2009 Rhode Island Code
Title 44 - Taxation
CHAPTER 44-18.1 - Adoption of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement
§ 44-18.1-6 - Local rate and boundary changes.

SECTION 44-18.1-6

   § 44-18.1-6  Local rate and boundary changes. – Each member state that has local jurisdictions that levy a sales or use tax shall:

   (A) Provide that local rate changes will be effective only on the first day of a calendar quarter after a minimum of sixty days' notice to sellers.

   (B) Apply local sales tax rate changes to purchases from printed catalogs wherein the purchaser computed the tax based upon local tax rates published in the catalog only on the first day of a calendar quarter after a minimum of one hundred twenty days' notice to sellers.

   (C) For sales and use tax purposes only, apply local jurisdiction boundary changes only on the first day of a calendar quarter after a minimum of sixty days' notice to sellers.

   (D) Provide and maintain a database that describes boundary changes for all taxing jurisdictions. This database shall include a description of the changes and the effective date of the change for sales and use tax purposes.

   (E) Provide and maintain a database of all sales and use tax rates for all of the jurisdictions levying taxes within the state. For the identification of states, counties, cities, and parishes, codes corresponding to the rates must be provided according to Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) as developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. For the identification of all other jurisdictions, codes corresponding to the rates must be in the format determined by the governing board.

   (F) Provide and maintain a database that assigns each five digit and nine digit zip code within a member state to the proper tax rates and jurisdictions. The state must apply the lowest combined tax rate imposed in the zip code area if the area includes more than one tax rate in any level of taxing jurisdictions. If a nine digit zip code designation is not available for a street address or if a seller or CSP is unable to determine the nine digit zip code designation applicable to a purchase after exercising due diligence to determine the designation, the seller or CSP may apply the rate for the five digit zip code area. For the purposes of this section, there is a rebuttable presumption that a seller or CSP has exercised due diligence if the seller has attempted to determine the nine digit zip code designation by utilizing software approved by the governing board that makes this designation from the street address and the five digit zip code applicable to a purchase.

   (G) Have the option of providing address-based boundary database records for assigning taxing jurisdictions and their associated rates which shall be in addition to the requirements of subsection (F) of this section. The database records must be in the same approved format as the database records pursuant to subsection (F) of this section and must meet the requirements developed pursuant to the federal Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act (4 U.S.C. § 119(a)). The governing board may allow a member state to require sellers that register under this Agreement to use an address-based database provided by that member state. If any member state develops address-based assignment database records pursuant to the Agreement, a seller or CSP may use those database records in place of the five and nine-digit zip code database records provided for in subsection (F) of this section. If a seller or CSP is unable to determine the applicable rate and jurisdiction using an address-based database record after exercising due diligence, the seller or CSP may apply the nine digit zip code designation applicable to a purchase. If a nine-digit zip code designation is not available for a street address or if a seller or CSP is unable to determine the nine digit zip code designation applicable to a purchase after exercising due diligence to determine the designation, the seller or CSP may apply the rate for the five digit zip code area. For the purposes of this section, there is a rebuttable presumption that a seller or CSP has exercised due diligence if the seller or CSP has attempted to determine the tax rate and jurisdiction by utilizing software approved by the governing board that makes this assignment from the address and zip code information applicable to the purchase.

   (H) States that have met the requirements of subsection (F) may also elect to certify vendor provided address-based databases for assigning tax rates and jurisdictions. The databases must be in the same approved format as the database records pursuant to (G) of this section and must meet the requirements developed pursuant to the federal Mobil Telecommunications Sourcing Act (4 U.S.C. § 119(a)). If a state certifies a vendor address-based database, a seller or CSP may use that database in place of the database provided for in subsection (F) or (G) of this section. Vendors providing address-based databases may request certification of their databases from the governing board. Certification by the governing board does not replace the requirement that the databases be certified by the states individually.