Sales and Use Tax TAA 16A-017 Food and Drink (Non-Alcoholic)
QUESTION: WHETHER SALES OF PRE-ASSEMBLED MEALS (NOT SOLD FOR IMMEDIATE CONSUMPTION)
AS PART OF A WEEKLY MEAL PLAN ARE SUBJECT TO SALES TAX.
ANSWER: SINCE THE PRE-ASSEMBLED MEALS ARE NOT SOLD FOR IMMEDIATE CONSUMPTION,
AND TAXPAYER IS NOT OPERATING AS A RESTAURANT, THE MEALS ARE EXEMPT FROM
SALES TAX AS A FOOD PRODUCT.
November 7, 2016
Re: Technical Assistance Advisement 16A-017
Pre-Assembled Meals for Consumption off the Premises of Seller
Taxpayer Name: XXXX (“Taxpayer”)
Sales and Use Tax Section 212.08(1), Florida Statutes (F.S.)
Dear XXXX:
This response is in reply to your letter to the Department, dated July
22, 2016, in which you are requesting the Department's issuance of
a Technical Assistance Advisement ("TAA") pursuant to s. 213.22,
F.S., and Chapter 12-11, F.A.C., regarding whether the sale of pre-assembled
meals is exempt from sales tax under section 212.08(1), F.S. An examination
of your petition has established that you have complied with the statutory
and regulatory requirements for issuance of a TAA. Therefore, the Department
is hereby granting your request for issuance of a TAA.
As provided in s. 213.22(1), F.S., a technical assistance advisement may
be issued to a taxpayer who requests an advisement relating to the exemptions
in s. 212.08(1) or (2), F.S., at any time. “Technical assistance
advisements shall have no precedential value except to the taxpayer who
requests the advisement and then only for the specific transaction addressed
in the technical assistance advisement, unless specifically stated otherwise
in the advisement.”
REQUESTED RULING
Whether sales of pre-assembled meals as part of a weekly meal plan are
subject to sales tax.
FACTS
Taxpayer sells various individually packaged meals as a part of weekly
meal plans to its customers. The meals require refrigeration and are intended
for the customer to heat prior to eating and are not sold for immediate
consumption. The meals, delivered during non-meal times or picked up directly
by the customer at the kitchen processing center in XXXX, do not include
napkins, utensils, or other serving materials. The kitchen facility is
not licensed as a restaurant by the XXXX and XXXX and does not provide
seating or other accommodations to allow customers to eat on the premises.
LAW
Pursuant to Section 212.05(1)(a), F.S., sales tax is imposed at the rate
of 6 percent of the sales price of each item or article of tangible personal
property when sold at retail in this state. As provided in Section 212.08(1),
F.S., there are exempted from sales tax, food products for human consumption.
The term "food products" means edible commodities, whether processed,
cooked, raw, canned, or in any other form, which are generally regarded as food.
The exemption does not apply to food cooked or prepared on or off the
seller’s premises and sold for immediate consumption, to meals for
consumption on or off the seller’s premises, or to food products
cooked, prepared, or sold in or by restaurants, lunch counters, cafeterias,
hotels, taverns, or other like places of business. In determining whether
an item is sold for immediate consumption, there shall be considered the
customary consumption practices prevailing at the selling facility. Section
212.08(1)(d)2., F.S.
CONCLUSION
Since the pre-assembled meals are not sold for immediate consumption,
and Taxpayer is not operating as a restaurant, the meals are exempt from
sales tax as a food product.
This response constitutes a Technical Assistance Advisement under s. 213.22,
F.S. which is binding on the department only under facts and circumstances
described in the request for this advice, as specified in s. 213.22, F.S.
Our response is predicated on those facts and the specific situation summarized
above. You are advised that subsequent statutory or administrative rule
changes or judicial interpretations of the statutes or rules upon which
this advice is based may subject similar future transactions to a different
treatment than expressed in this response.
You are further advised that this response, your request and related backup
documents are public records under Chapter 119, F.S., and are subject
to disclosure to the public under the conditions of s. 213.22, F.S. Confidential
information must be deleted before public disclosure. In an effort to
protect confidentiality, we request you provide the undersigned with an
edited copy of your request for Technical Assistance Advisement, the backup
material and this response, deleting names, addresses and any other details
which might lead to identification of the taxpayer. Your response should
be received by the Department within 15 days of the date of this letter.
If you have any further questions with regard to this matter and wish
to discuss them, you may contact me directly at (850) 717-7202.
Sincerely,
Richard R. Parsons
Tax Law Specialist
Technical Assistance & Dispute Resolution
(850) 717-7202
