TCA § 67-4-2809 — Unauthorized substances tax account — Remittance of tax once unencumbered — Application of proceeds of tax

The commissioner shall credit the proceeds of the tax levied by this part to a special nonreverting account to be called the state unauthorized substances tax account, until the tax proceeds are unencumbered. The commissioner shall remit the unencumbered tax proceeds as provided in this section on a quarterly or more frequent basis. Tax proceeds are unencumbered when: The tax has been paid and the collection process completed; and The taxpayer has no current right to file a refund claim, and the paid tax is not the subject of any pending lawsuit for the recovery of that tax; or The time for the taxpayer to file suit pursuant to § 67-1-1802(c) has expired. The commissioner shall first apply the unencumbered tax proceeds to the costs of storing and disposing of the assets seized in payment of the assessment under this part and then to the costs incurred by the commissioner due to implementation and enforcement of this part, which costs shall be added to and become part of the assessment. From the remaining proceeds, the commissioner shall remit seventy-five percent (75%) of the unencumbered tax proceeds that were collected by assessment to the state or local law enforcement agency that conducted the investigation of a merchant that led to the assessment. Such proceeds are to be used by the agency solely for the purpose of investigating, combating, preventing, and reducing drug crimes. If more than one (1) state or local law enforcement agency conducted the investigation, then the commissioner shall determine the equitable share for each agency based on the contribution each agency made to the investigation. The commissioner's determination of the equitable share for each agency shall be final and shall not be subject to review in an administrative or judicial proceeding. The commissioner shall credit the remaining unencumbered tax proceeds to the general fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in the event the tax levied by this part is voluntarily paid to the department of revenue, and not as a result of an investigation or arrest by a state or local law enforcement agency, such voluntarily paid tax shall be considered unencumbered upon payment, and the commissioner shall credit the entire tax proceeds to the general fund.