15-70-432. Application for refund or credit -- filing -- correction by department. (1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), the application for a refund must be a signed statement on a form furnished by the department. Except for a claim for a credit for taxes paid on unpaid accounts or special fuel taxes paid by the United States government, the state of Montana, any other state, or any county, incorporated city, town, or school district of this state or except for a claim for a refund filed electronically, the form must be accompanied by the original bulk delivery invoice or electronic transaction report issued to the claimant and must show the total amount of gasoline or special fuel purchased, the total amount of gasoline or special fuel on which a refund is claimed, and the amount of the tax claimed for refund. A claim for a credit for taxes paid on accounts for which the distributor did not receive compensation must be accompanied by documents or copies of documents showing that the accounts were worthless and claimed as bad debts on the distributor's federal income tax return. Any further information pertaining to a claim must be furnished as required by the department.

(b) A claim for a refund that is filed electronically in the manner specified by the department does not require a signature or the original invoices.

(c) A claim for a refund that is filed electronically does not relieve the taxpayer of maintaining records on which the claim for a refund is based.

(2) A bulk delivery invoice, receipt, keylock or cardtrol statement, or electronic transaction report that does not identify the dealer, dealer's location, purchaser, date of purchase, type of fuel, number of gallons purchased, or evidence of payment of Montana gasoline or a special fuel tax is not valid for refund purposes.

(3) All applications for refunds must be filed with the department within 36 months after the date on which the gasoline or special fuel was purchased as shown by invoices or after the date on which the tax was erroneously paid. A distributor may file a claim for refund of taxes erroneously paid or for a credit for taxes paid by the distributor on unpaid accounts within 3 years after the date of payment.

(4) If the department finds that the statement contains errors that are not fraudulently inserted, it may correct the statement and approve it as corrected or the department may require the claimant to file an amended statement.