§ 202.18, F.S. — Allocation and disposition of tax proceeds

The proceeds of the communications services taxes remitted under this chapter shall be treated as follows:

# (1)

The proceeds of the taxes remitted under s. 202.12(1)(a) shall be divided as follows:(a) The portion of such proceeds which constitutes gross receipts taxes, imposed at the rate prescribed in chapter 203, shall be deposited as provided by law and in accordance with s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution.(b) The remaining portion shall be distributed according to s. 212.20(6).

# (2)

The proceeds of the taxes remitted under s. 202.12(1)(b) shall be allocated as follows:(a) The portion of the proceeds which constitutes gross receipts taxes, imposed at the rate prescribed in chapter 203, shall be deposited as provided by law and in accordance with s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution.(b) Fifty-five and nine-tenths percent of the remainder shall be allocated to the state and distributed pursuant to s. 212.20(6), except that the proceeds allocated pursuant to s. 212.20(6)(d)2. shall be prorated to the participating counties in the same proportion as that month’s collection of the taxes and fees imposed pursuant to chapter 212 and paragraph (1)(b).(c)1. During each calendar year, the remaining portion of the proceeds shall be transferred to the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund. Seventy percent of such proceeds shall be allocated in the same proportion as the allocation of total receipts of the half-cent sales tax under s. 218.61 and the emergency distribution under s. 218.65 in the prior state fiscal year. Thirty percent of such proceeds shall be distributed pursuant to s. 218.67.2. The proportion of the proceeds allocated based on the emergency distribution under s. 218.65 shall be distributed pursuant to s. 218.65.3. In each calendar year, the proportion of the proceeds allocated based on the half-cent sales tax under s. 218.61 shall be allocated to each county in the same proportion as the county’s percentage of total sales tax allocation for the prior state fiscal year and distributed pursuant to s. 218.62.4. The department shall distribute the appropriate amount to each municipality and county each month at the same time that local communications services taxes are distributed pursuant to subsection (3).

# (3)

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the proceeds of each local communications services tax levied by a municipality or county pursuant to s. 202.19(1) or s. 202.20(1), less the department’s costs of administration, shall be transferred to the Local Communications Services Tax Clearing Trust Fund and held there to be distributed to such municipality or county. However, the proceeds of any communications services tax imposed pursuant to s. 202.19(5) shall be deposited and disbursed in accordance with ss. 212.054 and 212.055. For purposes of this section, the proceeds of any tax levied by a municipality, county, or school board under s. 202.19(1) or s. 202.20(1) are all funds collected and received by the department pursuant to a specific levy authorized by such sections, including any interest and penalties attributable to the tax levy.(b) The amount deducted for the costs of administration may not exceed 1 percent of the total revenue generated for all municipalities, counties, and school boards levying a tax pursuant to s. 202.19. The amount deducted for the costs of administration shall be used only for those costs that are attributable to the taxes imposed pursuant to s. 202.19. The total cost of administration shall be prorated among those jurisdictions levying the tax on the basis of the amount collected for a particular jurisdiction to the total amount collected for all such jurisdictions.(c)1. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, proceeds of the taxes levied pursuant to s. 202.19, less amounts deducted for costs of administration in accordance with paragraph (b), shall be distributed monthly to the appropriate jurisdictions. The proceeds of taxes imposed pursuant to s. 202.19(5) shall be distributed in the same manner as discretionary surtaxes are distributed, in accordance with ss. 212.054 and 212.055.2. The department shall make any adjustments to the distributions pursuant to this section which are necessary to reflect the proper amounts due to individual jurisdictions or trust funds. In the event that the department adjusts amounts due to reflect a correction in the situsing of a customer, such adjustment shall be limited to the amount of tax actually collected from such customer by the dealer of communication services.3.a. Adjustments in distributions which are necessary to correct misallocations between jurisdictions shall be governed by this subparagraph. If the department determines that misallocations between jurisdictions occurred, it shall provide written notice of such determination to all affected jurisdictions. The notice shall include the amount of the misallocations, the basis upon which the determination was made, data supporting the determination, and the identity of each affected jurisdiction. The notice shall also inform all affected jurisdictions of their authority to enter into a written agreement establishing a method of adjustment as described in sub-subparagraph c.b. An adjustment affecting a distribution to a jurisdiction which is less than 90 percent of the average monthly distribution to that jurisdiction for the 6 months immediately preceding the department’s determination, as reported by all communications services dealers, shall be made in the month immediately following the department’s determination that misallocations occurred.c. If an adjustment affecting a distribution to a jurisdiction equals or exceeds 90 percent of the average monthly distribution to that jurisdiction for the 6 months immediately preceding the department’s determination, as reported by all communications services dealers, the affected jurisdictions may enter into a written agreement establishing a method of adjustment. If the agreement establishing a method of adjustment provides for payments of local communications services tax monthly distributions, the amount of any such payment agreed to may not exceed the local communications services tax monthly distributions available to the jurisdiction that was allocated amounts in excess of those to which it was entitled. If affected jurisdictions execute a written agreement specifying a method of adjustment, a copy of the written agreement shall be provided to the department no later than the first day of the month following 90 days after the date the department transmits notice of the misallocation. If the department does not receive a copy of the written agreement within the specified time period, an adjustment affecting a distribution to a jurisdiction made pursuant to this sub-subparagraph shall be prorated over a time period that equals the time period over which the misallocations occurred.