(A) Every seller must, on or before the last day of the month following the end of each calendar quarter (in the months of April, July, October and January), make a return to the Director, on forms provided by the city, specifying the total sales subject to this subchapter and the amount of tax collected under this subchapter. The seller may request or the Director may establish shorter reporting periods for any seller if the seller or Director deems it necessary in order to ensure collection of the tax. The Director may require further information in the return relevant to payment of the tax. A return is not considered filed until it is actually received by the Director.
(B) At the time the return is filed, the seller must remit to the Director the full amount of the tax collected. Payments received by the Director for application against existing liabilities will be credited toward the period designated by the taxpayer under conditions that are not prejudicial to the interest of the city. A condition considered prejudicial is the imminent expiration of the statute of limitations for a period or periods.
(C) The city will apply non-designated payments in the order of the oldest liability first, with the payment credited first toward any accrued penalty, then to interest, then to the underlying tax until the payment is exhausted. Crediting of a payment toward a specific reporting period will be first applied against any accrued penalty, then to interest, then to the underlying tax.
(D) If the Director, in his or her sole discretion, determines that an alternative order of payment application would be in the best interest of the city in a particular tax or factual situation, the Director may order such a change. The Director may establish shorter reporting periods for any seller if the Director deems it necessary in order to ensure collection of the tax. The Director also may require additional information in the return relevant to payment of the liability. When a shorter return period is required, penalties and interest will be computed according to the shorter return period. Returns and payments are due immediately upon cessation of business for any reason. Sellers must hold in trust all taxes collected pursuant to this subchapter for the city’s account until the seller makes payment to the Director. A separate trust bank account is not required in order to comply with this provision.
(E) Every seller required to remit the tax imposed by this subchapter is entitled to retain 5% of all taxes due to the city to defray the costs of bookkeeping and remittance.
(F) Every seller must keep and preserve in an accounting format established by the Director records of all sales made by the seller and such other books or accounts as the Director may be require. Every seller must keep and preserve for a period of three years all such books, invoices and other records. The Director has the right to inspect all such records at all reasonable times.
(Prior Code, § 2.30.050) (Ord. 423, passed 11-3-2014)