§45-6-242. Levy of taxes; exemptions; payment of taxes; reports by taxpayers; applicability of state sales tax statutes; disposition of funds.

(a) The following words, terms, and phrases where used in this section shall have the following respective meanings except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(1) "County" means Bullock County in the State of Alabama.

(2) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Revenue of the state.

(3) "State Department of Revenue" means the Department of Revenue of the state.

(4) "State" means the State of Alabama.

(5) "State sales tax statutes" means Division 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 23 of Title 40, as amended, including all other statutes of the state which expressly set forth any exemptions from the computation of the taxes levied in Division 1 and all other statutes which expressly apply to, or purport to affect, the administration of Division 1 and the incidence and collection of the taxes imposed therein.

(6) "State sales tax" means the tax or taxes imposed by the state sales tax statutes.

(7) "State use tax statutes" means Article 2 of Chapter 23 of Title 40, as amended, including all other statutes of the state which expressly set forth any exemption from the computation of the tax levied in Article 2 and all other statutes of the state which expressly apply to or purport to affect the administration of Article 2 and the incidence and collection of the taxes imposed therein.

(8) "State use tax" means the tax or taxes imposed by the state use tax statutes.

(9) "Registered seller" means the person registered with the State Department of Revenue pursuant to the state use tax statutes or licensed under the state sales tax statutes.

(10) "Month" means a calendar month.

(11) "Quarterly period" means the period of three months ending on the last day of each March, June, September, and December.

Except where another meaning is clearly indicated by the context, all definitions set forth in the state sales tax statutes and the state use tax statutes shall be effective as definitions of the words, terms, and phrases used in this section. All words, terms, and phrases used herein, other than those hereinabove specifically defined, shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the state sales tax statutes and the state use tax statutes and shall have the same scope and effect that the same words, terms, and phrases have where used in the state sales tax statutes and the state use tax statutes.

(b) Privilege or license tax. There is hereby authorized to be levied in the county, in addition to all other taxes of every kind now imposed by law, and to be collected as herein provided, a privilege or license tax on account of the business activities and in the amount to be determined by the application of rates against gross sales or gross receipts, as the case may be, as follows:

(1) Upon every person, firm, or corporation (including the state, the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and all other institutions of higher learning in the state, whether such institutions be denominational, state, county, or municipal institutions, any association or other agency or instrumentality of such institutions) engaged or continuing within the county in the business of selling at retail any tangible personal property whatsoever, including merchandise and commodities of every kind and character (not including, however, bonds or other evidences of debts or stock, nor sales of material and supplies to any person for use in fulfilling a contract for the painting, repair or reconditioning of vessels, ships, and other watercraft of over 50 tons burden) an amount of one percent of the gross proceeds of sales of the business, except where a different amount is expressly provided herein; provided, however, that any person engaging or continuing in business as a retailer and wholesaler or jobber shall pay the tax required on the gross proceeds of retail sales of such business at the rates specified when his or her books are kept so as to show separately the gross proceeds of sales of each business, and when his or her books are not so kept he or she shall pay the tax as a retailer, on the gross sales of the business; and provided further, that where any used part of an automotive vehicle or truck trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer is taken in trade, or in a series of trades, as a credit or part payment on the sale of a new or rebuilt part, the tax authorized to be levied herein shall be paid on the net difference, that is, the price of the new or used part sold less the credit for the used part taken in trade; provided however, that this provision shall not be construed to include tires or batteries.

(2) Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged or continuing within the county in the business of conducting or operating places of amusement or entertainment, billiard and pool rooms, bowling alleys, amusement devices, musical devices, theatres, opera houses, moving picture shows, vaudevilles, amusement parks, athletic contests, including wrestling matches, prize fights, boxing and wrestling exhibitions, football and baseball games (including athletic contests conducted by or under the auspices of any educational institution within the state, or any athletic association, be it denominational, state, county, or a municipal institution or association or a state, county, or city school, or other institution, association, or school), skating rinks, race tracks, golf courses, or any other place at which any exhibition, display, amusement, or entertainment is offered to the public or place or places where an admission fee is charged, including public bathing places and public dance halls of every kind and description within the county, an amount of one percent of the gross receipts of any such business.

(3) Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged or continuing within the county in the business of selling at retail machines used in mining, quarrying, compounding, processing, and manufacturing of tangible personal property an amount of one-half of one percent of the gross proceeds of the sale of such machines; provided that the term "machine" as herein used shall include machinery which is used for mining, quarrying, compounding, processing, or manufacturing tangible personal property and the parts of such machines, attachments and replacements therefor, which are made or manufactured for use on or in the operation of such machines and which are necessary to the operation of such machines and are customarily so used.

(4) Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged or continuing within the county in the business of selling at retail any automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer, an amount of one-half of one percent of the gross proceeds of the sale of the automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer; provided, however, where a person subject to the tax provided for in this subsection withdraws from his or her stock in trade any automotive vehicle or truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer for use by him or her or by his or her employee or agent in the operation of such business, there shall be paid, in lieu of the tax authorized to be levied herein, a fee of one dollar twenty-five cents ($1.25) per year or part thereof during which such automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer shall remain the property of such person; provided, that each such year or part thereof shall be deemed to begin with the day or anniversary date, as the case may be, of such withdrawal and shall run for the 12 succeeding months or part thereof during which such automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer shall remain the property of such person; and provided further, that where any used automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer is taken in trade, or in a series of trades, as a credit or part payment on the sale of a new or used vehicle, the tax authorized to be levied herein shall be paid on the net difference, that is, the price of the new or used vehicle sold less the credit for the used vehicle taken in trade.

(5) Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged or continuing within the county in the business of selling at retail any machine, machinery, or equipment which is used in planting, cultivating, and harvesting farm products, or used in connection with the production of agricultural produce or products, livestock or poultry on farms, and the parts of such machines, machinery, or equipment, attachments and replacements therefor which are made or manufactured for use on or in the operation of such machine, machinery, or equipment, and which are necessary to and customarily used in the operation of such machine, machinery, or equipment, an amount equal to one-half of one percent of the gross proceeds of the sales thereof; provided, however, the one-half of one percent rate herein prescribed with respect to parts, attachments, and replacements shall not apply to any automotive vehicle or trailer designed primarily for public highway use, except farm trailers used primarily in the production and harvesting of agricultural commodities; provided, further, that where any used machine, machinery, or equipment which is used in planting, cultivating, and harvesting farm products; or used in connection with the production of agricultural produce or products, livestock, and poultry on farms is taken in trade or in a series of trades as a credit or part payment on a sale of a new or used machine, machinery, or equipment, the tax authorized to be levied herein shall be paid on the net difference, that is, the price of the new or used machine, machinery, or equipment sold, less the credit for the used machine, machinery, or equipment taken in trade.

(6) Upon every person, firm, or corporation engaged or continuing within the county in the business of selling, through coin-operated dispensing machines, food and food products for human consumption, not including beverages other than coffee, milk, milk products, and substitutes therefor, an amount of one percent of the cost of such food, food products, and beverages sold through such machines, which cost for the purpose of this subdivision shall be the gross proceeds of sales of such business.

There are exempted, however, from the provisions of this subsection and from the computations of the amount of the taxes authorized to be imposed in this subsection, the gross receipts of any business and the gross proceeds of all sales which are presently exempted under the state sales tax statutes from the computation of the amount of the state sales tax.

(c) Excise tax. There is hereby authorized to be levied and imposed an excise tax on the storage, use, or other consumption of property in the county as hereinafter provided in this subsection.

(1) An excise tax is hereby authorized to be levied and imposed on the storage, use, or other consumption in the county of tangible personal property (not including, however, materials and supplies bought for use in fulfilling a contract for the painting, repairing, or reconditioning of vessels, barges, ships, and other watercraft of more than 50 tons burden) purchased at retail on or after the effective date of such tax, for the storage, use, or other consumption in the county on or after the effective date of such tax, at the rate of one percent of the sales price of such property, except as provided in subdivisions (2), (3), and (4).

(2) An excise tax is hereby authorized to be levied and imposed on the storage, use, or other consumption in the county of any machines used in mining, quarrying, compounding, processing, and manufacturing of tangible personal property purchased at retail on or after the effective date of such tax for storage, use, or other consumption in the county, at the rate of one-half of one percent of the sales price of any such machine; provided, that the term "machine," as used herein shall include machinery which is used for mining, quarrying, compounding, processing, or manufacturing tangible personal property and the parts of such machines, attachments, and replacements therefor, which are made or manufactured for use on or in the operation of such machines and are customarily so used.

(3) An excise tax is hereby authorized to be levied and imposed on the storage, use, or other consumption in the county of any automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer purchased at retail on or after the effective date of such tax for storage, use, or other consumption in the county at the rate of one-half of one percent of the sales price of such automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer; provided, that where any used automotive vehicle, truck, trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer is taken or in a series of trades, as a credit or part payment on the sale of a new or used vehicle, the tax herein authorized to be levied shall be paid on the net difference, that is the price of the new or used vehicle sold less the credit for the used vehicle taken in trade.

(4) An excise tax is hereby authorized to be levied and imposed on the storage, use, or other consumption in the county of any machine, machinery, or equipment which is used in planting, cultivating, and harvesting farm products, or used in connection with the production of agricultural produce or products, livestock, attachments, and replacements therefor which are made or manufactured for use on or in the operation of such machine, machinery, or equipment, and which are necessary to and customarily used in the operation of such machine, machinery, or equipment, which is purchased at retail for storage, use, or other consumption in the county at the rate of one-half of one percent of the sales price of such property; provided, however, the one-half of one percent rate herein prescribed with respect to parts, attachments, and replacements shall not apply to any automotive vehicle or trailer designed primarily for public highway use, except farm trailers used primarily in the production and harvesting of agricultural commodities; provided, further, that where any used machine, machinery, or equipment which is used in planting, cultivating and harvesting farm products or used in connection with the production of agricultural produce or products, livestock, and poultry on farms is taken in trade or in a series of trades as a credit or part payment on a sale of a new or used machine, machinery, or equipment, the tax authorized to be levied herein shall be paid on the net difference, that is, the price of the new or used machine, machinery, or equipment sold, less the credit for the used machine, machinery, or equipment taken in trade.

(5) An excise tax is hereby authorized to be levied and imposed on the classes of tangible personal property, and at the rates authorized to be imposed on such classes, specified in subdivisions (1), (2), or (3), on the storage, use, or other consumption in the performance of a contract in the county of any such tangible personal property, new or used, the tax to be measured by the sales price or the fair and reasonable market value of such tangible personal property when put into use in the county, whichever is less; provided, however, the tax authorized to be levied and imposed by this subsection shall not apply where the taxes authorized to be levied and imposed by subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) apply.

There are exempted from the provisions of this subsection and from the taxes authorized to be levied and imposed by this subsection, the storage, use, or other consumption of property the storage, use, or other consumption of which is presently exempted under the state use tax statutes from the state use tax. Subject to those exemptions, every person storing or using or otherwise consuming in the county tangible personal property purchased at retail on or after the effective date of such taxes shall be liable for the taxes authorized to be levied and imposed by this section, and the liability shall not be extinguished until the tax has been paid by such person; provided, however, that a receipt from a registered seller given pursuant to subsection (f) to the purchaser of any property to be used, stored, or consumed in the county shall be sufficient to relieve the purchaser from further liability for a tax to which such receipt may refer.

(d) Payment of taxes; reports by taxpayers. The taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (b) shall be due and payable in monthly installments on or before the twentieth day of the month next succeeding the month in which the tax accrues; and the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (c) shall be due and payable quarterly on or before the twentieth day of the month next succeeding each quarterly period during which the storage, use, or other consumption of the tangible personal property became taxable hereunder, each such quarterly period to end on the last day of each of the months of March, June, September, and December. The taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (b) shall be paid to and collected by the State Department of Revenue at the same time as and along with the payment and collection of the state sales tax; and the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (c) shall be paid to and collected by the State Department of Revenue at the same time as and along with the payment and collection of the state use tax. On or prior to the due dates of the taxes herein authorized to be levied, each person subject to such taxes shall file with the State Department of Revenue a report or return in such form as may be prescribed by the department, setting forth, with respect to all sales and business that are required to be used as a measure of the privilege or license taxes herein authorized to be levied, a correct statement of the gross proceeds of all such taxes and the gross receipts of all such business, and setting forth, with respect to the excise taxes authorized to be levied herein the total sales price of all property, the use, storage, or other consumption of which became subject to the taxes during the then preceding quarterly period. Such report shall include all such other items of information pertinent to the taxes and the amount thereof as the State Department of Revenue may require. Any person subject to the privilege or license taxes authorized to be levied herein may defer reporting credit sales until after their collection, and in the event he or she so defers reporting them, he or she shall thereafter include in each monthly report all credit collections made during the month preceding and shall pay the taxes due thereon at the time of filing such report. All reports or returns filed with the State Department of Revenue under this subsection shall be available for inspection by the governing body of the county or its designated agent at reasonable times during business hours.

(e) Tax to be added to sales price or admission fee. Each person engaging or continuing within the county in a business subject to the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (b) shall add to the sales price or admission fee and collect from the purchaser or the person paying the admission fee the amount due by the taxpayer on account of the taxes. It shall be unlawful for any person subject to the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (b) to fail or refuse to add to the sales price or admission fee and to collect from the purchaser or the person paying the admission fee the amount herein authorized to be required to be so added to the sales or admission price and collected from the purchaser, and it shall likewise be unlawful for any person subject to the taxes to refund or offer to refund all or any part of the amount so collected or to absorb or advertise directly or indirectly the absorption or refund of the taxes or any portion thereof.

(f) Special provisions respecting payment of tax authorized in subsection (c), receipts and returns by registered sellers. Every registered seller making sales of tangible personal property for storage, use, or other consumption in the county (which storage, use, or other consumption is not exempted from the taxes herein authorized to be levied pursuant to subsection (c)) shall at the time of making such sale, or if the storage, use, or other consumption of such tangible personal property in the county is not then subject to the excise taxes herein authorized to be levied, at the time such storage, use, or other consumption becomes subject to the excise taxes herein authorized to be levied, collect the tax from the purchaser and shall give to the purchaser a receipt therefor in the manner and form prescribed by the State Department of Revenue. On the twentieth day of the month next succeeding following the close of each quarterly period, each registered seller shall file with the State Department of Revenue a return for the then preceding quarterly period in such form as may be prescribed by the State Department of Revenue showing the total sales price of the tangible personal property sold by such registered seller, the storage, use, or other consumption of which became subject to the excise taxes herein authorized to be imposed, during the then preceding quarterly period; and each return shall be accompanied by a remittance of the amount of the taxes required to be collected by such registered seller during the period covered by the return; provided that any registered seller may defer collecting the taxes with respect to credit sales until collection of the proceeds of such sales and may defer reporting credit sales until after their collection, but shall thereafter collect the taxes along with collection of the credit sales, shall include in each quarterly report all credit collections made during the preceding quarterly period and shall remit the taxes with respect thereto at the time of filing such report or return. Any person who has paid to a registered seller the tax with respect to the use, storage, or other consumption of tangible personal property in the county need not file a report or make any further payment of the tax, but each person who purchases tangible personal property the storage, use, or consumption of which is subject to the taxes authorized to be imposed herein, and who has not paid the taxes due with respect thereto to a registered seller, shall report and pay the taxes as required by subsection (d). It shall be unlawful for any registered seller to fail or refuse to add to the sales price and to collect from the purchaser the amount of the taxes authorized to be imposed herein or to refund or offer to refund or absorb, or to advertise directly or indirectly, the absorption of the taxes or any portion thereof.

(g) Enforcement of this section civil suit; taxes a lien. The taxes authorized to be imposed by this section shall constitute a debt due the county and may be collected by civil suit, in addition to all other methods provided by law and in this section. The taxes, together with interest and penalties with respect thereto, shall constitute and be secured by a lien upon the property of any person from whom the taxes are due or who is required to collect the taxes. All of the provisions of the revenue laws of the state which apply to the enforcement of liens for license taxes due the state shall apply fully to the collection of the taxes herein authorized to be levied, and the State Department of Revenue, for the use and benefit of the county as hereinafter specified, shall collect such taxes and enforce this section and shall have and exercise for such collection and enforcement all rights and remedies that the State Department of Revenue has for collection of the state sales tax and the state use tax. The State Department of Revenue shall have full authority to employ such special counsel as it deems necessary from time to time to enforce collection of the taxes authorized to be levied by this section and otherwise to enforce the provisions of this section, including the institution, prosecution, and defense of any litigation involving this section; and the department shall pay such special counsel such fees as it deems necessary and proper from the proceeds of the taxes collected by it hereunder.

(h) Applicability of state sales and use tax statutes. All provisions of the state sales tax statutes with respect to payment, assessment, and collection of the state sales tax, making of monthly reports, and keeping and preserving records with respect thereto, interest after the due date of the tax, penalties for failure to pay the tax, make reports, or otherwise comply with the state sales tax statutes, the promulgation of rules and regulations with respect to the state sales tax, and the administration and enforcement of the state sales tax statutes, which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section when applied to the taxes levied in subsection (b), shall apply to the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (b), and all provisions of the state use tax statutes with respect to payment, assessment, and collection of the state use tax, making quarterly reports and keeping and preserving records with respect thereto, interest after the due date of the state use tax, penalties for failure to pay the tax, make reports or otherwise to comply with the state use tax statutes, the promulgation of rules and regulations with respect to the state use tax, and the administration and enforcement of the state use tax statutes, which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section, when applied to the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (c), shall apply to the taxes authorized to be levied in subsection (c). The commissioner and the State Department of Revenue shall have and exercise the same powers, duties, and obligations, with respect to the taxes herein authorized to be levied, that are imposed on the commissioner and the department by the state sales tax statutes and the state use tax statutes. All provisions of the state sales tax statutes and the state use tax statutes that are made applicable by this section to the taxes herein authorized to be levied and to the administration of this section are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof as if fully set forth herein.

(i) Charge of State Department of Revenue; disposition of tax proceeds. The State Department of Revenue shall charge the county, for collecting the taxes authorized to be levied herein, the costs of the department in collecting the taxes; provided such charge shall not, in any event, exceed five percent of the total amount of the taxes collected hereunder. Such charge for collecting the taxes for the county may be deducted each month from the tax proceeds collected before the amount of the proceeds due the county for that month is certified as provided in this section. The commissioner shall pay into the State Treasury all taxes collected under this section as such taxes are received by the State Department of Revenue; and on or before the first day of each successive month (commending with the month next succeeding the month in which the department makes the first collection of any of the taxes authorized to be levied hereunder) the commissioner shall certify to the state Comptroller the amount of taxes collected under the provisions of this section and paid by him or her into the State Treasury for the benefit of the county during the month immediately preceding the making of such certificate; provided, however, that before certifying the amount of taxes paid into the State Treasury for the benefit of the county during each month, the commissioner may deduct from the taxes authorized to be collected hereunder in the month the charges due the department for collection of the taxes. It shall be the duty of the state Comptroller (i) to issue his or her warrant each month, payable to the county in an amount equal to the amount so certified by the commissioner as having been collected for the use of the county, and (ii) to transmit to the county, along with the warrant, a copy of the certificate by the commissioner.

(j) Use of tax proceeds. The proceeds of any taxes herein authorized to be levied shall be paid into the county general fund and shall be applied to the fullest extent necessary to payment of the costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of a facility which shall include, among other things, space for a county jail, including, without limitation, payment of principal and interest, directly or indirectly, on any obligations issued by the county or by any public corporation established by or operating in the county to pay the cost of such construction, and appurtenant costs, and establishment of any reserve funds in connection therewith.

(Act 81-1028, 2nd Sp. Sess., p. 216, §§1-10.)