Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 15. TAXATION

CHAPTER 70. GASOLINE AND VEHICLE FUELS TAXES

Part 4. Gasoline and Special Fuel Tax

Information Reports -- Penalty -- Confidentiality

15-70-416. Information reports -- penalty -- confidentiality. (1) A person receiving gasoline or special fuel, including an importer, exporter, common carrier, private carrier, and contract carrier of property who hauls, receives, transports, or ships gasoline or special fuel from any other state or foreign country into this state or from this state to any other state or foreign country or from any refinery or pipeline terminal in this state to another point within this state shall submit to the department of transportation, upon its request and within the time specified, a statement showing the number of gallons of gasoline or special fuel contained in each shipment in interstate commerce and the movement of the products from any refinery or pipeline terminal located within this state to another point within this state during the preceding calendar month, the names and addresses of the consignor and the consignee, and the date of delivery to the consignee.

(2) A person, except a licensed distributor, importer, or exporter, who refuses or fails to file a statement as required in this section is subject to a penalty of $100 for each failure or refusal.

(3) The department or a deputy, assistant, agent, clerk, or other employee of the department may not publish or otherwise disseminate information contained in a statement required under this section in a form that allows identification of a distributor or a purchaser of gasoline or special fuel. This section may not be construed to prohibit:

(a) the delivery to a person or the person's authorized representative of a certified copy of any report filed under subsection (1);

(b) the inspection by the attorney general or other legal representative of the state of the report or statement of a person if a person or distributor brings an action to set aside or review the tax based on the report or statement or if an action or proceeding has been instituted in accordance with the provisions of Title 15 against that person or distributor;

(c) the publication of statistics classified to prevent the identification of particular reports or statements and the items in the reports or statements;

(d) the inspection by the commissioner of internal revenue of the United States or by the proper officer of any state imposing a tax on gasoline or special fuel or by the authorized representative of either officer of the report or statement of any person or the furnishing to the officer or authorized representative of an abstract of the report or statement, but permission may be granted or information may be furnished to the officer or the officer's representative only if the statutes of the United States or the other state grant substantially similar privileges to the proper officer of this state charged with the administration of this chapter or in compliance with 15-70-121 and 15-70-122; or

(e) the compliance of the department with any order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

History: En. Sec. 31, Ch. 525, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 20, Ch. 220, L. 2015; Sec. 15-70-351, MCA 2013; redes. 15-70-416 by Sec. 41, Ch. 220, L. 2015.