Notice of Proposed Rule

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Sales and Use Tax
RULE NO.: RULE TITLE:
12A-19.041: Sales of Communications Services to a Residential Household
12A-19.100: Public Use Forms
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: Chapter 2011-119, L.O.F., revises the classification of “resort condominiums” and “resort dwellings,” in Chapter 509, F.S., as “public lodging establishments” to “vacation rentals.” The purpose of the proposed amendments to Rule 12A-19.041, F.A.C. (Sales of Communications Services to a Residential Household), is to update “resort dwellings” to “vacation rentals,” as an example of a transient public lodging establishment consistent with the provisions of Chapter 509, F.S.
Chapter 2011-120, L.O.F., modifies Section 202.16(3), F.S., eliminating the requirement of the Department to provide tax amounts and brackets to communications services dealers and stating the requirement of communications services dealers to compute the state and the local communications services tax based on a rounding algorithm.
Providers of communications services address/jurisdiction databases and vendors of such databases may request that the Department certify their database for accuracy of the address/jurisdictions contained within the database. To apply, service providers and database vendors must submit Form DR-700012 (Application for Certification of Communications Services Database), along with their database containing a combination of FIPS 55 place codes and GNIS Feature Identifier place codes. When the place codes do not correlate, the database is returned to the applicant for correction.
The purpose of the proposed amendments to Rule 12A-19.100, F.A.C. (Public Use Forms), is to: (1) adopt, by reference, updates to Form DR-700012 to clarify that the FIPS 55 place codes and the GNIS Feature Identifier place codes contained within a database submitted for certification must correlate; (2) provide the version of form DR-700016 that is to be used to report the communications services tax during the specified reporting periods; (3) remove the instructions contained under “Rounding rule,” on Page 20 of Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return (R. 07/11); and (4) update the local communications services tax rates that will be in effect on January 1, 2012, on Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return (R. 01/12).
SUMMARY: The proposed amendments to Rule 12A-19.041, F.A.C. (Sales of Communications Services to a Residential Household), change the example of a transient public lodging establishment from “resort dwellings” to “vacation rentals,” consistent with Chapter 509, F.S., as amended by Chapter 2011-119, L.O.F.
The proposed amendments to Rule 12A-19.100, F.A.C. (Public Use Forms), adopt, by reference, changes to forms used in the administration of the communications services tax to clarify provisions regarding place codes contained within a database submitted to the Department for certification, to remove obsolete provisions regarding tax brackets, and to update the local communications services tax rates.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:
The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the agency.
The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: 1) no requirement for the Statement of Economic Regulatory Costs (SERC) was triggered under Section 120.541(1), F.S.; and 2) based on past experiences with activities for providing the public tax information and rules of this nature, the adverse impact or regulatory cost, if any, do not exceed nor would exceed any one of the economic analysis criteria in a SERC, as set forth in Section 120.541(2)(a), F.S.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 175.1015(5), 185.085(5), 202.151, 202.16(2), 202.26(3)(a), (c), (d), (e), (j), 202.27(7) FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 119.071(5), 175.1015, 185.085, 202.11(3), (10), (11), 202.12(1), (3), 202.125(1), 202.13(2), 202.151, 202.16(2), (4), 202.17(6), 202.19(1), (7), (10), 202.22(6), 202.27, 202.28(1), (2), 202.29, 202.30(3), 202.33, 202.34(3), (4)(c), 202.35(1), (2), (4) FS.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: October 26, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
PLACE: 2450 Shumard Oak Boulevard, Building One, Room 1220, Tallahassee, Florida
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 48 hours before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Tammy Miller at (850)617-8346. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Heather Miller, Tax Law Specialist, Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution, Department of Revenue, P. O. Box 7443, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-7443, telephone (850)717-7104

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

12A-19.041 Sales of Communications Services to a Residential Household.

(1) through (2) No change.

(3) TRANSIENT PUBLIC LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS. The partial exemption for sales to residential households does not apply to sales to any residence that constitutes all or part of a transient public lodging establishment, as defined by Section 509.013, F.S.

(a) through (b) No change.

(c) A “transient public lodging establishment,” as defined in Section 509.013, F.S., means any unit, group of units, dwelling, building, or group of buildings within a single complex of buildings that is:

1. Advertised or held out to the public as a place that is regularly rented to guests; or

2. Rented more than three times in a calendar year, with each separate rental period having a duration less than 1 calendar month or less than 30 days.

(d) Transient public lodging establishments are rented to guests whose occupancy is intended to be temporary. Examples of transient public lodging establishments include hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns, transient apartments, transient rooming houses, and vacation rentals resort dwellings.

(4) through (5) No change.

Rulemaking Authority 202.26(3)(c) FS. Law Implemented 202.125(1), 202.13(2), 202.16(4), 202.19(10), 202.34(3), 202.35(4) FS. History–New 1-31-02, Amended 2-7-11,________.

 

12A-19.100 Public Use Forms.

(1) No change.

(2) The following versions of Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return, are applicable to the reporting periods and service billing dates indicated:

 

REVISION DATE

REPORTING PERIODS

SERVICE BILLING DATES

01/12

January 2012 -

January 1, 2012 -

07/11

July 2011 - December 2011

July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

01/11

January 2011 - June 2011

January 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011

08/10

August 2010 - December 2010

August 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

01/10

January 2010 - July 2010

January 1, 2010 - July 31, 2010

06/09

June 2009 - December 2009

June 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009

01/09

January 2009 - May 2009

January 1, 2009 - May 31, 2009

09/08

September 2008 - December 2008

September 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008

06/08

June 2008 - August 2008

June 1, 2008 - August 31, 2008

05/08

May 2008

May 1, 2008 - May 31, 2008

01/08

January 2008 - April 2008

January 1, 2008 - April 30, 2008

09/07

September 2007 - December 2007

September 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007

06/07

June 2007 - August 2007

June 1, 2007 - August 31, 2007

02/07

February 2007 - May 2007

February 1, 2007 - May 31, 2007

01/07

January 2007

January 1, 2007 - January 31, 2007

06/06

June 2006 - December 2006

June 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006

01/06

January 2006 - May 2006

January 1, 2006 - May 31, 2006

11/05

November 2005 - December 2005

November 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005

06/05

June 2005 - October 2005

June 1, 2005 - October 31, 2005

01/05

January 2005 - May 2005

January 1, 2005 - May 31, 2005

11/04

November 2004 - December 2004

November 1, 2004 - December 31, 2004

10/04

October 2004

October 1, 2004 - October 31, 2004

06/04

June 2004 - September 2004

June 1, 2004 - September 30, 2004

01/04

January 2004 - May 2004

January 1, 2004 - May 31, 2004

12/03

December 2003

December 1, 2003 - December 31, 2003

11/03

November 2003

November 1, 2003 - November 30, 2003

10/03

October 2003

October 1, 2003 - October 31, 2003

06/03

June 2003 - September 2003

June 1, 2003 - September 30, 2003

03/03

March 2003 - May 2003

March 1, 2003 - May 31, 2003

01/03

January 2003 - February 2003

January 1, 2003 - February 28, 2003

12/02

December 2002

December 1, 2002 - December 31, 2002

11/02

November 2002

November 1, 2002 - November 30, 2002

10/02

October 2002

October 1, 2002 - October 31, 2002

01/02

January 2002 - September 2002

January 1, 2002 - September 30, 2002

12/01

October 2001 - December 2001

October 1, 2001 - December 31, 2001

 

Form Number             Title                                                          Effective Date

(3) DR-700012           Application for Certification

                                 of Communications Services

                                 Database (R. 05/11 10/09)                          ____ 06/10

(4)(a) DR-700016       Florida Communications Services

                                 Tax Return (R. 01/12)                                ____

(b) DR-700016           Florida Communications Services

                                 Tax Return (R. 07/11)                                ____

(a) through (gg) renumbered (c) through (ii) No change.

(5) through (12) No change.

Rulemaking Authority 175.1015(5), 185.085(5), 202.151, 202.16(2), 202.26(3)(a), (c), (d), (e), (j), 202.27(7) FS. Law Implemented 119.071(5), 175.1015, 185.085, 202.11(3), (10), (11), 202.12(1), (3), 202.13(2), 202.151, 202.16(2), (4), 202.17(6), 202.19(1), (7), 202.22(6), 202.27, 202.28(1), (2), 202.29, 202.30(3), 202.33, 202.34(3), (4)(c), 202.35(1), (2) FS. History–New 4-17-03, Amended 7-31-03, 10-1-03, 9-28-04, 6-28-05, 11-14-05, 7-16-06, 4-5-07, 11-6-07, 12-20-07, 1-28-08, 1-27-09, 1-11-10, 6-28-10(3), 6-28-10(5), 2-7-11,________.


NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Heather Miller, Tax Law Specialist, Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution, Department of Revenue, P. O. Box 7443, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-7443, telephone (850)717-7104
NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Governor and Cabinet
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: September 20, 2011
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: A Notice of Proposed Rule Development was published in the Florida Administrative Weekly on July 29, 2011 (Vol. 37, No. 30, pp. 2185-2186). No comments were received by the Department.