From the Office of Governor Robert Bentley
MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Tuesday praised Senate approval of a measure that eliminates red tape for business tax filings in Alabama.
Under existing law, businesses with locations in more than one city or county in the state must file separate tax returns with each of those individual cities and counties and the Alabama Department of Revenue. However, Senate Bill 459 will greatly reduce the administrative burden of filing separate returns. SB 459, sponsored by Senator Slade Blackwell, establishes a single-point electronic filing system through which businesses can file all sales, use, and rental/lease tax returns and make the associated payments.
“We owe it to taxpayers to be good stewards of the money they send to Montgomery, and with this system, we can offer businesses an efficient process that meets their administrative needs,” Governor Bentley said. “The best news is we have worked with our Department of Revenue to offer this service free of charge for businesses and local jurisdictions.”
“We have heard from some companies that a hindrance to doing business in this state is the complexity of the tax filing system,” Governor Bentley added. “By streamlining the system, we are making Alabama even more open for business and future economic development.”
Governor Bentley’s administration also met with local leaders from across the state to listen to and incorporate their needs and ideas.
“This has been a cooperative effort between all stakeholders to ensure that implementation will be a smooth process,” Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee said. “We look forward to offering this service to businesses in our state. This system will provide them a more efficient option that will help streamline their own administrative procedures.”
The system created by SB 459 is referred to as ONE SPOT: Optional Network Election for Single Point Online Transactions. The Department of Revenue will administer the single-point filing system and distribute filings and payments to the appropriate counties or cities. The bill had been previously approved by the House Commerce and Small Business Committee and now goes to the full House for consideration.
