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<subtitle num="12" heading="Digital Advertising Tax" title_num="03" title_heading="Comptroller of the Treasury">
  <chapter num="01" heading="General Regulations">
    <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Definitions.">
      <paragraph num="A.">
        <text>In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="B.">
        <text>Terms Defined.</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>“Access” means the transmittal, display, embedding, or other availability to a user for viewing or interaction.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>“Device” means any medium through which digital advertising services may be accessed, including stationary or portable computing devices, tablets, phones, and smart devices.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(3)">
          <text>Digital Advertising Services.</text>
          <paragraph num="(a)">
            <text>“Digital advertising services” means advertising services on a digital interface that are:</text>
            <paragraph num="(i)">
              <text>Programmatic; and</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(ii)">
              <text>Visually conveyed.</text>
            </paragraph>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(b)">
            <text>“Digital advertising services” includes advertisement services on a digital interface, including advertisements in the form of banner advertising, search engine advertising, interstitial advertising, and other comparable advertising services; and</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(c)">
            <text>“Digital advertising services” does not include:</text>
            <paragraph num="(i)">
              <text>Advertisement services on digital interfaces owned or operated by or operated on behalf of a broadcast entity or news media entity as defined in Tax-General Article, §7.5-101, Annotated Code of Maryland;</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(ii)">
              <text>Any advertising services that are not programmatic; or</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(iii)">
              <text>Any advertising services that are not visually conveyed.</text>
            </paragraph>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(4)">
          <text>Digital interface.</text>
          <paragraph num="(a)">
            <text>“Digital interface” means any type of software, including a website, part of a website, or application, that a user is able to access; and</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(b)">
            <text>Can be accessed or conveyed either on or off the Internet.</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(5)">
          <text>“Location” means the actual, physical location of a digital interface when a digital advertising service is accessed by a user.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(6)">
          <text>“Other comparable advertising services” includes the following digital advertising services:</text>
          <paragraph num="(a)">
            <text>Display advertising;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(b)">
            <text>Internet programmatic video advertising;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(c)">
            <text>Multichannel video programming distributor advertising conveyed via cable television, satellite television, or a digital fiber-optic distribution system;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(d)">
            <text>Advertising on social media;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(e)">
            <text>Native advertising; and</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(f)">
            <text>Incentivized or rewarded advertising.</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(7)">
          <text>Programmatic.</text>
          <paragraph num="(a)">
            <text>“Programmatic” means capable of automating advertising services.</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(b)">
            <text>Programmatic digital advertising services may be sold in real time by employing technology that uses computer- or software-driven workflow or machine learning algorithms to deliver advertisements to users based on advertiser-defined parameters, including precise user targeting data such as user:</text>
            <paragraph num="(i)">
              <text>Geographic locations;</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(ii)">
              <text>Types of devices;</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(iii)">
              <text>Recent online search behaviors;</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(iv)">
              <text>Browsing history;</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(v)">
              <text>Shopping history;</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(vi)">
              <text>Purchase history; and</text>
            </paragraph>
            <paragraph num="(vii)">
              <text>Biographical and other information compiled in databases.</text>
            </paragraph>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(8)">
          <text>“User” means an individual or any other person who accesses a digital interface with a device.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </regulation>
    <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Revenues Derived from Digital Advertising Services in the State.">
      <paragraph num="A.">
        <text>Revenues from digital advertising services are derived in the State when any portion of those services are accessed through a device located within the State. Sourcing of digital advertising revenues to the State is based upon the portion of those devices located within the State.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="B.">
        <text>The amount of digital advertising gross revenue attributable to the State shall be computed as follows:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>An apportionment factor shall be developed as a fraction, where the numerator is the number of devices that have accessed the digital advertising services from a location in the State, and the denominator is the number of devices that have accessed the digital advertising services from any location.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Devices whose location are indeterminate shall be excluded from both the numerator and denominator of the apportionment factor, without any adjustment to the amount of revenue to be apportioned.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(3)">
          <text>The developed apportionment factor shall be applied to the digital advertising gross revenue received by the taxpayer to compute the digital advertising gross revenue attributable to the State.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="C.">
        <text>Determining the Location of a Device.</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>The location of a device shall be determined by the taxpayer using the totality of the data within their possession or control, including both technical information and nontechnical information included in the contract for digital advertising services.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Each taxpayer shall use the information within their possession or control which most reliably identifies a device’s location.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(3)">
          <text>Technical information which may be used to determine a device’s location includes, but is not limited to:</text>
          <paragraph num="(a)">
            <text>Internet protocol;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(b)">
            <text>Geolocation data;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(c)">
            <text>Device registration;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(d)">
            <text>Cookies;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(e)">
            <text>Industry standard metrics; or</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(f)">
            <text>Any other comparable information.</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="D.">
        <text>The location of each device shall be determined by a totality of the facts and circumstances to be:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>Within the State;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Not within the State, but within the United States;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(3)">
          <text>Not within the United States; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(4)">
          <text>Indeterminate.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </regulation>
    <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Revenues Derived from the United States.">
      <paragraph num="A.">
        <text>Revenues from digital advertising services are derived in the United States when any portion of those services are accessed by devices within the United States. In determining the location of devices in this section, taxpayers shall use a method consistent with their determination of revenues derived from the State.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="B.">
        <text>Taxpayers will determine the location of a device using the totality of the data within their possession or control, as described in Regulation .02 of this chapter.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </regulation>
    <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Computation of Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax in Year of a Rate Change.">
      <text>Unless an act that changes the digital advertising gross revenues tax rate provides otherwise, if the rate changes on a date other than January 1, a person shall compute the digital advertising gross revenues tax using the tax rate that applies to each part of the year.</text>
    </regulation>
    <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" heading="Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax returns and Declarations.">
      <paragraph num="A.">
        <text>Each person required under Tax-General Article, Title 7.5, Annotated Code of Maryland, to file a digital advertising gross revenues tax return or estimated digital advertising gross revenues tax declaration or return shall file a return or declaration with the Comptroller, whether or not:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>The person owes digital advertising gross revenues tax; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>The Comptroller sends the person a form or otherwise requests that the return or declaration be filed.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="B.">
        <text>Each digital advertising gross revenues tax return and estimated digital advertising gross revenues tax declaration and return shall be:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>Signed in the same manner required for the signing of a federal return under §§6061—6064 of the Internal Revenue Code; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Made under oath.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="C.">
        <text>To properly identify persons listed in a return or other document, a person shall include in the document the taxpayer identification, Federal Employer Identification, or other identifying number that the Comptroller requires:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>Of the person required to file the return or document; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Of the person on whose behalf the return or document is filed.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="D.">
        <text>Each person required to file a digital advertising gross revenues return or estimated digital advertising gross revenues tax declaration or return shall:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>Comply with the regulations of the Comptroller;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Keep the records that the Comptroller requires; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(3)">
          <text>Attach to a digital advertising gross revenues return or otherwise file with the Comptroller any records or statements that the Comptroller requires.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="E.">
        <text>The Comptroller shall provide that a digital advertising gross revenues tax return may be completed using whole dollar amounts instead of expressing amounts in exact dollars and cents by:</text>
        <paragraph num="(1)">
          <text>Disregarding a fractional part of a dollar less than 50 cents; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(2)">
          <text>Increasing to a dollar a fractional part of a dollar of at least 50 cents.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </regulation>
    <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".06" heading="Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Declaration of Estimated Tax.">
      <text>Each person that reasonably expects estimated digital advertising gross revenues tax for a calendar year to exceed $1,000,000 shall file a declaration of estimated digital advertising gross revenues tax in the form and manner prescribed by the Comptroller.</text>
    </regulation>
    <annotations>
      <annotation type="Authority">Tax-General Article, §§2-102, 2-103, and 7.5-102, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
      <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: December 13, 2021 (48:25 Md. R. 1079)</annotation>
      <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01B amended effective March 2, 2026 (53:4 Md. R. 183)</annotation>
    </annotations>
  </chapter>
</subtitle>