Collection of Taxes Before Registration or Licensing; Proof of Purchase Price; Proof of Payment of Tax.
Ala. Code § 40-23-104
in effect40-23-104. Collection of Taxes Before Registration or Licensing; Proof of Purchase Price; Proof of Payment of Tax.
(a) The licensing official shall collect all of the following:
(1) The taxes levied by this article.
(2) The municipal gross receipts or sales taxes and county sales taxes authorized by general or local law on sales made by a person or firm other than a licensed dealer.
(3) The municipal and county use taxes authorized by general or local law on sales made by dealers doing business outside the State of Alabama and on sales made by licensed Alabama dealers where municipal and county sales taxes were not collected at the time of purchase.
(4) The state use tax on any such automotive vehicle, motorboat, truck trailer, trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer required to be registered or licensed by the judge of probate.
(b) The licensing official shall require, as proof of the purchase price of the automotive vehicle, motorboat, truck trailer, trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer to be taxed, when purchased from a licensed dealer in this state, documentation of the price upon which any state, county, or municipal sales tax was paid and which reflects the amount of such state, county, or municipal sales tax paid and any other evidence of the purchase price as shall be prescribed by the Department of Revenue. All licensed dealers in this state shall furnish to the purchaser of any of the vehicles documentation showing the amount and rate of sales or gross receipts tax collected at the time of purchase for the state and for the municipality and county where the sale was made.
(c) The licensing official shall require, as proof of the purchase price of any other automotive vehicle, motorboat, truck trailer, trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer to be taxed, the presentment of a sworn report by the purchaser reflecting such purchase price on a form to be provided by the Department of Revenue accompanied by a properly executed bill of sale or other satisfactory evidence prescribed by the Department of Revenue.
(d) In lieu of the requirements contained in subsection (c) of this section, the purchaser may stipulate to the licensing official that the purchase price of the automotive vehicle, motorboat, truck trailer, trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer to be taxed is equivalent to a standard value for the year, make, and model established by the Department of Revenue for the taxable item. The purchase price so stipulated shall be conclusively presumed to be the purchase price of the item for all purposes under this article.
(e) Before the registration of or licensing of any such automotive vehicle, motorboat, truck trailer, trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer, the licensing official shall require proof of payment of the tax levied under this article deemed necessary and proper.
(f) Before the decal, which is provided for by Section 40-7-1, is issued to evidence payment of the ad valorem tax due on a manufactured home in this state, and before any homestead exemption is granted for a manufactured home, payment of the tax levied either under Section 40-23-101(b) or Section 40-23-102(b) shall be made to the licensing official of the county in which the manufactured home will be initially sited as evidenced by a properly executed bill of sale. If, however, the sales or use tax specified in either Sections 40-23-101(b) or 40-23-102(b) has been paid prior to the due date of the ad valorem tax on the manufactured home, then proof of payment for the sales or use taxes will be evidenced by a receipt and shall be deemed acceptable by the licensing official.
(g) Any law to the contrary notwithstanding, the licensing official shall remit all county and municipal sales, gross receipts, and use taxes collected directly to the appropriate county or municipal tax recipient as otherwise provided by law, within 20 days following the last day of the month in which those taxes were collected. In addition to all other penalties, the penalty for failure to comply with this section shall be as provided in Chapter 29, Article 6.
(Acts 1981, No. 81-665, p. 1086, §5; Acts 1989, No. 89-691, p. 1358, §6; Acts 1989, No. 89-752, p. 1526, §3; Acts 1994, No. 94-622, p. 1162, §5.)
Source: Alabama Legislature (alison.legislature.state.al.us)URL: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama#40-23-104Fetched: 10/20/2026