12-24.028. Alternative Storage Media  


Effective on Thursday, May 9, 2013
  • 1(1) For purposes of storage and retention, taxpayers may convert hardcopy documents received or produced in the normal course of business and required to be retained under this chapter to microfilm, microfiche, or other storage-only imaging systems and may discard the original hardcopy documents, provided the conditions of this rule are met. Documents which may be stored on these media include, but are not limited to general books of account, journals, voucher registers, general and subsidiary ledgers, and supporting records of details, such as sales invoices, purchase invoices, exemption certificates, and credit memoranda.

    94(2) Microfilm, microfiche, and other storage-only imaging systems shall meet the following requirements.

    107(a) Documentation establishing the procedures for converting the hardcopy documents to microfilm, microfiche, or other storage only imaging system must be maintained and made available on request. Such documentation shall, at a minimum, contain a sufficient description to allow an original document to be followed through the conversion system as well as internal procedures established for inspection and quality assurance.

    167(b) Procedures must be established for the effective identification, processing, storage, and preservation of the stored documents and for making them available for the period they are required to be retained under Section 200213.35, F.S.

    202(c) Upon request by the Department, a taxpayer must provide facilities and equipment for reading, locating, and reproducing any documents maintained on microfilm, microfiche or other storage-only imaging system.

    231(d) When displayed on such equipment or reproduced on paper, the documents must exhibit a high degree of legibility and readability. For this purpose, legibility is defined as the quality of a letter or numeral that enables the observer to identify it positively and quickly to the exclusion of all other letters or numerals. Readability is defined as the quality of a group of letters or numerals being recognizable as words or complete numbers.

    305(e) All data stored on microfilm, microfiche or other storage-only imaging systems must be maintained and arranged in a manner that permits the location of any particular record.

    333(f) There is no substantial evidence that the microfilm, microfiche or other storage-only imaging system lacks authenticity or integrity.

    352Rulemaking Authority 354202.26(3)(a), 355213.06(1) FS. 357Law Implemented 359202.30, 360213.34, 361213.35 FS. 363History–New 10-24-96, Amended 4-30-02, 5-9-13.

     

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