The tax levied by this article shall be due at the same time the return is due. Remittance of the tax levied by this article shall be made to the department at Montgomery, Alabama, for deposit to the State Treasurer of Alabama. In addition to all other appropriations heretofore or hereinafter made, there is hereby appropriated to the department for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, such amount as is reasonably required to offset its conversion costs as a first charge against the revenues from the tax levied by this article. The department and the Secretary of State shall each promulgate a regulation listing those persons who are authorized to execute the privilege tax return and the extension request, and the annual report, respectively, which shall permit the taxpayer's return preparer to execute any of those forms on behalf of the taxpayer. For all subsequent years, there shall be appropriated to the department as a first charge against the revenues from the tax levied by this article an amount that will offset its actual costs in the administration and regulation of this tax. The balance of the tax collected shall be distributed as follows:

(a) For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1999, and each fiscal year thereafter, each county shall receive an amount that would have been distributed to each county prior to the repayments required by settlement of litigation regarding audits conducted by the Alabama Department of Revenue from the franchise tax distributed under former Section 40-14-43 during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999. Beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for each fiscal year thereafter, each county's distribution shall be increased by three-quarters of one percent of the amount received by each county in the preceding year.

(b) For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1999, and each fiscal year thereafter, each county and each tax recipient agency or fund within the county shall receive an amount equal to the amount it received from the shares tax assessed under the procedures of former Article 4 of Chapter 14 with respect to the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999. Beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for each fiscal year thereafter, each county's and recipient agency's or fund's distribution shall be increased by three-quarters of one percent of the amount received by each entity in the preceding year.

(c) The balance remaining after the distributions in (a) and (b) above shall be deposited into the State General Fund.