Florida Florida Statutes

§ 212.14 — Departmental powers; hearings; distress warrants; bonds; subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum

FS § 212.14Ch. 212

Statute text

(1)Any person required to pay a tax imposed under this chapter, or to make a return, either or both, and who renders a return or makes a payment of a tax with intent to deceive or defraud the state, and to prevent the state from collecting the amount of taxes imposed by this chapter, or otherwise fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter for the taxable period for which any return is made, or any tax is paid, or any report is made to the department, may be required by the department to show cause at a time and place to be set by the department, after 10 days' notice in writing requiring such books, records, or papers as the department may require relating to the business of such person for such tax period, and the department may require such person, or persons, or their employee or employees to give testimony under oath and answer interrogatories by the department, or an assistant, respecting the sale, use, consumption, distribution, or storage rental or license for use of real or personal property or services within the state, or admissions collected therein, or the failure to make a true report thereof, as provided by this chapter, or failure to pay the true amount of the tax required to be paid under this chapter. At said hearing, in the event such person fails to produce such books, records, or papers, or to appear and answer questions within the scope of investigation relating to matters concerning taxes to be imposed under this chapter, or prevents or impedes his or her agents or employees from giving testimony, then the department is authorized under this chapter to estimate any unpaid deficiencies in taxes to be assessed against such person upon such information as may be available to it and to issue a distress warrant for the collection of such taxes, interest, or penalties estimated by him or her to be due and payable, and such assessment shall be deemed prima facie correct. In such cases said warrant shall be issued to any sheriff in the state where such person owns or possesses any property and such property as may be required to satisfy any such taxes, interest, or penalties shall be by such sheriff seized and sold under said distress warrant in the same manner as property is permitted to be seized and sold under distress warrants issued to secure the payments of delinquent taxes as hereinafter provided, and the department shall also have the right to writ of garnishment to subject any indebtedness due to the delinquent dealer by a third person in any goods, money, chattels, or effects of the delinquent dealer in the hands, possession, or control of the third person in the manner provided by law. Respecting the place for the holding of a hearing by the department or its agents as provided in this section, the person whose tax return or report being investigated may by written request to the department require the hearing be set at a place within the judicial circuit of Florida wherein the person's business is located or within the judicial circuit of Florida wherein such person's books and records are kept. If there is jeopardy to the revenue and jeopardy is asserted in or with an assessment, the department shall proceed in the manner specified for jeopardy assessment in s. 213.732.

(2)Wherever returns are required to be made to the department hereunder the full amount of the taxes required to be paid as shown by said return shall be paid and accompany said return, and the failure to remit said full amount of taxes at the time of making said return shall cause said taxes to become delinquent. All taxes and all interest and penalties imposed under this chapter shall be paid to the department at Tallahassee, or to such designated offices throughout the state as the department may from time to time designate and in the form of remittance required by it.

(3)The department may require all reports of taxes to be paid under this chapter to be accompanied with a written statement, of the person or by an officer of any firm or corporation required to pay such taxes setting forth such facts as the department may reasonably require in order to advise the department as to the amount of taxes that are due and payable upon said return. Filing of return not accompanied by payment is prima facie evidence of conversion of the money due. Any person or any duly authorized corporation officer or agent, members of any firm or incorporated society, or organization who refuses to make a return and pay the taxes due, as required by the department and in the manner and in the form that the department may require, or to state in writing that the return is correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, as so required by the department, shall be subject to a penalty of 6 percent per annum of the amount due and shall upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. The signing of a written return shall have the same legal effect as if made under oath without the necessity of appending such oath thereto.

(4)In all cases where it is necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter, the department shall require a cash deposit, bond, or other security as a condition to a person obtaining or retaining a dealer's certificate of registration under this chapter. Such bond must be in the form and amount the department deems appropriate under the particular circumstances. A person failing to produce such cash deposit, bond, or other security is not entitled to obtain or retain a dealer's certificate of registration under this chapter, and the Department of Legal Affairs is hereby authorized to proceed by injunction, if requested by the Department of Revenue, to prevent such person from doing business subject to this chapter until such cash deposit, bond, or other security is posted with the department, and any temporary injunction for this purpose may be granted by any judge or chancellor authorized by law to grant injunctions. Any security required to be deposited may be sold by the department at public sale if necessary in order to recover any tax, interest, or penalty due. Notice of such sale may be served personally or by mail upon the person who deposited the security. If by mail, notice sent to the last known address as it appears on the records of the department is sufficient for the purpose of this requirement. Upon such sale, the surplus, if any, above the amount due under this chapter shall be returned to the person who deposited the security. The department may adopt rules necessary to administer this subsection. For the purpose of the cash deposit, bond, or other security required by this subsection, the term “person” includes:(a) Those entities listed in s. 212.02(12).

(b)An individual or entity owning a controlling interest in a business.

(c)An individual or entity that acquired an ownership interest or a controlling interest in a business that would otherwise be liable for posting a cash deposit, bond, or other security, unless the department has determined that the individual or entity is not liable for the taxes, interest, or penalties described in s. 213.758.

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Legislative history

s. 14, ch. 26319, 1949; s. 9, ch. 29883, 1955; s. 24, ch. 57-1; s. 1, ch. 57-109; s. 2, ch. 59-426; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 59-449; s. 6, ch. 61-276; s. 7, ch. 63-253; s. 12, ch. 65-329; s. 5, ch. 65-371; s. 2, ch. 65-420; s. 1, ch. 65-2444; s. 11, ch. 67-180; ss. 11, 21, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 127, ch. 71-136; s. 2, ch. 73-240; s. 48, ch. 85-342; s. 77, ch. 86-152; ss. 19, 58, 90, ch. 87-6; s. 58, ch. 87-101; s. 23, ch. 91-224; s. 11, ch. 92-173; s. 13, ch. 92-315; s. 12, ch. 93-233; s. 1119, ch. 95-147; s. 10, ch. 97-99; s. 5, ch. 2014-40.