§303.1. Direct Payment Numbers

A. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary except for the provisions of R.S. 47:303(B) and (E), the state and local sales and use tax due on the purchase, importation, or lease of tangible personal property or taxable services by taxpayers who have obtained a Direct Payment Number, hereinafter referred to as a "DP Number," shall be remitted directly to the state and appropriate political subdivision by such taxpayer, as provided in this Section. The vendor or lessor of tangible personal property or taxable services shall not be responsible for collecting sales and use tax on such sales or leases, and shall not be liable for such tax as provided in R.S. 47:304(C), upon presentation to him of a valid DP Number by such purchaser or lessee, provided that the vendor or lessor notes the DP Number on the untaxed contract or invoice submitted to such purchaser and lessee.

B.(1) A DP Number shall be issued to and shall be continued to be held by a taxpayer who obtains the required approvals and who meets all of the qualifications provided for in this Section and the following qualifications:

(a) The taxpayer's primary business in the state is that of a manufacturer of tangible personal property for resale where such manufacturing occurs at a manufacturing establishment or facility within the state.

(b) The taxpayer has reported and paid timely substantially all of the taxes which the taxpayer believes are legally due to the state and its political subdivisions.

(c) The taxpayer has an annual average of five million dollars of taxable purchases or leases of tangible personal property and taxable services for three calendar years prior to the year of application by the taxpayer, and has such an average for each subsequent three-year period.

(d) The taxpayer maintains adequate procedures and practices, records and reports for accrual and timely reporting and paying the state and political subdivision sales and use taxes due.

(2)(a) A DP Number shall be issued to and shall be continued to be held by a taxpayer that is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization as defined under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that obtains the required approvals, and that meets all of the qualifications provided for in this Section except Subparagraph (1)(a) of this Subsection.

(b) Separate DP Numbers shall be issued to and shall be continued to be held by taxpayers that are subsidiary entities of a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that meets the requirements of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, as well as to those taxpayer entities in which the tax-exempt organization is the sole member, provided that these entities are licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health, Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, or otherwise have as their mission promoting the delivery of healthcare and patient medical services and products and further provided that these entities and the tax exempt organization together have in the aggregate an annual average of ten million dollars of taxable purchases or leases of tangible personal property and taxable services for three calendar years prior to the year of application, and have such an average for each subsequent three-year period, and which obtain the required approvals and meet the qualifications provided for in Subparagraphs (1)(b) and (1)(d) of this Subsection.

(3)(a) A DP Number shall be issued to a taxpayer who has entered into a tax exemption contract with the Department of Economic Development as provided by R.S. 47:4302 or a similar successor program and who obtains the required approvals and meets all of the qualifications provided for in this Section except Subparagraph (1)(a) of this Subsection. The DP Number shall be continued to be held by the taxpayer for the term of the tax exemption contract.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, a taxpayer issued a DP Number pursuant to Subparagraph (3)(a) of this Subsection shall not be responsible for the remittance of use taxes on purchases when filing monthly state sales and use tax returns when such purchases are exempt pursuant to the annual tax exemption contract cap.

(4) A DP Number shall be issued to a taxpayer who has entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the state as provided by R.S. 33:9029.2 and who obtains the required approvals and meets all of the qualifications provided for in this Section except Subparagraph (1)(c) of this Subsection. The DP Number shall be continued to be held by the taxpayer for the term of the cooperative endeavor agreement or until the taxpayer otherwise qualifies for a DP Number.

C. Upon application by a taxpayer to the department for a DP Number pursuant to Paragraph (B)(1) or (2) of this Section, the department shall notify by certified mail the local agency or agencies charged with collection of the sales and use tax imposed by the political subdivisions in the parish or parishes in which the taxpayer has a manufacturing establishment or facility or is a taxpayer that meets the requirements of Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section. The department and the local collection agency or agencies shall review the application and shall audit the taxpayer to determine that the taxpayer meets the qualifications provided in Subsection B of this Section, if the department or local collection agency or agencies consider such audit necessary.

D. If the taxpayer applying for a DP Number pursuant to Paragraph (B)(1) or (2) of this Section meets the qualifications of Subsection B of this Section and obtains written approval from the local agency or agencies charged with the collection of sales and use tax imposed by the political subdivisions in the parish or parishes in which the taxpayer has a manufacturing establishment or facility or is a taxpayer that meets the requirements of Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section, the department shall issue the DP Number to the taxpayer. If the taxpayer meets the qualifications of Subsection B of this Section but written approval is denied or withheld by the local agency or agencies charged with the collection of sales and use tax imposed by the political subdivisions in the parish or parishes in which the taxpayer has a manufacturing establishment or facility or is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, the department shall issue a DP Number to the taxpayer that shall be applicable only for the purposes of state sales and use tax.

E. The department shall review the procedures and practices, records and reports of the taxpayer at least once in every three calendar years after the year in which the application for the DP Number is granted, and the department shall audit the books and records of such taxpayer unless the department decides, in its discretion, that such an audit is not necessary.

F. The DP Number issued by the department under this Section may be revoked by the secretary at any time if the taxpayer fails to meet the qualifications provided in this Section, or if the department receives written notice of the revocation of approval for issuance of the DP Number from all of the local tax collection agencies that had previously given their approval pursuant to Subsection D of this Section.

G. The taxpayer may appeal the secretary's denial or revocation of a DP Number to the Board of Tax Appeals.

H. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this Section.

Acts 1987, No. 682, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1988, No. 512, §1; Acts 1993, No. 895, §1; Acts 2003, No. 141, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2008, No. 456, §1; Acts 2010, No. 960, §1, eff. July 6, 2010; Acts 2018, No. 250, §1, eff. July 1, 2018.