15-35-103. Severance tax -- rates imposed. (1) A severance tax is imposed on each ton of coal produced in the state in accordance with the following schedule:
| Heating quality | Surface | Auger | Underground |
| (Btu per pound of coal): | Mining | Mining | Mining |
| Under 7,000 | 10% of value | 3.75% of value | 3% of value |
| 7,000 and over | 15% of value | 5% of value | 4% of value |
(2) "Value" means the contract sales price.
(3) A person is not liable for any severance tax upon 50,000 tons of the coal that the person produces in a calendar year, except that if more than 50,000 tons of coal are produced in a calendar year, the producer is liable for severance tax upon all coal produced in excess of the first 20,000 tons.
(4) The reduced tax rate on coal produced by auger mining applies only to coal recovered from a mining operation that would otherwise be uneconomical to recover by conventional strip-mining methods as specified in the coal conservation plan submitted to and approved by the department of environmental quality under the provisions of Title 82, chapter 4, part 2.