Drake v. Thyer Manufacturing Co.
Drake v. Thyer Manufacturing Co.
Opinion of the Court
1. The one determinative question to be decided here is whether or not a dealer, as defined by the Georgia Retailers and Consumers Sales and Use Tax Act (Code Ann. § 92-3404a (8)) who failed to collect the use tax on sales of
Under the allegations of the petition the plaintiff did not collect the tax from the defendant at the time the sales were made, as required by Code Ann. § 92-3405a, nor file any return with the State Revenue Commissioner, as required by Code Ann. § 92-3424a, supra. Having thus failed to comply with these two Code sections, taken from the Sales and Use Tax Act, the
Applying the allegations of the petition to the provisions of law contained in the above quoted Code sections it becomes obvious that the plaintiff may not maintain such action here. The petition does not affirmatively show, as required by Code § 92-3404a (8), supra, that every 'provision of the act has been complied with. On the contrary the allegations of the petition disclose the exact opposite to be true.
The Supreme Court of this State has held, in construing the Sales and Use Tax Act, as follows: “From a review of the whole act, we are of the opinion that it was the intent and purpose of the legislature to levy the tax against the dealer. The levy of the tax is’ against him and the responsibility of collecting the tax on each sale from the purchaser and remitting to the Commissioner is solely upon him. If he fails to collect the tax from the purchaser he has to pay the tax. The act specifically declares the relationship between the dealer and purchaser as that of debtor and creditor. The dealer’s relationship to the State is that of a •taxpayer. The tax on sales is imposed upon the dealer with the duty of the dealer ‘as far as practicable’ to add the amount of the tax to the sales price and though the tax is ultimately borne by the purchaser, its imposition and responsibility for payment is upon the dealer.” Williams v. Bear's Den, Inc., 214 Ga. 241 (104 S. E. 2d 230); Oxford v. J. D. Jewell, Inc., 215 Ga. 616 (112 S. E. 2d 601). Under the pleadings in the case here the plaintiff is a dealer as contemplated by Code Ann. § 92-3404a (8), supra, and the plaintiff’s petition, as heretofore stated, in failing to affirmatively ’ show that every provision of the Sales
The cases cited in the plaintiff’s brief having been cases decided by this court and decided prior to the Bear’s Den case, supra, anything therein that conflicts with the holding in Bear’s Den must yield thereto.
The trial court having erred in overruling the general demurrer, all further proceedings were nugatory, and all other assignments of error will not be passed upon by this court.
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.