A. The Commission or any authorized deputy, employee, or agent is authorized to audit and examine the records, books, papers, and equipment of terminal suppliers, importers, wholesalers, jobbers, retail dealers, terminal operators, fuel vendors and all private and common carriers of motor fuel to verify the completeness, truth and accuracy of any statement or report and ascertain whether or not the tax imposed by this act has been paid.
B. The Commission shall have the same general authority provided under subsection A of this section with respect to narrow transportation sampling audits. However, all fuel vendors and bulk purchasers of fuel shall make available to the Commission necessary records with respect to such transaction(s) which the Commission is attempting to verify during normal business hours at the physical location of the person in this state, or at the offices of the Commission if the location at which the records are located is outside of this state, within three (3) business days after request.
C. The Commission or any appointee, including federal government employees and persons contracting with the state, may, upon proof of credentials shown, in the aggregate referred to for purposes of this section as fuel inspectors, inspect and each fuel vendor, motor fuel transporter or bulk purchaser shall disclose, immediately upon request, any shipping paper required by this act to be maintained at the physical location where the request is made which may include any place motor fuel is stored or held for sale or transportation.
D. Any person who shall refuse to permit any inspection or audit authorized by this act shall be subject to a civil penalty of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) in addition to any penalty imposed by any other provision of this act.
E. Any person who refuses, for the purpose of evading tax, to allow an inspection shall, in addition to being liable for any other penalties imposed by this act, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or be sentenced to a term of not more than one (1) year in the county jail, or shall be punishable by both such fine and imprisonment.
Added by Laws 1996, c. 345, § 61, eff. Oct. 1, 1996.