If the tax is effective only inside a city, the proceeds go to the city general fund. If the tax is levied by the county, the money is divided as follows in accordance with T.C.A. § 67-6-712:

• One-half is expended and distributed in the same manner as the county property tax for schools, including division with any city or district schools by the trustee on the basis of the weighted full-time equivalent average daily attendance in accordance with Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 3.
• (a) The other half is distributed on the basis of where the sale occurred. Collections in incorporated cities or towns go to their general fund. Collections in unincorporated areas go to the county general fund. (b) Or, a county and city may, by contract, provide for some other division of the half not allocated to schools.

The situs-based distribution of the second half of sales tax revenue also is affected by “hold harmless” provisions of the Tennessee Growth Policy Law (1998 Public Chapter 1101). For 15 years following any annexation or new incorporation by a municipality, the county is held harmless for the loss of local option sales tax revenues that would otherwise have gone to the city under prior law following the annexation. This dollar amount for any annexed tax-generating property is referred to as “annexation date revenue.” Any increases over the annexation date revenue are distributed to the annexing municipality. (Note that these provisions do not affect the distribution of the first half of the local option sales tax, which continues to go to education funding.) For more details on how to determine annexation date revenue and how these provisions apply, see T.C.A. § 6-51-115.

In a few counties and cities, distribution of sales tax revenue also is affected by the presence of a sports authority that has acquired a professional sports franchise. In these cases, an amount equal to the amount of local tax revenue derived from the sale of admissions to the games and the sale of other related items on the premises of the facility is distributed to the municipality or county for the exclusive use of the sports authority. T.C.A. § 67-6-712(c). There are similar provisions relative to qualified public use facilities in a tourism development zone created under the Convention Center and Tourism Financing Act. T.C.A. § 7-88-106.

An ordinance or resolution levying the tax is perpetual unless it establishes a specific termination date, or unless it is repealed in the same way it was adopted. T.C.A. § 67-6-709. Any election for the repeal of a county tax is open to voters of the entire county. A county or municipality may adopt a local sales tax for a specific period of time when the expiration date for the tax is included in the adopting resolution or ordinance. T.C.A. § 67-6-708.