In this chapter, unless the context and subject matter otherwise require:

1.    “Business”, “certified automated system”, “certified service provider”, “commissioner”, “computer software contract”, “farm machinery”, “gross receipts”, “lease or rental”, “local governmental unit”, “mandatory computer software maintenance contract”, “optional computer software maintenance contract”, “person”, “relief agency”, “retail sale”, “sale”, and “tangible personal property”, each has the meaning given to it in section 57-39.2-01.

2.    Property used in “processing”, as that term is used in subsection 9, means any tangible personal property including containers which it is intended, by means of fabrication, compounding, manufacturing, producing, or germination, shall become an integral or an ingredient or component part of other tangible personal property intended to be sold ultimately at retail. The purchase of an item of tangible personal property for the purpose of incorporating it in or attaching it to real property must be considered as a purchase of tangible personal property for a purpose other than for processing.

3.    “Purchase” means any transfer of title or possession, exchange, or barter, conditional or otherwise, in any manner or by any means whatsoever, for a consideration.

“Purchase” also means the severing of sand or gravel from the soil of this state.

4.    “Purchase price” applies to the measure subject to use tax and has the same meaning as gross receipts as defined in section 57-39.2-01.

5.    “Purchased at retail” includes:

a.    The completion of the fabricating, compounding, or manufacturing of tangible personal property by a person for storage, use, or consumption by that person.

b.    The furnishing of wares, merchandise, and gas, when furnished or delivered to consumers or users within this state, and the sale of vulcanizing, recapping, and retreading services for tires.

c.    The leasing or renting of tangible personal property, the sale, storage, use, or consumption of which has not been previously subjected to a retail sales or use tax in this state.

d.    The purchase of magazines or other periodicals. Provided, the words “magazines and other periodicals” as used in this subdivision do not include newspapers nor magazines or periodicals that are furnished free by a nonprofit corporation or organization to its members or because of payment by its members of membership fees or dues.

e.    The severance of sand or gravel from the soil.

f.    The purchase, including the leasing or renting, of tangible personal property from any bank for storage, use, or consumption.

g.    The purchase of an item of tangible personal property by a purchaser who rents or leases it to a person under a finance leasing agreement over the term of which the property will be substantially consumed, if the purchaser elects to treat it as being purchased at retail by paying or causing the transferor to pay the use tax to the commissioner on or before the last day on which payments may be made without penalty as provided in section 57-40.2-07.

6.    “Retailer” includes every person engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property for use within the meaning of this chapter, but, when in the opinion of the commissioner, it is necessary for the efficient administration of this chapter to regard any salesman, representative, trucker, peddler, or canvasser as the agent of the dealer, distributor, supervisor, employer, or other person under whom that person operates or from whom that person obtains the tangible personal property sold by that person, whether that person is making sales in that person’s own behalf or in behalf of such dealer, distributor, supervisor, employer, or other person, the commissioner may     regard that person as such agent, and may regard the dealer, distributor, supervisor, employer, or other person as a retailer for the purposes of this chapter.

7.    “Retailer maintaining a place of business in this state”, or any like term, means any retailer having or maintaining within this state, directly or by a subsidiary, an office, distribution house, sales house, warehouse, or other place of business, or any agent operating within this state under the authority of the retailer or its subsidiary, whether such place of business or agent is located in the state permanently or temporarily, or whether or not such retailer or subsidiary is authorized to do business within this state.

8.    “Use” means the exercise by any person of any right or power over tangible personal property incident to the ownership or possession of that property, including the storage, use, or consumption of that property in this state, except that it does not include processing, or the sale of that property in the regular course of business. “Use” also means the severing of sand or gravel from the soil of this state for use within or outside this state.

9.    “Use tax” means the tax levied under section 57-40.2-02.1 or imposed under home rule authority by a city or county.