Section 78.20. Refund to retailers.

 

(1)  In this section, “invoice" means the top copy and not a carbon copy.

(1m)  Any person who operates a service station, store, garage or other place of business within this state for the retail sale of gasoline therefrom who has paid the tax required by this subchapter on the gasoline received into that person's storage at such place of business shall be reimbursed and repaid 0.5 percent of such tax to cover shrinkage and evaporation losses upon making and filing a claim.

(2)  Such claim shall be filed not later than one year after the date of purchase of the gasoline or the claim will not be allowed.

(3)  The supplier shall furnish each retailer with an invoice prepared at the time of delivery, and the retailer shall send that invoice or a list of purchases to the department when making claim for refund. The supplier shall ensure that the invoice contains the following information: date of sale; name and address of supplier; name and address of retailer, which name must be the name of the claimant and be uniform on all invoices; number of gallons purchased and the price per gallon; and the amount of Wisconsin motor vehicle fuel tax on the gasoline as a separate item. If the retailer sends invoices to the department, the retailer shall send a separate invoice for each sale and delivery and each invoice shall be legibly written. If the retailer sends a list of purchases to the department, the retailer shall retain for 4 years the invoices that are evidence of those purchases and allow the department to inspect them.

(4)  On the filing of a claim under sub. (3) , accompanied by the invoice or a list of purchases, the department shall determine the amount of refund due. The department may make such investigation of the correctness of the facts stated in such claim as it deems necessary. When the department has approved such claim it shall reimburse the claimant under this section out of the moneys collected under this chapter to be used for carrying out this section. No claim for refund shall be denied or the payment thereof withheld for failure of the invoice or list of purchases to show the amount of the Wisconsin motor vehicle fuel tax on the gasoline as a separate item if the amount of such tax is determinable from the information stated on the invoice or list of purchases.

(5)  The right of any person to a refund under this section shall not be assignable and the application for a refund shall be made by the same person who purchased the gasoline as shown in the invoice by the person selling the same, and by no other person, and the proceeds or amount of such refund as determined by the department shall be paid to the person whose name appears on the seller's invoice and to no other person.

1989 a. 31 ; 1991 a. 316 ; 1993 a. 437 ; 1997 a. 27 .