Final answer:
A state invokes an income tax nexus to tax a business based on the provision of benefits like infrastructure, not just physical presence.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a state exerts the right to tax a business based on factors such as the provision of infrastructure like phone lines, they have invoked an income tax nexus. This concept refers to the connection between a taxing jurisdiction and a business that must be established before the jurisdiction has the legal authority to impose a tax on the business.
An income tax nexus goes beyond physical presence and can be triggered by various economic or virtual activities, such as online sales, as the state provides services utilized by the business, for example, building and maintaining infrastructure.
While corporate income tax is commonly imposed on earnings within the state, companies may have strategies to minimize their tax liabilities by adopting new technologies. Furthermore, under Amendment XVI, Congress has the authority to impose federal income tax, while states are prohibited from taxing interstate commerce to ensure fairness.
The corporate income tax is imposed on the state-level income, and the federal income tax is imposed at the national level, both of which are subject to legal limits and regulations.