(a) The public interest lying in the promotion of business and industry in this state, it is the intent of the Legislature and declared to be the policy of the State of Alabama by the passage of this section to promote and encourage industry and business in Alabama and specifically to induce the location within this state of the principal administrative office, principal distribution or manufacturing plant, or principal place of business of foreign corporations engaged in manufacturing, industrial, commercial, business, transportation, utility, public service, and research enterprise. This section shall be liberally construed in conformity with the said intention.
Terms Used In Alabama Code 40-7-18
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
property: includes both real and personal property. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
year: means a calendar year; but, whenever the word "year" is used in reference to any appropriations for the payment of money out of the treasury, it shall mean fiscal year. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) When any real or personal property within this state is sold to, acquired by or transferred to any foreign corporation during any property tax year in connection with locating within this state its principal administrative office, its principal distribution or manufacturing plant, or its principal place of business or in connection with such foreign corporation becoming the successor or assignee of all or a substantial portion of the taxable property within this state of any foreign or domestic corporation theretofore qualified or admitted to engage in or transact business in this state, so much of the property tax upon such property as is properly allocable to that part of such year which ends on the day before the date of such sale, acquisition, or transfer shall be the tax obligation of the person, firm, or corporation selling, disposing, or transferring such property, and so much of such tax as is properly allocable to that part of the year which begins on the date of the sale, acquisition, or transfer shall be the tax obligation of such foreign corporation; provided, that nothing contained in this section shall relieve the property of any tax lien that may have attached to such property prior to such date for all periods of time prior thereto.
