Ala. Code § 40-1-49 — Suspension of Collection When Costs Exceed Amounts Collected

(a) The Department of Revenue, by administrative rule, shall suspend the collection of a tax or fee which it is authorized to collect when the cost of administering the collection of such tax or fee has exceeded the total amount of the tax or fee collected for each of the previous three fiscal years.
Should it be determined that the suspension of a tax or fee collection would result in reduced local revenues, the department shall notify the affected localities prior to filing a notice, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, to promulgate an administrative rule to suspend the tax or fee.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the department shall not suspend the collection of a tax or fee in any of the following cases:
(1) If such tax or fee is mandated by federal law or regulation.
(2) If discontinuing the collection of such tax or fee would result in reduced federal funding received from the federal government that exceeds the state costs of collecting the tax or fee.
(3) If discontinuing the collection of a tax or fee would result in reduced state and local revenues that exceeds the state costs of collecting the tax or fee.
(4) If suspending collection of the tax or fee would negatively affect the public health, safety, or welfare.
(c) No administrative rule promulgated pursuant to this section shall be applied retroactively.
(d) In accordance with Sections 41-22-5.1 and 41-22-5.2, also known as the Red Tape Reduction Act, any rule promulgated pursuant to this section shall be reviewed not less than every five years. Should it be determined that the administrative cost of collecting a tax or fee no longer exceeds the total amount of tax or fee that could be collected, any corresponding rule suspending the collection of the tax or fee shall be repealed by the department.
If such rule is repealed, no tax or fee shall be due for any periods for which the rule was in effect.