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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-0196/9/000 R D (L E GAL) W G C/n h m ORDINANCE NO. 2000= 019 AN ORDINANCE OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING SECTION 210.04, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR LOCAL COLLECTION, ADMINISTRATION, AND AUDIT OF THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX; PROVIDING FOR REMITTANCE OF THE TAX TO THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, PROVIDING FOR COLLECTION AND ENFORCEMENT BY THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT; PROVIDING FOR AUDITING BY THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT; PROVIDING ENFORCEMENT POWERS; PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County, Florida, has levied and imposed a Tourist Development Tax at the rate of three percent (3%) of each dollar and major fraction of each dollar of the total consideration charged for lease or rental of living accommodations for a term of six (6) months or less pursuant to Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes; and WHEREAS, the Tourist Development Tax levied in Indian River County is currently being collected and administered .by the State of Florida Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 125.0104(3), Florida Statutes; and WHEREAS, Section 125.0104(10), Florida Statutes allows for the collection and administration of the tourist development tax on a local basis; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County determined that it is in its best interest to locally collect and administer the tourist development tax as well as assume the responsibility for auditing the records and accounts of dealers, and collecting and enforcing payments of current and delinquent taxes with functions being accomplished through the Office of the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County now desires to amend its Tourist Development Tax ordinance, as codified in Chapter 210, Indian River County Code, to provide for the local collection and administration of the tourist development tax as well as the assumption of all responsibility for auditing the records and accounts of dealers and assessing, ORDINANCE NO, 2000- 019 collecting, and enforcing payments of current and delinquent taxes pursuant to the provisions of Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that: 0* 911 Eel k,5 W_1Ji1:1L,191Ly, Chapter 210, Indian River County Code is hereby amended to add Section 210.04 as follows: Section 210.04. Local administration of tourist development tax. (a) Any person, firm or corporation receiving consideration for rental or lease (herein referred to as the "dealer") for any period subsequent to October 1, 2000, shall receive, account for, and remit the tax to the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court. (b) Initial collection of the Tax shall be made in the same manner as the Tax imposed under chapter 212, Florida Statutes. (c) The Indian River County Clerk River County Clerk of the Circuit Court shall be responsible this Tax. enforcement Tax. with the for the collection of the Tax from the dealer and administration of the (d) The same duties and privileges imposed by Chapter 212, Florida Statutes, upon dealers in tangible property, respecting the collection and remission of Tax, the making of returns, the keeping of books, records and accounts, shall apply to and be binding upon all persons who are subject to the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court may authorize a quarterly return and payment when the Tax remitted by the person receiving the consideration for such rental or lease for the preceding quarter did not exceed ONE HUNDRED AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($100.00). (e) The Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court shall promulgate such rules, and prescribe and publish such forms as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Section. (f) The Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court shall perform the functions this Tax. enforcement associated with the collection and remission of (g) A total of three percent (3%) of the total Tourist Development Tax collected shall be retained by the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court for costs of administration. (h) The Taxes imposed by this Section shall become County funds at the moment of collection and shall for each month be due to the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court on the first (1st) day and is delinquent on the twenty-first (21st) day of the month following, unless otherwise provided for by subsection (d). Collections received by the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court from the AW 91 Wk TWAI Z [49 Wk tax, less costs of administration of the local collection, shall be paid and returned, on a monthly basis, to Indian River County, Florida, for use by the County in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and shall be placed in the "Indian River County Tourist Development Trust Fund" (i) The Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court assumes all responsibility for collecting and enforcing payment of current and delinquent Tourist Development Taxes, The Clerk of the Circuit Court adopts any and all powers and authority granted to the State of Florida in Section 125.0104 and Chapter 212, Florida Statutes, and as further incorporated therein to determine the amount of the Tax, penalties and interest to be paid by each dealer and to enforce payment of such Tax, penalties, and interest by, but not limited to, distress warrants, writ of garnishments and criminal penalties as provided in Chapter 212, Florida Statutes. In addition to criminal sanctions, the clerk is empowered, and it shall be its duty, when any tax becomes delinquent or is otherwise in jeopardy under this section, to issue a warrant for the full amount of the tax due or estimated to be due, with the interest, penalties and cost of collection, directed to all and singular the sheriffs of the state, and shall record the warrant in the public records of the county; and thereupon the amount of the warrant shall become a lien on any real or personal property of the taxpayer in the same manner as a recorded judgment. The clerk may issue a tax execution to enforce the collection of taxes imposed by this section and deliver it to the sheriff. The sheriff shall thereupon proceed in the same manner as prescribed by law for executions and shall be entitled to the same fees for his services in executing the warrant to be collected. The clerk may also have a writ of garnishment to subject any indebtedness due to the delinquent dealer by a third person in any goods, money, chattels or effects of the delinquent dealer in the hands, possession or control of the third person in the manner provided by law for the payment of the tax due. Upon payment of the execution, warrant, judgment or garnishment, the clerk shall satisfy the lien of record within thirty (3) days. Q) As specifically provided by Section 212.12, Florida Statutes, Penalties for Non -Compliance, when any person, firm, or corporation required hereunder to make any return or to pay the tax imposed, fails to timely file such return or fails to pay the tax due with in the time required hereunder, in addition to all other penalties provided herein and by the laws of this state in respect to such taxes, a specific penalty shall be added to the tax in the amount of ten percent (10%) of any unpaid tax, if the failure is for not more than thirty (30) days, or fraction thereof, during the time which the failure continues, not to exceed a total penalty of fifty percent (50%), in the aggregate, of any unpaid tax. In no event may the penalty be less than TEN AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($10.00) for failure to timely file a tax return required. (k) Interest earned on the tax collections received by the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court shall be remitted by the Clerk of the Circuit Court on a quarterly basis to be placed in the Indian River County Tourist Development Tax Fund. (1) The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Indian River County or his/her designated agent shall perform the audit functions associated with this tax, including, without limitation, the following: 01 k• III • (1) For the purpose of enforcing this Part, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is hereby specifically authorized and empowered to examine at all reasonable hours the books, records, and other documents of all persons taxable hereunder, or other persons charged with the duty to report or pay a tax under this chapter, in order to determine whether they are collecting the tax or otherwise complying with this chapter. In the event said person refuses to permit such examination of its books records, or other documents by the Clerk of the Circuit Court as aforesaid, such person is guilty of violating the provisions of this chapter and shall be subject to the penalties provided for in Section 125.69, Florida Statutes. The Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court shall have the right to proceed in Circuit Court to seek a mandatory injunction or other appropriate remedy to enforce its rights against the offender, as granted by this Section, to require an examination of the books and records of such dealer. (2) Each person taxable hereunder, shall secure, maintain, and keep for a period of three (3) years a complete record of rooms or other lodging, leased or rented by said persons, together with gross receipts from "such sales, and other pertinent records and papers as may be required by the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the reasonable administration of this section; and all such records which are located or maintained in this State shall be open for inspection by the Clerk of the Circuit Court at all reasonable hours at such person's place of business located in Indian River County. Any person who maintains such books and records at a point outside this county must make such books and records available for inspection by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Indian River County. Any person subject to the provisions of this chapter who violates these provisions shall be subject to the penalties provided for in Section 125.69, Florida Statutes. (3) The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall send written notification, at least thirty (30) days prior to the date an auditor is scheduled to begin an audit, informing the taxpayer of the audit. The Clerk of the Circuit Court is not required to give thirty (30) days prior notification of a forthcoming audit in any instance in which the taxpayer requests an emergency audit. (A) Such written notification shall contain: reminder that all of the records, receipts, invoices, and related documentation of the taxpayer must be made available to the auditor. (i) The appropriate date of which or suggestions the auditor of is scheduled to begin the audit. deem necessary. reminder that all of the records, receipts, invoices, and related documentation of the taxpayer must be made available to the auditor. (B) Only records, receipts, invoices, and related documentation which are available to the auditor when such audit begins shall be deemed acceptable for the purposes of conducting such audit. (iii) Any other request or suggestions the Clerk of the Circuit Court may deem necessary. (B) Only records, receipts, invoices, and related documentation which are available to the auditor when such audit begins shall be deemed acceptable for the purposes of conducting such audit. ORDINANCE NO. 2000-019 (m) Any dealer who fails or refuses to charge and collect the Tax from the person paying any rental or lease, either by himself or through his agents or employees, is (pursuant to Section 125.0104(8)(a), Florida Statutes), in addition to being personally liable for the payment of the Tax, guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in Section 775.082 and 775.083, Florida Statutes. (n) No person shall advertise or hold out to the public in any manner, directly or indirectly, that he will absorb all or any part of the Tax, that he will relieve the person paying the rental of the payment of all or any part of the Tax, or that the Tax will not be added to the rental or lease consideration or, when added, that it or any part thereof will be refunded or refused, either directly or indirectly, by any method whatsoever. Any person who willfully violates any provision of this subsection is (pursuant to Section 125.0104(8)(b), Florida Statutes), guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in Section 775.082 or 775.083, Florida Statutes. (o) As compensation for the keeping of prescribed records and the proper accounting and remitting of Taxes, a dealer shall be allowed a dealer's credit in accordance with the provision of Section 212.12(1), Florida Statutes. (p) Tax revenues collected hereunder may be used only in accordance with the provision of Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes. Taxes collected by the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court, less costs of administration identified in subsection (g) of this section shall be remitted on a monthly basis for deposit into the Indian River County Tourist Development Trust Fund. (q) The Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court shall keep appropriate books, records and accounts of the Tourist Development Tax collections and make quarterly written reports of collections to the Indian River County Tourist Development Council, through the Office of Management and Budget of Indian River County. SECTION 2. CODIFICATION. It is the intention of the Board of County Commissioners that the provisions of this ordinance shall become and be made a part of the Indian River County Code and the word "ordinance" may be changed to "section," "article," or other appropriate word or phrase and the sections of this Ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such intention; providing, however, that Sections 2, 3, and 4 shall not be codified. SECTION 3. SEVERABILITY. If any section, or any sentence, paragraph, phrase, or word of this ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, inoperative, or void, such holding shall not affect the remaining portions of this ordinance, and it shall be ORDINANCE NO. 2000- 019 construed to have been the legislative intent to pass the ordinance without such unconstitutional, invalid or inoperative part. SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. Certified copies of this ordinance, as enacted, shall be filed by the Clerk with the Office of the Secretary of State and the Department of Revenue of the State of Florida within ten days after enactment, and this ordinance shall take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State, or on October 1, 2000, whichever is later. SECTION 5. CONTINGENT SUNSET PROVISION. (a) The agreement of the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County, necessary for the implementation of this Ordinance, shall commence on October 1, 2000, and end on September 30, 2001, the date of the signature of the parties notwithstanding. This agreement shall automatically be renewed for subsequent periods, not to exceed one (1) year in length of time, unless notice of intent to cancel is timely given. Notice of intent to cancel the agreement by either party shall be given at least six (6) months prior to the date of automatic renewal. The date of automatic renewal shall be the first day following the end of the last period of time for which the agreement had been renewed. (b) If notice to cancel the aforementioned agreement is properly given by either of the parties, the provisions of Section 210.04, Indian River County Code, governing the local collection of the Tourist Development Tax, contained in this Ordinance, shall lapse on the date the aforementioned agreement lapses, unless an alternative means for the local collection of the Tourist Development Tax is previously adopted by the Board of County Commissioners. Approved and adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of Indian River County, Florida, on this 11 t h day of i u 1 y , 2000. This ordinance was advertised in the Vero Beach Press -Journal on the 28th day of June, 2000, for a public hearing to be held on the 11th day of July, 2000, at which time it was moved for adoption by Commissioner M a r h t , seconded by Commissioner T i p p i n , and adopted by the following vote: Chairman Fran B. Adams Aye D. Ginn Aye Vice Chairman Caroline Aye Commissioner Kenneth R. Macht M. Stanbridge Aye Commissioner Ruth _I I I I ... _.I 11.... ORDINANCE NO. 2000- 019 The Chairman thereupon declared the ordinance duly passed and adopted this 11th day of duly , 20000 kV V .:< ATTEST feffr6V .Barton, Clerko Vf9 =' r r aim V' IVY day of De u'trill Cle BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA By,Z5' >, cC� ILI Fran B. Adams, Chairman Jrdinance was filed with the Department of State on and becomes effective October 1, 2000. Accepted and Approved: z Jeff'PL Barton Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court V-7-- /) . 2000 APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGAL SUFFI IEN"CY 171^ WILLIAM G. COLLINS II DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY