The lodgings tax is a privilege tax on persons, firms, and corporations engaged in renting or furnishing rooms, lodgings, or other accommodations to transients for periods of less than 180 days of continuous occupation and applies to all charges for providing such accommodations. This tax also applies to charges for personal property used or furnished in such rooms or lodgings. Some examples of entities subject to this tax are those entities engaged in the operation of: hotels, motels, lodges, inns, tourist courts, tourist homes, camps, trailer courts, or any other place where rooms, apartments, cabins, sleeping accommodations, house trailer parking accommodations, or other accommodations are made available to travelers, tourists, or other transients. A discount is allowed if the tax is paid before the 20th day of the month in which the tax is due. The lodgings tax discount consists of 5 percent on the first $100 of tax due, and 2 percent of all tax over $100. The tax is due monthly with returns and remittances to be filed on or before the 20th day of the month for the previous month’s lodgings. However, pursuant to §40-23-7, Code of Ala. 1975, you may request quarterly filing status if you have a tax liability of less than $2,400 for the preceding calendar year. You may request bi-annual filing if you have a tax liability of less than $1,200 for the preceding calendar year. You may also request bi-annual filing if you provide accommodations during no more than two 30-consecutive-day periods during the preceding calendar year. You may request annual filing status if the tax liability for the entire preceding calendar year is less than $600. You may also request annual filing if you provide accommodations during no more than one 30-consecutive-day period during the preceding calendar year. Changes to the filing status can only be requested each year before February 20 to file quarterly, bi-annually, or annually for that calendar year. Note: If paying via EFT, the EFT payment information must be transmitted by 4 p.m. (Central Time) on or before the due date, to be considered timely paid. Learn more
The state lodgings tax rate is 5 percent of the charges for accommodations in counties of the geographic region comprising the Alabama Mountain Lakes area (those being Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston counties). In all other Alabama counties, the state lodgings tax rate is 4 percent of the charges for accommodations.
In Alabama, a resale certificate is officially called a “Sales Tax License”. To get a copy of your Alabama resale certificate or Sales Tax License, you should:
Login to MAT, locate the appropriate tax account, locate and click “Print tax account license” link. If you need help or cannot access your certificate online contact the Alabama Department of Revenue Sales and Use Tax Division for assistance.
Yes. In accordance with Rule 810-6-1-.144.03: All buyers of property for resale purposes are entitled to purchase at wholesale, tax-free, the property they resell as regular course of business when they have secured the sales tax license required by law. This rule also applies to retailers located outside Alabama when they have secured the sales tax license required by law in the state in which they are located.
A credit card transaction fee is a charge added to the regular price of an item by a retailer when the purchaser pays for the item using a credit card. Other names for this fee include swipe fee, credit card surcharge, processing fee, service charge, or convenience fee.
These fees are subject to sales and use tax and should be included in the seller’s gross sales on retail transactions when calculating tax due. Example: A sale of tangible personal property totals $100. The customer pays with a credit card and is charged a $3 credit card transaction fee. The total price of $103, including the credit card transaction fee, is subject to sales and use taxes.
A credit card fee, even if separately stated, is part of the retailer’s cost of doing business, and the entire consideration for the sale of tangible personal property is subject to sales and use taxes.
If a transaction consists of only non-taxable goods or services, the credit card transaction fee is not subject to sales and use taxes. Example: A customer is charged $50 for a haircut. The customer pays with a credit card and is charged a $3 credit card transaction fee. Since the haircut is not subject to sales and use taxes, the corresponding credit card transaction fee is not subject to sales and use taxes.
When trying to complete title applications for vessels that have inches listed on the MSO, please use this Vessel Length Chart for conversion purposes.
Yes, Alabama allows resident individuals to claim a tax credit for income taxes imposed by other states. This credit is claimed on Form 40, Schedule CR. A copy of the other state’s return and a copy of the state Schedule K-1 should be included as documentation of this credit.
If the individual does not file an individual income tax return in the other state or the state provides an exclusion of income, include a proforma return calculating the tax at the other state’s rate and a copy of the state Schedule K-1 as documentation of this credit.
Note: Any Pass-Through Entity tax deducted on the Pass-Through Entity’s federal return, which reduces the taxable income reported on the owner’s K-1, should be added back to compute Alabama taxable income.
No, if the current title is an Alabama ELT there is no cost to print a physical title.
However, once an ELT is printed on physical title paper it can not be printed again. A replacement title application must be applied for if a replacement is needed.
