Chapter 4305 | Tax On Bulk Sales Of Beer

Section 4305.01 | Tax bulk sale or distribution of beer.

• Effective: October 11, 2002
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 371 - 124th General Assembly

For the purpose of reimbursing the state for the expenses of administering Chapters 4301. and 4303. of the Revised Code and to provide revenues for the support of the state, a tax is hereby levied on the sale or distribution in this state of beer, whether in barrels or other containers, excepting in sealed bottles or cans, at the rate of five dollars and fifty-eight cents per barrel of thirty-one gallons.

The tax commissioner shall exercise, with respect to the administration of the tax imposed by this section, all the powers and duties vested in or imposed by sections 4307.04 to 4307.07 of the Revised Code, so far as consistent with this section. Manufacturers and consignees of beer in barrels or other containers, excepting in sealed bottles or cans, and railroad companies, express companies, and other public carriers transporting shipments of such beer are subject, with respect to such tax, to the same duties and entitled to the same privileges as are required or permitted by those sections.

The revenue derived from the tax on the sale and distribution of beer pursuant to this section and section 4301.42 of the Revised Code shall be for the use of the general revenue fund.

The tax refund fund created by section 5703.052 of the Revised Code may be drawn upon by the tax commissioner for any refunds authorized to be made by the commissioner in sections 4303.33, 4307.05, and 4307.07 of the Revised Code for beer.

Section 4305.03 | False entry upon invoice or container of beer.

• Effective: October 11, 2002
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 371 - 124th General Assembly

No person shall make any false entry upon an invoice or container of beer when the entry is required to be made under section 4305.01 of the Revised Code, or present any such false entry for the inspection of the tax commissioner.

Section 4305.04 | Hindering inspection of beer premises.

• Effective: October 11, 2002
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 371 - 124th General Assembly

No person shall prevent or hinder the tax commissioner from making a full inspection of any place where beer subject to the tax imposed by section 4305.01 of the Revised Code is sold or stored, or prevent or hinder the full inspection of invoices, books, records, or papers required to be kept under that section.

Section 4305.08 | Beer definition.

• Effective: October 1, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 357 - 114th General Assembly

As used in sections 4305.11 and 4305.14 of the Revised Code, "beer" has the same meaning as given in division (B)(2) of section 4301.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 4305.11 | Record maintenance and retention.

• Effective: October 5, 1987
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 231 - 117th General Assembly

Every holder of a permit liable for the tax levied under section 4305.09 of the Revised Code shall maintain and keep for a period of three years a record of beer distributed or sold within this state by the permit holder, together with any invoices, records, receipts, bills of lading, and other pertinent papers, required by the tax commissioner.

Section 4305.13 | Issuance of jeopardy assessment.

• Effective: July 1, 2007
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 241 - 126th General Assembly

(A) If the tax commissioner finds that any permit holder, liable for tax under Chapter 4301., 4305., or 4307. of the Revised Code, is about to depart from the state, remove the permit holder's property from the state, conceal the permit holder's self or property, or do any other act tending to prejudice, obstruct, or render wholly or partially ineffectual proceedings to collect the tax, unless the proceedings are commenced without delay, or if the commissioner believes that the collection of the amount due from any permit holder will be jeopardized by delay, the commissioner may issue a jeopardy assessment against the permit holder for the amount of the tax, plus a penalty of up to thirty per cent. Upon issuance of a jeopardy assessment under this division, the total amount assessed shall immediately be due and payable unless security is provided pursuant to division (C) of this section. Any assessment issued under this section shall bear interest as prescribed by section 4305.131 of the Revised Code.

(B) The commissioner immediately shall file an entry with the clerk of the court of common pleas in the same manner and with the same effect as provided in section 4305.131 of the Revised Code. Notice of the jeopardy assessment shall be served on the permit holder assessed or the permit holder's legal representative, as provided in section 5703.37 of the Revised Code, within five days of the filing of the entry. The permit holder assessed may petition for reassessment within sixty days of receipt of the notice of jeopardy assessment in the same manner as provided in section 4305.131 of the Revised Code. Full or partial payment of the assessment shall not prejudice the commissioner's consideration of the merits of the assessment as contested by the petition for reassessment. Upon notification of the existence of the judgment filed pursuant to this division, any public official having control or custody of any funds or property of the person assessed immediately shall pay or deliver the funds or property to the commissioner as full or partial satisfaction of the jeopardy assessment. However, funds or property needed as evidence in criminal proceedings or that is expected to be forfeited pursuant to Chapter 2981. of the Revised Code need not be relinquished by the public official. Upon disposition of criminal and forfeiture proceedings, funds and property not needed as evidence and not forfeited shall be delivered to the commissioner.

(C) If the permit holder subject to a jeopardy assessment files a petition for reassessment and posts security satisfactory to the commissioner in an amount sufficient to satisfy the unpaid balance of the assessment, execution on the judgment shall be stayed pending disposition of the petition for reassessment and all appeals resulting from the petition. If the security is sufficient to satisfy the full amount of the assessment, the commissioner shall return any funds or property of the permit holder previously seized. Upon satisfaction of the assessment the commissioner shall order the security released and the judgment vacated.

(D) The commissioner may adopt rules providing for the imposition and remission of penalties added to assessments under this section.

Section 4305.131 | Assessment of taxes - penalty.

• Effective: September 29, 2013
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly

(A) If any permit holder fails to pay the taxes levied by section 4301.42, 4301.43, 4301.432, or 4305.01 of the Revised Code in the manner prescribed by section 4303.33 of the Revised Code, or by section 4301.421 or 4301.424 of the Revised Code in the manner prescribed in section 4301.422 of the Revised Code, and by the rules of the tax commissioner, the commissioner may make an assessment against the permit holder based upon any information in the commissioner's possession.

No assessment shall be made against any permit holder for any taxes imposed by section 4301.42, 4301.421, 4301.424, 4301.43, 4301.432, or 4305.01 of the Revised Code more than three years after the last day of the calendar month in which the sale was made or more than three years after the return for that period is filed, whichever is later. This section does not bar an assessment against any permit holder or registrant as provided in section 4303.331 of the Revised Code who fails to file a return as required by section 4301.422 or 4303.33 of the Revised Code, or who files a fraudulent return.

A penalty of up to thirty per cent may be added to the amount of every assessment made under this section. The commissioner may adopt rules providing for the imposition and remission of penalties added to assessments made under this section.

The commissioner shall give the party assessed written notice of the assessment in the manner provided in section 5703.37 of the Revised Code. With the notice, the commissioner shall provide instructions on how to petition for reassessment and request a hearing on the petition.

(B) Unless the party assessed files with the tax commissioner within sixty days after service of the notice of assessment, either personally or by certified mail, a written petition for reassessment, signed by the party assessed or that party's authorized agent having knowledge of the facts, the assessment becomes final and the amount of the assessment is due and payable from the party assessed to the treasurer of state. The petition shall indicate the objections of the party assessed, but additional objections may be raised in writing if received by the commissioner prior to the date shown on the final determination. If the petition has been properly filed, the commissioner shall proceed under section 5703.60 of the Revised Code.

(C) After an assessment becomes final, if any portion of the assessment remains unpaid, including accrued interest, a certified copy of the tax commissioner's entry making the assessment final may be filed in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas in the county in which the permit holder's place of business is located or the county in which the party assessed resides. If the party assessed maintains no place of business in this state and is not a resident of this state, the certified copy of the entry may be filed in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas of Franklin county.

Immediately upon the filing of the entry, the clerk shall enter a judgment for the state against the party assessed in the amount shown on the entry. The judgment may be filed by the clerk in a loose-leaf book entitled "special judgments for state beer and liquor sales taxes," and shall have the same effect as other judgments. Execution shall issue upon the judgment upon the request of the commissioner, and all laws applicable to sales on execution shall apply to sales made under the judgment, except as otherwise provided in this chapter and Chapters 4301. and 4307. of the Revised Code.

If the assessment is not paid in its entirety within sixty days after the day the assessment was issued, the portion of the assessment consisting of tax due shall bear interest at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code from the day the commissioner issues the assessment until it is paid or until it is certified to the attorney general for collection under section 131.02 of the Revised Code, whichever comes first. If the unpaid portion of the assessment is certified to the attorney general for collection, the entire unpaid portion of the assessment shall bear interest at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code from the date of certification until the date it is paid in its entirety. Interest shall be paid in the same manner as the tax and may be collected by the issuance of an assessment under this section.

(D) All money collected under this section shall be considered as revenue arising from the taxes imposed by sections 4301.42, 4301.421, 4301.424, 4301.43, 4301.432, and 4305.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 4305.14 | Local option election on beer sales by C and D permit holders.

• Effective: June 8, 2022
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 9 - 134th General Assembly

(A) The following questions regarding the sale of beer by holders of C or D permits may be presented to the qualified electors of an election precinct:

(1) "Shall the sale of beer as defined in section 4305.08 of the Revised Code under permits which authorize sale for off-premises consumption only be permitted within this precinct?"

(2) "Shall the sale of beer as defined in section 4305.08 of the Revised Code under permits which authorize sale for on-premises consumption only, and under permits which authorize sale for both on-premises and off-premises consumption, be permitted in this precinct?"

The exact wording of the question as submitted and form of ballot as printed shall be determined by the board of elections in the county wherein the election is held, subject to approval of the secretary of state.

Upon the request of an elector, a board of elections of a county that encompasses an election precinct shall furnish to the elector a copy of the instructions prepared by the secretary of state under division (P) of section 3501.05 of the Revised Code and, within fifteen days after the request, with a certificate indicating the number of valid signatures that will be required on a petition to hold a special election in that precinct on either or both of the questions specified in this section.

The board shall provide to a petitioner, at the time the petitioner takes out a petition, the names of the streets and, if appropriate, the address numbers of residences and business establishments within the precinct in which the election is sought, and a form prescribed by the secretary of state for notifying affected permit holders of the circulation of a petition for an election for the submission of one or more of the questions specified in division (A) of this section. The petitioner shall, not less than fifty-five days before the petition-filing deadline for an election provided for in this section, file with the division of liquor control the information regarding names of streets and, if appropriate, address numbers of residences and business establishments provided by the board of elections, and specify to the division the precinct that is concerned or that would be affected by the results of the election and the filing deadline. The division shall, within a reasonable period of time and not later than twenty-five days before the filing deadline, supply the petitioner with a list of the names and addresses of permit holders who would be affected by the election. The list shall contain a heading with the following words: "liquor permit holders who would be affected by the question(s) set forth on a petition for a local option election."

Within five days after receiving from the division the list of liquor permit holders who would be affected by the question or questions set forth on a petition for local option election, the petitioner shall, using the form provided by the board of elections, notify by certified mail each permit holder whose name appears on that list. The form for notifying affected permit holders shall require the petitioner to state the petitioner's name and street address and shall contain a statement that a petition is being circulated for an election for the submission of the question or questions specified in division (B) of this section. The form shall require the petitioner to state the question or questions to be submitted as they appear on the petition.

The petitioner shall attach a copy of the list provided by the division to each petition paper. A part petition paper circulated at any time without the list of affected permit holders attached to it is invalid.

At the time of filing the petition with the board of elections, the petitioner shall provide to the board of elections the list supplied by the division and an affidavit certifying that the petitioner notified all affected permit holders on the list in the manner and within the time required in this section and that, at the time each signer of the petition signed the petition, the petition paper contained a copy of the list of affected permit holders.

Within five days after receiving a petition calling for an election for the submission of the question or questions set forth in this section, the board of elections shall give notice by certified mail that it has received the petition to all liquor permit holders whose names appear on the list of affected permit holders filed by the petitioner. Failure of the petitioner to supply the affidavit required by this section and a complete and accurate list of liquor permit holders invalidates the entire petition. The board of elections shall provide to a permit holder who would be affected by a proposed local option election, on the permit holder's request, the names of the streets, and, if appropriate, the address numbers of residences and business establishments within the precinct in which the election is sought and that would be affected by the results of the election. The board may charge a reasonable fee for this information when provided to the petitioner and the permit holder.

Upon presentation not later than four p.m. of the ninetieth day before the day of a general election or a special election held on a day on which a primary election may be held, of a petition to the board of elections of the county wherein such election is sought to be held, requesting the holding of such election on either or both of the questions specified in this section, signed by qualified electors of the precinct concerned equal in number to thirty-five per cent of the total number of votes cast in the precinct concerned for the office of governor at the preceding general election for that office, such board shall submit the question or questions specified in the petition to the electors of the precinct concerned, on the day of the next general election or the next special election held on a day on which a primary election may be held, whichever occurs first.

(B) The board shall proceed as follows:

(1) Such board shall, upon the filing of a petition under this section, but not later than the seventy-eighth day before the day of the election for which the question or questions on the petition would qualify for submission to the electors of the precinct, examine and determine the sufficiency of the signatures and review, examine, and determine the validity of such petition and, in case of overlapping precinct petitions presented within that period, determine which of the petitions shall govern the further proceedings of the board. In the case where the board determines that two or more overlapping petitions are valid, the earlier petition shall govern. The board shall certify the sufficiency of signatures contained in the petition as of the time of filing and the validity of the petition as of the time of certification as described in division (C)(1) of this section if the board finds the petition to be both sufficient and valid.

(2) If the petition contains sufficient signatures and is valid, and, in case of overlapping precinct petitions, after the board has determined the governing petition, the board shall order the holding of a special election in the precinct for the submission of the question or questions specified in the petition, on the day of the next general election or the next special election held on a day on which a primary election may be held, whichever occurs first.

(3) All petitions filed with a board of elections under this section shall be open to public inspection under rules adopted by the board.

(C) Protest against a local option petition may be filed by any qualified elector eligible to vote on the question or questions specified in the petition or by a permit holder in the precinct as described in the petition, not later than four p.m. of the seventy-fourth day before the day of such general or special election for which the petition qualified. Such protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the election officials with whom the petition was filed. Upon filing of such protest the election officials with whom it is filed shall promptly fix the time for hearing it, and shall forthwith mail notice of the filing of the protest and the time for hearing it to the person who filed the petition which is protested and to the person who filed the protest. At the time and place fixed, the election officials shall hear the protest and determine the validity of the petition.

(D) If a majority of the electors voting on the question in the precinct vote "yes" on question (1) or (2) as set forth in division (A) of this section, the sale of beer as specified in that question shall be permitted in the precinct and no subsequent election shall be held in the precinct under this section on the same question for a period of at least four years from the date of the most recent election.

If a majority of the electors voting on the question in the precinct vote "no" on question (1) or (2) as set forth in division (A) of this section, no C or D permit holder shall sell beer as specified in that question within the precinct during the period the election is in effect and no subsequent election shall be held in the precinct under this section on the same question for a period of at least four years from the date of the most recent election.

Last updated March 11, 2022 at 3:48 PM

Section 4305.15 | Form of local option petition on beer sales by C and D permit holders.

• Effective: March 23, 1981
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1062 - 113th General Assembly

The petition provided for in section 4305.14 of the Revised Code may consist of one or more separate petition papers. Petitions shall be governed by the rules set forth in section 3501.38 of the Revised Code.

Section 4305.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: January 1, 1964
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 316 - 105th General Assembly

(A) Whoever violates section 4305.03 or 4305.04 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more than one hundred dollars.

(B) Whoever violates section 4305.01 of the Revised Code or any rule or regulation promulgated by the tax commissioner under such section, for the violation of which no penalty is provided, shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more than one hundred dollars.