HOUSTON COUNTY: This morning following the Houston County Commission Meeting members of the Houston County Commission, Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe, Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza, Dale County Commission Chairman Steve McKinnon and Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum held a press conference. The purpose of the press conference was their announcement that Houston and Dale County are joing as defendants in the SSUT ( Simplified Seller’s Use Tax ) case. This is a court case filed by City of Tuscaloosa, School District if the City of Tuscaloosa and City of Mountian Brook verses he Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Revenue.
This case involves the “use tax” and not a “sales tax” involving internet purchases. The sales tax system of Alabama is out of date and complicated as flying a jet plane. That is one of the reasons the internet purchase tax is referred to as a “use” tax and not a “sales” tax.
The Houston County Commission voted to join the lawsuit in today’s meeting as a defendant.
According to Chairman Shoupe he said that Tuscaloosa and the “Big 10 Cities”, of which the City of Dothan is one of the “Big 10 Cities”, want is geo tagging addresses. Shoupe used the example that he lives 1/2 miles outside of the City of Dothan and the geo tagging would not be possible. Shoupe also said he does not feel the government should know how much his family spends with Amazon or other online vendors.
Shoupe admitted that county residents, where the sales tax is 5% and not 8%, but on the SSUT they pay 8%, is the best option then what the City of Tuscaloosa is wanting in the lawsuit.
Very confusing.
All motions to intervene are to be filed within 30 days of the Montgomery Circuit Court order issued November 10, 2025. The court will hear all pending motions on January 21, 2026 in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
