2005 Arizona Revised Statutes - Revised Statutes §42-5009  Certificates establishing deductions; liability for making false certificate

A. A person who conducts any business classified under article 2 of this chapter may establish entitlement to the allowable deductions from the tax base of that business by both:

1. Marking the invoice for the transaction to indicate that the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from the transaction was deducted from the tax base.

2. Obtaining a certificate executed by the purchaser indicating the name and address of the purchaser, the precise nature of the business of the purchaser, the purpose for which the purchase was made, the necessary facts to establish the appropriate deduction and the tax license number of the purchaser to the extent the deduction depends on the purchaser conducting business classified under article 2 of this chapter and a certification that the person executing the certificate is authorized to do so on behalf of the purchaser. The certificate may be disregarded if the seller has reason to believe that the information contained in the certificate is not accurate or complete.

B. A person who does not comply with subsection A of this section may establish entitlement to the deduction by presenting facts necessary to support the entitlement, but the burden of proof is on that person.

C. The department may prescribe a form for the certificate described in subsection A of this section. Under such rules as it may prescribe, the department may also describe transactions with respect to which a person is not entitled to rely solely on the information contained in the certificate provided for in subsection A of this section but must instead obtain such additional information as required by the rules in order to be entitled to the deduction.

D. If a seller is entitled to a deduction by complying with subsection A of this section, the department may require the purchaser which caused the execution of the certificate to establish the accuracy and completeness of the information required to be contained in the certificate which would entitle the seller to the deduction. If the purchaser cannot establish the accuracy and completeness of the information, the purchaser is liable in an amount equal to any tax, penalty and interest which the seller would have been required to pay under this article if the seller had not complied with subsection A of this section. Payment of the amount under this subsection exempts the purchaser from liability for any tax imposed under article 4 of this chapter. The amount shall be treated as a transaction privilege tax to the purchaser and as tax revenues collected from the seller in order to designate the distribution base for purposes of section 42-5029.

E. If a seller is entitled to a deduction by complying with subsection B of this section, the department may require the purchaser to establish the accuracy and completeness of the information provided to the seller that entitled the seller to the deduction. If the purchaser cannot establish the accuracy and completeness of the information, the purchaser is liable in an amount equal to any tax, penalty and interest that the seller would have been required to pay under this article if the seller had not complied with subsection B of this section. Payment of the amount under this subsection exempts the purchaser from liability for any tax imposed under article 4 of this chapter. The amount shall be treated as a transaction privilege tax to the purchaser and as tax revenues collected from the seller in order to designate the distribution base for purposes of section 42-5029.

F. The department may prescribe a form for a certificate used to establish entitlement to the deductions described in section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 47 and section 42-5063, subsection B, paragraph 3. Under rules the department may prescribe, the department may also require additional information for the seller to be entitled to the deduction. If a seller is entitled to the deductions described in section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 47 and section 42-5063, subsection B, paragraph 3, the department may require the purchaser who executed the certificate to establish the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the certificate that would entitle the seller to the deduction. If the purchaser cannot establish the accuracy and completeness of the information, the purchaser is liable in an amount equal to any tax, penalty and interest that the seller would have been required to pay under this article. Payment of the amount under this subsection exempts the purchaser from liability for any tax imposed under article 4 of this chapter. The amount shall be treated as a transaction privilege tax to the purchaser and as tax revenues collected from the seller in order to designate the distribution base for purposes of section 42-5029.

G. If a seller claims a deduction under section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 25 and establishes entitlement to the deduction with an exemption letter that the purchaser received from the department and the exemption letter was based on a contingent event, the department may require the purchaser that received the exemption letter to establish the satisfaction of the contingent event within a reasonable time. If the purchaser cannot establish the satisfaction of the event, the purchaser is liable in an amount equal to any tax, penalty and interest that the seller would have been required to pay under this article if the seller had not been furnished the exemption letter. Payment of the amount under this subsection exempts the purchaser from liability for any tax imposed under article 4 of this chapter. The amount shall be treated as a transaction privilege tax to the purchaser and as tax revenues collected from the seller in order to designate the distribution base for purposes of section 42-5029. For the purposes of this subsection, "reasonable time" means a time limitation that the department determines and that does not exceed the time limitations pursuant to section 42-1104.

H. From and after December 31, 2005 through December 31, 2010, the department shall prescribe a form for a certificate used to establish entitlement to the deductions described in section 42-5061, subsection B, paragraph 23, section 42-5070, subsection C, paragraph 2, section 42-5074, subsection B, paragraph 10, section 42-5075, subsection B, paragraph 20 and section 42-5159, subsection B, paragraph 23 relating to motion picture production. The certificate is effective for twelve consecutive calendar months from and after the date of issuance and is subject to the following requirements and conditions:

1. A motion picture production company as defined in section 41-1517 may use a certificate issued pursuant to this subsection only with respect to production costs described in section 41-1517, subsection A, paragraph 2 that are subject to taxation under article 2 or 4 of this chapter.

2. The department shall issue the certificate to a motion picture production company on receiving the company's letter of qualification from the department of commerce, except as otherwise provided in this subsection.

3. The department shall not issue a certificate to a motion picture production company that has a delinquent tax balance owing to the department under this title or title 43.

4. If the department determines that a motion picture production company no longer qualifies for a certificate of exemption or has used the certificate of exemption for unauthorized purposes, the department shall revoke the certificate of exemption and the motion picture production company is liable for an amount equal to the transaction privilege and use taxes that would have been due on taxable transactions during the time the company did not qualify for or improperly used the certificate, with interest and penalties as provided by law.

5. The department shall maintain annual data on the total amount of monies exempted through the use of certificates issued pursuant to this subsection and shall provide those data to the department of commerce on request.

6. The department of revenue, with the cooperation of the department of commerce, shall adopt rules and publish and prescribe forms and procedures as necessary to effectuate the purposes of this subsection.

7. If, after audit, the department determines that a motion picture production company failed to meet any of the requirements prescribed by this subsection, any deductions from taxation from the use of the certificate are subject to recapture and payment by the motion picture production company to the department.