SEVERSON, Justice.
[¶ 1.] South Dakota has no state income tax and relies on retail sales and use taxes for much of its revenue. Pursuant to state statute, sales tax is generally collected by sellers selling merchandise in this state at the point of sale and is remitted to the state by those sellers. SDCL 10-45-27.3.
[¶ 2.] Generally, sellers selling merchandise in South Dakota have an obligation to collect and remit sales tax on each transaction to the Department of Revenue. SDCL 10-45-27.3. However, the applicability of this requirement to sellers with no physical presence in a state has been limited by the Supreme Court's interpretations of the Commerce Clause since at least 1967. The Commerce Clause generally grants "exclusive authority [to] Congress to regulate trade between the States[.]" Nat'l Bellas Hess, Inc. v. Dep't of Rev. of the St. of Ill., 386 U.S. 753, 756, 87 S.Ct. 1389, 1391, 18 L.Ed.2d 505 (1967).
[¶ 3.] In 1992, the Supreme Court, while limiting application of its due process analysis, reaffirmed Bellas Hess's Commerce Clause limitations in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, 504 U.S. 298, 112 S.Ct. 1904, 119 L.Ed. 2d 91 (1992). In that case, the Court held that a mail-order house with no physical presence in North Dakota could not be required to collect and remit use tax to that state for "property purchased for storage, use, or consumption within the State." Id. at 302, 112 S.Ct. at 1908. Despite later developments in its Commerce Clause jurisprudence, the Court adhered to the "bright-line rule" of Bellas Hess on the basis that it "encourage[d] settled expectations and ... foster[ed] investment by businesses and individuals." Id. at 316, 112 S.Ct. at 1915.
[¶ 4.] In 2015, the Supreme Court reviewed a Colorado law that instead of imposing the obligation to collect and remit use tax on sellers with no physical presence in that state, imposed the obligation "to notify ... customers of their use-tax liability and to report" sales information back to the state. Direct Marketing, ___ U.S. ___, 135 S.Ct. at 1127. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether the United States District Court had jurisdiction under the Tax Injunction Act (28 U.S.C. § 1341) over a suit challenging the new law on Commerce Clause grounds.
[¶ 5.] With this legal backdrop, the South Dakota Legislature began its 2016 session concerned with its ability to maintain state revenue in the face of increasing Internet sales and their effect on sales tax collections.
[¶ 6.] In addition to these provisions, the Act contained an emergency clause declaring it "necessary for the support of the state government" and making it effective "on the first day of the first month" falling at least fifteen days after signing by the Governor. Id. § 9.
[¶ 7.] Senate Bill 106 was introduced in the South Dakota Senate and referred for a hearing by the Senate State Affairs Committee. S. Journal, 91st Sess., 150 (S.D. 2016). The hearing was held on February 17, 2016. Id. at 316. Several witnesses testified in open committee in support of the bill, including a representative of the Governor's Office.
[¶ 8.] The bill had its first reading in the South Dakota House of Representatives on February 22, 2016, and was referred for a hearing by the House State Affairs Committee. H. Journal, 91st Sess., 621 (S.D. 2016). The hearing was held on February 29, 2016. Id. at 710. Once again, several witnesses testified in open committee in support of the bill.
[¶ 9.] Shortly after the Governor signed Senate Bill 106 into law, the South Dakota Department of Revenue began issuing written notices to sellers it believed met the requirements of Senate Bill 106. The notices: informed the sellers of the passage of the law; explained its requirements; advised the sellers to register for South Dakota sales tax licenses by a date certain; and warned that the failure to register could result in a declaratory judgment action as authorized by the law. Although the three sellers in this appeal, as well as a fourth seller, Systemax Inc., received notices, they did not register for sales tax licenses. The State filed a declaratory judgment action against Sellers in circuit court on April 28, 2016. The State sought a judicial declaration that the requirements of Senate Bill 106 were valid and applicable to Sellers, an order enjoining enforcement of the law during the pendency of the action, and an injunction requiring Sellers to register for licenses to collect and remit sales tax.
[¶ 10.] Following service of the State's complaint, Systemax Inc. voluntarily registered for a sales tax license and immediately began collecting taxes under the law. Therefore, the State dismissed Systemax from its lawsuit on May 19, 2016. The remaining sellers then sought to remove the State's action to the United States District Court for South Dakota on the basis of federal question jurisdiction. The District Court rejected removal and remanded the case to the South Dakota circuit court in January 2017.
[¶ 11.] After the District Court's remand, Sellers filed a joint answer, motion for summary judgment, and statement of material facts admitting: each lacked a physical presence in South Dakota; each met the sales and transaction requirements for
[¶ 12.] The circuit court did not hold a hearing. It entered its decision based on undisputed statements of material fact and the parties' briefs. As part of its decision, the court noted that the parties agreed that no hearing was necessary. The court found no material issue of fact in dispute over Sellers' lack of a physical presence in South Dakota. Observing its obligation to adhere to Supreme Court precedent prohibiting the imposition of an obligation to collect and remit sales tax on sellers with no physical presence in the State, the court granted Sellers' motion for summary judgment. It enjoined the State from enforcing the obligation to collect and remit sales tax against Sellers. The State filed a timely notice of appeal of the court's order granting summary judgment.
[¶ 13.] We review a summary judgment de novo. Heitmann v. Am. Fam. Mut. Ins. Co., 2016 S.D. 51, ¶ 8, 883 N.W.2d 506, 508 (citing Ass Kickin Ranch, LLC v. N. Star Mut. Ins. Co., 2012 S.D. 73, ¶ 7, 822 N.W.2d 724, 726). We determine whether there are any "genuine issues of material fact" in the case and "whether the law was correctly applied." Id. (quoting Ass Kickin Ranch, 2012 S.D. 73, ¶ 6, 822 N.W.2d at 726). If there are no genuine issues of material fact, "our `review is limited to determining whether the [circuit] court correctly applied the law.'" Id.
[¶ 14.] Sellers argue that there is an inadequate record for this Court's review in this matter. But Sellers moved for summary judgment and by doing so, limited the record available for review. See SDCL 15-6-56(c) (limiting the record on a motion for summary judgment to "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any[.]"). In any event, the material facts are not in dispute. The parties agreed that each seller had a principal place of business outside of South Dakota and each lacked a physical presence in this state. The parties agreed that in the previous calendar year, each seller had gross revenue from the sale of tangible personal property in South Dakota in excess of $100,000 and/or sold tangible personal property in the state in 200 or more separate transactions. The parties agreed that none of the sellers were registered to collect South Dakota sales tax.
[¶ 15.] In view of these undisputed facts and the Supreme Court's holdings in Bellas Hess and Quill, Senate Bill 106 could not impose a valid obligation on Sellers to collect and remit sales tax to this State because none of them had a physical presence in the state. See Bellas Hess, 386 U.S. at 758-60, 87 S.Ct. at 1392-93 (rejecting
[¶ 16.] Nonetheless, the State argues that the Supreme Court should reconsider Bellas Hess and Quill. It claims that in bringing this suit, the State has accepted Justice Kennedy's invitation in Direct Marketing for "[t]he legal system [to] find an appropriate case for [the Supreme] Court to reexamine" those decisions. ___ U.S. ___, 135 S.Ct. at 1135 (Kennedy, J., concurring). According to the State, circumstances have changed since Bellas Hess and Quill, making Bellas Hess and Quill outdated. The State emphasizes that computer technology and software have advanced, South Dakota has streamlined its revenue laws, and the retail industry has evolved. The State also claims that the Supreme Court's application of the physical presence requirement to the collection of sales tax differs from its application of other Commerce Clause requirements to similar collection obligations. This has led to inconsistent results.
[¶ 17.] In his concurrence in Direct Marketing, Justice Kennedy recognized many of the State's arguments supporting reconsideration of Bellas Hess and Quill. See ___ U.S. ___, 135 S.Ct. at 1134 (Kennedy, J., concurring). Some of them go as far back as Justice Fortas's original dissent in Bellas Hess and Justice White's concurrence and dissent in Quill. See 386 U.S. at 760, 87 S.Ct. at 1393 (Fortas, J., dissenting); 504 U.S. at 321, 112 S.Ct. at 1916 (White, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Gorsuch, while acknowledging Supreme Court precedent binding on lower courts, also raised similar concerns with Bellas Hess and Quill. See Direct Mktg. Ass'n v. Brohl, 814 F.3d 1129, 1147 (10th Cir. 2016) (Gorsuch, Circuit Judge, concurring).
[¶ 18.] However persuasive the State's arguments on the merits of revisiting the issue, Quill has not been overruled. Quill remains the controlling precedent on the issue of Commerce Clause limitations on interstate collection of sales and use taxes. We are mindful of the Supreme Court's directive to follow its precedent when it "has direct application in a case" and to leave to that Court "the prerogative of overruling its own decisions." Rodriguez de Quijas v. Shearson/American Exp., Inc., 490 U.S. 477, 484, 109 S.Ct. 1917, 1921-22, 104 L.Ed. 2d 526 (1989). Therefore, we affirm.
[¶ 19.] GILBERTSON, Chief Justice, and ZINTER and KERN, Justices, and WILBUR, Retired Justice, concur.
ENTITLED, An Act to provide for the collection of sales taxes from certain remote sellers, to establish certain Legislative findings, and to declare an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any seller selling tangible personal property, products transferred electronically, or services for delivery into South Dakota, who does not have a physical presence in the state, is subject to chapters 10-45 and 10-52, shall remit the sales tax and shall follow all applicable procedures and requirements of law as if the seller had a physical presence in the state, provided
Section 2. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and whether or not the state initiates an audit or other tax collection procedure, the state may bring a declaratory judgment action under chapter 21-24 in any circuit court against any person the state believes meets the criteria of section I of this Act to establish that the obligation to remit sales tax is applicable and valid under state and federal law. The circuit court shall act on this declaratory judgment action as expeditiously as possible and this action shall proceed with priority over any other action presenting the same question in any other venue.
In this action, the court shall presume that the matter may be fully resolved through a motion to dismiss or a motion for summary judgment. However, if these motions do not resolve the action, any discovery allowed by the court may not exceed the provisions of subdivisions 15-6-73(2) and (4).
The provisions of § 10-59-34, along with any other provisions authorizing attorney's fees, do not apply to any action brought pursuant to this Act or any appeal from any action brought pursuant to this Act.
Section 3. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
The filing of the declaratory judgment action established in this Act by the state operates as an injunction during the pendency of the action, applicable to each state entity, prohibiting any state entity from enforcing the obligation in section 1 of this Act against any taxpayer who does not affirmatively consent or otherwise remit the sales tax on a voluntary basis. The injunction does not apply if there is a previous judgment from a court establishing the validity of the obligation in section 1 of this Act with respect to the particular taxpayer.
Section 4. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
Any appeal from the decision with respect to the cause of action established by this Act may only be made to the state Supreme Court. The appeal shall be heard as expeditiously as possible.
Section 5. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
No obligation to remit the sales tax required by this Act may be applied retroactively.
Section 6. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
If an injunction provided by this Act is lifted or dissolved, in general or with respect to a specific taxpayer, the state shall assess and apply the obligation established in section 1 of this Act from that date forward with respect to any taxpayer covered by the injunction.
Section 7. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
A taxpayer complying with this Act, voluntarily or otherwise, may only seek a recovery of taxes, penalties, or interest by following the recovery procedures established pursuant to chapter 10-59. However,
Nothing in this Act limits the ability of any taxpayer to obtain a refund for any other reason, including a mistake of fact or mathematical miscalculation of the applicable tax.
No seller who remits sales tax voluntarily or otherwise under this Act is liable to a purchaser who claims that the sales tax has been over-collected because a provision of this Act is later deemed unlawful.
Nothing in this Act affects the obligation of any purchaser from this state to remit use tax as to any applicable transaction in which the seller does not collect and remit or remit an offsetting sales tax.
Section 8. That the code be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
The Legislature finds that:
Section 9. Whereas, this Act is necessary for the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, an emergency is hereby declared to exist. This Act shall be in full force and effect on the first day of the first month that is at least fifteen calendar days from the date this Act is signed by the Governor.
U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3.
(Internal citations omitted.)
South Dakota uses a similar system. SDCL 10-46-2 (imposing an excise tax equal to the sales tax on the use of tangible personal property in the State).
Bellas Hess, 386 U.S. at 754, 87 S.Ct. at 1390 (quoting Dep't of Rev. v. Nat'l Bellas Hess, Inc., 34 Ill.2d 164, 214 N.E.2d 755, 757 (1966)).