(1) On and after
January 1, 2014, the sale to, or the storage, use, or consumption by, any
contractor or subcontractor of any tangible personal property to be
incorporated into realty pursuant to a contract entered into on or after
January 1, 2014, with a governmental entity is exempt from all state, county,
and municipal sales and use taxes
.
For this rule, a governmental entity is defined as:
(a) The State of Alabama.
(b) A county or incorporated municipality of
the State of Alabama.
(c) An
educational institution of the State of Alabama, or a county or incorporated
municipality of the State of Alabama.
(d) An industrial or economic development
board or authority that is exempt from the payment of Alabama sales and use
taxes.
(e) Other governmental
entities that are exempt from the payment of Alabama sales and use taxes
excluding those agencies as provided in sections (2) and (3) below.
(f) On or after January 1, 2019, the term
governmental entity includes any public water or sewer authority, district,
system, or board that otherwise is exempt from sales and use tax. The sale to,
or the storage, use, or consumption by, any contractor or subcontractor of any
tangible personal property to be incorporated into realty pursuant to a
contract entered into on or after January 1, 2019, with any public water or
sewer authority, district, system, or board that otherwise is exempt from sales
and use tax is exempt from all state, county, and municipal sales and use
taxes.
(g) On or after January 1,
2020, the term governmental entity includes any airport authority established
pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title 4 of the Code of Ala.
1975, that otherwise is exempt from sales and use tax. The sale
to, or the storage, use or consumption by, any contractor or subcontractor of
any tangible personal property to be incorporated into realty pursuant to a
contract entered into on or after January 1, 2022, with an airport authority
that otherwise is exempt from sales and use tax is exempt from all state,
county, and municipal sales and use taxes.
(h) On or after January 1, 2022, the purchase
of construction materials for use on construction projects for governmental
entities; to include any contract for the construction of highways, roads, or
bridge projects is exempt from all state, county, and municipal sales and use
taxes.
(i) On or after April 14,
2022, the term governmental entity includes an agricultural authority,
established pursuant to Chapter 20 of Title 11 of the Code of Ala. 1975, that
otherwise is exempt from sales and use tax. The sale to, or the storage, use,
or consumption by, any contractor or subcontractor of any tangible personal
property to be incorporated into realty pursuant to a contract entered into on
or after April 14, 2022, with an agricultural authority that otherwise is
exempt from sales and use tax is exempt from all state, county, and municipal
sales and use taxes.
(2)
Purchases Not Exempt. The exemptions
outlined in section (1) do not apply to any of the following:
(a) Purchases of tangible personal property
by a contractor or subcontractor for storage, use, or consumption in
conjunction with performing a contract with a governmental entity that is not
itself exempt from Alabama sales and use taxes.
(b) Purchases of tangible personal property
by a contractor or subcontractor that are not incorporated into realty pursuant
to the contract.
(c) Purchases of
tangible personal property for contracts with the federal government.
(d) Purchases of tangible personal property
made pursuant to any contract entered into prior to applicable date set forth
in section (1), (1)(f), (1)(g), (1)(h) or (1)(i), as applicable.
(3)
Exclusion
from Governmental Entity Exemption.
The exemption outlined in section (1) does not apply to the
sale to, or the storage, use, or consumption by, any contractor or
subcontractor of any tangible personal property purchased pursuant to a
contract with a state other than the State of Alabama, a county or incorporated
municipality of a state other than the State of Alabama, an industrial
development board created pursuant to the Constitution or general or local laws
of a state other than the State of Alabama, an educational institution of a
state other than the State of Alabama, or an educational institution of a
county or incorporated municipality of a state other than the State of
Alabama.
(4)
Application Requirements. Contractors and
subcontractors licensed by the State Licensing Board for General Contractors,
must apply per project to the department for a sales and use tax certificate of
exemption (Form STC-1). Upon review and approval of the application, the
department shall issue the applicant a Form STC-1 which shall be used by the
certificate holder to claim the exemption when making qualifying tax-exempt
purchases for the project listed on the certificate. Before approving or
denying the application, the department may require the applicant to submit
additional documentation that the property to be purchased tax-exempt with the
certificate will be incorporated into realty pursuant to contracts with one of
the governmental entities enumerated in section (1) or to subcontracts arising
from contracts with one of the governmental entities enumerated in section (1).
If the department denies the application, the applicant may appeal the denial
in accordance with §
40-2A-8, Code of Ala.
1975.
(5)
Record Retention Requirement. A
contractor or subcontractor who obtains a Form STC-1 must comply with all of
the provisions of §
40-23-9, Code of Ala.
1975, and must maintain records sufficient to document the
tax-exempt status of qualifying purchases. Further, the contractor or
subcontractor who presents Form STC-1 to a vendor for purchases of tangible
personal property without the payment of sales or use tax must make an
electronic report of all exempt purchases to the department on their assigned
consumer use tax return (Form 2610). The report of exempt purchases shall be a
prerequisite to the renewal of a certificate of exemption. Failure to report
the exempt purchases will result in an assessment against the contractor or
subcontractor for sales and use taxes on any items purchased with the
certificate of exemption.
(6)
Violation Penalties. Any contractor or
subcontractor who intentionally uses a certificate of exemption (STC-1) in
violation of §
40-9-14.1,
Code of
Ala. 1975, will be:
(a) Liable
for the actual sales and use tax due.
(b) Subject to a civil penalty levied by the
department in the amount of not less than a minimum of two thousand dollars
($2,000) or two times any state and local sales or use tax due for the tangible
personal property, whichever is the greater.
(c) May be barred from the use of any
certificate of exemption (STC-1) on any project for up to two years based on
the contractor's or subcontractor's willful misuse of a certificate of
exemption. Contractors and subcontractors may appeal any such decisions in
accordance with §
40-2A-8, Code of Ala.
1975.
(7)
(a)
Determination of
Qualification According to Date. The date of the sale to,
or the purchase, withdrawal, storage, use or consumption by, the contractor
must be used to determine if an otherwise qualifying transaction or event
qualifies for the exemption. Jobs or projects entered into prior to the
applicable dates noted in section (1), (1)(f), (1)(g), or (1)(h) above shall
not qualify for the exemption regardless of the transaction date.
(b) For the purpose of this rule, the term
"entered into" means the date that a contractor or subcontractor signs a
contract with a governmental entity defined in section (1).
Notes
Ala. Admin. Code r.
810-6-3-.77
New Rule: Filed February
20, 2001; effective March 27, 2001. Amended: Filed May 6, 2005; effective June
10, 2005. Amended: Filed November 20, 2013; effective December 25, 2013.
Amended by
Alabama
Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVII, Issue No. 04, January 31,
2019, eff. 2/25/2019.
Amended by
Alabama
Administrative Monthly Volume XL, Issue No. 03, December 30,
2021, eff. 2/13/2022.
Amended by
Alabama
Administrative Monthly Volume XL, Issue No. 12, September 30,
2022, eff. 11/14/2022.
Authors: Michelle Mayberry, Traci Floyd, Ginger
L. Buchanan, Lee Ann Rouse, Christy Vandevender
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §§
40-2A-7(a)(5),
40-2A-8,
40-23-9,
40-23-31,
40-23-83.