The Liquor Excise Tax Return Form, headed Liquor By The Drink Excise Tax Return on the page itself, is the monthly return that businesses selling liquor by the drink file with the Chatham County Finance Department in Georgia. It reports a month of gross liquor-by-the-drink sales, the excise tax figured on them and any balance due, and it is filed even in months when no tax is due. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by the county at the official source link.
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What is Liquor Excise Tax Return Form – Chatham County, GA?
The Liquor Excise Tax Return Form, printed as the Liquor By The Drink Excise Tax Return, is the Chatham County Finance Department's one-page return for reporting gross sales of liquor by the drink for a single month and paying the excise tax due on them.
The return identifies the business by name, address, business phone number and business license number, and states the reporting month and year. Its calculation has four steps: gross sales of liquor by the drink on line 1; the tax on line 2, figured at the rate printed on the form; a delinquent fee, which applies only to late returns and is figured as a percentage of line 2 with a minimum; and the balance due. The form says that an additional delinquent fee is added for each month after the due date, up to a maximum stated on the form.
The form is a coupon: the county asks you to return this portion with your payment. The Finance Department's phone number, (912) 652-7906, and its P.O. Box in Savannah are printed in the header.
By signing, the filer declares that the information is true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. The county may ask to review the supporting documentation behind the amounts reported. This is an excise tax return on liquor sales, not a property tax form.
Who needs to file Liquor Excise Tax Return Form – Chatham County, GA?
Businesses that sell liquor by the drink in Chatham County and owe the county's liquor-by-the-drink excise tax file this return, one for each reporting month. The form asks for the business name, address, business phone number and business license number, so it is completed in the name of the licensed business.
The form states that returns must be filed even if no taxes are due. A month with no liquor-by-the-drink sales still needs a return, with the amounts entered as zero.
The return carries a signature line and a declaration that the information is true and correct. The form does not describe who may sign on behalf of a business or whether another person may file for it, so contact the Finance Department at (912) 652-7906 with questions about signing authority.
This form is not a property tax return or payment coupon; it reports only gross sales of liquor by the drink.
When to file Liquor Excise Tax Return Form – Chatham County, GA
The return for a month is due no later than the 20th day of the following month, and both the return coupon and the payment must be postmarked by that date. For example, the return for January is due by the 20th day of February. If the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday, the return is due the following business day.
A return is required every month, including months when no tax is due. A late fee is assessed on returns filed or paid after the due date. The delinquent fee line is figured on the tax shown on line 2, and an additional fee is added for each month after the due date, up to the maximum printed on the form. File on time to avoid it.
Documents you need
- Supporting documentation for the amounts you report, such as records of gross liquor-by-the-drink sales: not sent with the return, but kept available for Chatham County to review when it asks.
How to fill out Liquor Excise Tax Return Form – Chatham County, GA
Enter the business name and address
In the header block, write the business name, address, and city, state and ZIP code exactly as they appear on your records.
Add phone and business license number
Enter the business phone number and the business license number in the fields provided.
State the reporting month and year
Enter the month and year the return covers. The return for a month is due by the 20th of the next month.
Report gross sales on line 1
Enter your gross sales of liquor by the drink for the reporting month. Enter 0.00 if there were no sales, because the return is still required.
Figure the tax on line 2
Multiply line 1 by the rate printed on the form and enter the result on line 2.
Add a delinquent fee if late
If the return is filed or paid after the due date, figure the delinquent fee on line 2 using the rule printed on the form. Leave it at 0.00 if you are on time.
Total the balance due
Add the tax on line 2 and any delinquent fee, and enter the result as the Balance Due.
Sign and date the return
Sign and date the declaration that the information is true and correct to the best of your knowledge and belief.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the reporting month, the figures and the signature, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and mail it with your payment as described under How to submit.
How to submit Liquor Excise Tax Return Form – Chatham County, GA
The form is built to be mailed with your payment: it tells you to return the coupon portion with your payment, and the Finance Department's mailing address is printed in the header. It names no other channel.
- By mail: Chatham County Finance Department, P.O. Box 9297, Savannah, GA 31412. Send the signed return together with your payment for the month.
- Timing: the return and payment must be postmarked no later than the 20th day of the month after the reporting month. If the 20th is a weekend or holiday, the due date is the next business day.
- Questions: call the Finance Department at (912) 652-7906. The form does not say how the payment must be made, so ask the department about accepted payment methods before you send it.
Keep the records that support the amounts you report, because the county may ask to review them. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the return for a month with no liquor-by-the-drink sales; the form says returns must be filed even if no taxes are due.
- Mailing the return after the 20th day of the next month; both the return and the payment must be postmarked by then, or a late fee applies.
- Forgetting the weekend and holiday rule and counting it the wrong way; if the 20th falls on one, the return is due the next business day.
- Sending the return without the payment; the form asks you to return this portion with your payment.
- Entering a reporting month and year that does not match the sales you list on line 1.
- Leaving out the business license number or business phone number in the header block.
- Submitting the return unsigned or undated; the filing carries a declaration that the information is true and correct.
- Not keeping documentation for the reported amounts, when the county may ask to review it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chatham County liquor by the drink excise tax return?
It is the Chatham County Finance Department's monthly return for reporting gross sales of liquor by the drink and the excise tax on them. The same coupon includes the delinquent fee calculation and the balance due, and it is returned with your payment.
Is this the Chatham County property tax form?
No. This form reports liquor-by-the-drink sales and the excise tax on them, not real or personal property. It is issued by the Chatham County Finance Department, but it cannot be used for a chatham county property tax bill or return.
When is the liquor by the drink tax return due?
By the 20th day of the month after the reporting month, with the return and payment postmarked by then. The January return, for example, is due February 20. If the 20th is a weekend or holiday, it is due the next business day.
Do I file the return if I had no liquor sales?
Yes. The form states that returns must be filed even if no taxes are due. Enter zero for gross sales and complete the rest of the return, including the signature.
Where do I mail the Chatham County liquor tax return?
Mail it with your payment to Chatham County Finance Department, P.O. Box 9297, Savannah, GA 31412. The form names no other channel. For questions, call the department at (912) 652-7906.
What happens if I file or pay late?
A late fee is assessed on returns filed or paid after the due date. The form figures it on the tax shown on line 2 and adds more for each month after the due date, up to a maximum printed on the form.
Can I fill out the liquor excise tax return online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the return or accept payment; you mail it to the Finance Department yourself.
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