spector motor service argued january decided march connecticut imposes upon franchises foreign corporations privilege business within state tax computed nondiscriminatory rate part corporation net income reasonably attributable business activities within state tax levied compensation use highways collected lieu ad valorem property tax fee inspection tax sales use held applied foreign corporation engaged exclusively interstate trucking tax invalid commerce clause federal constitution pp fact intrastate commerce involved appropriate tax imposed compensation corporation use highways sum money issue might lawfully collected corporation sustain constitutional validity tax pp whether state may validly make interstate commerce pay way depends first upon constitutional channel attempts construed state courts tax solely franchise petitioner business exclusively interstate tax contravenes commerce clause matter fairly apportioned business done within state pp reversed case stated opinion pp judgment appeals reversed cyril coleman argued cause filed brief petitioner louis weinstein assistant attorney general connecticut argued cause respondent brief william hadden attorney general justice burton delivered opinion proceeding attacks commerce clause constitution validity state tax imposed upon franchise foreign corporation privilege business within state business consists solely interstate commerce tax computed nondiscriminatory rate part corporation net income reasonably attributable business activities within state reasons hereinafter stated hold application tax invalid petitioner spector motor service missouri corporation engaged exclusively interstate trucking instituted action district district connecticut tax commissioner state sought enjoin collection assessments penalties totaling levied various periods june december connecticut corporation business tax act amendments thereto asked also declaratory judgment liability act claimed tax imposed act apply application violated connecticut constitution commerce due process clauses constitution finally alleged plain speedy efficient remedy law equity state courts collection taxes penalties means provided statute cause irreparable injury district took jurisdiction held act apply petitioner granted injunction sought supp appeals second circuit one judge dissenting reversed held tax apply petitioner constitutional granted certiorari hearing remanded cause district directions retain bill pending determination proceedings brought state conformity opinion rendered petitioner thereupon sought declaratory judgment superior hartford county connecticut superior held tax applicable petitioner invalid commerce clause supp errors state connecticut likewise held petitioner subject tax declined pass effect commerce clause motion asking dissolve original injunction district declined supp reviewed recent decisions held applying act petitioner required interpretation state courts application violated commerce clause constitution appeals second circuit acting majority previous occasion reversed one judge dissented reasons stated district judge judge dissented former appeal granted certiorari fundamental nature issue apparent conflict judgment previous judgments case argued twice term district jurisdiction case first instance uncertainty adequacy remedy state courts lose jurisdiction virtue later clarification procedure courts connecticut american life ins stewart dawson kentucky distilleries vital issue remains whether application tax petitioner violates commerce clause federal constitution come issue benefit statement state final jurisdiction showing exactly state sought tax operating incidence tax thus made clear full consideration knowledge statement made basis determining validity application tax commerce clause said tax tax excise upon franchise corporations privilege carrying business state whether domestic foreign stanley works hackett net earnings used merely purpose determining amount paid corporation measure application rate charged intended impose upon corporation share general tax burden nearly possible equivalent borne wealth state regards corporation business within without state intention use rather complicated formula measure tax determining fairly possible proportionate amount business done state ground upon tax said rest upon use highways motor trucks petitioner business interstate transportation freight motor truck east west full truckload shipped customer connecticut petitioner trucks go directly customer place business case shipments pickup trucks operated petitioner gather freight customers assembly full truckloads either two terminals maintained within state pickup trucks merely act part interstate transportation freight tax discriminate interstate intrastate commerce neither amount tax computation need considered us view disposition case objection validity rest claim places unduly heavy burden interstate commerce return protection given state tax levied compensation use highways collected lieu ad valorem property tax bases taxation disclaimed highest taxing state fee inspection tax sales use tax excise placed unequivocally upon corporation franchise privilege carrying exclusively interstate transportation state serves purpose state tax commissioner suggest intrastate commerce involved appropriate tax imposed compensation petitioner use highways sum money issue might collected lawfully petitioner even though financial burden interstate commerce might question whether state may validly make interstate commerce pay way depends first upon constitutional channel attempts freeman hewit mcleod dilworth taxing power inherent sovereign yet divided taxing power federal government delegated exclusive power tax privilege engage interstate commerce gave congress power regulate commerce foreign nations among several art cl reach reserved taxing power state great constitutional separation federal state powers makes essential state permitted exercise without authority congress functions delegated exclusively congress another example basic separation powers inability tax agencies exercises sovereign powers see maryland wheat brown maryland wheat mayo answer instant case made clear courts connecticut matter labels incidence tax provides answer courts connecticut held tax us attaches solely franchise petitioner interstate business state precluded imposing taxes upon activities aspects business unlike privilege interstate business subject sovereign power state taxes may imposed although payment may come funds derived petitioner interstate business provided taxes imposed burden reasonably related powers state nondiscriminatory heretofore struck commerce clause state taxes upon privilege carrying business exclusively interstate character constitutional infirmity tax persists matter fairly apportioned business done within state alpha portland cement massachusetts measured percentages corporate excess net income ozark pipe line monier measured percentage capital stock surplus see interstate pipe line stone et seq dissenting opinion discusses issue assumption activities interstate commerce joseph carter weekes freeman hewit supra conclusion conflict principle taxpayer engaged intrastate interstate commerce state may tax privilege carrying intrastate business within reasonable limits may compute amount charge applying tax rate fair proportion taxpayer business done within state including interstate intrastate interstate pipe line stone supra international harvester evatt atlantic lumber corporations taxation true taxpayer business activity local nature transportation passengers points within state although including interstate travel central greyhound lines mealey publication newspaper western live stock bureau revenue see also memphis gas stone field reason precedent keeping federal privilege carrying exclusively interstate commerce free state taxation gives lateral support one cornerstones constitutional law maryland supra judgment appeals reversed district accordingly reversed footnotes section amended inserting first italicized clause words every corporation association carrying words right carry stat cum supp conclusion assessments levied levied amendment current revision statute subsequently amended appears gen district shall jurisdiction suit enjoin suspend restrain assessment levy collection tax imposed pursuant laws state plain speedy efficient remedy may law equity courts state stat ed see supp iii wisconsin penney see capitol greyhound lines brice aero transit board interstate busses blodgett excise tax use highways cf memphis gas stone mccarroll dixie lines see interstate pipe line stone cudahy packing minnesota old dominion virginia postal telegraph cable adams decision memphis gas beeler upheld tennessee tax earnings taxpayer within state earnings derived intrastate distribution gas taxpayer joint enterprise memphis power light company suggestion opinion possible validity tax applied earnings derived wholly interstate commerce essential decision case see international harvester evatt butler mccolgan department treasury wood preserving ford motor beauchamp connecticut general life ins johnson hans rees sons north carolina underwood typewriter chamberlain justice clark justice black justice douglas join dissenting assumes think clearly demonstrated tax challenge nondiscriminatory fairly apportioned undue burden interstate commerce hence appellant engaged iota activity willing call intrastate connecticut applied tax company interstate business precise form seeks employ tax privilege business connecticut measured entire net income attributable state even though derived interstate commerce solely spector engages calls exclusively interstate business different standard applied ask whether state merely asking interstate commerce pay way whether state fact provides protection services commerce may fairly charged concerned whether tax puts interstate business competitive disadvantage likely instead tax declared invalid simply state verbally characterized levy privilege business within borders concedes least appears concede connecticut legislature highest described tax one use highways lieu ad valorem property tax spector pay amount calculated way sought collected acknowledging opinion totally refutes protestation standard employed strike connecticut tax matter labels spector remains free since tax law adopted paying share state expenses status continues connecticut renames reshuffles tax neither standard result persuades agree opinions cases upholding fairly apportioned taxes mixed intrastate interstate business recognizing right make interstate commerce pay way enfeebled justifiably precedents today decision restores full vigor distant past seemed quite clear memphis natural gas beeler tax upheld reasonably attributable intrastate activities chief justice stone speaking unanimous went state case even taxpayer business wholly interstate commerce nondiscriminatory tax tennessee upon net income foreign corporation commercial domicile upon net income derived within state prohibited commerce clause id event confine decisions special facts freeman hewit supra connecticut tax meets every practical test fairness propriety enunciated cases upholding privilege taxes corporations mixed intrastate interstate business cases govern apparent difference exclusively interstate business mixed business warrant different constitutional regard nothing spiritual interstate commerce rarely devoid significant contacts several hence long treated problems field flexibility competing demands federal state governmental spheres required absence federal action quick recognize legitimate local interests uphold state regulations activities admittedly form part impinge interstate commerce see south carolina highway dept barnwell approach hardly foreign field state taxes hen accommodation must made state national interests manufacture within state though destined shipment outside seamless web prevent state giving manufacturing part detached relevance purposes local taxation freeman hewit supra means adopted successful operation business state doubt material service producing large proportion plaintiff business attributable connecticut spector motor service walsh taken eight years eight courts bring battered litigation end taxes involved go back thirteen years therefore answer connecticut thirty similar tax measures collect revenues enacting laws felicitously drafted failure use right tag connecticut collect spector years date may well past collections taken away turned taxpayer bonanzas suits refund barred respective statutes limitation entirely certain statutes recast light decision immune later constitutional attack least doubtful statute kind measure might think impose tax privilege interstate business even assuming promulgated sure guide follow future enactments fact remains reasonable warrant cloaking purely verbal standard constitutional dignity exclusively interstate commerce receives adequate protection state levies fairly apportioned nondiscriminatory see opinion justice rutledge interstate oil pipe line stone protection bestowed today decision neither substantial deserved objections fairness connecticut apportionment formula correctly disposed appeals affirm judgment