Missouri Code of State Regulations
Title 12 - DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Division 10 - Director of Revenue
Chapter 102 - Sales/Use Tax - Taxpayers Rights
Section 12 CSR 10-102.100 - Bad Debts Credit or Refund

(A) Bad debt is a sale that has been written off for state or federal income tax purposes. In order to qualify for a bad debt deduction for sales or use tax purposes, a sale must have been previously reported as taxable.

(B) Accrual or gross sales reporting method means a seller reports the sale and remits the tax at the time of the sale. The receipts are not received from the buyer until a later date. Therefore, a timing difference occurs between the time that the sale, with applicable sales tax, is reported to the state and the time that the seller receives payment from the buyer.

(A) A seller may file for a refund or credit within the ten-(10-) year statute of limitations for those sales written off as bad debts if the sales were reported using the accrual or gross sales method. This period is calculated from the due date of the return or the date the tax was paid, whichever is later.

(B) If a bad debt credit or refund is given and the debt is later collected, that amount must be reported on the next return as a taxable sale.

(A) A retailer reports and pays sales tax on the accrual or gross sales method. The retailer determines some sales to customers are not collectible and writes them off as bad debts for income tax purposes. The retailer requests a credit or refund from the state within the ten- (10-) year statute of limitations. The credit or refund would be granted.

(B) A retailer reports and pays sales tax on the accrual or gross sales method. The retailer determines some sales to customers are not collectible and writes them off as bad debts for income tax purposes. The retailer requests a credit or refund from the state eleven (11) years after the sale was reported and the tax was remitted to the state. The credit or refund would be denied.