipment and intangible drilling and dry hole costs;
8. (8) the cost of repairing and maintaining equipment, facilities, or real property directly used for the production of the goods, including pollution control devices;
9. (9) costs attributable to research, experimental, engineering, and design activities directly related to the production of the goods, including all research or experimental expenditures described by Section 174, Internal Revenue Code;
10. (10) geological and geophysical costs incurred to identify and locate property that has the potential to produce minerals;
11. (11) taxes paid in relation to acquiring or producing any material, or taxes paid in relation to services that are a direct cost of production;
12. (12) the cost of producing or acquiring electricity sold; and
13. (13) a contribution to a partnership in which the taxable entity owns an interest that is used to fund activities, the costs of which would otherwise be treated as cost of goods sold of the partnership, but only to the extent that those costs are related to goods distributed to the taxable entity as goods-in-kind in the ordinary course of production activities rather than being sold.
(d) In addition to the amounts includable under Subsection (c), the cost of goods sold includes the following costs in relation to the taxable entity's goods:
1. (1) deterioration of the goods;
2. (2) obsolescence of the goods;
3. (3) spoilage and abandonment, including the costs of rework labor, reclamation, and scrap;
4. (4) if the property is held for future production, preproduction direct costs allocable to the property, including costs of purchasing the goods and of storage and handling the goods, as provided by Subsections (c)(4) and (c)(5);
5. (5) postproduction direct costs allocable to the property, including storage and handling costs, as provided by Subsections (c)(4) and (c)(5);
6. (6) the cost of insurance on a plant or a facility, machinery, equipment, or materials directly used in the production of the goods;
7. (7) the cost of insurance on the produced goods;
8. (8) the cost of utilities, including electricity, gas, and water, directly used in the production of the goods;
9. (9) the costs of quality control, including replacement of defective components pursuant to standard warranty policies, inspection directly allocable to the production of the goods, and repairs and maintenance of goods; and
10. (10) licensing or franchise costs, including fees incurred in securing the contractual right to use a trademark, corporate plan, manufacturing procedure, special recipe, or other similar right directly associated with the goods produced.
(e) The cost of goods sold does not include the following costs in relation to the taxable entity's goods:
1. (1) the cost of renting or leasing equipment, facilities, or real property that is not used for the production of the goods;
2. (2) selling costs, including employee expenses related to sales;
3. (3) distribution costs, including outbound transportation costs;
4. (4) advertising costs;
5. (5) idle facility expense;
6. (6) rehandling costs;
7. (7) bidding costs, which are the costs incurred in the solicitation of contracts ultimately awarded to the taxable entity;
8. (8) unsuccessful bidding costs, which are the costs incurred in the solicitation of contracts not awarded to the taxable entity;
9. (9) interest, including interest on debt incurred or continued during the production period to finance the production of the goods;
10. (10) income taxes, including local, state, federal, and foreign income taxes, and franchise taxes that are assessed on the taxable entity based on income;
11. (11) strike expenses, including costs associated with hiring employees to replace striking personnel, but not including the wages of the replacement personnel, costs of security, and legal fees associated with settling strikes;
12. (12) officers' compensation;
13. (13) costs of operation of a facility that is:
  1. (A) located on property owned or leased by the federal government; and
  2. (B) managed or operated primarily to house members of the armed forces of the United States; and
14. (14) any compensation paid to an undocumented worker used for the production of goods. As used in this subdivision:
  1. (A) "undocumented worker" means a person who is not lawfully entitled to be present and employed in the United States; and
  2. (B) "goods" includes the husbandry of animals, the growing and harvesting of crops, and the severance of timber from realty.
(f) A taxable entity may subtract as a cost of goods sold indirect or administrative overhead costs, including all mixed service costs, such as security services, legal services, data processing services, accounting services, personnel operations, and general financial planning and financial management costs, that it can demonstrate are allocable to the acquisition or production of goods, except that the amount subtracted may not exceed four percent of the taxable entity's total indirect or administrative overhead costs, including all mixed service costs. Any costs excluded under Subsection (e) may not be subtracted under this subsection.
(g) A taxable entity that is allowed a subtraction by this section for a cost of goods sold and that is subject to Section 263A, 460, or 471, Internal Revenue Code, may capitalize that cost in the same manner and to the same extent that the taxable entity capitalized that cost on its federal income tax return or may expense those costs, except for costs excluded under Subsection (e), or in accordance with Subsections (c), (d), and (f). If the taxable entity elects to capitalize costs, it must capitalize each cost allowed under this section that it capitalized on its federal income tax return. If the taxable entity later elects to begin expensing a cost that may be allowed under this section as a cost of goods sold, the entity may not deduct any cost in ending inventory from a previous report. If the taxable entity elects to expense a cost of goods sold that may be allowed under this section, a cost incurred before the first day of the period on which the report is based may not be subtracted as a cost of goods sold. If the taxable entity elects to expense a cost of goods sold and later elects to capitalize that cost of goods sold, a cost expensed on a previous report may not be capitalized.
(h) A taxable entity shall determine its cost of goods sold, except as otherwise provided by this section, in accordance with the methods used on the federal income tax return on which the report under this chapter is based. This subsection does not affect the type or category of cost of goods sold that may be subtracted under this section.
(i) A taxable entity may make a subtraction under this section in relation to the cost of goods sold only if that entity owns the goods. The determination of whether a taxable entity is an owner is based on all of the facts and circumstances, including the various benefits and burdens of ownership vested with the taxable entity. A taxable entity furnishing labor or materials to a project for the construction, improvement, remodeling, repair, or industrial maintenance (as the term "maintenance" is defined in 34 T.A.C. Section 3.357) of real property is considered to be an owner of that labor or materials and may include the costs, as allowed by this section, in the computation of cost of goods sold. Solely for purposes of this section, a taxable entity shall be treated as the owner of goods being manufactured or produced by the entity under a contract with the federal government, including any subcontracts that support a contract with the federal government, notwithstanding that the Federal Acquisition Regulation may require that title or risk of loss with respect to those goods be transferred to the federal government before the manufacture or production of those goods is complete.
(j) A taxable entity may not make a subtraction under this section for cost of goods sold to the extent the cost of goods sold was funded by partner contributions and deducted under Subsection (c)(13).
(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if the taxable entity is a lending institution that offers loans to the public and elects to subtract cost of goods sold, the entity, other than an entity primarily engaged in an activity described by category 5932 of the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification Manual published by the federal Office of Management and Budget, may subtract as a cost of goods sold an amount equal to interest expense. For purposes of this subsection, an entity engaged in lending to unrelated parties solely for agricultural production offers loans to the public.
(k-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the following taxable entities may subtract as a cost of goods sold the costs otherwise allowed by this section in relation to tangible personal property that the entity rents or leases in the ordinary course of business of the entity:
1. (1) a motor vehicle rental or leasing company that remits a tax on gross receipts imposed under Section 152.026;
2. (2) a heavy construction equipment rental or leasing company; and
3. (3) a railcar rolling stock rental or leasing company.
(k-2) This subsection applies only to a pipeline entity: (1) that owns or leases and operates the pipeline by which the product is transported for others and only to that portion of the product to which the entity does not own title; and (2) that is primarily engaged in gathering, storing, transporting, or processing crude oil, including finished petroleum products, natural gas, condensate, and natural gas liquids, except for a refinery installation that manufactures finished petroleum products from crude oil. Notwithstanding Subsection (e)(3) or (i), a pipeline entity providing services for others related to the product that the pipeline does not own and to which this subsection applies may subtract as a cost of goods sold its depreciation, operations, and maintenance costs allowed by this section related to the services provided.
(k-3) For purposes of Subsection (k-2), "processing" means the physical or mechanical removal, separation, or treatment of crude oil, including finished petroleum products, natural gas, condensate, and natural gas liquids after those materials are produced from the earth. The term does not include the chemical or biological transformation of those materials.
(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a payment made by one member of an affiliated group to another member of that affiliated group not included in the combined group may be subtracted as a cost of goods sold only if it is a transaction made at arm's length.
(m) In this section, "arm's length" means the standard of conduct under which entities that are not related parties and that have substantially equal bargaining power, each acting in its own interest, would negotiate or carry out a particular transaction.
(n) In this section, "related party" means a person, corporation, or other entity, including an entity that is treated as a pass-through or disregarded entity for purposes of federal taxation, whether the person, corporation, or entity is subject to the tax under this chapter or not, in which one person, corporation, or entity, or set of related persons, corporations, or entities, directly or indirectly owns or controls a controlling interest in another entity.
(o) If a taxable entity, including a taxable entity with respect to which cost of goods sold is determined pursuant to Section 171.1014(e)(1), whose principal business activity is film or television production, television or radio broadcasting, the distribution of tangible personal property described by Subsection (a)(3)(A)(ii), or any combination of these activities, elects to subtract cost of goods sold, the cost of goods sold for the taxable entity shall be the costs described in this section in relation to the property and include depreciation, amortization, and other expenses directly related to the acquisition, production, or use of the property, including expenses for the right to broadcast or use the property. For purposes of this subsection, "television or radio broadcasting" means television or radio broadcasting under a television or radio broadcast license issued by the Federal Communications Commission and regulated under 47 C.F.R. Part 73 or 74.
(t) If a taxable entity that is a movie theater elects to subtract cost of goods sold, the cost of goods sold for the taxable entity shall be the costs described by this section in relation to the acquisition, production, exhibition, or use of a film or motion picture, including expenses for the right to use the film or motion picture.
Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 1 (H.B. 3), Sec. 5, eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1282 (H.B. 3928), Sec. 14, eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1282 (H.B. 3928), Sec. 15, eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1232 (H.B. 500), Sec. 9, eff. January 1, 2014.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1232 (H.B. 500), Sec. 10(a), eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 377 (H.B. 4002), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 765 (S.B. 263), Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2025.