For the purposes of this chapter and Chapter 2B, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) ASSOCIATE ALABAMA TAX TRIBUNAL JUDGE. An associate judge as defined in Section 40-2B-2.

(2) AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE. Any individual, including, but not limited to, an attorney or certified public accountant with written authority or power of attorney to represent a taxpayer before the department or the Alabama Tax Tribunal; provided however, that nothing herein shall be construed as entitling any such individual who is not a licensed attorney to engage in the practice of law.

(3) CHIEF ALABAMA TAX TRIBUNAL JUDGE or CHIEF JUDGE. The chief judge as defined in Section 40-2B-2.

(4) COMMISSIONER. The commissioner of the department or his or her delegate.

(5) COMPTROLLER. The Comptroller of the State of Alabama.

(6) DELEGATE. When used with reference to the commissioner means any officer or employee of the department duly authorized by the commissioner, directly or indirectly, by one or more redelegations of authority, to perform the function described in the context.

(7) DEPARTMENT or DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. The Alabama Department of Revenue.

(8) GROSS RECEIPTS TAX IN THE NATURE OF A SALES TAX. A privilege or license tax, imposed by a municipality or county, measured by gross receipts or gross proceeds of sale and which: (i) was in effect on or before February 25, 1997, or is an amendment to a tax which was in effect on that date; (ii) is levied against those selling tangible personal property at retail, those operating places of amusement or entertainment, those making street deliveries, and those leasing or renting tangible personal property; and (iii) is due and payable to a county or municipality monthly or quarterly.

(9) FINAL ASSESSMENT. The final notice of value, underpayment, or nonpayment of any tax administered by the department.

(10) INTEREST. That amount computed under Section 40-1-44, on any overpayment or underpayment of tax or under Section 40-2A-18 on a final assessment.

(11) INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. The agency of the United States principally responsible for the determination, assessment, and collection of taxes established by Title 26 of the United States Code.

(12) NOTICE OF APPEAL. Any written notice sufficient to identify the name of the taxpayer or other party appealing, the specific matter appealed from, the basis for that appeal, and the relief sought.

(13) PERSON. Any individual, association, estate, trust, partnership, corporation, or other entity of any kind.

(14) PETITION FOR REFUND. Any written request for a refund of any tax previously paid, including in the form of an amended return. Unless otherwise provided by law, the request shall include sufficient information to identify the type and amount of tax overpaid, the taxpayer, the consumer/purchaser, the period included, and the reasons for the refund.

(15) PETITION FOR REVIEW. A written document filed with the department in response to a preliminary assessment in which the taxpayer sets forth reasonably specific objections to the preliminary assessment.

(16) PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT. The preliminary notice of value or underpayment of any tax administered by the department.

(17) PRIVATE AUDITING OR COLLECTING FIRM. Any person in the business of collecting, through contract or otherwise, local sales, use, rental, lodgings or other taxes or license fees for any county or municipality, or auditing any taxpayer, through the examination of books and records, for any county or municipality. The term shall also be referred to as a third-party auditing firm, a third-party collecting firm, or a third-party administrator. The term shall not include any of the following:

a. The Department of Revenue.

b. A county or municipality that has entered into a contract or other arrangement to collect local sales, use, rental, lodgings, or other taxes or license fees on behalf of another county or municipality, or to audit a taxpayer, through the examination of books and records, on behalf of another county or municipality.

c. A person or firm whose sole function and purpose on behalf of a municipality or group of municipalities is to collect delinquent insurance premium license fees levied by that municipality or group of municipalities, and who has no authority to determine the amount of license fee, interest, court cost, or penalty owed to the municipality or group of municipalities.

(18) PUBLICATION 1A. A written pamphlet to be distributed by the department to all taxpayers whose books and records are being examined by the department, at or before the commencement of an examination, explaining in simple and nontechnical terms, the role of the department and the rights of the taxpayer whose books and records are being examined by the department during the examination and which shall be promptly revised from time to time to reflect any changes in the applicable law or rules.

(19) RETURN. Any report, document, or other statement required to be filed with the department for the purpose of paying, reporting, or determining the proper amount of value or tax due.

(20) SECRETARY. The secretary of the department.

(21) SELF-ADMINISTERED COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY. A county or municipality that administers its own sales and use taxes or other local municipal or county taxes levied or authorized to be levied by a general or local act, or contracts out all or part of that function to a private auditing or collecting firm. The term does not include any of the following:

a. A county or municipality that allows the department to administer a sales, use, rental, or lodgings tax which is levied by or on behalf of that county or municipality.

b. A municipality or county that levies a gross receipts tax in the nature of a sales tax, as defined in subdivision (8). A county or municipality that both self-administers a sales, use, rental, or lodgings tax and allows the department to administer a sales, use, rental, or lodgings tax that is levied by or on behalf of the county or municipality is only a self-administered county or municipality with respect to those sales, use, rental, or lodgings taxes that the county or municipality administers itself or for those taxes that it contracts for the collection.

(22) TAX. Any amount, including applicable penalty and interest, levied or assessed against a taxpayer and which the department or any county, municipality, or their designees are required or authorized to administer under the provisions of Alabama law.

(23) ALABAMA TAX TRIBUNAL. The Alabama Tax Tribunal as described in Chapter 2B.

(24) TAXPAYER. Any person subject to or liable for any state or local tax; any person required to file a return with respect to, or to pay, or withhold and remit any state or local tax or to report any information or value to the department, a county, municipality, or its designee; or any person required to obtain or holding any interest in any license, permit, or certificate of title issued by the department, a county, municipality, or its designee, or any person that may be affected by any act or refusal to act by the department, a county, municipality, or its designee, or to keep any records required by this chapter.

(25) TAXPAYER ADVOCATE. The person so designated from time to time by the commissioner to assist the taxpayers of the State of Alabama with regard to tax issues resulting from any taxes administered or collected by the department.

(26) TAXPAYER ASSISTANCE ORDER. A written order issued by the Taxpayer Advocate and approved by either the commissioner or assistant commissioner which, among other items, states the facts and grants relief to a taxpayer concerning an issue in dispute with the department with regard to tax issues resulting from any taxes administered or collected by the department.