15-8-301. Statement -- what to contain. (1) The department may require from a person a statement under oath setting forth specifically all the real and personal property owned by, in possession of, or under the control of the person at midnight on January 1. The statement must be in writing, showing separately:

(a) all property belonging to, claimed by, or in the possession or under the control or management of the person;

(b) all property belonging to, claimed by, or in the possession or under the control or management of any firm of which the person is a member;

(c) all property belonging to, claimed by, or in the possession or under the control or management of any corporation of which the person is president, secretary, cashier, or managing agent;

(d) the county in which the property is situated or in which the property is liable to taxation and, if liable to taxation in the county in which the statement is made, also the city, town, school district, road district, or other revenue districts in which the property is situated;

(e) an exact description of all lands, improvements, and personal property;

(f) all depots, shops, stations, buildings, and other structures erected on the space covered by the right-of-way and all other property owned by any person owning or operating any railroad within the county.

(2) The department shall notify the taxpayer in the statement for reporting personal property owned by a business or used in a business that the statement is for reporting business equipment and other business personal property described in Title 15, chapter 6, part 1. A taxpayer owning exempt business equipment is subject to limited reporting requirements; however, all new businesses shall report their class eight property, as defined in 15-6-138, so that the department can determine the market value of the property. The department shall by rule develop reporting requirements for business equipment to limit the annual reporting of exempt business equipment to the extent feasible.

(3) Whenever one member of a firm or one of the proper officers of a corporation has made a statement showing the property of the firm or corporation, another member of the firm or another officer is not required to include the property in that person's statement but the statement must show the name of the person or officer who made the statement in which the property is included.

(4) The fact that a statement is not required or that a person has not made a statement, under oath or otherwise, does not relieve the person's property from taxation.