R865-6F-1. Corporation Franchise Privilege - Right to Do Business - Nature of Liability and How Terminated Pursuant to Utah Code Ann. Sections 16-10a-1501 through 16-10a-1533

A. The Utah franchise tax is imposed upon corporations qualified or incorporated under the laws of Utah, whether or not they do business therein, and also upon corporations doing business in Utah, whether or not they are qualified or incorporated under the laws of Utah.

1. An unqualified foreign corporation doing business in this state is liable for Utah corporation franchise tax in the same amount as if it had duly applied for and received a certificate of authority to transact business in this state pursuant to Section 16-10a-1501.

2. An unqualified foreign corporation deriving income from this state, but not doing business in this state within the contemplation of the Utah corporation franchise tax law is subject to the Utah corporation income tax on income derived from this state under the provisions of Sections 59-7-201 to 59-7-207.

B. If a corporation received its corporate authority to do business in Utah prior to January 1, 1973, and is a member of an affiliated group filing a combined report under Section 59-7-402 or 59-7-403, and legally terminates its corporate authority, it must include its activity during the final year in the combined report of the group. The tax is imposed upon the income of the group rather than the income of the individual corporations.

C. A corporation that was incorporated, qualified, or that reinstated its corporate authority to do business in Utah after January 1, 1973 must file a corporation franchise tax return and pay the tax due with the return for the year in which it legally terminates its right to do business in this state. The Tax Commission shall not issue a tax clearance certificate until the final return has been filed and the amounts due for the final year are paid.

D. For Utah corporation franchise tax purposes, a foreign corporation terminates its corporate existence or the privileges for which the franchise tax is levied (unless it continues to do business) on the date on which:

1. a certificate of withdrawal is issued under the provisions of Section 16-10a-1520;

2. its corporate existence is legally terminated in its home state, provided authoritative evidence of that termination is filed;

3. a certificate of revocation of its authority to transact business in this state is issued under the provisions of Sections 16-10a-1530 and 16-10a-1531; or

4. the corporate powers, rights, and privileges are forfeited under the provisions of Section 59-7-534.

E. For Utah corporation franchise tax purposes, a corporation that is incorporated under the laws of this state terminates its corporate existence or the privilege of exercising its corporate franchise for which the franchise tax is levied on the date on which:

  1. a certificate of dissolution is issued pursuant to a voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 16-10a-1401 or Sections 16-10a-1402 through 16-10a-1403;

2. a decree of dissolution is entered by the court pursuant to the provisions of Sections 16-10a-1430 through 16-10a-1433;

3. a certificate of merger or of consolidation (which effects the termination of the separate corporate existence of the Utah corporation) is issued pursuant to the provisions of Sections 16-10a-1101 through 16-10a-1107; or

4. the corporate rights and privileges are suspended under the provisions of Section 59-7-534.

F. If the corporation continues to do business in this state subsequent to any of the above dates, it is liable for franchise tax, even though doing business is not authorized, or may even be prohibited, by law. A corporation cannot avoid the franchise tax by doing business without authority which, if legally done, would subject the corporation to the tax.