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Sales Tax Update - July 2026

by Michael T. Dillon, Esq., Dillon Tax Consulting LLC
7/21/2026
  • Newly taxable: Pursuant to SB 122, effective 1/1/27, prewritten software becomes subject to California sales and use tax regardless of whether it is:
    • Delivered on physical media
    • Downloaded electronically
    • Accessed remotely
    • Provided as SaaS
  • Classification: Covered digital products are treated as tangible personal property for sales and use tax purposes.
  • Custom software: Software prepared to the special order of a customer remains exempt, including qualifying custom programs incorporating preexisting components.
  • Other digital goods: The law is principally directed at prewritten software and SaaS. Many consumer digital products, such as streaming media, digital books, music, and similar content, are ...
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data processing

Sales Tax Update - April 2025

by Michael T. Dillon, Esq., Dillon Tax Consulting LLC
4/26/2025

Texas Comptroller Adopts Changes to Data Processing Services

Effective April 2, 2025, the Texas Comptroller effected changes to Texas Administrative Code Rule 3.330, addressing the definition and sales tax treatment of data processing services, most specifically (1) refining what constitutes and does not constitute data processing services, and (2) adopting an exclusion for data ...

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Texas Court says the “Essence of Transaction” involving a Provider’s technology platform is not “Data Processing”

Dillon Tax Consulting
5/10/2016

In a decision involving the true object, or “essence of the transaction” test, the Texas court of appeals upheld the trial court’s decision in favor of the taxpayer refund claim for sales tax assessed on the provision of bill pay services. In Hegar v. CheckFree Services Corporation, NO. 14-15-00027-CV (Tex. Ct. App., April 19 ...

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