This part is known and may be cited as the “Sales and Use Tax Law.”

Except where the context otherwise requires, the definitions given in this chapter govern the construction of this part.

“Sales tax” means the tax imposed by Chapter 2 of this part.

“Use tax” means the tax imposed by Chapter 3 of this part.

“Person” includes any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, association, social club, fraternal organization, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, assignee for the benefit of creditors, trustee, trustee in bankruptcy, syndicate, the United States, this state, any county, city and county, municipality, district, or other political subdivision of the state, or any other group or combination acting as a unit.

“Sale” means and includes:

indirectly the materials used in the producing, fabricating, processing, printing, or imprinting.

lease of tangible personal property in any manner or by any means whatsoever, for a consideration, except a lease of:

substantially the same form as acquired by a transferor, as to which the lessor or transferor has paid sales tax reimbursement or has paid use tax measured by the purchase price of the property. For purposes of this paragraph, “transferor” shall mean the following:

of video cassettes, video tapes, and video discs for private use under which the lessee or renter does not obtain or acquire the right to license, broadcast, exhibit, or reproduce the video cassette, video tape, or video disc.

The granting of possession of tangible personal property by a lessor to a lessee, or to another person at the direction of the lessee, is a continuing sale in this state by the lessor for the duration of the lease as respects any period of time the leased property is situated in this state, irrespective of the time or place of delivery of the property to the lessee or such other person.

“Lease” includes rental, hire and license. “Lease” does not include a use of tangible personal property for a period of less than one day for a charge of less than twenty dollars ($20) when the privilege to use the property is restricted to use thereof on the premises or at a business location of the grantor of the privilege. Where a contract designated as a lease binds the lessee for a fixed term and the lessee is to obtain title at the end of the term upon the completion of the required payment or has the option at that time to purchase the property for a nominal amount, the contract shall be regarded as a sale under a

security agreement from its inception and not as a lease. In the case of a contract designated as a lease with any state or local governmental body, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, the lessee shall be treated as bound for a fixed term notwithstanding any right of the lessee to terminate the contract in the event that sufficient funds are not appropriated to pay amounts due under the contract.

“Occasional sale” includes all of the following:

required to hold a seller’s permit if the activity were conducted in this state.

hay.

“Sale” includes any sale at an auction in respect to tangible personal property which is sold to a successful bidder at the auction upon an agreement or understanding at the time of the sale that the property involved either will not be delivered to the successful bidder or that any amount which he may pay for the property pursuant to the sale will be returned to him. The tax shall be computed in such case upon the amount of the successful bid.

consumer or to a person for redelivery to a consumer, pursuant to a retail sale made by a retailer not engaged in business in this state, the person making the delivery shall be deemed the retailer of that property. He or she shall include the retail selling price of the property in his or her gross receipts or sales price.

counterfeiting offense, including, but not limited to, a violation under Section 350 or 653w of the Penal Code or Section 2318, 2319, or 2320 of Title 18 of the United States Code on or after the date of sale.

Professions Code, and Title 1.5 (commencing with Section 1750) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code shall not apply to any person other than a convicted seller.

A sale of tangible personal property to a contractor or subcontractor for use in the performance of contracts with the United States for the construction of improvements on or to real property in this State is a retail sale. The gross receipts from such a sale or the sales price of property so sold shall be included in the measure of the taxes imposed by this part.

“Storage” includes any keeping or retention in this State for any purpose except sale in the regular course of business or subsequent use solely outside this State of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer.

“Use” includes the exercise of any right or power over tangible personal property incident to the ownership of that property, and also includes the possession of, or the exercise of any right or power over, tangible personal property by a lessee under a lease, except that it does not include the sale of that property in the regular course of business.

“Storage” and “use” do not include the keeping, retaining or exercising any right or power over tangible personal property for the purpose of subsequently transporting it outside the state for use thereafter solely outside the state, or for the purpose of being processed, fabricated, or manufactured into, attached to or incorporated into, other tangible personal property to be transported outside the state and thereafter used solely outside the state.

“Purchase” means and includes:

producing, fabricating, processing, printing, or imprinting of tangible personal property for a consideration for consumers who furnish either directly or indirectly the materials used in the producing, fabricating, processing, printing, or imprinting.

television, films, and tapes.

the following:

The possession of tangible personal property by a lessee, or by another person at the direction of the lessee, is a continuing purchase for use in this state by the lessee as respects any period of time the leased property is situated in this state, irrespective of the time or place of delivery of the property to the lessee or such other person.

facility,” and “participating party” as used in this section have the meanings ascribed to them in Sections 44506 and 44508 of the Health and Safety Code.

“Sale” and “purchase,” for the purpose of this part, do not include any transfer of a qualified mass commuting vehicle pursuant to a safe harbor lease arrangement described in Section 168(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended by Section 208 of Public Law 97-248, Section 5 of Public Law 97-354, and Section 102 of Public Law 97-448, or pursuant to a sale-leaseback or lease-leaseback arrangement which includes a safe harbor lease arrangement. For purposes of this section, “qualified mass commuting vehicle” means a qualified mass commuting vehicle as defined in Section 103(b)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of

1954.