Restaurant retailer license requirements; license fee; additional fee on aggregate gross receipts; statements required

# (a)

Every person engaged in the business of operating a restaurant, snack bar, soda fountain, take-out food service, catering service, private eating or drinking club, or other eating establishment or service shall be exempt from the provisions of § 2905 of this title and shall be subject to the provisions of this section.

# (b)

All persons defined in subsection (a) of this section desiring to engage in business in this State shall obtain a license upon making application to the Division of Revenue and paying a fee of $75 plus $25 for each separate branch or location. If monthly payments thereafter are made in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, such license shall be valid until January 1 at which time it may be renewed for a full year and every year thereafter; provided, that the restaurant retailer makes application therefor and payment of $75 plus $25 for each separate branch or location.

# (c)

# (1)

In addition to the license fee required by subsection (b) of this section every restaurant retailer shall pay a license fee at the rate of 0.6472% of the aggregate gross receipts attributable to all goods sold within the State, which fee shall be payable monthly on or before the twentieth day of each month with respect to the aggregate gross receipts of the immediately preceding month period. In computing the fee due on the aggregate gross receipts for any month, there shall be allowed a deduction of $100,000. For purposes of this subsection, all branches or entities comprising an enterprise with common ownership or common direction and control shall be allowed only 1 monthly deduction from the aggregate gross receipts of the entire enterprise. The monthly returns shall be accompanied by a certified statement on such forms as the Department of Finance shall require in computing the fee due.

# (2)

Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(1) of this section, if the taxable gross receipts prescribed therein during the lookback period as defined in § 2122 of this title do not exceed the applicable threshold of $1,500,000, the return and payment of the additional license fee imposed for such month shall be due on or before the last day of the first month following the close of the quarter. (The applicable threshold in this paragraph (c)(2) is subject to annual adjustment as more fully set forth in § 515 of this title.) In the case of such return, in computing the fee due on such aggregate gross receipts for each quarter, there shall be allowed a deduction of $300,000. For purposes of this paragraph (c)(2), all branches or entities comprising an enterprise with common ownership or common direction and control shall be allowed only 1 quarterly deduction from the aggregate gross receipts of the entire enterprise. The quarterly return shall be accompanied by a certified statement on such forms as the Department of Finance shall require in computing this fee due.

# (3)

[Repealed.]

# (d)

Persons licensed as a retailer or grocery supermarket retailer pursuant to § 2905 or § 2908 of this title and who derive at least 90 percent of their sales of food suitable for human consumption from food that is not “immediately consumable,” as that term is defined by § 2908(a) of this title, shall be exempt from this section, provided that the retailer or grocery supermarket retailer reports the gross receipts derived from activities otherwise subject to this chapter as retail or grocery supermarket retail sales, as the case may be.