Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 27 - TAXATION AND FINANCE (§§ 27-1-1 — 27-117-15) › Chapter 65 - SALES TAX (§§ 27-65-1 — 27-65-243) › IN GENERAL (§§ 27-65-1 — 27-65-111) › Section 27-65-55 - Liability of seller and purchaser of business, certain stockholders of small business corporations and agents for out-of-state dealers

(1)
The tax imposed by this chapter shall be a lien upon the property of any person subject to the provisions thereof who shall sell out his business or stock of goods, or shall quit business, and such person shall be required to make out the return provided for under Section
27-65-33
within ten (10) days after the date he sold out his business or stock of goods, or quit business, and pay the tax imposed by this chapter. The purchaser or transferee in business shall be required to withhold sufficient of the purchase money to cover the amount of any taxes, damages and interest due until such time as the former owner shall produce a receipt from the commissioner showing that such liability has been paid, or a certificate that no taxes are due. In the event the former owner shall fail to pay any taxes, damages and interest due the state within the time allowed, the successor in business shall pay such taxes, damages and interest to the commissioner upon demand. If the purchaser or transferee of a business or stock of goods shall fail to withhold purchase money as provided and the taxes, damages and interest shall be due and unpaid after the period of ten (10) days allowed, he shall be personally liable for the payment of taxes, damages and interest of the former owner, and the property sold or transferred may be proceeded against by the commissioner in the hands of the purchaser or transferee as though no sale or transfer had been made.
(2)
Persons owning stock of ten percent (10%) or more of the total of corporations or ten percent (10%) interest in limited liability companies with thirty-five (35) or fewer owners and exercising responsibility for fiscal management, also shall be liable for sales taxes levied by this chapter upon such corporations when such taxes become due and unpaid to the extent that such taxes accrued while such person was exercising responsibility for fiscal management. The liability under this subsection is derivative of the corporation or limited liability company, and the thirty-six-month assessment period in Section
27-65-42
will begin to run after the liability of the corporation or limited liability company becomes final. A person being assessed under this subsection may appeal his liability under Section
27-77-5
solely regarding the issue of the ownership interest and management requirements of this subsection. The commissioner shall make assessments against said persons of such taxes, damages and interest, and effect collection by the same procedures herein provided for assessment and collection of all taxes levied by this chapter.
(3)
Any person, acting as agent for a dealer who has no permanent place of business in this state, who sells tangible personal property in this state, either at auction or as a transient vendor, shall be liable for collection of sales tax, where applicable, and payment of the same of this state unless the vendor principal is authorized to collect the tax and is registered under Section
27-65-27
. Such persons shall maintain for a period of three (3) years adequate records which shall be available for inspection by the commissioner or his agent and which shall reveal the true sales tax liability of all parties to each transaction. Failure to maintain and permit examination of such records shall render the agent liable for sales tax accruing from all sales as determined by the commissioner from any information available. The commissioner shall effect collection by the same procedures herein provided for assessment and collection of all taxes levied by this chapter.
Codes, 1942, § 10122; Laws, 1932, ch. 90; Laws, 1934, ch. 119; Laws, 1938, ch. 113; Laws, 1946, ch. 262, § 6; Laws, 1952, ch. 403, § 7; Laws, 1958, ch. 574, § 13; Laws, 1977, ch. 439, § 2; Laws, 1988, ch. 491, § 2; Laws, 1994, ch. 503, § 2; Laws, 1995, ch. 508, § 3; Laws, 2010, ch. 386, § 3, eff. 7/1/2010.