The Florida Senate

212.12  Dealer's credit for collecting tax; penalties for noncompliance; powers of Department of Revenue in dealing with delinquents; brackets applicable to taxable transactions; records required.--

(1)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law and for the purpose of compensating persons granting licenses for and the lessors of real and personal property taxed hereunder, for the purpose of compensating dealers in tangible personal property, for the purpose of compensating dealers providing communication services and taxable services, for the purpose of compensating owners of places where admissions are collected, and for the purpose of compensating remitters of any taxes or fees reported on the same documents utilized for the sales and use tax, as compensation for the keeping of prescribed records, filing timely tax returns, and the proper accounting and remitting of taxes by them, such seller, person, lessor, dealer, owner, and remitter (except dealers who make mail order sales) shall be allowed 2.5 percent of the amount of the tax due and accounted for and remitted to the department, in the form of a deduction in submitting his or her report and paying the amount due by him or her; the department shall allow such deduction of 2.5 percent of the amount of the tax to the person paying the same for remitting the tax and making of tax returns in the manner herein provided, for paying the amount due to be paid by him or her, and as further compensation to dealers in tangible personal property for the keeping of prescribed records and for collection of taxes and remitting the same. However, if the amount of the tax due and remitted to the department for the reporting period exceeds $1,200, no allowance shall be allowed for all amounts in excess of $1,200. The executive director of the department is authorized to negotiate a collection allowance, pursuant to rules promulgated by the department, with a dealer who makes mail order sales. The rules of the department shall provide guidelines for establishing the collection allowance based upon the dealer's estimated costs of collecting the tax, the volume and value of the dealer's mail order sales to purchasers in this state, and the administrative and legal costs and likelihood of achieving collection of the tax absent the cooperation of the dealer. However, in no event shall the collection allowance negotiated by the executive director exceed 10 percent of the tax remitted for a reporting period.

(a)  The Department of Revenue may deny the collection allowance if a taxpayer files an incomplete return or if the required tax return or tax is delinquent at the time of payment.

1.  An "incomplete return" is, for purposes of this chapter, a return which is lacking such uniformity, completeness, and arrangement that the physical handling, verification, review of the return, or determination of other taxes and fees reported on the return may not be readily accomplished.

2.  The department shall adopt rules requiring such information as it may deem necessary to ensure that the tax levied hereunder is properly collected, reviewed, compiled, reported, and enforced, including, but not limited to: the amount of gross sales; the amount of taxable sales; the amount of tax collected or due; the amount of lawful refunds, deductions, or credits claimed; the amount claimed as the dealer's collection allowance; the amount of penalty and interest; the amount due with the return; and such other information as the Department of Revenue may specify. The department shall require that transient rentals and agricultural equipment transactions be separately shown. Sales made through vending machines as defined in s. 212.0515 must be separately shown on the return. Sales made through coin-operated amusement machines as defined by s. 212.02 and the number of machines operated must be separately shown on the return or on a form prescribed by the department. If a separate form is required, the same penalties for late filing, incomplete filing, or failure to file as provided for the sales tax return shall apply to said form.

(b)  The collection allowance and other credits or deductions provided in this chapter shall be applied proportionally to any taxes or fees reported on the same documents used for the sales and use tax.

(2)(a)  When any person required hereunder to make any return or to pay any tax or fee imposed by this chapter either fails to timely file such return or fails to pay the tax or fee shown due on the return within the time required hereunder, in addition to all other penalties provided herein and by the laws of this state in respect to such taxes or fees, a specific penalty shall be added to the tax or fee in the amount of 10 percent of either the tax or fee shown on the return that is not timely filed or any tax or fee not paid timely. The penalty may not be less than $50 for failure to timely file a tax return required by s. 212.11(1) or timely pay the tax or fee shown due on the return except as provided in s. 213.21(10). If a person fails to timely file a return required by s. 212.11(1) and to timely pay the tax or fee shown due on the return, only one penalty of 10 percent, which may not be less than $50, shall be imposed.

(b)  When any person required under this section to make a return or to pay a tax or fee imposed by this chapter fails to disclose the tax or fee on the return within the time required, excluding a noncompliant filing event generated by situations covered in paragraph (a), in addition to all other penalties provided in this section and by the laws of this state in respect to such taxes or fees, a specific penalty shall be added to the additional tax or fee owed in the amount of 10 percent of any such unpaid tax or fee not paid timely if the failure is for not more than 30 days, with an additional 10 percent of any such unpaid tax or fee for each additional 30 days, or fraction thereof, while the failure continues, not to exceed a total penalty of 50 percent, in the aggregate, of any unpaid tax or fee.

(c)  Any person who knowingly and with a willful intent to evade any tax imposed under this chapter fails to file six consecutive returns as required by law commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083

(d)  Any person who makes a false or fraudulent return with a willful intent to evade payment of any tax or fee imposed under this chapter shall, in addition to the other penalties provided by law, be liable for a specific penalty of 100 percent of the tax bill or fee and, upon conviction, for fine and punishment as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084

1.  If the total amount of unreported taxes or fees is less than $300, the first offense resulting in conviction is a misdemeanor of the second degree, the second offense resulting in conviction is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the third and all subsequent offenses resulting in conviction is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the third and all subsequent offenses resulting in conviction are felonies of the third degree.

2.  If the total amount of unreported taxes or fees is $300 or more but less than $20,000, the offense is a felony of the third degree.

3.  If the total amount of unreported taxes or fees is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000, the offense is a felony of the second degree.

4.  If the total amount of unreported taxes or fees is $100,000 or more, the offense is a felony of the first degree.

(e)  A person who willfully attempts in any manner to evade any tax, surcharge, or fee imposed under this chapter or the payment thereof is, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, liable for a specific penalty in the amount of 100 percent of the tax, surcharge, or fee, and commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084

(f)  When any person, firm, or corporation fails to timely remit the proper estimated payment required under s. 212.11, a specific penalty shall be added in an amount equal to 10 percent of any unpaid estimated tax. Beginning with January 1, 1985, returns, the department, upon a showing of reasonable cause, is authorized to waive or compromise penalties imposed by this paragraph. However, other penalties and interest shall be due and payable if the return on which the estimated payment was due was not timely or properly filed.

(g)  A dealer who files a consolidated return pursuant to s. 212.11(1)(e) is subject to the penalty established in paragraph (e) unless the dealer has paid the required estimated tax for his or her consolidated return as a whole without regard to each location. If the dealer fails to pay the required estimated tax for his or her consolidated return as a whole, each filing location shall stand on its own with respect to calculating penalties pursuant to paragraph (f).

(3)  When any dealer, or other person charged herein, fails to remit the tax, or any portion thereof, on or before the day when such tax is required by law to be paid, there shall be added to the amount due interest at the rate of 1 percent per month of the amount due from the date due until paid. Interest on the delinquent tax shall be calculated beginning on the 21st day of the month following the month for which the tax is due, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

(4)  All penalties and interest imposed by this chapter shall be payable to and collectible by the department in the same manner as if they were a part of the tax imposed. The department may settle or compromise any such interest or penalties pursuant to s. 213.21

(5)(a)  The department is authorized to audit or inspect the records and accounts of dealers defined herein, including audits or inspections of dealers who make mail order sales to the extent permitted by another state, and to correct by credit any overpayment of tax, and, in the event of a deficiency, an assessment shall be made and collected. No administrative finding of fact is necessary prior to the assessment of any tax deficiency.

(b)  In the event any dealer or other person charged herein fails or refuses to make his or her records available for inspection so that no audit or examination has been made of the books and records of such dealer or person, fails or refuses to register as a dealer, fails to make a report and pay the tax as provided by this chapter, makes a grossly incorrect report or makes a report that is false or fraudulent, then, in such event, it shall be the duty of the department to make an assessment from an estimate based upon the best information then available to it for the taxable period of retail sales of such dealer, the gross proceeds from rentals, the total admissions received, amounts received from leases of tangible personal property by such dealer, or of the cost price of all articles of tangible personal property imported by the dealer for use or consumption or distribution or storage to be used or consumed in this state, or of the sales or cost price of all services the sale or use of which is taxable under this chapter, together with interest, plus penalty, if such have accrued, as the case may be. Then the department shall proceed to collect such taxes, interest, and penalty on the basis of such assessment which shall be considered prima facie correct, and the burden to show the contrary shall rest upon the dealer, seller, owner, or lessor, as the case may be.

(6)(a)  The department is given the power to prescribe the records to be kept by all persons subject to taxes imposed by this chapter. It shall be the duty of every person required to make a report and pay any tax under this chapter, every person receiving rentals or license fees, and owners of places of admission, to keep and preserve suitable records of the sales, leases, rentals, license fees, admissions, or purchases, as the case may be, taxable under this chapter; such other books of account as may be necessary to determine the amount of the tax due hereunder; and other information as may be required by the department. It shall be the duty of every such person so charged with such duty, moreover, to keep and preserve as long as required by s. 213.35 all invoices and other records of goods, wares, and merchandise; records of admissions, leases, license fees and rentals; and records of all other subjects of taxation under this chapter. All such books, invoices, and other records shall be open to examination at all reasonable hours to the department or any of its duly authorized agents.

(b)  For the purpose of this subsection, if a dealer does not have adequate records of his or her retail sales or purchases, the department may, upon the basis of a test or sampling of the dealer's available records or other information relating to the sales or purchases made by such dealer for a representative period, determine the proportion that taxable retail sales bear to total retail sales or the proportion that taxable purchases bear to total purchases. This subsection does not affect the duty of the dealer to collect, or the liability of any consumer to pay, any tax imposed by or pursuant to this chapter.

(c)1.  If the records of a dealer are adequate but voluminous in nature and substance, the department may sample such records, except for fixed assets, and project the audit findings derived therefrom over the entire audit period to determine the proportion that taxable retail sales bear to total retail sales or the proportion that taxable purchases bear to total purchases. In order to conduct such a sample, the department must first make a good faith effort to reach an agreement with the dealer, which agreement provides for the means and methods to be used in the sampling process. In the event that no agreement is reached, the dealer is entitled to a review by the executive director.

2.  For the purposes of sampling pursuant to subparagraph 1., the department shall project any deficiencies and overpayments derived therefrom over the entire audit period. In determining the dealer's compliance, the department shall reduce any tax deficiency as derived from the sample by the amount of any overpayment derived from the sample. In the event the department determines from the sample results that the dealer has a net tax overpayment, the department shall provide the findings of this overpayment to the Chief Financial Officer for repayment of funds paid into the State Treasury through error pursuant to s. 215.26

3.a.  A taxpayer is entitled, both in connection with an audit and in connection with an application for refund filed independently of any audit, to establish the amount of any refund or deficiency through statistical sampling when the taxpayer's records, other than those regarding fixed assets, are adequate but voluminous. Alternatively, a taxpayer is entitled to establish any refund or deficiency through any other sampling method agreed upon by the taxpayer and the department when the taxpayer's records, other than those regarding fixed assets, are adequate but voluminous. Whether done through statistical sampling or any other sampling method agreed upon by the taxpayer and the department, the completed sample must reflect both overpayments and underpayments of taxes due. The sample shall be conducted through:

(I)  A taxpayer request to perform the sampling through the certified audit program pursuant to s. 213.285;

(II)  Attestation by a certified public accountant as to the adequacy of the sampling method utilized and the results reached using such sampling method; or

(III)  A sampling method that has been submitted by the taxpayer and approved by the department before a refund claim is submitted. This sub-sub-subparagraph does not prohibit a taxpayer from filing a refund claim prior to approval by the department of the sampling method; however, a refund claim submitted before the sampling method has been approved by the department cannot be a complete refund application pursuant to s. 213.255 until the sampling method has been approved by the department.

b.  The department shall prescribe by rule the procedures to be followed under each method of sampling. Such procedures shall follow generally accepted auditing procedures for sampling. The rule shall also set forth other criteria regarding the use of sampling, including, but not limited to, training requirements that must be met before a sampling method may be utilized and the steps necessary for the department and the taxpayer to reach agreement on a sampling method submitted by the taxpayer for approval by the department.

(7)  In the event the dealer has imported tangible personal property and he or she fails to produce an invoice showing the cost price of the articles, as defined in this chapter, which are subject to tax, or the invoice does not reflect the true or actual cost price as defined herein, then the department shall ascertain, in any manner feasible, the true cost price, and assess and collect the tax thereon with interest plus penalties, if such have accrued on the true cost price as assessed by it. The assessment so made shall be considered prima facie correct, and the duty shall be on the dealer to show to the contrary.

(8)  In the case of the lease or rental of tangible personal property, or other rentals or license fees as herein defined and taxed, if the consideration given or reported by the lessor, person receiving rental or license fee, or dealer does not, in the judgment of the department, represent the true or actual consideration, then the department is authorized to ascertain the same and assess and collect the tax thereon in the same manner as above provided, with respect to imported tangible property, together with interest, plus penalties, if such have accrued.

(9)  Taxes imposed by this chapter upon the privilege of the use, consumption, storage for consumption, or sale of tangible personal property, admissions, license fees, rentals, communication services, and upon the sale or use of services as herein taxed shall be collected upon the basis of an addition of the tax imposed by this chapter to the total price of such admissions, license fees, rentals, communication or other services, or sale price of such article or articles that are purchased, sold, or leased at any one time by or to a customer or buyer; the dealer, or person charged herein, is required to pay a privilege tax in the amount of the tax imposed by this chapter on the total of his or her gross sales of tangible personal property, admissions, license fees, rentals, and communication services or to collect a tax upon the sale or use of services, and such person or dealer shall add the tax imposed by this chapter to the price, license fee, rental, or admissions, and communication or other services and collect the total sum from the purchaser, admittee, licensee, lessee, or consumer. The department shall make available in an electronic format or otherwise the tax amounts and the following brackets applicable to all transactions taxable at the rate of 6 percent:

(a)  On single sales of less than 10 cents, no tax shall be added.

(b)  On single sales in amounts from 10 cents to 16 cents, both inclusive, 1 cent shall be added for taxes.

(c)  On sales in amounts from 17 cents to 33 cents, both inclusive, 2 cents shall be added for taxes.

(d)  On sales in amounts from 34 cents to 50 cents, both inclusive, 3 cents shall be added for taxes.

(e)  On sales in amounts from 51 cents to 66 cents, both inclusive, 4 cents shall be added for taxes.

(f)  On sales in amounts from 67 cents to 83 cents, both inclusive, 5 cents shall be added for taxes.

(g)  On sales in amounts from 84 cents to $1, both inclusive, 6 cents shall be added for taxes.

(h)  On sales in amounts of more than $1, 6 percent shall be charged upon each dollar of price, plus the appropriate bracket charge upon any fractional part of a dollar.

(10)  In counties which have adopted a discretionary sales surtax at the rate of 1 percent, the department shall make available in an electronic format or otherwise the tax amounts and the following brackets applicable to all taxable transactions that would otherwise have been transactions taxable at the rate of 6 percent:

(a)  On single sales of less than 10 cents, no tax shall be added.

(b)  On single sales in amounts from 10 cents to 14 cents, both inclusive, 1 cent shall be added for taxes.

(c)  On sales in amounts from 15 cents to 28 cents, both inclusive, 2 cents shall be added for taxes.

(d)  On sales in amounts from 29 cents to 42 cents, both inclusive, 3 cents shall be added for taxes.

(e)  On sales in amounts from 43 cents to 57 cents, both inclusive, 4 cents shall be added for taxes.

(f)  On sales in amounts from 58 cents to 71 cents, both inclusive, 5 cents shall be added for taxes.

(g)  On sales in amounts from 72 cents to 85 cents, both inclusive, 6 cents shall be added for taxes.

(h)  On sales in amounts from 86 cents to $1, both inclusive, 7 cents shall be added for taxes.

(i)  On sales in amounts from $1 up to, and including, the first $5,000 in price, 7 percent shall be charged upon each dollar of price, plus the appropriate bracket charge upon any fractional part of a dollar.

(j)  On sales in amounts of more than $5,000 in price, 7 percent shall be added upon the first $5,000 in price, and 6 percent shall be added upon each dollar of price in excess of the first $5,000 in price, plus the bracket charges upon any fractional part of a dollar as provided for in subsection (9).

(11)  The department shall make available in an electronic format or otherwise the tax amounts and brackets applicable to all taxable transactions that occur in counties that have a surtax at a rate other than 1 percent which transactions would otherwise have been transactions taxable at the rate of 6 percent. Likewise, the department shall make available in an electronic format or otherwise the tax amounts and brackets applicable to transactions taxable at 7 percent pursuant to s. 212.05(1)(e) and on transactions which would otherwise have been so taxable in counties which have adopted a discretionary sales surtax.

(12)  It is hereby declared to be the legislative intent that, whenever in the construction, administration, or enforcement of this chapter there may be any question respecting a duplication of the tax, the end consumer, or last retail sale, be the sale intended to be taxed and insofar as may be practicable there be no duplication or pyramiding of the tax.

(13)  In order to aid the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter with respect to the rentals and license fees, each lessor or person granting the use of any hotel, apartment house, roominghouse, tourist or trailer camp, real property, or any interest therein, or any portion thereof, inclusive of owners; property managers; lessors; landlords; hotel, apartment house, and roominghouse operators; and all licensed real estate agents within the state leasing, granting the use of, or renting such property, shall be required to keep a record of each and every such lease, license, or rental transaction which is taxable under this chapter, in such a manner and upon such forms as the department may prescribe, and to report such transaction to the department or its designated agents, and to maintain such records as long as required by s. 213.35, subject to the inspection of the department and its agents. Upon the failure by such owner; property manager; lessor; landlord; hotel, apartment house, roominghouse, tourist or trailer camp operator; or real estate agent to keep and maintain such records and to make such reports upon the forms and in the manner prescribed, such owner; property manager; lessor; landlord; hotel, apartment house, roominghouse, tourist or trailer camp operator; receiver of rent or license fees; or real estate agent is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for the first offense; for subsequent offenses, they are each guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083 If, however, any subsequent offense involves intentional destruction of such records with an intent to evade payment of or deprive the state of any tax revenues, such subsequent offense shall be a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083

(14)  If it is determined upon audit that a dealer has collected and remitted taxes by applying the applicable tax rate to each transaction as described in subsection (9) and rounding the tax due to the nearest whole cent rather than applying the appropriate bracket system provided by law or department rule, the dealer shall not be held liable for additional tax, penalty, and interest resulting from such failure if:

(a)  The dealer acted in a good faith belief that rounding to the nearest whole cent was the proper method of determining the amount of tax due on each taxable transaction.

(b)  The dealer timely reported and remitted all taxes collected on each taxable transaction.

(c)  The dealer agrees in writing to future compliance with the laws and rules concerning brackets applicable to the dealer's transactions.

History.--s. 12, ch. 26319, 1949; s. 11, ch. 26871, 1951; s. 3, ch. 57-109; s. 3, ch. 57-398; s. 4, ch. 61-276; s. 7, ch. 63-253; s. 10, ch. 65-329; s. 5, ch. 65-371; s. 2, ch. 65-420; s. 8, ch. 67-180; s. 13, ch. 68-27; s. 17, ch. 69-222; ss. 21, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 125, ch. 71-136; s. 10, ch. 76-261; s. 3, ch. 76-284; s. 3, ch. 78-59; s. 10, ch. 81-178; s. 2, ch. 81-221; s. 6, ch. 81-319; s. 8, ch. 82-154; s. 73, ch. 83-217; s. 9, ch. 83-297; s. 59, ch. 83-310; s. 7, ch. 84-324; s. 20, ch. 84-549; s. 2, ch. 85-142; s. 63, ch. 85-342; s. 76, ch. 86-152; s. 7, ch. 86-166; ss. 17, 88, ch. 87-6; s. 6, ch. 87-99; ss. 16, 56, ch. 87-101; s. 8, ch. 87-402; ss. 30, 31, 32, ch. 87-548; s. 12, ch. 88-119; s. 74, ch. 88-130; s. 27, ch. 90-132; ss. 32, 169, ch. 91-112; s. 240, ch. 91-224; s. 14, ch. 92-319; s. 19, ch. 92-320; s. 24, ch. 94-314; s. 1500, ch. 95-147; s. 31, ch. 96-397; s. 26, ch. 97-99; s. 13, ch. 98-342; s. 79, ch. 99-2; s. 14, ch. 99-208; s. 3, ch. 2000-276; s. 17, ch. 2000-355; ss. 26, 28, ch. 2002-218; s. 20, ch. 2003-254; s. 187, ch. 2003-261; s. 3, ch. 2005-197; s. 16, ch. 2005-280.