Sales and Use Tax Production Exemptions

The Maryland sales and use tax does not apply to sales of machinery and equipment used in production activities, sales of tangible personal property for consumption in production activities, or sales of tangible personal property for resale or incorporation as a material or part of other tangible personal property produced for sale.

The Tangible Personal Property Used or Consumed in a Production Activity citations are from COMAR 03.06.01.32-2 and COMAR 03.06.01.24.

Exempt activities

Tax-exempt production activities include:

  • Assembling, manufacturing, processing, or refining tangible personal property for sale or resale (except for processing food or beverages by a food vendor);
  • Generating electricity for sale or for use in production activity;
  • Establishing or maintaining clean rooms or clean zones required by federal laws pertaining to manufacturing drugs, medical devices, or biologics;
  • Producing, maintaining, and repairing production machinery or equipment;
  • Laundering, maintaining or preparing textiles in providing the taxable service of commercial cleaning or laundering of textiles for a buyer engaged in a business that requires this service on a recurring basis of a commercial cleaning or laundering of the textiles;
  • Providing for the safety of employees, including safety glasses, hard hats and breathing apparatus; or,
  • Providing for quality control.

Servicing, maintaining, or repairing tangible personal property other than production machinery or equipment, or providing for the health and comfort of employees are not production activities.

Exempt items

Tax-exempt items include:

  • any tangible personal property used directly and predominantly in a production activity in any stage of operation on the production activity site - from handling raw materials or components to moving finished product;
  • foundations to support other machinery and equipment or an item required to conform to air or water pollution laws and normally considered part of real property;
  • safety equipment used in production activity;
  • quality control machinery and equipment used in a production activity site;
  • equipment and supplies used to remove finished goods on a production activity site;
  • machinery used to produce bituminous concrete; and
  • certain specified equipment used in aluminum production.

"Direct" and "predominant" use

Tangible personal property is considered to be used "directly" when the use of the property is integral and essential to the production activity; the use occurs where the production activity is carried on and occurs during the production activity.

The property is considered to be used "predominantly" when the property is used directly in production activities more than 50 percent of the time.

Lease payments

Lease payments of production activity equipment also qualify for the exemption. If machinery or equipment is used both in a production activity and administrative, managerial, sales or any other non-operational activity, the exemption applies if it is used at least 50 percent of the time in a production activity.

Food preparation by restaurants and food retailers

Generally, food processed for sale by grocery stores, bakeries and other food retailers does not qualify for exemption. However, there is a specific exemption for the sale of equipment to be used by a retail food vendor to manufacture or process bread or bakery goods for resale. To qualify for the exemption, the vendor must operate a substantial grocery or market business (as defined in Section 11-206(a) of the Tax-General Article) at the same location where the food is sold. The taxable price of each piece of exempt equipment must be at least $2,000.

Utilities and fuel

Sales of utilities and fuel qualify for exemption under the same terms as other consumables. However, the use of these items in operating administrative, commercial and storage facilities and in providing plant heating and air conditioning is not exempt. When utilities are sold through a single meter for both taxable and exempt uses, taxability is controlled by majority usage. The taxability of oil and coal is also controlled by majority usage where it is impractical to segregate qualifying and non-qualifying usage. To claim the exemption for utilities and fuel, contact Taxpayer Service to obtain Form ST206 and send the completed form to the vendor.

Research and development

The sales tax does not apply to purchases of tangible personal property for use or consumption in research and development. Research and development means basic and applied research in the sciences and engineering and the design, development and governmentally mandated pre-market testing of prototypes and processes. Market research, research in the social sciences or psychology, and other nontechnical activities, routine product testing, sales services or technical and nontechnical services are not included.

No special forms are required to claim the research and development exemption. If entitlement to exemption is not evident from the documents of sale, the vendor should obtain a certificate from the purchaser stating that the property will qualify.

Resale and incorporation exclusions

Vendors may not recognize the resale and incorporation exclusions unless you provide them with a resale certificate with a signed statement that the purchases are for resale and including the buyer's name, address and Maryland sales and use tax registration number. For more information on the use of resale certificates, contact Taxpayer Service and request Business Tax Tip #4, If you Make Purchases for Resale.

Printing industry

The sales tax does not apply to the sale of photographic materials used to produce an item (such as a photographic plate) used in composing, printing or producing another item used in printing. Sales of artwork, electrodes, electrotypes, composition, litho-graphic plates or negatives, mats, photo engravings, stereotypes or typographies for direct use by a person engaged in printing tangible personal property for sale are also exempt. A person selling the items, other than those that are photographic in nature, must pay the tax on all materials used to produce them. A printer who produces these items for self use also must pay tax on all materials.

Claim procedure

No special forms are needed to claim the machinery and consumable exemptions, other than Form ST206 for utilities and fuel. If a vendor requires documentation to support a claim for the machinery exemption, a signed form certifying use in production activities may be provided. The consumables exclusion may be supported by a statement in the form of a resale certificate stating that the property will qualify.

Sales to Exempt Nonprofit Organizations

Certain qualified nonprofit organizations are exempt from paying tax on the purchase of items which will be used in carrying out the business of the organization.

The state of Maryland issues exemption certificates to properly qualified organizations. You should record the eight-digit number from this certificate on your copy of the receipt or sales slip.

If you are presented with an exemption certificate, you may use our online service to verify its validity.

Sales of Materials Used in Production Activities

Materials that will be incorporated in property to be produced for sale are not subject to tax. You should keep a resale certificate, signed by the buyer and bearing the buyer's Maryland registration number, on file to document the tax-free sales of exempt materials. If you are presented with a resale certificate, you may use our online services to verify its validity.

Guidelines for Reproduced or Computerized Sales Records

Reproductions of records made in the regular course of business, as well as computerized records, are permissible if you follow the guidelines outlined below.

Microfilm and Microfiche

You must offer suitable facilities for viewing microfilm and microfiche records. You must also provide any copies which may be required for tax verification purposes.

Computerized Tax Accounting

  • Produce visible records necessary to verify tax liabilities.
  • Permit a transaction to be traced back to the original source or forward to the totals.
  • Make available a description of the system, including flow charts and procedures.
  • Have controls to insure accuracy.

Sales to Foreign Diplomats

The U.S. Department of State issues a white plastic tax exemption card to qualified diplomats. You must record the tax-exempt number from the back of the card onto the sales slip. Please be aware that the certificates may not be valid for all purposes.

Blue stripes

Cards with BLUE stripes entitle the holder to an exemption from the tax on all purchases.

Green stripes

Cards with GREEN stripes entitle the holder to an exemption from the tax on all purchases except the tax on transient accommodations.

Red stripes

Cards with RED stripes entitle the holder to an exemption from the tax on purchases of taxable items, which exceed the $50, $100 or $200 levels printed on the reverse side of the cards.

Online verification

You may use our online service to verify the validity of a diplomatic tax exemption card.

Resale Certificates

A resale certificate is a written statement that you provide stating that the merchandise or taxable service you buy will be resold in a taxable sale or that it will be incorporated into tangible personal property or used in a service that will be taxed when it is sold. Although there is no specific form for a resale certificate, it must include:

  • a signed statement that the purchase is intended for resale,
  • the purchaser's name and address; and,
  • the purchaser's Maryland sales and use tax registration number.
    Note: Your sales and use tax registration number is an eight-digit number that has been assigned to your business. You'll find your registration number on each sales and use tax return we send you and on your sales and use tax license.

If you frequently deal with the same vendor, you may provide that vendor with a blanket resale certificate stating that all purchases are for resale. However it is important to note that your vendor retains the right to ask for a resale certificate for each transaction. If the vendor agrees to receive your blanket resale certificate then all you have to do is give the supplier your sales and use tax registration number.

Record Keeping

Vendors must clearly document the reason for all tax-exempt sales and should keep resale certificates on file as part of your business records. You must be able to match your sales records with the appropriate resale certificates for audit purposes. You can be held liable for uncollected taxes if you accept resale certificates for sales that you know or should know are not for resale.

Purchases under $200

Resale certificates may not be used to make tax-free purchases for resale if the purchase is less than $200 and payment is by cash, check or credit card unless the seller delivers the goods directly to the buyer's retail place of business. However, you may present a resale certificate to make a tax-free purchase of goods for less than $200 if you are purchasing goods: (1) on credit by the seller; (2) which would be exempt even if not sold for resale; or (3) which are alcoholic beverages regulated by Article 2B of the Annotated Code of Maryland. View a Sample Blanket Resale Certificate.