ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION V. TROTTER FORD, INC. (Majority, with Concurring and Dissenting)
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The Supreme Court of Arkansas reversed a lower court's ruling in a dispute involving the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (ADFA) and two car dealerships, Trotter Ford and Trotter Auto. The case centered on whether the dealerships' assignment of vehicles to certain employees and family members, for personal use, constituted a "withdrawal from stock" subject to sales tax under Arkansas law.
The ADFA audited Trotter Ford and Trotter Auto and found that several individuals not qualified as authorized users for dealer tags under Motor Vehicle Rule 2005-7 were using dealer-tagged vehicles. The ADFA considered this a "withdrawal from stock" which required the payment of sales tax and issued notices of proposed assessment to the dealerships. Trotter paid the assessed taxes and interest, but subsequently protested the assessments. After a consolidated administrative hearing and subsequent legal challenges, the Jefferson County Circuit Court granted summary judgment in favor of Trotter, reversing ADFA’s assessments.
On appeal, the Supreme Court of Arkansas disagreed with the circuit court. The court held that the use of vehicles from the dealerships' inventory, assigned to unauthorized individuals for personal use, constituted a withdrawal from stock under Arkansas law and was therefore subject to sales tax. The court further held that ADFA met its burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that Trotter was subject to sales tax based on the plain language of Arkansas Code Annotated section 26-52-322. Consequently, the court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case.
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