1. The governing board shall certify automated systems and service providers to aid in the administration of sales and use tax collections. 2. The governing board may certify a person as a certified service provider if the person meets all of the following requirements: a. The person uses a certified automated system; b. The person integrates its certified automated system with the system of a seller for whom the person collects tax so that the tax due on a sale is determined at the time of the sale; c. The person agrees to remit the taxes it collects at the time and in the manner specified by the member states; d. The person agrees to file returns on behalf of the sellers for whom it collects tax; e. The person agrees to protect the privacy of tax information it obtains in accordance with section 57-39.4-22; and f. The person enters into a contract with the member states and agrees to comply with the terms of the contract. 3. The governing board may certify a software program as a certified automated system if the governing board determines that the program meets all of the following requirements: a. It determines the applicable state and local sales and use tax rate for a transaction, in accordance with sections 57-39.4-10 through 57-39.4-17, inclusive; b. It determines whether an item is exempt from tax; c. It determines the amount of tax to be remitted for each taxpayer for a reporting period; d. It can generate reports and returns as required by the governing board; and e. It can meet any other requirement set by the governing board. The governing board may establish one or more sales tax performance standards for model 3 sellers that meet the eligibility criteria set by the governing board and that developed a proprietary system to determine the amount of sales and use tax due on transactions.
57-39.4-35. (502) State review and approval of certified automated system software and certain liability relief. 1. Each member state shall review software submitted to the governing board for certification as a certified automated system as provided for in this chapter. Such review shall include a review to determine that the program accurately reflects the
taxability of the product categories included in the program. Upon approval by the state, the state shall certify to the governing board its acceptance of the system determination of the taxability of the product categories included in the program. 2. Each member state shall relieve certified service providers and model 2 sellers from liability to the member state and local jurisdictions for not collecting sales or use taxes resulting from the certified service provider or model 2 seller relying on the certification provided by the member state. 3. Each member state shall provide relief from liability to certified service providers for not collecting sales and use taxes in the same manner as provided to sellers under the provisions of section 57-39.4-18. 4. The governing board and the member states shall not be responsible for classification of an item or transaction within the product categories certified. The relief from liability provided in this section shall not be available for a certified service provider or model 2 seller that has incorrectly classified an item or transaction into a product category certified by a member state. This subsection shall not apply to the individual listing of items or transactions within a product definition approved by the governing board or the member states. 5. If a member state determines that an item or transaction is incorrectly classified as to its taxability, it shall notify the certified service provider or model 2 seller of the incorrect classification. The certified service provider or model 2 seller shall have ten days to revise the classification after receipt of notice from the member state of the determination. Upon expiration of the ten days, the certified service provider or model 2 seller shall be liable for the failure to collect the correct amount of sales or use taxes due and owing to the member state. 6. For purposes of this section: a. "Certify a product category" means the state reviews the product category and determines that the taxability of a product properly included in that product category is consistent with that state's laws. The state certifies that the taxability is based only on: (1) The product-based exemptions or impositions provided by state law; (2) The specific description provided by the seller or certified service provider; and (3) Not requiring either the purchaser or seller to produce documentation to claim the exemption. b. (1) "Product category" means: (a) Terms specifically defined in appendix C, part II or part III of the agreement, such as clothing, durable medical equipment, food, drugs, soft drinks, and disaster preparedness supplies; (b) Subcategories of terms specifically defined in subparagraph a that may be taxed differently than the product category as a whole, such as oxygen delivery equipment, kidney dialysis equipment, prewritten computer software delivered electronically, and prepared food that requires additional cooking by the consumer; (c) Terms representing groups of like products that do not fall within subparagraph a or b, such as other digital products, building materials, furniture, or motor vehicles; and (d) Subcategories of subparagraph c that are taxed differently than the product category as a whole, such as printed materials, newspapers, and catalogs. (2) The term does not include any individual product that properly falls within any product category in a state, such as shirts, reusable thermometers, ultrasound machines, bread, tables, chairs, automobiles, or motorcycles, unless the individual product is taxed differently than any other products within that product category; or "tangible personal property".