Subdivision 1.Credit or refund of gasoline or special fuel tax paid.

The commissioner shall allow the distributor credit or refund of the tax paid on gasoline and special fuel:

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Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 296A.16

  • Aircraft: means any contrivance, now or hereafter invented, used or designed for navigation of or flight in the air. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • ASTM: means the American Society for Testing and Materials, which is a private organization that utilizes committees of industry representatives and regulators to develop product quality standards and test methods to be used by industries, regulatory agencies, and purchasing agents. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Aviation gasoline: means any gasoline that is used to produce or generate power for propelling internal combustion engine aircraft. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of revenue. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Dealer: means any person, except a distributor, engaged in the business of buying and selling gasoline and other petroleum products in this state. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Distributor: means any person who (1) receives petroleum products in this state for storage and subsequent distribution by tank car or tank truck or both, (2) produces, manufactures, or refines petroleum products in this state, or (3) imports petroleum products into this state via boat, barge, or pipeline for storage and subsequent delivery at or further transportation from boat, barge, or pipe line terminals in this state. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Gasoline: means :

    (1) all products commonly or commercially known or sold as gasoline regardless of their classification or uses, except casinghead gasoline, absorption gasoline, condensation gasoline, drip gasoline, or natural gasoline that under the requirements of section 239. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01

  • Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when part of the way is open for the public. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Kerosene: means a refined petroleum distillate consisting of a homogeneous mixture of hydrocarbons essentially free of water, inorganic acidic and basic compounds, and excessive amounts of particulate contaminants and that meets the specifications in ASTM specification D3699-08. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Licensed motor vehicle: means (1) any vehicle subject to a motor vehicle registration in which the power is produced with any fuel in an internal combustion engine, and (2) any motor vehicle not subject to a motor vehicle registration on which is mounted a corn shelling, feed grinding, well drilling, or sawing machine. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Passenger snowmobile: means a self-propelled vehicle designed for travel on snow or ice, steered by skis or runners, with an enclosed passenger section that provides seating for not less than four nor more than 12 passengers. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Person: means any individual, firm, trust, estate, partnership, association, cooperative association, joint stock company or corporation, public or private, or any representative appointed by order of any court; or an officer or employee of a corporation, or a member or employee of a partnership, who as such officer, employee, or member is under a duty to perform any act prescribed by this chapter. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • public highways: includes bridges. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • Special fuel: means :

    (1) all combustible gases and liquid petroleum products or substitutes including undyed diesel fuel, except gasoline, gasoline blended with ethanol, and agricultural alcohol gasoline which are delivered into the supply tank of a licensed motor vehicle or into storage tanks maintained by an owner or operator of a licensed motor vehicle as a source of supply for such vehicle;

    (2) all combustible gases and liquid petroleum products or substitutes, except gasoline, gasoline blended with ethanol, and agricultural alcohol gasoline, when delivered to a licensed special fuel dealer or to the retail service station storage of a distributor who has elected to pay the special fuel excise tax as provided in this chapter;

    (3) all combustible gases and liquid petroleum products or substitutes, except gasoline, which are used as aviation fuel; or

    (4) dyed fuel that is being used illegally in a licensed motor vehicle. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01

  • Special fuel dealer: means any person engaged in the business of selling and delivering special fuel into the supply tank of an aircraft or a licensed motor vehicle. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01
  • state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
  • Tax: means any fee, charge, exaction, or assessment imposed by a governmental entity on an individual, person, entity, transaction, good, service, or other thing. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
  • Use in licensed motor vehicles: means use in producing or generating power for propelling licensed motor vehicles on the public highways of this state. See Minnesota Statutes 296A.01

(1) exported or sold for export from the state, other than in the supply tank of a motor vehicle or of an aircraft;

(2) sold to the United States government to be used exclusively in performing its governmental functions and activities or to any “cost plus a fixed fee” contractor employed by the United States government on any national defense project;

(3) if the fuel is placed in a tank used exclusively for residential heating;

(4) destroyed by accident while in the possession of the distributor;

(5) in error;

(6) in the case of gasoline only, sold for storage in an on-farm bulk storage tank, if the tax was not collected on the sale; and

(7) in such other cases as the commissioner may permit, consistent with the provisions of this chapter and other laws relating to the gasoline and special fuel excise taxes.

Subd. 2.Fuel used in other vehicle; claim for refund.

Any person who buys and uses gasoline for a qualifying purpose other than use in motor vehicles, snowmobiles except as provided in clause (2), or motorboats, or special fuel for a qualifying purpose other than use in licensed motor vehicles, and who paid the tax directly or indirectly through the amount of the tax being included in the price of the gasoline or special fuel, or otherwise, shall be reimbursed and repaid the amount of the tax paid upon filing with the commissioner a claim for refund in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, and containing the information the commissioner shall require. By signing any such claim which is false or fraudulent, the applicant shall be subject to the penalties provided in this chapter for knowingly making a false claim. The claim shall set forth the total amount of the gasoline so purchased and used by the applicant other than in motor vehicles, or special fuel purchased and used by the applicant other than in licensed motor vehicles, and shall state when and for what purpose it was used. When a claim contains an error in computation or preparation, the commissioner is authorized to adjust the claim in accordance with the evidence shown on the claim or other information available to the commissioner. The commissioner, on being satisfied that the claimant is entitled to the payments, shall approve the claim and transmit it to the commissioner of management and budget. The words “gasoline” or “special fuel” as used in this subdivision do not include aviation gasoline or special fuel for aircraft. Gasoline or special fuel bought and used for a “qualifying purpose” means:

(1) Gasoline or special fuel used in carrying on a trade or business, used on a farm situated in Minnesota, and used for a farming purpose. “Farm” and “farming purpose” have the meanings given them in section 6420(c)(2), (3), and (4) of the Internal Revenue Code as defined in section 289A.02, subdivision 7.

(2) Gasoline or special fuel used for off-highway business use.

(i) “Off-highway business use” means any use off the public highway by a person in that person’s trade, business, or activity for the production of income.

(ii) Off-highway business use includes use of a passenger snowmobile off the public highways as part of the operations of a resort as defined in section 157.15, subdivision 11; and use of gasoline or special fuel to operate a power takeoff unit on a vehicle, but not including fuel consumed during idling time.

(iii) Off-highway business use does not include use as a fuel in a motor vehicle which, at the time of use, is registered or is required to be registered for highway use under the laws of any state or foreign country; or use of a licensed motor vehicle fuel tank in lieu of a separate storage tank for storing fuel to be used for a qualifying purpose, as defined in this section. Fuel purchased to be used for a qualifying purpose cannot be placed in the fuel tank of a licensed motor vehicle and must be stored in a separate supply tank.

(3) Gasoline or special fuel placed in the fuel tanks of new motor vehicles, manufactured in Minnesota, and shipped by interstate carrier to destinations in other states or foreign countries.

Subd. 3.Destruction by accident; refund to dealer.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 1, the commissioner shall allow a dealer a refund of:

(1) the tax paid by the distributor on gasoline, undyed diesel fuel, or undyed kerosene destroyed by accident while in the possession of the dealer; or

(2) the tax paid by a distributor or special fuels dealer on other special fuels destroyed by accident while in the possession of the dealer.

Subd. 4.Refrigerator units; refunds.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 1, the commissioner shall allow a special fuel dealer a refund of the tax paid on fuel sold directly into a supply tank of a refrigeration unit with a separate engine and used exclusively by that refrigeration unit. A claim for refund may be filed as provided in this section.

Subd. 4a.Undyed kerosene; refunds.

Notwithstanding subdivision 1, the commissioner shall allow a refund of the tax paid on undyed kerosene used exclusively for a purpose other than as fuel for a motor vehicle using the streets and highways. To obtain a refund, the person making the sale to an end user must meet the Internal Revenue Service requirements for sales from a blocked pump. A claim for a refund may be filed as provided in this section.

Subd. 4b.Racing gasoline; refunds.

Notwithstanding subdivision 1, the commissioner shall allow a licensed distributor a refund of the tax paid on leaded gasoline of 110 octane or more that does not meet ASTM specification D4814 for gasoline and that is sold in bulk for use in nonregistered motor vehicles. A claim for a refund may be filed as provided for in this section.

Subd. 5.Qualifying service station credit.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the tax imposed on gasoline, undyed diesel fuel, or undyed kerosene delivered to a qualified service station may not exceed, or must be reduced to, a rate not more than three cents per gallon above the state tax rate imposed on such products sold by a service station in a contiguous state located within the distance indicated in this subdivision. A distributor shall be allowed a credit or refund for the amount of reduction computed in accordance with this subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, a “qualifying service station” means a service station located within 7.5 miles, measured by the shortest route by public road, from a service station selling like product in the contiguous state.

Subd. 6.

[Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 5 art 7 s 66]

Subd. 7.Civil penalty for filing false claim.

A person who violates section 296A.23, subdivision 1, shall forfeit the full amount of the claim. In addition, a person who is convicted under section 296A.23 for filing a false statement or claim shall, in addition to any criminal penalties imposed, be prohibited from filing with the commissioner any claim for refund upon gasoline purchased within six months after such conviction.

Subd. 8.Appropriation.

There is appropriated to the persons entitled to refund or credit under this section, from the fund or account in the state treasury to which the money was credited, an amount sufficient to make the credit or refund.