The Florida Senate

212.18  Administration of law; registration of dealers; rules.--

(1)  The cost of preparing and distributing the reports, forms, and paraphernalia for the collection of said tax and the inspection and enforcement duties required herein shall be borne by the revenue produced by this chapter, provisions for which are hereinafter made.

(2)  The department shall administer and enforce the assessment and collection of the taxes, interest, and penalties imposed by this chapter. It is authorized to make and publish such rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter, as it may deem necessary in enforcing its provisions in order that there shall not be collected on the average more than the rate levied herein. The department is authorized to and it shall provide by rule and regulation a method for accomplishing this end. It shall prepare instructions to all persons required by this chapter to collect and remit the tax to guide such persons in the proper collection and remission of such tax and to instruct such persons in the practices that may be necessary for the purpose of enforcement of this chapter and the collection of the tax imposed hereby. The use of tokens in the collection of this tax is hereby expressly forbidden and prohibited.

(3)

(a)  Every person desiring to engage in or conduct business in this state as a dealer, as defined in this chapter, or to lease, rent, or let or grant licenses in living quarters or sleeping or housekeeping accommodations in hotels, apartment houses, roominghouses, or tourist or trailer camps that are subject to tax under s. 212.03, or to lease, rent, or let or grant licenses in real property, as defined in this chapter, and every person who sells or receives anything of value by way of admissions, must file with the department an application for a certificate of registration for each place of business, showing the names of the persons who have interests in such business and their residences, the address of the business, and such other data as the department may reasonably require. The department may appoint the county tax collector as the department's agent to accept applications for registrations. The application must be made to the department before the person, firm, copartnership, or corporation may engage in such business, and it must be accompanied by a registration fee of $5. However, a registration fee is not required to accompany an application to engage in or conduct business to make mail order sales. The department, upon receipt of such application, will grant to the applicant a separate certificate of registration for each place of business, which certificate may be canceled by the department or its designated assistants for any failure by the certificateholder to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter. The certificate is not assignable and is valid only for the person, firm, copartnership, or corporation to which issued. The certificate must be placed in a conspicuous place in the business or businesses for which it is issued and must be displayed at all times. Except as provided in this paragraph, no person shall engage in business as a dealer or in leasing, renting, or letting of or granting licenses in living quarters or sleeping or housekeeping accommodations in hotels, apartment houses, roominghouses, tourist or trailer camps, or real property as hereinbefore defined, nor shall any person sell or receive anything of value by way of admissions, without first having obtained such a certificate or after such certificate has been canceled; no person shall receive any license from any authority within the state to engage in any such business without first having obtained such a certificate or after such certificate has been canceled. The engaging in the business of selling or leasing tangible personal property or services or as a dealer, as defined in this chapter, or the engaging in leasing, renting, or letting of or granting licenses in living quarters or sleeping or housekeeping accommodations in hotels, apartment houses, roominghouses, or tourist or trailer camps that are taxable under this chapter, or real property, or the engaging in the business of selling or receiving anything of value by way of admissions, without such certificate first being obtained or after such certificate has been canceled by the department, is prohibited. The failure or refusal of any person, firm, copartnership, or corporation to so qualify when required hereunder is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, or subject to injunctive proceedings as provided by law. Such failure or refusal also subjects the offender to a $100 initial registration fee in lieu of the $5 registration fee authorized in this paragraph.

(b)  As used in this paragraph, the term "exhibitor" means a person who enters into an agreement authorizing the display of tangible personal property or services at a convention or a trade show. The following provisions apply to the registration of exhibitors as dealers under this chapter:

1.  An exhibitor whose agreement prohibits the sale of tangible personal property or services subject to the tax imposed in this chapter is not required to register as a dealer.

2.  An exhibitor whose agreement provides for the sale at wholesale only of tangible personal property or services subject to the tax imposed in this chapter must obtain a resale certificate from the purchasing dealer but is not required to register as a dealer.

3.  An exhibitor whose agreement authorizes the retail sale of tangible personal property or services subject to the tax imposed in this chapter must register as a dealer and collect the tax imposed under this chapter on such sales.

4.  Any exhibitor who makes a mail order sale pursuant to s. 212.0596 must register as a dealer.

Any person who conducts a convention or a trade show must make their exhibitor's agreements available to the department for inspection and copying.

(4)  The department is hereby given the authority to purchase such supplies and equipment as may be necessary and incur any other necessary expenses as are proper for the enforcement and administration of this chapter.

(5)  In addition to any other fee imposed under this chapter, persons who hold a certificate of registration granted under subsection (3) and who had taxable sales or purchases during the preceding calendar year of $30,000 or more shall pay an additional annual registration fee for each certificate of registration granted. For certificateholders with taxable sales or purchases during the preceding calendar year of at least $30,000 but not more than $200,000, the fee shall be $25. For certificateholders with taxable sales or purchases during the preceding calendar year of $200,000 or more the fee shall be $50. However, the fee pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed $10,000 for any dealer who files a consolidated return pursuant to s. 212.11. The fee shall be due and payable with the person's January return or first quarterly return each year. Failure to comply with the provisions of this subsection shall subject such person to penalties provided under s. 212.12(2).

History.--s. 18, ch. 26319, 1949; s. 9, ch. 61-276; s. 7, ch. 63-253; s. 13, ch. 65-329; s. 5, ch. 65-371; s. 2, ch. 65-420; s. 15, ch. 67-180; ss. 21, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 128, ch. 71-136; s. 5, ch. 78-59; s. 54, ch. 78-95; s. 2, ch. 82-75; s. 74, ch. 83-217; s. 79, ch. 86-152; ss. 21, 92, ch. 87-6; s. 60, ch. 87-101; s. 10, ch. 87-402; s. 76, ch. 88-130; s. 43, ch. 89-356; s. 33, ch. 90-203; s. 241, ch. 91-224; s. 20, ch. 92-320; s. 9, ch. 94-314; s. 12, ch. 94-353; s. 1501, ch. 95-147; s. 1, ch. 96-299; s. 27, ch. 97-99.