15-68-808. Taxpayer quitting business -- liability of successor. (1) (a) All taxes payable under this chapter are due and payable immediately whenever a taxpayer quits business, sells, exchanges, or otherwise disposes of the business or disposes of the stock of goods.

(b) The taxpayer shall make a return and pay the taxes due within 10 days after the taxpayer quits business, sells, exchanges, or otherwise disposes of the business or disposes of the stock of goods.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (4), a person that becomes a successor is liable for the full amount of the tax and shall withhold from the sales price payable to the taxpayer a sum sufficient to pay any tax due until the taxpayer produces either a receipt from the department showing payment in full of any tax due or a statement from the department that tax is not due.

(3) If a tax is due but has not been paid as provided in subsection (1)(b), the successor is liable for the payment of the full amount of tax. The payment of the tax by the successor is considered to be a payment upon the sales price, and if the payment is greater in amount than the sales price, the amount of the difference becomes a debt due to the successor from the taxpayer owing the tax under subsection (1).

(4) (a) A successor is not liable for any tax due from the person that the successor acquired a business or stock of goods from if:

(i) the successor gives written notice to the department of the acquisition; and

(ii) an assessment is not issued by the department against the former operator of the business within 6 months of receipt of the notice from the successor.

(b) If an assessment is issued by the department, a copy of the assessment must also be mailed to the successor, or if an assessment is not mailed to the successor, the successor is not liable for the tax due.