(a) The Commissioner of Revenue Services and his authorized agents and representatives may, at any reasonable time, inspect the books and records of any motor carrier subject to the tax imposed by this chapter.
(b) The commissioner may enter into agreements with the appropriate authorities of other jurisdictions having statutes similar to this chapter for the cooperative audit of motor carrier reports and returns. In performing any such audit or part thereof, the officers and employees of the other jurisdiction or jurisdictions shall be deemed authorized agents of this state for such purpose, and such audits or parts thereof shall have the same effect as similar audits or parts thereof made by the Department of Revenue Services.
(c) (1) For purposes of this subsection:
(A) “Department” means the Department of Revenue Services.
(B) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Revenue Services.
(C) “Motor carrier” means any individual, firm, association, or private or public corporation engaged in interstate commercial operation of motor vehicles, any part of which is within this state or any other jurisdiction that is party to an agreement under this subsection.
(D) “Licensee” means any motor carrier who has been issued a motor fuels tax license under an agreement entered into under this subsection.
(E) “Jurisdiction” means a state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, a foreign country or a province of a foreign country.
(F) “Base jurisdiction” means the jurisdiction in which the licensee is legally domiciled, or in the case of a licensee who has no legal domicile, the jurisdiction from or in which the licensee's vehicles are most frequently dispatched, garaged, serviced, maintained, operated or otherwise controlled.
(G) “Motor fuels” means “fuels” as defined in section 12-455a.
(H) “Motor fuels taxes” means the tax imposed under this chapter and any similar tax imposed by other jurisdictions that are parties to an agreement under this subsection.
(2) In lieu of the requirements of this chapter with respect to licensing, bonding, reporting and auditing, the commissioner may enter into the International Fuel Tax Agreement or other cooperative agreements with another jurisdiction or other jurisdictions to permit base jurisdiction licensing of motor carriers who are liable for the tax imposed by this chapter and to provide for the cooperation and assistance among the jurisdictions that are parties to the agreement in the administration and collection of motor fuels taxes. No agreement, arrangement, declaration, or amendment to an agreement is effective until stated in writing and approved by the commissioner. If the commissioner enters into the International Fuel Tax Agreement or other cooperative agreement under this subsection, and if the provisions set forth in that agreement or other agreement are different from provisions prescribed by other sections of the general statutes, then the agreement provisions shall prevail.
(3) The amount of the tax imposed and collected on behalf of this state under an agreement entered into under this subsection shall be determined as provided in this chapter.
(4) An agreement entered into under this subsection may provide for determining (A) the base jurisdiction for motor carriers, (B) record-keeping requirements, (C) audit procedures, (D) exchange of information, (E) persons eligible to be licensees, (F) license revocation, (G) tax reporting requirements and periods, (H) penalties and interest for filing of tax reports or payment of tax after the due dates prescribed by the agreement, (I) procedures for forwarding of taxes, penalties and interest collected on behalf of another jurisdiction to that jurisdiction, (J) if bonding is required and (K) any additional provisions which will facilitate the administration of the agreement.
(5) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, the commissioner may, as required by the terms of an agreement entered into under this subsection, forward to any official of another jurisdiction that is a party to the agreement any information in the possession of the department relative to the manufacture, receipt, sale, use, transportation or shipment of motor fuels by any person. The commissioner may disclose to any official of another jurisdiction that is a party to the agreement the location of offices, motor vehicles and other real and personal property of motor carriers.
(6) An agreement entered into under this subsection may provide for each jurisdiction that is a party to the agreement to audit the records of licensees based in such jurisdiction to determine if the motor fuel taxes due each jurisdiction are properly reported and paid. Each jurisdiction that is a party to the agreement shall forward the findings of the audits performed on licensees based in such jurisdiction to each other jurisdiction that is a party to the agreement in which the carrier has taxable use of motor fuels. Such findings may be served upon the licensee and shall have the same effect as the audit findings made by the department.
(7) No agreement entered into under this subsection may preclude the department from auditing the records of any motor carrier who has used motor fuels in this state. Any licensee or motor carrier who is eligible to be a licensee from whom the department has requested records shall make the records available at the location designated by the department or may request the department to audit such records at the place of business of such licensee or motor carrier. If the place of business is located outside this state, the department may require such licensee or motor carrier to reimburse the department for authorized per diem and travel expenses.
(8) The legal remedies for any motor carrier who is served with an order or assessment under an agreement entered into under this subsection are as prescribed in section 12-489.
(9) This subsection shall be applied and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this subsection among jurisdictions enacting it for the purpose of participating in the International Fuel Tax Agreement.
(10) The commissioner may enter into the International Fuel Tax Agreement on or after July 1, 1993, provided that such entry is not effective before January 1, 1996.
(1961, P.A. 575, S. 9; 1967, P.A. 23, S. 3; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 93-179, S. 1.)
History: 1967 act added provisions re cooperative audits of motor carrier reports and returns; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 93-179 divided existing provisions into Subsecs. (a) and (b) and added new Subsec. (c) re entry into the International Fuel Tax Agreement; (Revisor's note: In 1997 the Revisors editorially corrected a reference in Subsec. (c)(4) from “payment of tax after the dues dates prescribed ...” to “payment of tax after the due dates prescribed ...”).