The ASA reports that the Texas Franchise Tax legislation was included in Substitute House Bill 500, which recently passed the Texas State House.

Currently, automotive service and collision repair shops owned and operated by new or used car dealerships are taxed at half the rate used to tax independent automotive repair facilities doing identical work. The Texas state tax code classifies dealership sales as “retail” and allows their service and repair business to be included under that banner.
    
The Texas Franchise Tax legislation, included in Substitute HB 500, states that “the activities classified as Industry Group 753 of the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification Manual published by the federal Office of Management and Budget fall under Retail Trade,” addressing the Texas inequity.
    
Charles Parker, ASA-Texas executive director, said: “We are not finished with our work on this issue, but we have come a long way and ASA wants to thank Rep. Allen Fletcher (TX-130) and Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (TX-53), who have worked hard to ensure that independent repairers are treated fairly in the state of Texas.”