Sec. 7b.
(1) Beginning January 1, 2003, a licensee may deduct the amount of bad debts from the tax levied under section 7. The amount deducted must be charged off as uncollectible on the books of the licensee. If a person pays all or part of a bad debt with respect to which a licensee claimed a deduction under this section, the licensee shall be liable for the amount of taxes deducted in connection with that portion of the debt for which payment is received and shall remit these taxes in his or her next payment to the department under section 7.
(2) Any claim for a bad debt deduction under this section shall be supported by all of the following:
(a) A copy of the original invoice.
(b) Evidence that the tobacco products described in the invoice were delivered to the person who ordered them.
(c) Evidence that the person who ordered and received the tobacco products did not pay the licensee for the tobacco products and that the licensee used reasonable collection practices in attempting to collect the debt.
(3) As used in this section, "bad debt" means the taxes attributable to any portion of a debt that is related to a sale of tobacco products subject to tax under section 7 that is not otherwise deductible or excludable, that has become worthless or uncollectible in the time period between the date when taxes accrue to the state for the licensee's preceding tax return and the date when taxes accrue to the state for the present return, and that is eligible to be claimed, or could be eligible to be claimed if the licensee kept accounts on an accrual basis, as a deduction pursuant to section 166 of the internal revenue code. A bad debt shall not include any interest on the wholesale price of a tobacco product, uncollectible amounts on property that remains in the possession of the licensee until the full purchase price is paid, expenses incurred in attempting to collect any account receivable or any portion of the debt recovered, any accounts receivable that have been sold to a third party for collection, and repossessed property.
History: Add. 2002, Act 607, Imd. Eff. Dec. 20, 2002