52:27H-80 Sales tax exemption for retail sales.

21. Receipts of retail sales, except retail sales of motor vehicles, of alcoholic beverages as defined in the "Alcoholic Beverage Tax Law," R.S.54:41-1 et seq., of cigarettes as defined in the "Cigarette Tax Act," P.L.1948, c.65 (C.54:40A-1 et seq.), of manufacturing machinery, equipment or apparatus, and of energy, made by a certified seller from a place of business owned or leased and regularly operated by the seller for the purpose of making retail sales, and located in a designated enterprise zone established pursuant to the "New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones Act," P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-60 et al.), or a UEZ-impacted business district established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2001, c.347 (C.52:27H-66.2), are exempt to the extent of 50% of the tax imposed under the "Sales and Use Tax Act," P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.).

Any seller, which is a qualified business having a place of business located in a designated enterprise zone or in a designated UEZ-impacted business district, may apply to the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury for certification pursuant to this section. The director shall certify a seller if the director shall find that the seller owns or leases and regularly operates a place of business located in the designated enterprise zone or in the designated UEZ-impacted business district for the purpose of making retail sales, that items are regularly exhibited and offered for retail sale at that location, and that the place of business is not utilized primarily for the purpose of catalogue or mail order sales. The certification under this section shall remain in effect during the time the business retains its status as a qualified business meeting the eligibility criteria of section 27 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-86). However, the director may at any time revoke a certification granted pursuant to this section if the director shall determine that the seller no longer complies with the provisions of this section.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this act to the contrary, except as may otherwise be provided by section 7 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-66), the authority may, in its discretion, determine if the provisions of this section shall apply to any enterprise zone designated after the effective date of P.L.1985, c.142 (C.52:27H-66 et al.); provided, however, that the authority may make such a determination only where the authority finds that the award of an exemption of 50 percent of the tax imposed under the "Sales and Use Tax Act," P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.) will not have any adverse economic impact upon any other urban enterprise zone.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, except as provided in subsection b. of section 6 of P.L.1996, c.124 (C.13:1E-116.6), after first depositing 10 percent of the gross amount of all revenues received from the taxation of retail sales made by certified sellers from business locations in designated enterprise zones to which this exemption shall apply into the account created in the name of the authority in the enterprise zone assistance fund pursuant to section 29 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-88), the remaining 90 percent shall be deposited immediately upon collection by the Department of the Treasury, as follows:

a. In the first five-year period during which the State shall have collected reduced rate revenues within an enterprise zone, all such revenues shall be deposited in the enterprise zone assistance fund created pursuant to section 29 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-88);

b. In the second five-year period during which the State shall have collected reduced rate revenues within an enterprise zone, 66 2/3% of all those revenues shall be deposited in the enterprise zone assistance fund, and 33 1/3% shall be deposited in the General Fund;

c. In the third five-year period during which the State shall have collected reduced rate revenues within an enterprise zone, 33 1/3% of all those revenues shall be deposited in the enterprise zone assistance fund, and 66 2/3% shall be deposited in the General Fund;

d. In the final five-year period during which the State shall have collected reduced rate revenues within an enterprise zone, but not to exceed the life of the enterprise zone, all those revenues shall be deposited in the General Fund.

Commencing on the effective date of P.L.1993, c.144, all revenues in any enterprise zone to which the provisions of this section have been extended prior to the enactment of P.L.1993, c.144 shall be deposited into the enterprise zone assistance fund until there shall have been deposited all revenues into that fund for a total of five full years, as set forth in subsection a. of this section. The State Treasurer then shall proceed to deposit funds into the enterprise zone assistance fund according to the schedule set forth in subsections b. through d. of this section, beginning at the point where the enterprise zone was located on that schedule on the effective date of P.L.1993, c.144. No enterprise zone shall receive the deposit benefit granted by any one subsection of this section for more than five cumulative years.

The revenues required to be deposited in the enterprise zone assistance fund under this section shall be used for the purposes of that fund and for the uses prescribed in section 29 of P.L.1983, c.303 (C.52:27H-88), subject to annual appropriations being made for those purposes and uses.

L.1983, c.303, s.21; amended 1987, c.135; 1988, c.93, s.6; 1990, c.40, s.10; 1993, c.144; 1993, c.367, s.6; 1996, c.124, s.8; 1997, c.162, s.32; 2001, c.347, s.9; 2011, c.49, s.15.