(a) This section shall only apply to Covington County.
(b) All words, terms, and phrases as defined in Sections 40-23-60, 40-23-61, 40-23-62, and 40-23-63, providing for the levy of a state use tax shall wherever used in this section, have the same meanings respectively ascribed to them, in those sections except where the context herein clearly indicates a different meaning. In addition, 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. Covington County.
(2) COUNTY COMMISSION. Covington County Commission.
(3) MONTH. The calendar month.
(4) STATE USE TAX. The tax imposed by the use tax statutes.
(5) STATE USE TAX STATUTES. Sections 40-23-60, 40-23-61, 40-23-62, and 40-23-63, which levy a certain use tax, and include all statutes, including amendments to those sections which expressly set forth any exemptions from the computation of the tax levied by the sections and all other statutes which expressly apply to, or purport to affect, the administration of the sections and the incidence and collection of the tax imposed therein.
(c)(l) The Covington County Commission is authorized to levy and impose, in addition to all other taxes, a one percent use tax against tangible personal property purchased at retail outside the county and domiciled in the county.
(2) The storage, use, or other consumption of tangible personal property which is presently exempt under the state use tax statutes is exempt from the tax authorized by this section.
(d) The tax levied by this section shall be collected by Covington County or its designee at the same time and in the same manner as state use taxes are collected. On or prior to the date the tax is due, each person subject to the tax shall file with the county commission or its designee a report in the form prescribed by the county commission or its designee. The report shall set forth, with respect to all sales and business transactions that are required to be used as a measure of the tax levied, a correct statement of the gross proceeds of all the sales and gross receipts of all business transactions. The report shall also include items of information pertinent to the tax as the county commission or its designee may require. Any person subject to the tax levied by this section may defer reporting credit sales until after their collection, and in the event the person defers reporting them, the person shall thereafter include in each monthly report all credit collections made during the preceding month, and shall pay the tax due at the time of filing the report.
(e) Each person engaging or continuing in a business subject to the tax levied by this section, shall add to the sales price and collect from the purchaser the amount due by the taxpayer because of the sale. It shall be unlawful for any person subject to the tax to fail or refuse to add to the sales price and to collect from the purchaser the amount required to be added to the sales price. It shall be unlawful for any person subject to the tax levied by this section to refund or offer to refund all or any portion of the amount collected, to absorb all or any portion of the amount to be collected, or advertise directly or indirectly the refund or absorption of all or any portion of the tax.
(f) The tax levied by this section shall constitute a debt due Covington County. The tax, together with any interest and penalties, shall constitute and be secured by a lien upon the property of any person from whom the tax is due or who is required to collect the tax. The county commission or its designee shall collect the tax, enforce this section, and have and exercise the same rights, remedies, power, and authority, including the right to adopt and implement the same procedures, as would be available to the Department of Revenue if the tax levied by this section was being administered, enforced, and collected by the Department of Revenue.
(g) All provisions of the state use tax statutes with respect to the payment, assessment, and collection of the state use tax, making of reports, keeping and preserving records, penalties for failure to pay the tax, promulgating 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 this section shall apply to the tax levied under this section. The county commission or its designee shall have and exercise the same powers, duties, and obligations with respect to the tax levied under this section that are imposed on the State Commissioner of Revenue and the Revenue Department by the state use tax statutes. All provisions of the state use tax statutes that are made applicable by this section to the tax levied under this section, and to the administration and enforcement of this section, are incorporated by reference and made a part of this section as if fully set forth herein.
(h) Covington County or its designee may charge as its fee for the cost of collection of the tax levied under this section no more than five percent of the total amount of the tax proceeds collected under this section or the county's actual cost for collection, whichever is less.
(i) Each month, Covington County or its designee shall pay into the county sales tax fund the tax proceeds collected under this section, less the collection fee, to be allocated and used for the following purposes:
(1) Fifty percent to the county general fund.
(2) Twenty percent to the gasoline fund to be divided equally among each road district for maintenance of roads and bridges.
(3) Twenty percent to the public highway and traffic fund for maintenance of roads and bridges.
(4) Five percent to the Covington County School System.
(5) Five percent to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.
Last modified: May 3, 2021