§304.  Treatment of tax by dealer

A.  The tax levied in this Chapter shall be collected by the dealer from the purchaser or consumer, except as provided for the collection of tax on motor vehicles in R.S. 47:303 and the collection of tax on property leased or rented for use offshore in R.S. 47:301(4)(d)(ii).  The dealer shall collect the sales tax on off-road vehicles and remit them directly to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections upon application for certificate of title and registration as required for the registration and licensing of other vehicles under the provisions of Subsection B of this Section.  The dealer shall collect the sales taxes on off-road vehicles from out-of-state residents who purchase off-road vehicles in this state and remit the sales taxes due directly to the Department of Revenue, unless the requirements of the sales and use tax exemption provided for in R.S. 47:305.56 are met.

B.  Every dealer located outside the state making sales of tangible personal property for distribution, storage, use, or other consumption, in this state, shall at the time of making sales collect the tax imposed by this Chapter from the purchaser.

C.  Dealers shall, as far as practicable, add the amount of the tax imposed under this chapter in conformity with the schedule or schedules to be prescribed by the collector pursuant to authority conferred herein, to the sale price or charge, which shall be a debt from the purchaser or consumer to the dealer, until paid, and shall be recoverable at law in the same manner as other debts.  Any dealer who neglects, fails or refuses to collect the tax herein provided, shall be liable for and pay the tax himself.

D.  Where the tax collected for any period is in excess of the tax rate provided by this Title, the total tax collected must be paid over to the secretary, less the compensation to be allowed the dealer as hereinafter set forth.  This provision shall be construed with other provisions of this Chapter and given effect so as to result in the payment to the secretary of the total tax collected if in excess of the tax rate provided.

E.  Any dealer who fails, neglects, or refuses to collect the tax herein provided, either by himself or through his agents or employees, shall, in addition to the penalty of being liable for and paying the tax himself, be fined not more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than three months, or both.

F.(1)  No dealer shall advertise or hold out to the public, in any manner, directly or indirectly, that he will absorb all or part of the tax or that he will relieve the purchaser from the payment of all or any part of the tax unless:

(a)  The dealer includes in the advertisement that any portion of the tax not paid by the purchaser will be remitted on his behalf by the dealer.

(b)  The dealer furnishes the purchaser with written evidence that the dealer will be liable for and pay any tax the purchaser was relieved from paying under this Paragraph himself.

(2)  If a dealer advertises that any portion of the tax not paid by the purchaser will be remitted on his behalf by the dealer, the purchaser shall not be liable for the payment of that portion of the tax.

(3)  Whoever violates this provision with respect to advertising shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars, or imprisoned for not more than three months, or both.  For a second or subsequent offense, the penalty shall be double.

G.  The dealer or seller is permitted and required to state and collect the tax separately from the price paid by the purchaser.

H.  The use of tokens is forbidden.  The collector shall by regulations prescribe the method and the schedule of the amounts to be collected from the purchasers, lessees or consumers in respect to any receipt upon which a tax is imposed by this chapter or by any political subdivision of the state of Louisiana.  The amount of tax to be collected by the dealer and paid by the purchaser shall in each transaction comply with the schedule so provided.

I.  The sums of money collected by the dealer for payment of sales and use taxes imposed by the state of Louisiana, or any such taxes imposed by any parish, municipality, or political subdivision within the state, shall be and remain the property of the taxing authority and deemed held in trust for the taxing authority.

Amended by Acts 1962, No. 182, §2; Acts 1974, No. 184, §1; Acts 1980, No. 137, §1; Acts 1988, No. 2, §1, eff. July 1, 1988; Acts 1991, No. 613, §1, eff. July 17, 1991; Acts 1993, No. 688, §1; Acts 1993, No. 894, §1, eff. June 23, 1993; Acts 1994, No. 8, §1, eff. June 7, 1994; Acts 1997, No. 658, §2; Acts 2001, No. 245, §1, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2007, No. 291, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 2007.