MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2006 Regular Session
To: Ways and Means
By: Representative Watson
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 27-55-37, 27-55-545, 27-57-25, 27-59-25 AND 27-59-315, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE NOTICE TO THE TAXPAYER THAT TOLLS THE LIMITATION PERIOD ON THE RECOVERY OF ADDITIONAL TAXES ON GASOLINE, SPECIAL FUEL, LUBRICATING OIL, LIQUEFIED COMPRESSED GAS, NATURAL GAS, LOCOMOTIVE FUEL AND COMPRESSED GAS USED FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES MAY BE MADE EITHER BY CERTIFIED MAIL OR PERSONAL DELIVERY OF THE NOTICE BY AN AGENT OF THE STATE TAX COMMISSION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 27-55-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-55-37. Each distributor of gasoline shall maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years a record of all gasoline purchased, received, procured, manufactured, refined, compounded, used, sold, stored or delivered within this state by the distributor, together with invoices, bills of lading and other pertinent records and papers as may be reasonably required by the commission.
It shall be the duty of every person purchasing gasoline from a distributor of gasoline or other person for the purpose of sale or distribution to maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years, a record of all gasoline received, together with delivery tickets, invoices, bills of lading and such other records as the commission may require.
All sales made by a distributor of gasoline, other than retail sales from a service station, shall be evidenced in writing, signed by the seller, or his agents, shall bear the date of purchases, name and address of the purchaser and the seller, and shall show the kind and quantity of the product purchased. Sales tickets and invoices made to cash shall not be considered as complying with the terms of this article.
If, in the normal conduct of the business of a distributor of gasoline, the records of such distributor are maintained and kept at an office outside this state, it shall be a sufficient compliance with this section if the records shall be made available for audit and examination by the commission at such office located outside Mississippi. If a distributor of gasoline fails or refuses to permit the commission or any of its employees to check and audit his records during the usual business hours of the day, the commission shall have authority to subpoena said records and have them brought to the office of the commission within ten (10) days after the subpoena is served on the distributor of gasoline.
All actions by the state for the recovery of additional amounts claimed as tax due under this article must be commenced within a period of three (3) years from the date of the filing of the required report with the commission, provided, that in the case of a fraudulent or false report with intent to evade tax or of a failure to file a report, action may be commenced at any time. However, when an examination of a taxpayer's records to verify returns made under this chapter has been initiated and the taxpayer notified thereof either by certified mail or personal delivery of a notice by an agent of the commissioner, within the thirty-six-month examination period provided herein, the determination of the correct tax liability may be made by the commission after the expiration of said thirty-six-month examination period, provided that said determination shall be made with reasonable promptness and diligence.
SECTION 2. Section 27-55-545, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-55-545. Each distributor of special fuel shall maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years a record of all special fuel purchased, received, procured, manufactured, refined, compounded, used, sold, stored or delivered within this state by such distributor, together with invoices, bills of lading, and other pertinent records and papers as may be reasonably required by the commission.
It shall be the duty of every person purchasing special fuel from a distributor of special fuel or other person for the purpose of sale or distribution to maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years a record of all special fuel received, together with delivery tickets, invoices, bills of lading and such other records as the commission may require.
All sales made by a distributor of special fuel, other than retail sales from a service station, shall be evidenced in writing, signed by the seller, or his agent, shall bear the date of purchase, name and address of the purchaser and the seller, and shall show the kind and quantity of the product purchased. Sales tickets and invoices made to cash shall not be considered as complying with the terms of this article.
If, in the normal conduct of business of a distributor of special fuel or purchaser, the records of such distributor or purchaser are maintained and kept at an office outside this state, it shall be a sufficient compliance with this section if the records shall be made available for audit and examination by the commission at such office located outside Mississippi. If a distributor or purchaser fails or refuses to permit the commission or any of its employees to check and audit its records during the usual business hours of the day, the commission shall have authority to subpoena said records and have them brought to the office of the commission within ten (10) days after the subpoena is served on the distributor of special fuel or purchaser.
If a distributor of special fuel or purchaser fails to maintain adequate records, or if an audit of the records of said distributor or purchaser, or any report filed by him or any other information discloses that taxes are due and unpaid, the commission shall make assessments of taxes, damages and interest from any information available, which shall be prima facie correct.
All actions by this state for the recovery of additional amounts claimed as tax due under this article must be commenced within a period of three (3) years from the date of the filing of the required report with the commission, provided that in the case of a fraudulent or false report with intent to evade tax or of a failure to file a report, action may be commenced at any time. However, when an examination of a taxpayer's records to verify returns made under this article has been initiated and the taxpayer notified thereof either by certified mail or personal delivery of a notice by an agent of the commissioner, within the thirty-six-month examination period provided herein, the determination of the correct tax liability may be made by the commission after the expiration of said thirty-six-month examination period, provided that said determination shall be made with reasonable promptness and diligence.
SECTION 3. Section 27-57-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-57-25. Each distributor shall maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years a record of all lubricating oil purchased, received, procured, manufactured, refined, compounded, used, sold, stored or delivered within this state by such distributor, together with invoices, bills of lading, and other pertinent records and papers as may be reasonably required by the commission. All sales made by a distributor shall be evidenced in writing, signed by the seller, or their agents, shall bear the date of purchase, name and address of the purchaser, and the seller, and shall show the kind and quantity of the product purchased. Sales tickets and invoices made to cash shall not be considered as complying with the terms of this article.
It shall be the duty of every person purchasing lubricating oil from a distributor or other person for the purpose of sale or distribution to maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years a record of lubricating oil received together with delivery tickets, invoices, bills of lading and such other records as the commission shall require.
If, in the normal conduct of a distributor's business, the records of such distributor are maintained and kept at an office outside the State of Mississippi, it shall be a sufficient compliance with this section if the records shall be made available for audit and examination by the commission at such office located outside Mississippi. If a distributor fails or refuses to permit the commission or any of its employees to check and audit his record during the usual business hours of the day, the commission shall have authority to subpoena the records and have them brought to the office of the commission within ten (10) days after the subpoena is served on the distributor.
The commission may, after an audit and examination of the records of a distributor, authorize the disposal of such records, such authorization to be in writing by the commission after a request by the distributor.
All actions by the state for the recovery of additional amounts claimed as tax due under this article must be commenced within a period of three (3) years from the date of the filing of the required report with the commission, provided, that in the case of a fraudulent or false report with intent to evade tax or of a failure to file a report, action may be commenced at any time. However, when an examination of a taxpayer's records to verify returns made under this chapter has been initiated and the taxpayer notified thereof either by certified mail or personal delivery of a notice by an agent of the commissioner, within the thirty-six-month examination period provided herein, the determination of the correct tax liability may be made by the commission after the expiration of said thirty-six-month examination period, provided that said determination shall be made with reasonable promptness and diligence.
SECTION 4. Section 27-59-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-59-25. Each distributor of compressed gas shall maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years a record of all compressed gas received, acquired, manufactured, refined, purchased, sold or delivered within this state, together with invoices, bills of lading and other pertinent records and papers as the commission may deem reasonably necessary for the administration of this chapter.
Any person owning or operating a motor vehicle or motor vehicles, with a gross license tag weight classification exceeding ten thousand (10,000) pounds, that use or are capable of using compressed gas as a motor fuel shall maintain and keep for a period of three (3) years records from which an accurate determination of the number of miles traveled in this state and the quantity of compressed gas purchased and consumed in this state can be made.
If a distributor of compressed gas or the * * * owner or operator fails to maintain adequate records, or if an audit of the records of the distributor or owner or operator, or any report filed by him, or any other information discloses that taxes are due and unpaid, the commission shall make assessments of taxes, damages and interest from any information available, which assessments shall be prima facie correct.
If, in the normal conduct of a distributor's or owner's or operator's business, the records of the distributor, owner or operator are maintained and kept at an office outside the State of Mississippi, it shall be a sufficient compliance with this section if the records shall be made available for audit and examination by the commission at such office location outside Mississippi. If a distributor, owner or operator fails or refuses to permit the commission or any of its employees to check and audit his records during the usual business hours of the day, the commission shall have authority to subpoena the records and have them brought to the office of the commission within ten (10) days after the subpoena is served on the distributor, owner or operator.
All actions by the state for the recovery of additional amounts claimed as tax due under this chapter must be commenced within a period of three (3) years from the date of the filing of the required report with the commission, provided that in the case of fraudulent or false report with intent to evade tax or of a failure to file a report, action may be commenced at any time. However, when an examination of a taxpayer's records to verify returns made under this chapter has been initiated and the taxpayer notified thereof either by certified mail or personal delivery of a notice by an agent of the commissioner, within the thirty-six-month examination period provided herein, the determination of the correct tax liability may be made by the commission after the expiration of said thirty-six-month examination period, provided that the determination shall be made with reasonable promptness and diligence.
SECTION 5. Section 27-59-315, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-59-315. Each person liable for the tax under this article shall maintain and keep for a period of not less than three (3) years records of the quantities of natural gas used, of the quantities of locomotive fuel used, the total miles traveled by railroad locomotives, the miles traveled by railroad locomotives in this state and other * * * information as may be deemed reasonably necessary for the administration of this article.
If, in the normal conduct of business the records of the permittee are maintained and kept at an office outside this state, it shall be sufficient compliance with this section if the records shall be made available for audit and examination by the commission at such office located outside Mississippi. If a permittee fails or refuses to permit the commission or any of its employees to verify and audit its records during the usual business hours of the day, the commission shall have the authority to subpoena the records and have them brought to the office of the commission within ten (10) days after the subpoena is served on the permittee.
All actions by the state for the recovery of additional amounts claimed as tax due under this article must be commenced within a period of three (3) years from the date of the filing of the required report with the commission; provided, that in the case of a fraudulent or false report with intent to evade tax or of a failure to file a report, action may be commenced at any time. However, when an examination of a taxpayer's records to verify returns made under this chapter has been initiated and the taxpayer notified thereof either by certified mail, or personal delivery of a notice by an agent of the commissioner, within the thirty-six (36) months' examination period provided herein, the determination of the correct tax liability may be made by the commission after the expiration of the thirty-six-month examination period, provided that said determination shall be made with reasonable promptness and diligence.
SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.