N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-164.16A — Reporting option for prepaid meal plans

This section provides a retailer that offers a prepaid meal plan subject to the tax imposed by G.S. 105-164.4 with an option concerning the method by which the sales tax will be remitted to the Secretary and a return filed under G.S. 105-164.16. When the retailer enters into an agreement with a food service contractor by which the food service contractor agrees to provide food or prepared food under a prepaid meal plan, and the food service contractor with whom the retailer contracts is also a retailer under this Article, the retailer may include in the agreement that the food service contractor is liable for reporting and remitting the sales tax due on the gross receipts derived from the prepaid meal plan on behalf of the retailer. The agreement must provide that the tax applies to the allocated sales price of the prepaid meal plan paid by or on behalf of the person entitled to the food or prepaid food under the plan and not the amount charged by the food service contractor to the retailer under the agreement for the food and prepared food for the person. A retailer who elects this option must report to the food service contractor with whom it has an agreement the gross receipts a person pays to the retailer for a prepaid meal plan. The retailer must report the gross receipts on an accrual basis of accounting, as required under G.S. 105-164.20. The retailer must send the food service contractor the tax due on the gross receipts derived from a prepaid meal plan. Tax payments received by a food service contractor from a retailer are held in trust by the food service contractor for remittance to the Secretary. A food service contractor that receives a tax payment from a retailer must remit the amount received to the Secretary. A food service contractor is not liable for tax due but not received from a retailer. A retailer that does not send the food service contractor the tax due on the gross receipts derived from a prepaid meal plan is liable for the amount of tax the retailer fails to send to the food service contractor. (2014-3, s. 4.1(f); 2015-6, s. 2.14(a).)