2016 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 42 - Taxation
§ 42-5009; Version 2 Certificates establishing deductions; liability for making false certificate

42-5009. Certificates establishing deductions; liability for making false certificate

(L16, Ch. 156, sec. 9, Ch. 208, sec. 6, Ch. 361, sec. 3 & Ch. 374,

sec. 1. Eff. 1/1/17)

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 that caused the execution of the certificate to establish the accuracy and completeness of the information required to be 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 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 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 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 46 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 46 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 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 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. The department shall prescribe forms for certificates used to establish the satisfaction of the criteria necessary to qualify the sale of a motor vehicle for the deductions described in section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 14, paragraph 28, subdivision (a) and paragraph 44 and subsection U. Except as provided in subsection J of this section, to establish entitlement to these deductions, a motor vehicle dealer shall retain:

1. A valid certificate as prescribed by this subsection completed by the purchaser and obtained prior to the issuance of the nonresident registration permit authorized by section 28-2154.

2. A copy of the nonresident registration permit authorized by section 28-2154.

3. A legible copy of a current valid driver license issued to the purchaser by another state or foreign country that indicates an address outside of this state. For the sale of a motor vehicle to a nonresident entity, the entity's representative must have a current valid driver license issued by the same jurisdiction as that in which the entity is located.

4. For the purposes of the deduction provided by section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 14, a certificate documenting the delivery of the motor vehicle to an out-of-state location.

I. Notwithstanding subsection A, paragraph 2 of this section, if a motor vehicle dealer has established entitlement to a deduction by complying with subsection H of this section, the department may require the purchaser who executed the certificate to establish the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the certificate that entitled the motor vehicle dealer 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 motor vehicle dealer would have been required to pay under this article and under articles IV and V of the model city tax code as defined in section 42-6051. Payment of the amount under this subsection exempts the purchaser from liability for any tax imposed under article 4 of this chapter and any tax imposed under article VI of the model city tax code as defined in section 42-6051. The amount shall be treated as tax revenues collected from the motor vehicle dealer in order to designate the distribution base for purposes of section 42-5029.

J. To establish entitlement to the deduction described in section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 44, a public consignment auction dealer as defined in section 28-4301 shall submit the valid certificate prescribed by subsection H of this section to the department and retain a copy for its records.

K. Notwithstanding any other law, compliance with subsection H of this section by a motor vehicle dealer entitles the motor vehicle dealer to the exemption provided in section 42-6004, subsection A, paragraph 4.

L. The department shall prescribe a form for a certificate to be used by a person that is not subject to tax under section 42-5075 when the person is engaged by a contractor that is subject to tax under section 42-5075 for a project that is taxable under section 42-5075. The certificate permits the person purchasing tangible personal property to be incorporated or fabricated by the person into any real property, structure, project, development or improvement to provide documentation to a retailer that the sale of tangible personal property qualifies for the deduction under section 42-5061, subsection A, paragraph 27, subdivision (b). A prime contractor shall obtain the certificate from the department and shall provide a copy to any such person working on the project. The prime contractor shall obtain a new certificate for each project to which this subsection applies. For the purposes of this subsection, the following apply:

1. The person that is not subject to tax under section 42-5075 may use the certificate issued pursuant to this subsection only with respect to tangible personal property that will be incorporated into a project for which the gross receipts are subject to tax under section 42-5075.

2. The department shall issue the certificate to the prime contractor on receiving sufficient documentation to establish that the prime contractor meets the requirements of this subsection.

3. If any person uses the certificate provided under this subsection to purchase tangible personal property to be used in a project that is not subject to tax under section 42-5075, the person 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 A of this section. Payment of the amount under this section exempts the person from liability for any tax imposed under article 4 of this chapter. The amount shall be sourced under section 42-5040, subsection A, paragraph 2.

M. Notwithstanding any other law, compliance with subsection L of this section by a person that is not subject to tax under section 42-5075 entitles the person to the exemption allowed by section 465, subsection (k) of the model city tax code when purchasing tangible personal property to be incorporated or fabricated by the person into any real property, structure, project, development or improvement.

N. The requirements of subsections A and B of this section do not apply to owners, proprietors or tenants of agricultural lands or farms who sell livestock or poultry feed that is grown or raised on their lands to any of the following:

1. Persons who feed their own livestock or poultry.

2. Persons who are engaged in the business of producing livestock or poultry commercially.

3. Persons who are engaged in the business of feeding livestock or poultry commercially or who board livestock noncommercially.

O. A vendor who has reason to believe that a certificate prescribed by this section is not accurate or complete will not be relieved of the burden of proving entitlement to the exemption. A vendor that accepts a certificate in good faith will be relieved of the burden of proof and the purchaser may be required to establish the accuracy of the claimed exemption. If the purchaser cannot establish the accuracy and completeness of the information provided in the certificate, the purchaser is liable for an amount equal to the transaction privilege tax, penalty and interest that the vendor would have been required to pay if the vendor had not accepted the certificate.

P. Notwithstanding any other law, an online lodging operator, as defined in section 42-5076, shall be entitled to an exclusion from any applicable taxes for any online lodging transaction, as defined in section 42-5076, facilitated by an online lodging marketplace, as defined in section 42-5076, for which the online lodging operator has obtained from the online lodging marketplace written notice that the online lodging marketplace is registered with the department to collect applicable taxes for all online lodging transactions facilitated by the online lodging marketplace, and transaction history documenting tax collected by the online lodging marketplace, pursuant to section 42-5005, subsection L.