2015 Wyoming Code
TITLE 39 - TAXATION AND REVENUE
CHAPTER 17 - FUEL TAX
ARTICLE 2 - DIESEL FUEL TAXES
SECTION 39-17-208. - Enforcement.

39-17-208. Enforcement.

(a) Audits. The following shall apply:

(i) All tax records specified in this article are open to examination by the director of the state department of audit or his deputies;

(ii) An agreement may provide for each member jurisdiction to audit the records of persons based in the jurisdiction to determine if the motor fuel taxes due each jurisdiction are properly reported and paid. Each state shall forward the findings of the audits performed on persons based in the jurisdiction to each jurisdiction in which the person has taxable use of motor fuels. For persons not based in this state and who have taxable use of motor fuel in this state, the department may serve the audit findings received from another jurisdiction, in the form of an assessment, on the person as though an audit was conducted by the department;

(iii) Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection does not preclude the department from auditing the records of any licensee under this chapter.

(b) Interest. The license taxes and penalty shall be collected by the department together with one percent (1%) per month or fractional part thereof on the license taxes from the due date until payment.

(c) Penalties. The following shall apply:

(i) Any person who conducts the business of a supplier, refiner, terminal operator, distributor, exporter or importer without holding a valid license as specified in W.S. 39-17-206 is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided in paragraph (vii) of this subsection. Each day in violation of the provisions of this section constitutes a separate offense;

(ii) If any person fails or refuses to file the required statement or reports and remit the tax as provided by W.S. 39-17-207(a)(i)(A), (b)(i) and 39-17-206(f) and the department shall make a statement for that person from the best information available and from that statement shall determine the amount of the license and use taxes required to be paid and shall add a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the taxes due. The department shall notify the delinquent taxpayer of the total amount due by serving written notice upon the person personally or by the United States mail to the last known address as shown on the records of the department. If the delinquent taxpayer proves to the department that the delinquency was due to a reasonable cause, the department shall waive the penalty provided in this subsection. If the delinquent taxpayer after receiving the statement prepared by the department later renders to the department a true statement covering the same reporting period, the department shall use such statement, adding the penalty of ten percent (10%) and interest of one percent (1%) per month or fractional part thereof on the license taxes from the due date until payment. The penalty shall be waived by the department upon satisfactory written proof the delinquency was due to a reasonable cause. The department may suspend the license issued under this article of any person who fails or refuses to file required statements or reports and remit the tax as required under this article;

(iii) Any person who fails to furnish any report or remit any license tax to the department as required by this article is guilty of a misdemeanor. Each offense is punishable as provided in paragraph (vii) of this subsection. In addition, the department may suspend or revoke any license held by the offender and may require the offender, as a condition of any future licensing under this article, to provide a surety bond, cash bond or certificate of deposit as provided in W.S. 39-17-206(k);

(iv) Any supplier, refiner, terminal operator, distributor, exporter or importer selling diesel fuels subject to the license taxes imposed by this article while delinquent in the payment of any such taxes is liable for double the amount due to be recovered in a suit instituted by and in the name of the state of Wyoming. Upon application made by the state a writ of injunction may be issued, without requiring bond, against the defendants enjoining and restraining them from selling or offering to sell in the state diesel fuels until the license taxes are paid. Upon application made by the state a receiver of the property and business of the defendant may be appointed to impound the same as security for the delinquent tax and any judgment recovered in the suit;

(v) Any person who makes a false statement in a report required by this article is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided in paragraph (vii) of this subsection. In addition, the person shall forfeit all rights to a refund to the extent that the false statement resulted in a refund larger than that to which the person was lawfully entitled;

(vi) Any person who does not display the price per gallon including all applicable taxes at which diesel fuels are to be sold as provided by W.S. 39-17-203(c)(iii) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided in paragraph (vii) of this subsection;

(vii) Any person violating any provision of this article, or who procures, aids or abets any person in a violation or noncompliance is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both;

(viii) Except as otherwise provided for by law, no person shall operate a motor vehicle upon any public road or highway in this state with dyed diesel fuel contained in the tank or tanks which supply diesel fuel to the engine of the motor vehicle. A state trooper or special enforcement officer, may, during an inspection under W.S. 31-18-301 or during a weight or safety inspection, withdraw and inspect any diesel fuel. A state trooper or special enforcement officer may, upon probable cause to believe that the vehicle is operating in violation of this paragraph or other law, withdraw and inspect any diesel fuel in the supply tank or tanks of the vehicle as authorized by W.S. 31-1-203(b). Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or five dollars ($5.00) for every gallon of fuel involved, whichever is greater. The penalty under this subsection shall increase with subsequent violations by multiplying the penalty imposed by the number of prior violations;

(ix) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 51, 3.

(d) Liens. There are no specific applicable provisions for liens for this article.

(e) Tax sales. There are no specific applicable provisions for tax sales for this article.