77-27,144.

Municipalities; sales and use tax; Tax Commissioner; collection; distribution; refunds; notice; deductions; qualifying business; duty to provide information.

(1) The Tax Commissioner shall collect the tax imposed by any incorporated municipality concurrently with collection of a state tax in the same manner as the state tax is collected. The Tax Commissioner shall remit monthly the proceeds of the tax to the incorporated municipalities levying the tax, after deducting the amount of refunds made and three percent of the remainder to be credited to the Municipal Equalization Fund.

(2)(a) Deductions for a refund made pursuant to section 77-4105, 77-4106, 77-5725, or 77-5726 and owed by a city of the first class, city of the second class, or village shall be delayed for one year after the refund has been made to the taxpayer. The Department of Revenue shall notify the municipality liable for a refund exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars of the pending refund, the amount of the refund, and the month in which the deduction will be made or begin, except that if the amount of a refund claimed under section 77-4105, 77-4106, 77-5725, or 77-5726 exceeds twenty-five percent of the municipality's total sales and use tax receipts, net of any refunds or sales tax collection fees, for the municipality's prior fiscal year, the department shall deduct the refund over the period of one year in equal monthly amounts beginning after the one-year notification period required by this subdivision.

(b) Deductions for a refund made pursuant to section 77-4105, 77-4106, 77-5725, or 77-5726 and owed by a city of the metropolitan class or city of the primary class shall be made as follows:

(i) During calendar year 2023, such deductions shall be made in accordance with subsection (1) of this section; and

(ii) During calendar year 2024 and each calendar year thereafter, such deductions shall be made based on estimated amounts as described in this subdivision. On or before March 1, 2023, and on or before March 1 of each year thereafter, the Department of Revenue shall notify each city of the metropolitan class and city of the primary class of the total amount of such refunds that are estimated to be paid during the following calendar year. Such estimated amount shall be used to establish the total amount to be deducted in the following calendar year. The department shall deduct such amount over the following calendar year in twelve equal monthly amounts. Beginning with the notification sent in calendar year 2025, the notification shall include any adjustment needed for the prior calendar year to account for any difference between the estimated amount deducted in such prior calendar year and the actual amount of refunds paid in such year.

(3) Deductions for a refund made pursuant to the ImagiNE Nebraska Act shall be delayed as provided in this subsection after the refund has been made to the taxpayer. The Department of Revenue shall notify each municipality liable for a refund exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars of the pending refund and the amount of the refund claimed under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act. The notification shall be made by March 1 of each year beginning in 2021 and shall be used to establish the refund amount for the following calendar year. The notification shall include any excess or underpayment from the prior calendar year. The department shall deduct the refund over a period of one year in equal monthly amounts beginning in January following the notification. This subsection applies to total annual refunds exceeding one million dollars or twenty-five percent of the municipality's total sales and use tax receipts for the prior fiscal year, whichever is the lesser amount.

(4) Deductions for a refund made pursuant to the Urban Redevelopment Act shall be delayed as provided in this subsection after the refund has been made to the taxpayer. The Department of Revenue shall notify each municipality liable for a refund exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars of the pending refund and the amount of the refund claimed under the Urban Redevelopment Act. The notification shall be made by March 1 of each year beginning in 2022 and shall be used to establish the refund amount for the following calendar year. The notification shall include any excess or underpayment from the prior calendar year. The department shall deduct the refund over a period of one year in equal monthly amounts beginning in January following the notification. This subsection applies to total annual refunds exceeding one million dollars or twenty-five percent of the municipality's total sales and use tax receipts for the prior fiscal year, whichever is the lesser amount.

(5) The Tax Commissioner shall keep full and accurate records of all money received and distributed under the provisions of the Local Option Revenue Act. When proceeds of a tax levy are received but the identity of the incorporated municipality which levied the tax is unknown and is not identified within six months after receipt, the amount shall be credited to the Municipal Equalization Fund. The municipality may request the names and addresses of the retailers which have collected the tax as provided in subsection (13) of section 77-2711 and may certify an individual to request and review confidential sales and use tax returns and sales and use tax return information as provided in subsection (14) of section 77-2711.

(6)(a) Every qualifying business that has filed an application to receive tax incentives under the Employment and Investment Growth Act, the Nebraska Advantage Act, the ImagiNE Nebraska Act, or the Urban Redevelopment Act shall, with respect to such acts, provide annually to each municipality, in aggregate data, the maximum amount the qualifying business is eligible to receive in the current year in refunds of local sales and use taxes of the municipality and exemptions for the previous year, and the estimate of annual refunds of local sales and use taxes of the municipality and exemptions such business intends to claim in each future year. Such information shall be kept confidential by the municipality unless publicly disclosed previously by the taxpayer or by the State of Nebraska.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, municipality means a municipality that has adopted the local option sales and use tax under the Local Option Revenue Act and to which the qualifying business has paid such sales and use tax.

(c) The qualifying business shall provide the information to the municipality on or before June 30 of each year.

(d) Any amounts held by a municipality to make sales and use tax refunds under the Employment and Investment Growth Act, the Nebraska Advantage Act, the ImagiNE Nebraska Act, and the Urban Redevelopment Act shall not count toward any budgeted restricted funds limitation as provided in section 13-519 or toward any cash reserve limitation as provided in section 13-504 and shall be excluded from the limitations of the Property Tax Growth Limitation Act.