South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 117 - DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Article 11 - SALES AND USE TAX REGULATIONS
Section 117-315.3 - Newspaper Publishers

1. News gathering

2. Composition and printing

3. Circulation

News is gathered by reporters, submitted by the public, and furnished from other news gathering sources through use of TWX and tape monitors. Pictures, mats, and engravings are secured by employees of the publisher, submitted by the public, purchased by the printing concern, or forwarded by wire from news gathering agencies.

Newspaper publishers customarily utilize machines and equipment with which to produce etchings from photographs. The etchings are forwarded to the composing room for assembly into page forms, (along with other type and engravings) in order to produce the newspaper mat.

Both the news and the advertising copy must go through what is known as the composing and stereotyping departments, where type is set by machines using what is known as type metal, then put together in page forms, and from there going to the stereotype department, where machines are used to imprint on what is known as newspaper mats, the type as set in the printing or compounding department. From this page mat a plate is cast by machine, using composition metal, which after being cast is attached to the printing machine or press cylinders and the matter thereon transferred to newsprint running through the machines. The metal used in producing the type and also in producing the plates is remelted and used over and over again, with the necessity of certain parts of it being from time to time refined. The mats used in making the plates necessary to complete the finished product are of no value after casting the original plate. Advertising mats may be retained for reuse in preparing subsequent issues.

Certain large size type is manufactured in the plant and all or most of the ordinary size type is manufactured in the plant.

In the preparation of type, etchings, plates, etc., a great deal of expensive and complicated machinery is used. In addition to linotype machines and other special machines for casting larger sized type, machines are used to fabricate "spacer" strips, saws and planners are used to prepare metal plates for the page forms, photographic machinery and equipment is used to prepare etchings, a complete foundry is maintained for melting, remelting and purifying the composition metal, together with other machinery.

Circulation may be effected by use of the mails, by newsboys, or other media.

It has been determined that the actual manufacturing process begins with machinery used in producing etchings (or plates) and ends with the machine used to bundle the finished newspaper for circulation. Excepted from the tax under these circumstances would be such machines as linotype and other machines used in preparing special type, machines used in transferring images from mats to flat metal plates, machines used in transferring images from these flat metal plates to newspaper mats, machines used in producing half round plates to be used on the printing presses, planners, saws, furnaces, mechanical conveyors and the actual printing press itself, together with the integrated conveyor thereon. Included also in this category would be the foundry machinery for melting and salvaging composition metal, machines used in making metal etchings, machinery used for preheating molds (mats) for casting and other like machinery.

Also exempted from the tax are such items as flecto sheets, seal tonic and toning alloys.

Newsprint paper, aside from being specifically exempted under the statute, is likewise an ingredient of the tangible personal property being manufactured for sale and is exempted from the tax. The same is true of ink which becomes an ingredient or component part of the property being manufactured for sale. Ink for any other purposes is subject to the tax.

Items subject to the tax under the above construction would consist of photographs, chemicals (except as otherwise noted) used in preparing etchings, news gathering equipment (such as tape monitors, TWX, and photo-transmission equipment); typewriters used in producing news copy by reporters, and of course, office supplies, equipment and machinery, together with any machines used in distribution of the finished product.

Engravings are exempted as parts or attachments to machines used in manufacturing, compounding or processing tangible personal property.

Newspaper mats have been exempted as constituting parts or attachments to machinery used in manufacturing tangible personal property. Note, however, that on purchases of advertising mats the department has held "... that such mats were exempt under the provisions of Section 12-36-2120 as being parts or attachments to machines used in manufacturing or processing tangible personal property for sale."

"However, the [department] held that catalogs or indices supplied in connection with such mat services would constitute the sale of tangible personal property and would therefore be subject to the tax."

A new process may make obsolete the linotype, or "hot process." Tape perforating machines, a computer and photo composing machinery are used to produce positive prints. These prints are affixed to page layouts, the layouts photographed and the resulting negatives used to make etchings. The etchings may then be used directly on the printing press in lieu of plates now produced by use of mats and type metal.

Tape perforating machines, computers and photo composing machines may be purchased tax-free when used as outlined above.

No tax is due on purchase of film and plates used in making etchings and engravings and chemicals which become a part of a finished etching or engraving. The exemption does not extend to film and chemicals used by reporters and other news gatherers.

Chemicals used directly in developing film and etching engravings for use by the publisher in manufacturing a newspaper may be purchased tax-free provided the machine in which the chemicals are used is exempted by Section 12-36-2120(17).