12A-19.041: Residential Exemption from the Communications Services Tax
12A-19.100: Public Use Forms
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: Chapter 2010-149, L.O.F., provides that for communications services billed on or after August 1, 2010, the state portion of the Florida communications services tax rate for certain services is reduced 0.15 percent from 6.8 percent to 6.65 percent, and the gross receipts tax rate on those services has increased 0.15 percent from 2.37 percent to 2.52 percent. Communications services billed to a residential household on or after August 1, 2010, will be subject to the 2.37 percent gross receipts tax and will remain exempt from the 6.65 percent state portion of the tax. Such services will also be exempt from the additional gross receipts tax rate of 0.15 percent, ensuring that no person will pay any additional tax.
Chapter 2008-55, L.O.F., amended Section 509.013, F.S., redefining “public lodging establishments” as “transient public lodging establishments” and “nontransient public lodging establishments.” Section 4, Chapter 2010-138, L.O.F., clarifies that the residential exemption from the communications services tax does not include any “transient public lodging establishment.”
Effective July 1, 2010, Chapter 2010-83, L.O.F., allows communications services tax dealers to use a proportionate method to allocate bad debts based on current gross taxes due to determine the amount of bad debt that is attributable to the state and to the local jurisdiction or another reasonable allocation method approved by the Department. Dealers report the bad debit credit on Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return, by deducting the bad debit credit from the state tax or from the local jurisdiction tax due to the Department. The amount of the credit deducted and reported on the return is limited to the amount of state tax due or the amount of local jurisdiction tax due.
The purpose of the proposed amendments to Rule 12A-19.041, F.A.C., is to: (1) amend the title to “Sales of Communications Services to a Residential Household” and the scope of the rule to clarify the intent of the application of the rule, as amended; (2) update provisions regarding the state portion and gross receipts tax portion of the Florida communications services tax for purposes of the residential exemption, as provided in Chapter 2010-149, L.O.F.; (3) include the definition of “transient public lodging establishment,” as defined in Section 509.013, F.S., as amended by Chapter 2008-55, L.O.F.; (4) clarify that the residential exemption from communications services tax does not apply to “transient public lodging establishments,” as provided in Section 4, Chapter 2010-138, L.O.F.; and (4) update the term “service provider” to “dealer” of communications services.
The purpose of the proposed amendments to Rule 12A-19.100, F.A.C. (Public Use Forms), is to: (1) incorporate the instructions to report tax due on communications services billed on or after August 1, 2010, and provide for the components of the communications services tax collected to be shown on Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return, and Form DR-700019, Communications Services Use Tax Return, as provided in Chapter 2010-149, L.O.F.; (2) provide in the instructions of Form DR-700016 that the residential exemption from the communications services tax does not include any transient public lodging establishment, as clarified in Section 4, Chapter 2010-138, L.O.F.; (3) provide for the reporting of bad debt credits consistent with the provisions of Chapter 2010-83, L.O.F.; (4) provide which version of Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return, is to be used to report communications services tax on services billed during the calendar year; (5) update the local communications services tax rates; and (6) adopt, by reference, changes to Forms DR-700016 and DR-700019.
SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: The subject of the workshop is: (1) the tax rate changes for communications services sold to residential households, as provided in Chapter 2010-149, L.O.F.; (2) clarification that the residential exemption does not include any transient public lodging establishment, as provided in Section 4, Chapter 2010-138, L.O.F.; (3) reporting of bad debt credits consistent with the provisions of Chapter 2010-83, L.O.F.; (4) applicable reporting periods and service billing dates for each version of Form DR-700016, Florida Communications Services Tax Return; and (5) adoption, by reference, of updates to Form DR-700016, Communications Services Tax Return, and Form DR-700019, Communications Services Use Tax Return.
SPECIFIC 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.
IF REQUESTED IN WRITING AND NOT DEEMED UNNECESSARY BY THE AGENCY HEAD, A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
TIME AND DATE: August 31, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: Room 118, Carlton Building, 501 S. Calhoun Street, 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: Sarah Wachman at (850)410-2651. 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 DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Heather Miller, Tax Law Specialist, Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution, Department of Revenue, P. O. Box 7443, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-7443, telephone (850)922-4835
THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:
Published on the Department’s Internet site at myflorida.com/dor/rules.