§11-15-9b. Exemption for purchases of tangible personal property and services for direct use in research and development.

(a) Sales of tangible personal property and services after June 30, 2002, directly used or consumed in the activity of research and development are exempt from tax imposed by this article. Any person having a right or claim to the exemption set forth in this section shall first pay to the vendor the tax imposed by this article and then apply to the Tax Commissioner for a refund or credit or give to the vendor the person's West Virginia direct pay permit number in accordance with the provisions of section nine-d of this article.

(b) For purposes of this article:

(1) "Directly used or consumed in the activity of research and development" means used or consumed in those activities or operations which constitute an integral and essential part of research and development, as contrasted with and distinguished from those activities or operations which are simply incidental, convenient or remote to research and development.

(A) Uses of property or consumption of services which constitute direct use or consumption in the activity of research and development include only:

(i) In the case of tangible personal property, physical incorporation of property into tangible personal property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(ii) Causing a direct physical, chemical or other change upon property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(iii) Transporting or storing property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(iv) Measuring or verifying a change in property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(v) Physically controlling or directing the physical movement or operation of property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(vi) Directly and physically recording the flow of property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(vii) Producing energy for property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(viii) Controlling or otherwise regulating atmospheric or other environmental conditions required for research and development;

(ix) Serving as an operating supply for property that is the subject of, or directly used in, research and development;

(x) Maintenance or repair of property, including maintenance equipment, that is directly used in research and development;

(xi) Storage, removal or transportation of economic or other waste resulting from the activity of research and development;

(xii) Pollution control or environmental quality or environmental protection activity directly relating to the activity of research and development, and personnel, plant, property or community safety or security activity directly relating to the activity of research and development; or

(xiii) Otherwise being used as an integral and essential part of research and development.

(B) Uses of property or services which do not constitute direct use or consumption in the activity of research and development include, but are not limited to:

(i) Heating and illumination of office buildings;

(ii) Janitorial or general cleaning activities;

(iii) Personal comfort of personnel;

(iv) Planning or scheduling of work or inventory control;

(v) Marketing, general management, supervision, finance, training, accounting and administration; or

(vi) An activity or function incidental or convenient to research and development, rather than an integral and essential part of these activities.

(2) "Research and development" means systematic scientific, engineering or technological study and investigation in a field of knowledge in the physical, computer or software sciences, often involving the formulation of hypotheses and experimentation, for the purpose of revealing new facts, theories or principles, or increasing scientific knowledge, which may reveal the basis for new or enhanced products, equipment or manufacturing processes. Research and development includes, but is not limited to, design, refinement and testing of prototypes of new or improved products, or design, refinement and testing of manufacturing processes before commercial sales relating thereto have begun. For purposes of this section commercial sales include, but are not limited to, sales of prototypes or sales for market testing.

(A) Research and development does not include:

(i) Market research;

(ii) Sales research;

(iii) Efficiency surveys;

(iv) Consumer surveys;

(v) Product market testing;

(vi) Product testing by product consumers or through consumer surveys for evaluation of consumer product performance or consumer product usability;

(vii) The ordinary testing or inspection of materials or products for quality control (quality control testing);

(viii) Management studies;

(ix) Advertising;

(x) Promotions;

(xi) The acquisition of another's patent, model, production or process or investigation or evaluation of the value or investment potential related thereto;

(xii) Research in connection with literary, historical or similar projects;

(xiii) Research in the social sciences, economics, humanities or psychology and other nontechnical activities; and

(xiv) The providing of sales services or any other service, whether technical service or nontechnical service.

(c) No provision of this section may be interpreted to alter, abrogate or impede application of the exemption for sales of primary opinion research services set forth in section nine of this article.