Wireless carrier costs part of Maine phone sales

On Feb. 18, 2021, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court held that the taxable “sale price” of smartphones sold at significantly discounted prices to customers who entered into wireless service contracts at the taxpayer’s retail stores included payments made by the wireless service carriers in connection with the sales.1 The amounts paid by the carriers to the taxpayer constituted part of the taxable sales price of the phones because the taxpayer expected at the time of sale that it would be fully reimbursed by the carriers for the price discounts.

Source: grantthornton.com

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