Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 35 (2021GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Bramble, C.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/22/2021

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• provides that an individual may not be determined to have domicile in this state for purposes of assessing an income tax based on the individual's dependent being enrolled in a public school in this state if the individual is a noncustodial parent and the individual was never married to the dependent's custodial parent.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

INCOME TAX DOMICILE AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble
House Sponsor: 
Steve Eliason
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions relating to income tax domicile requirements.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ provides that an individual may not be determined to have domicile in this state for
purposes of assessing an income tax based on the individual's dependent being
enrolled in a public school in this state if the individual is a noncustodial parent and
the individual was never married to the dependent's custodial parent.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides retrospective operation.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
59-10-136
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 354
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
59-10-136
 is amended to read:
59-10-136.
Domicile -- Temporary absence from state.
(1) (a) An individual is considered to have domicile in this state if:
(i) except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), a dependent with respect to whom the
individual or the individual's spouse claims a personal exemption or a tax credit under Section
24, Internal Revenue Code, on the individual's or individual's spouse's federal individual
income tax return is enrolled in a public kindergarten, public elementary school, or public
secondary school in this state; or
(ii) the individual or the individual's spouse is a resident student in accordance with
Section 
53B-8-102
 who is enrolled in an institution of higher education described in Section
53B-2-101
 in this state.
(b) The determination of whether an individual is considered to have domicile in this
state may not be determined in accordance with Subsection (1)(a)(i) if the individual:
(i) is the noncustodial parent of a dependent:
(A) with respect to whom the individual claims a personal exemption or a tax credit
under Section 24, Internal Revenue Code, on the individual's federal individual income tax
return; and
(B) who is enrolled in a public kindergarten, public elementary school, or public
secondary school in this state; and
(ii) 
(A)
 is divorced from the custodial parent of the dependent described in Subsection
(1)(b)(i)[
.
]
; or
(B) was never married to the custodial parent of the dependent described in Subsection
(1)(b)(i).
(2) There is a rebuttable presumption that an individual is considered to have domicile
in this state if:
(a) the individual or the individual's spouse claims a residential exemption in
accordance with Chapter 2, Property Tax Act, for that individual's or individual's spouse's
primary residence;
(b) the individual or the individual's spouse:
(i) votes in this state in a regular general election, municipal general election, primary
election, or special election during the taxable year; and
(ii) has not registered to vote in another state in that taxable year; or
(c) the individual or the individual's spouse asserts residency in this state for purposes
of filing an individual income tax return under this chapter, including asserting that the
individual or the individual's spouse is a part-year resident of this state for the portion of the
taxable year for which the individual or the individual's spouse is a resident of this state.
(3) (a) Subject to Subsection (3)(b), if the requirements of Subsection (1) or (2) are not
met for an individual to be considered to have domicile in this state, the individual is
considered to have domicile in this state if:
(i) the individual or the individual's spouse has a permanent home in this state to which
the individual or the individual's spouse intends to return after being absent; and
(ii) the individual or the individual's spouse has voluntarily fixed the individual's or the
individual's spouse's habitation in this state, not for a special or temporary purpose, but with the
intent of making a permanent home.
(b) The determination of whether an individual is considered to have domicile in this
state under Subsection (3)(a) shall be based on the preponderance of the evidence, taking into
consideration the totality of the following facts and circumstances:
(i) whether the individual or the individual's spouse has a driver license in this state;
(ii) whether a dependent with respect to whom the individual or the individual's spouse
claims a personal exemption or a tax credit under Section 24, Internal Revenue Code, on the
individual's or individual's spouse's federal individual income tax return is a resident student in
accordance with Section 
53B-8-102
 who is enrolled in an institution of higher education
described in Section 
53B-2-101
 in this state;
(iii) the nature and quality of the living accommodations that the individual or the
individual's spouse has in this state as compared to another state;
(iv) the presence in this state of a spouse or dependent with respect to whom the
individual or the individual's spouse claims a personal exemption or a tax credit under Section
24, Internal Revenue Code, on the individual's or individual's spouse's federal individual
income tax return;
(v) the physical location in which earned income as defined in Section 32(c)(2),
Internal Revenue Code, is earned by the individual or the individual's spouse;
(vi) the state of registration of a vehicle as defined in Section 
59-12-102
 owned or
leased by the individual or the individual's spouse;
(vii) whether the individual or the individual's spouse is a member of a church, a club,
or another similar organization in this state;
(viii) whether the individual or the individual's spouse lists an address in this state on
mail, a telephone listing, a listing in an official government publication, other correspondence,
or another similar item;
(ix) whether the individual or the individual's spouse lists an address in this state on a
state or federal tax return;
(x) whether the individual or the individual's spouse asserts residency in this state on a
document, other than an individual income tax return filed under this chapter, filed with or
provided to a court or other governmental entity;
(xi) the failure of an individual or the individual's spouse to obtain a permit or license
normally required of a resident of the state for which the individual or the individual's spouse
asserts to have domicile;
(xii) whether the individual is an individual described in Subsection (1)(b);
(xiii) whether the individual:
(A) maintains a place of abode in the state; and
(B) spends in the aggregate 183 or more days of the taxable year in the state; or
(xiv) whether the individual or the individual's spouse:
(A) did not vote in this state in a regular general election, municipal general election,
primary election, or special election during the taxable year, but voted in the state in a general
election, municipal general election, primary election, or special election during any of the
three taxable years prior to that taxable year; and
(B) has not registered to vote in another state during a taxable year described in
Subsection (3)(b)(xiv)(A).
(c) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, and
for purposes of Subsection (3)(b)(xiii), the commission may by rule define what constitutes
spending a day of the taxable year in the state.
(4) (a) Notwithstanding Subsections (1) through (3) and subject to the other provisions
of this Subsection (4), an individual is not considered to have domicile in this state if the
individual meets the following qualifications:
(i) except as provided in Subsection (4)(a)(ii)(A), the individual and the individual's
spouse are absent from the state for at least 761 consecutive days; and
(ii) during the time period described in Subsection (4)(a)(i), neither the individual nor
the individual's spouse:
(A) return to this state for more than 30 days in a calendar year;
(B) claim a personal exemption or a tax credit under Section 24, Internal Revenue
Code, on the individual's or individual's spouse's federal individual income tax return with
respect to a dependent who is enrolled in a public kindergarten, public elementary school, or
public secondary school in this state, unless the individual is an individual described in
Subsection (1)(b);
(C) are resident students in accordance with Section 
53B-8-102
 who are enrolled in an
institution of higher education described in Section 
53B-2-101
 in this state;
(D) claim a residential exemption in accordance with Chapter 2, Property Tax Act, for
that individual's or individual's spouse's primary residence; or
(E) assert that this state is the individual's or the individual's spouse's tax home for
federal individual income tax purposes.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (4)(a), an individual that meets the qualifications of
Subsection (4)(a) to not be considered to have domicile in this state may elect to be considered
to have domicile in this state by filing an individual income tax return in this state as a resident
individual.
(c) For purposes of Subsection (4)(a), an absence from the state:
(i) begins on the later of the date:
(A) the individual leaves this state; or
(B) the individual's spouse leaves this state; and
(ii) ends on the date the individual or the individual's spouse returns to this state if the
individual or the individual's spouse remains in this state for more than 30 days in a calendar
year.
(d) An individual shall file an individual income tax return or amended individual
income tax return under this chapter and pay any applicable interest imposed under Section
59-1-402
 if:
(i) the individual did not file an individual income tax return or amended individual
income tax return under this chapter based on the individual's belief that the individual has met
the qualifications of Subsection (4)(a) to not be considered to have domicile in this state; and
(ii) the individual or the individual's spouse fails to meet a qualification of Subsection
(4)(a) to not be considered to have domicile in this state.
(e) (i) Except as provided in Subsection (4)(e)(ii), an individual that files an individual
income tax return or amended individual income tax return under Subsection (4)(d) shall pay
any applicable penalty imposed under Section 
59-1-401
.
(ii) The commission shall waive the penalties under Subsections 
59-1-401
(2), (3), and
(5) if an individual who is required by Subsection (4)(d) to file an individual income tax return
or amended individual income tax return under this chapter:
(A) files the individual income tax return or amended individual income tax return
within 105 days after the individual fails to meet a qualification of Subsection (4)(a) to not be
considered to have domicile in this state; and
(B) within the 105-day period described in Subsection (4)(e)(ii)(A), pays in full the tax
due on the return, any interest imposed under Section 
59-1-402
, and any applicable penalty
imposed under Section 
59-1-401
, except for a penalty under Subsection 
59-1-401
(2), (3), or
(5).
(5) Notwithstanding Subsections (2) and (3), for individuals who are spouses for
purposes of this section and one of the spouses has domicile under this section, the other
spouse is not considered to have domicile in this state under Subsection (2) or (3) if one of the
spouses establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that, during the taxable year and for
three taxable years prior to that taxable year, that other spouse:
(a) is not an owner of property in this state;
(b) does not return to this state for more than 30 days in a calendar year;
(c) has not received earned income as defined in Section 32(c)(2), Internal Revenue
Code, in this state;
(d) has not voted in this state in a regular general election, municipal general election,
primary election, or special election; and
(e) does not have a driver license in this state.
(6) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (5), an individual is considered to have
domicile in this state in accordance with this section, the individual's spouse is considered to
have domicile in this state.
(b) For purposes of this section, an individual is not considered to have a spouse if:
(i) the individual is legally separated or divorced from the spouse; or
(ii) the individual and the individual's spouse claim married filing separately filing
status for purposes of filing a federal individual income tax return for the taxable year.
(c) Except as provided in Subsection (6)(b)(ii), for purposes of this section, an
individual's filing status on a federal individual income tax return or a return filed under this
chapter may not be considered in determining whether an individual has a spouse.
(7) For purposes of this section, whether or not an individual or the individual's spouse
claims a property tax residential exemption under Chapter 2, Property Tax Act, for the
residential property that is the primary residence of a tenant of the individual or the individual's
spouse may not be considered in determining domicile in this state.
Section 2. 
Retrospective operation.
This bill has retrospective operation for a taxable year beginning on or after January 1,
2021.