Sec. 17.5. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, in determining the amount to pay for stamps purchased under this chapter, a distributor is entitled to a credit against the cost of stamps purchased in an amount equal to the distributor’s receivables that:

(1) are attributable to stamps purchased by the distributor under this chapter and affixed to cigarettes that were transferred to a retailer;

(2) resulted from a transfer of cigarettes to a retailer in which the distributor did not collect the tax imposed by this chapter from the retailer; and

(3) were written off as an uncollectible debt for federal tax purposes under Section 166 of the Internal Revenue Code after December 31, 2006.

     (b) If a distributor claims a credit under subsection (a) and subsequently collects all of the associated receivable, the distributor shall remit the entire amount of the credit previously claimed under subsection (a) to the department within thirty (30) days of collection.

     (c) If a distributor claims a credit under subsection (a) and subsequently collects part of the associated receivable, the distributor shall remit the amount determined under STEP SIX of the following formula to the department within thirty (30) days after collection:

STEP ONE: Determine the part of the associated receivable before collection that is attributable to the taxable price of the products subject to the tax imposed by this chapter.

STEP TWO: Determine the part of the associated receivable before collection that is attributable to the amount paid by the distributor for the stamps affixed to the products that were transferred to the retailer.

STEP THREE: Determine the sum of:

(A) the STEP ONE result; plus

(B) the STEP TWO result.

STEP FOUR: Determine the lesser of:

(A) the amount collected; or

(B) the STEP THREE result.

STEP FIVE: Divide:

(A) the STEP TWO result; by

(B) the STEP THREE result.

STEP SIX: Multiply:

(A) the STEP FOUR result; by

(B) the STEP FIVE result.

     (d) If the amount of the credit to which a distributor is entitled under subsection (a) exceeds the cost of the stamps that the distributor seeks to purchase, the remainder of the credit may be applied to future purchases of stamps by the distributor. For any uncollectible receivable used to establish a credit under subsection (a), the amount of the credit that is available to be applied to a purchase of stamps is the total amount of the credit determined under subsection (a) reduced by the sum of partial credits applied by the distributor to previous purchases of stamps.

     (e) As used in this subsection, “affiliated group” means any combination of the following:

(1) An affiliated group within the meaning provided in Section 1504 of the Internal Revenue Code (except that the ownership percentage in Section 1504(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be determined using fifty percent (50%) instead of eighty percent (80%)) or a relationship described in Section 267(b)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) Two (2) or more partnerships (as defined in IC 6-3-1-19), including limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships, that have the same degree of mutual ownership as an affiliated group described in subdivision (1), as determined under the rules adopted by the department.

The right to a credit under this section is not assignable to an individual or entity that is not part of the same affiliated group as the assignor.

As added by P.L.211-2007, SEC.37.