(1) For each year in which a payment settlement entity, an electronic payment facilitator, or other third party contracted with the payment settlement entity to make payments to settle reportable payment transactions on behalf of the payment settlement entity must file a return pursuant to s. 6050W of the Internal Revenue Code, the entity, the facilitator, or the third party must submit the information in the return to the department by the 30th day after filing the federal return. The format of the information returns required must be either a copy of such information returns or a copy of such information returns related to participating payees with an address in the state. For purposes of this subsection, the term “payment settlement entity” has the same meaning as provided in s. 6050W of the Internal Revenue Code.
(2) All reports submitted to the department under this section must be in an electronic format.
(3) Any payment settlement entity, facilitator, or third party failing to file the information return required, filing an incomplete information return, or not filing an information return within the time prescribed is subject to a penalty of $1,000 for each failure, if the failure is for not more than 30 days, with an additional $1,000 for each month or fraction of a month during which each failure continues. The total amount of penalty imposed on a reporting entity may not exceed $10,000 annually.
(4) The executive director or his or her designee may waive the penalty if he or she determines that the failure to timely file an information return was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful negligence, willful neglect, or fraud.
