Grocery supermarket retailers

# (a)

Every person engaged in the business of operating a retail grocery supermarket shall be exempt from the provisions of § 2905 of this title and shall be subject to the provisions of this section with regard to the retail sales of such store. For purposes of this section, a grocery supermarket shall mean a retail store with an area of more than 6,000 square feet and whose primary business is selling food for human consumption, having on stock available for retail sale and purchase at least 12,000 different food stock units (SKU’s) at least 90 percent of whose sales of food suitable for human consumption consists of food that is not immediately consumable. For purposes of this section, “not immediately consumable” shall be defined as any product purchased at the grocery store that is intended for consumption at home in which some preparation or cooking is necessary. Notwithstanding and in addition to this definition, the following products shall be considered not immediately consumable: frozen ice cream, frozen or refrigerated yogurt, all fresh fruits and vegetables, deli products sold by the pound or packaged on the shelf, cooked shrimp or other seafood sold by the pound, bottled or canned sodas including bottled waters, all snack foods such as, but not limited to, potato chips, cookies and packaged candies, refrigerated dairy products, bakery goods, dry foods sold in bulk by the pound and any other food item that is generally consumed at home.

# (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 through December 31, at which time it may be renewed for a full year and every year thereafter; provided, that the grocery store 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 grocery store retailer shall pay a license fee at the rate of 0.3267% of the aggregate gross receipts attributed 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. In computing the fee due on the aggregate gross receipts for any month, there shall be allowed a deduction of $100,000. Solely for purposes of determining the rate of taxation and the monthly exclusion under this subsection, but not for determining the applicability of the definition of “grocery supermarket,” all branches or entities comprising an enterprise with common ownership or common direction and control shall be considered as one. The monthly returns shall be accompanied by a certified statement on such forms as the Division of Revenue 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 treated as one, and 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.