(a) The tax collector shall issue private taxpayer rulings to taxpayers and potential taxpayers on request. Each request shall be in writing and shall:
(1) State the name, address and, if applicable, taxpayer identifying number of the taxpayer or potential taxpayer who requests the ruling.
(2) Describe all facts that are relevant to the requested ruling.
(3) State whether, to the best knowledge of the taxpayer or potential taxpayer, the issue or related issues are being considered by the tax collector or any other taxing jurisdiction in connection with an active audit, protest or appeal that involves the taxpayer or potential taxpayer and whether the same request has been or is being submitted to another taxing jurisdiction for a ruling.
(4) Be signed by the taxpayer or potential taxpayer who makes the request or by an authorized representative of the taxpayer or potential taxpayer.
(b) A private taxpayer ruling may be revoked or modified by either:
(1) A change or clarification in the law that was applicable at the time the ruling was issued, including changes or clarifications caused by regulations and court decisions.
(2) Actual written notice by the tax collector to the last known address of the taxpayer or potential taxpayer of the revocation or modification of the private taxpayer ruling.
(c) With respect to the taxpayer or prospective taxpayer to whom a private taxpayer ruling is issued, the revocation or modification of a private taxpayer ruling shall not be applied retroactively to tax periods or tax years before the effective date of the revocation or modification and the tax collector shall not assess any penalty or tax attributable to erroneous advice that is furnished to the taxpayer or potential taxpayer in the private taxpayer ruling if:
(1) The taxpayer reasonably relied on the private taxpayer ruling.
(2) The penalty or tax did not result either from a failure by the taxpayer to provide adequate or accurate information or from a change in the information.
(d) A private taxpayer ruling may not be relied upon, cited nor introduced into evidence in any proceeding by any taxpayer other than the taxpayer who received the ruling.
(e) A taxpayer may appeal the propriety of a retroactive application of a revoked or modified private taxpayer ruling by filing a written petition with the tax collector pursuant to section 19-570 within forty-five (45) days after receiving written notice of the intent to retroactively apply a revoked or modified private taxpayer ruling.
(f) A private taxpayer ruling constitutes the tax collector's interpretation of the sections of this chapter only as they apply to the taxpayer making, and the particular facts contained in, the request.
(g) A private taxpayer ruling which addresses a taxpayer's ongoing business activities will apply only to transactions that occur or tax liabilities that accrue from and after the date of the taxpayer's ruling request.
(h) The tax collector shall attempt to issue private taxpayer rulings within forty-five (45) days after receiving the written request and on receiving the facts that are relevant to the ruling. If the ruling is expected to be delayed beyond the forty-five (45) days, the tax collector shall notify the requestor of the delay and the proposed date of issuance.
(i) Within thirty (30) days after being issued, the tax collector shall maintain the private taxpayer ruling as a public record and make it available at a reasonable cost for public inspection and copying. The text of private taxpayer rulings are open to public inspection subject to the confidentiality requirements prescribed by section 19-510.
(j) In this section, "private taxpayer ruling" means a written determination by the tax collector issued pursuant to this section that interprets and applies one (1) or more sections contained in this article and any applicable regulations.
(k) A private taxpayer ruling issued by the Arizona Department of Revenue pursuant to A.R.S. § 42-2101 may be relied upon by the taxpayer to whom the ruling was issued and must be recognized and followed by any city in which such taxpayer has obtained a privilege license if the city has not issued a ruling addressing the facts described in the taxpayer's ruling request and the statute at issue in the taxpayer's ruling request is, in essence, worded and written the same as the applicable section hereunder.
(Ord. No. 8784, § 27, 12-2-96; Ord. No. 10361, § 14, 12-19-06)