Notwithstanding any other laws or understandings to the contrary, the following terms shall have the following meanings throughout this chapter:

(1) DEPARTMENT. The Alabama Department of Revenue.

(2) ELECTRONIC FILING. The filing of a tax return or other document of any type by any medium acceptable to the department as provided by rule or regulation, which may include but is not limited to the filing of returns and other documents by telephone transmission, electronic transmission, disk transfer, automated clearing-house, value added networks, or magnetic media.

(3) ELECTRONIC RETURN ORIGINATOR. A firm, organization, or person that provides services as an electronic return preparer, or an electronic return collector, or both.

(4) ELECTRONIC RETURN PREPARER. A firm, organization, or person who prepares tax returns including filing declarations, for taxpayers who intend to have their returns electronically filed.

(5) ELECTRONIC RETURN COLLECTOR. A firm, organization, or person who accepts completed tax returns, including filing declarations, for taxpayers who intend to have their returns electronically filed.

(6) FILING DECLARATION. A packet of information that is maintained by the electronic return originator, submitted to the Department of Revenue, or maintained by the taxpayer, in accordance with regulations of the department. The filing declaration includes all documents usually submitted with a tax return which may be more specifically designated by regulation. The filing declaration shall be considered a part of the tax return.

(7) SOFTWARE DEVELOPER. A firm, organization, or person which sells prepackaged software products or develops customized software for formatting returns to electronic filing specifications.

(8) TRANSMITTER. A firm, organization, or person that transmits electronic returns or other documents directly to the department or its designated receiver.