The Florida Senate

202.16  Payment.--The taxes imposed or administered under this chapter and chapter 203 shall be collected from all dealers of taxable communications services on the sale at retail in this state of communications services taxable under this chapter and chapter 203. The full amount of the taxes on a credit sale, installment sale, or sale made on any kind of deferred payment plan is due at the moment of the transaction in the same manner as a cash sale.

(1)(a)  Except as otherwise provided in ss. 202.12(1)(b) and 202.15, the taxes collected under this chapter and chapter 203 shall be paid by the purchaser of the communications service and shall be collected from such person by the dealer of communications services.

(b)  Each dealer of communications services selling communications services in this state shall collect the taxes imposed under this chapter and chapter 203 from the purchaser of such services, and such taxes must be stated separately from all other charges on the bill or invoice. Notwithstanding the requirement in this paragraph and in s. 202.35 to separately state such taxes, a public lodging establishment licensed under chapter 509 may notify purchasers of the taxes imposed under this chapter on a notice in a guest room posted in a manner consistent with the requirements of s. 509.2015, rather than separately stating the taxes on the guest bill or invoice.

(2)  A sale of communications services that are used as a component part of or integrated into a communications service or prepaid calling arrangement for resale, including, but not limited to, carrier-access charges, interconnection charges paid by providers of mobile communication services or other communication services, charges paid by cable service providers for the transmission of video or other programming by another dealer of communications services, charges for the sale of unbundled network elements, and any other intercompany charges for the use of facilities for providing communications services for resale, must be made in compliance with the rules of the department. Any person who makes a sale for resale which is not in compliance with these rules is liable for any tax, penalty, and interest due for failing to comply, to be calculated pursuant to s. 202.28(2)(a).

(3)  Notwithstanding the rate of tax on the sale of communications services imposed pursuant to this chapter and chapter 203, the department shall make available in an electronic format or otherwise the tax amounts and brackets applicable to each taxable sale such that the tax collected results in a tax rate no less than the tax rate imposed pursuant to this chapter and chapter 203.

(4)  Each purchaser of a communications service is liable for the taxes imposed under this chapter and chapter 203. The purchaser's liability is not extinguished until the tax has been paid to the department, except that proof of payment of the tax to a dealer of communications services engaged in business in this state is sufficient to relieve the purchaser from further liability for the tax.

History.--ss. 8, 58, ch. 2000-260; ss. 6, 38, ch. 2001-140; s. 3, ch. 2002-48.